Upminster's U12s produced a stunning all round performance to win the Brian Taylor Trophy Final against Loughton at Felsted.  It was an historic victory for Upminster, as the U12s became only the second Upminster side to win a major county wide youth competition, and the first in a boys/open event.  

Upminster skipper Will Peck won the toss and decided to bowl first, and he was rewarded in the fourth over when Stefan Stander trapped the dangerous Faaiz Bilal in front for three.  Loughton were two down in the next over when Billy Sheridan produced a stunning piece of fielding at extra cover to run out Mark Adams, but Loughton then countered with Dawid Zakria and Armaan Khan steadying the ship.  The partnership had reached 38 when Jack Butler took a fine running catch at fine leg off of Carter Everingham to give Upminster the breakthrough, before Luca Davison Smith and Khan then put Loughton into a strong position.  The fourth wicket pair had helped their side reach 113-3 when Everingham came up with an excellent bit of fielding to run out Khan for 45.  Max Barber then bowled Basil Aldis without scoring to put Upminster on top, but as Davison Smith and Ali Waheed reached 128-5 there was still no sign of what was about to come.  Barber picked up Davison Smith for an excellent 44, before dismissing Waheed three balls later, and then Jack Butler came back into the attack and claimed two wickets in the first over of his second spell to leave Loughton nine down.  Barber then wrapped things up with his fourth wicket as Loughton were bowled out for 129.

Upminster will have been happy with their work in the first half, and that continued as Peck and Kayhan Suneel put together an excellent opening stand of 37 to put Upminster into a strong position.  Suneel played on for 19 off of Davison Smith, but from that point Peck put his foot down to put Upminster in full control.  Harrison Simpson gave excellent support in a stand of 62 before edging behind to give Basil Aldis a wicket and Peck soon brought up his half century with a pull to the mid wicket fence from Bilal's bowling.  Johnny Johal joined his captain and looked in good touch from the off, hitting two lovely back foot punches through the off side, before Peck found the mid wicket boundary again to bring the runs required into single figures.  The captain hit Davison Smith for four at the start of the next over before taking a single into the on-side and Johal then finished things in style, producing a brilliant drive to the extra cover boundary to seal an eight wicket win with more than 13 overs to spare.  

It was a brilliant all round performance from Upminster, with the celebrations beginning as the winning runs were struck, before Peck, who was named man of the match for his unbeaten 68, held aloft the trophy.  There are still some more big games to come for the side as well with a Central Cup semi-final against Harold Wood this Sunday and potentially a final in that competition in early September. Commiserations to Loughton who have enjoyed a brilliant season and were a credit to their club throughout the final.

These kind of victories do not happen by accident, and the work of Manager Ollie Peck, Head Coach Scott Simmons and their team of coaches and backroom volunteers should be applauded at a time like this (and the rest of the time).  Ollie and Scott have put in a huge amount of work with this group to make days like today possible.

Of course, it is only the start of the weekend, and on Sunday the U19s will be looking to make it two county cup trophies in three days for the club when they travel to Garon Park for Finals Day of the Ravi Bopara Trophy (full Finals Day Preview to follow).