The season finally got underway on Saturday, and although it began with a loss for the 1st XI, there were many positives to take from the opening contest. But for a remarkable innings from Hornchurch's Lesbourne Edwards it may well have been Upminster who claimed the victory at Harrow Lodge Park, but Max Carter-Miller and his side have plenty of positives to take into next week's League Cup tie with Buckhurst Hill.

Upminster won the toss and elected to bat, and Kiran Kullar (25) looked in good form at the top of the order on his return from Australia. However, when Upmister found themselves 49-3 they looked in a spot of trouble before Gus Phipot and Callum Berry began to turn things around. The start of their partnership of 128 was marked by excellent running between the wickets, but as the pressure began to ease both batters began to find the boundary, Berry striking one huge six (out of four he hit) towards the River Ravensbourne. Both players had made half centuries and the score was on 177 when Hornchurch debutant Sam Handley (3-36) claimed an excellent caught and bowled to dismiss Berry for 65 before Philpot took the total beyond 200 with a massive maximum of his own. Philpot looked like he was going to go on to reach three figures, but having hit Edwards to the mid wicket boundary the Hornchurch man got his revenge a ball later when he bowled the former Belhus man for an excellent 84.  There was still time for two of Upminster's youngsters to show their potential, with debutant Vansh Mehra playing a number of pleasing shots on his way to 28 not out and Zoran Suneel ending unbeaten on 16, a cameo which featured one of the biggest maximums of the day. It all meant that Upminster ended 269-5, a score which skipper Carter-Miller would have settled for at the start of play.

Hornchurch made a solid start to their reply through Jamie Sorrell and Usman Ul Haq, but after Sorrell (23) was dismissed by Jamie Green the home side fell into an almost identical position to that which Upminster had been in as they slipped to 47-3.  That brought Edwards to the crease and the left-hander immediately showed his intentions, finding the boundary from the start and dominating a partnership of 58 with Handley who was caught behind off Mehra for 19.  Edwards was now in full flow, striking the ball well down the ground and pouncing on anything short, and although Philpot picked up two wickets the run rate required was falling rapidly.  The left-hander soon brought up three figures and in combination with his skipper Gavin Griffiths appeared to be taking Hornchurch to a fairly comfortable win.  Ollie Burley had other ideas though, and with the home side needing just nine for victory he bowled Edwards for 143 (from 92 balls) with a 130 remarkable coming in boundaries (16x4s, 11x6s).  Edwards' dismissal may not have seemed significant at that moment, but it did a few minutes later as Burley repeated the trick twice more in the next two balls, clean bowling the next two Hornchurch batters to claim a brilliant hattrick and leave Hornchurch nine down with nine runs still needed.  Burley had two balls at the Hornchurch number 11, but four leg byes and a dot ball left five runs needed and skipper Griffiths on strike.  Fittingly, in a game where 21 maximums were hit, Griffiths then struck the second ball of the over for six over wide long-on to take his side to a one wicket win.  

Many thanks to Hornchurch for hosting an excellent afternoon of cricket, and we wish them all the best for the season ahead.  For Upminster it is on to next weekend where the 1st and 2nd XI will face cup ties against Buckhurst Hill on Saturday and the Women's sides and Sunday League XI will start their seasons on Sunday.