Upminster Cricket Club XI v Essex Cricket Representative XI
Essex Cricket Foundation Benefit Match
Upminster Park
Sunday 10 September 2023 | 2:45pm start
A day of festivities on Sunday was capped by the 23rd annual Upminster v Essex Benefit Match in aid of the Essex Cricket Foundation.
Six current Essex First XI players participated in the game, alongside Ability players, members of the over-50s squad, and Club staff, which saw more than 350 runs hit in total, and the day as a whole raised £3,500 for the Foundation.
Read on for the details of, and a report from, the showpiece match.
Team News:
Upminster: Kiran Kullar, James Evans, Nehal Butt, Shafiq Rahman, Pulkit Gupta, Akibur Rahman, Ollie Todd, Max Carter-Miller, Callum Berry, Gus Siggins, Jamie Green, Vicky Waters, Daniel Simpson, Ray Calder
Essex Representative: Ben Aust, Andy Catherell, Joe Grant, Daryl Townson, Will Cosham, Adrian Grinnoneau, Chirag Desai, Aaron Beard, Jamie Porter, Paul Walter, Robin Das, Ben Allison, Jamal Richards, Brad Donovan, Sam Bear, A Patel
Match Details:
Umpires: Lee Cullum & Jordan McManus
Scorers: Sanjay Narbheram & Ollie Burley
Toss: Essex XI won the toss and elected to bat first
Result: Essex won by 33 runs
Scorecard: View Here
Match Report:
Half-centuries from Jamie Porter and Jamal Richards saw Essex come out on top in an absorbing and thoroughly enjoyable benefit match at Upminster.
Watched by, in the club side’s own words, one of the largest crowds in the event’s 23-year history, the match saw Essex successfully defend their 201-4 as Upminster made 168-5 in reply.
Porter struck 51 off 37, including ten fours, while Richards took a more aerial route for his 30-ball 57, smoking three sixes alongside his six fours.
With a top six made up of five professionals, Ben Allison also contributed an unbeaten 38 in just 17 deliveries, while Paul Walter hit 18 off nine and Robin Das made 11 in his seven balls.
The latter two were, though, outshone by Adrian ‘Colonel Grinners’ Grinnoneau of the Essex over-50s, who made 19 not out and shared in an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 58 off 32 balls with Allison.
Vicky Waters, the first woman to represent Upminster in the event’s history, was the pick of the bowlers with 2/13, including the wickets of Porter and Richards, while Ollie Todd and Max Carter-Miller picked up one each.
In response, Upminster got off to a flier as Pulkit Gupta and James Evans racked up a 68 partnership in 32 balls before Chirag ‘Shaggy’ Desai made the breakthrough by removing the latter.
Gupta went on to top-score with 39 in 30 deliveries, while Daniel Simpson hit 30 off 26, though the hosts were pegged back by several members of the 12-strong Essex bowling attack.
Alongside Shaggy, there were also wickets for Porter, Patel, Allison, and Daryl Townson, while non-batters Joe Grant, Sam Bear, Aaron Beard, Will Cosham and Brad Donovan all received a go with the ball too.
Despite Akibur Rahman hitting the Upminster innings’ only maximum on his way to an 11-ball 22, the club side were always behind the rate, with a final over from Beard rounding out the innings and completing an Essex win.
Ultimately, however, the result was a mere sideline to the celebration of the day, which raised a hugely welcome amount for the Foundation and enabled it to continue funding cricket development across the county.
