Upminster Cricket Club are pleased to announce that they have returned to the Essex Sunday League for the 2025 season. Upminster last played in the league in 2021 when they finished eighth in a nine team East Division (there was an East and West Division in 2021). After that season, the club decided to withdraw from the league to explore other avenues for Sunday cricket, but we are pleased to be returning to a ten team league for 2025. The Upminster side will be captained by Nehal Butt and will face Bardoli, Buckhurst Hill, Goresbrook, Harold Wood, London Desperadoes, Neo, Oakfield Parkonians, Scintila and Waltham. There will also be a T20 event as part of the 2025 set-up, and that is a competition Upminster won last time they took part in it, with Stu Connor captaining the side to glory four years ago.

The club has a proud history in the Sunday League having taken part in it for a number of seasons. They first played in the competition in 1998, finishing as runners-up in the West Division and four years later in 2002 they finished in second spot in the Premier Division. For the next few seasons Upminster were regular challengers at the top of the Premier Division table, but after the 2005 season a decision was made to withdraw from the league with the club playing an increasing number of games in cup competitions. The club re-entered the league in 2009, taking part in the West Division, but then moved in 2010 to the East Division and in 2014 they won that division, losing just one game all season to pip Goresbrook to the title. Back in the Premier Division Upminster struggled in 2015 but finished in mid-table in 2016 and 2017 and then finished top of the division in 2018. However, the new format of the league saw the top four enter a play-off competition to decide the title, and Upminster lost out to Waltham (who had finished fourth) in the semi-final. It was a similar story in 2019 as Upminster finished second in the Premier Division table before losing a play-off semi-final to Waltham. The club chose not to enter a revamped 2020 competition which took place during the COVID summer, and after the 2021 season the decision was made to withdraw from the league again due to other commitments such as the Windmill Whack.

We look forward to renewing old acquaintances in 2025 as well as taking on some new names on the club’s fixture list and we hope the league gives the opportunity for our next generation of young players to play more competitive cricket.