July 2026

Match Results Round-up

July proved to be another memorable month for Uphill Castle Cricket Club, with plenty of entertaining cricket, outstanding individual performances and important victories across the senior sides.
The 1st XI enjoyed a great month, winning three of their four league fixtures, while the 3rd XI also celebrated two victories. The Development XI continued to provide valuable opportunities for emerging players, with several impressive individual displays throughout the month.

1st XI

The 1st XI enjoyed an outstanding July, recording three victories from four matches to strengthen their position near the top of the table.
The month began with a dramatic six-run victory away at Yeovil, where Himesha Halneththige produced a match-winning spell of 5-26 after Harry Frake (35) and Paddy Holyday (30) had helped the Castle post a competitive total.
Another thrilling finish followed the next weekend as Uphill edged Taunton by just two runs. Paddy Holyday led from the front with a superb 63, while Harry Frake and Sahid Zaffar held their nerve with the ball to defend the target.
Perhaps the performance of the month came against Staplegrove 1st XI, as the Castle piled on 324-9 thanks to magnificent centuries from Kieran Chapman (123) and Himesha Halneththige (100*). Tyler Frost then claimed 4-39 before Chapman completed a memorable all-round display with three wickets to secure a convincing 24-run victory.
The month ended with another classic encounter against Cheddar. Unfortunately, after winning four consecutive nail-biters over recent weeks, this time the Castle came up just short, losing by three runs despite Sahid Zaffar’s brilliant 84 and Kieran Chapman’s half-century. Chapman also claimed 4-52 with the ball, while Elliott Wood added three wickets as the game went right down to the final overs.

2nd XI

The 2nd XI endured a challenging month but remained competitive in every fixture.
An unbeaten 64 from Zack Hurst and outstanding bowling figures of 3-7 from Nasir Ghafori were not enough to prevent a narrow defeat to Yeovil. Jack Fowler, Zack Hurst and Neve Kennedy all impressed despite another defeat away at Churchill, before Vinu Anil and Dan Newport contributed useful runs against Temple Cloud.
The final game of the month saw another spirited performance against Mark 1st XI. Zack Hurst starred with an excellent 73, while Andy Brooks and Nasir Ghafori led the fightback with the ball, but the hosts eventually edged home by three wickets.

3rd XI

The 3rd XI enjoyed an encouraging month, securing two excellent victories.
They opened July with a commanding 75-run win over Cheddar 2nd XI, after Basil Paul (66), Gareth Lloyd (59) and Sherin Thomas (53) powered the side to 243-6 before Joel Chakkalakal Sabu and Dylan Sluce both claimed three wickets.
A defeat at Burnham-on-Sea followed despite valuable contributions from Dylan Sluce and Ray Dibben, before another loss against Shapwick & Polden, where Jiby James and Dylan Sluce impressed with the ball.
The month finished on a high as the Castle swept aside Shaftesbury Road 2nd XI with an emphatic eight-wicket victory. Dylan Sluce and Ethan Roberts each claimed three wickets before Stu Butson’s unbeaten 55 and Jack Fowler’s unbeaten 25 completed a comfortable chase.

Development XI

The Development XI collected maximum league points after Mark 2nd XI conceded their scheduled fixture and continued to provide valuable experience for players throughout the month.
Jinu John starred with an excellent 55 against WsM 4th XI, while Ben Collins enjoyed a particularly productive spell, following his all-round display at Weston with a superb 79 against Frome. Pete Jobling’s four-wicket haul was another standout performance as the side continued to compete strongly despite narrowly missing out on victories.

Highlights

There was no shortage of standout individual performances throughout the month:
* Kieran Chapman – 123, 50 and seven wickets across two matches.
* Paddy Holyday – Match-winning 63 against Taunton and a valuable 30 at Yeovil.
* Sahid Zaffar – Outstanding bowling throughout the month before an excellent 84 against Cheddar.
* Zack Hurst – Consistent run-scoring, including an unbeaten 64 and an excellent 73.
* Dylan Sluce – Continued to contribute with both bat and ball for the 3rd XI.
* Ben Collins – Strong all-round performances for the Development XI.

Looking Ahead
With the business end of the season approaching, the 1st XI remains firmly in the hunt near the top of the table, while every side will be looking to finish the summer strongly. July showcased everything that makes cricket at Uphill Castle so enjoyable: close finishes, centuries, five-wicket hauls, emerging young talent and tremendous commitment across every team.
Thank you to all of our players, volunteers, scorers, umpires and supporters for another fantastic month.

#UPTHECASTLE