Played Tuesday, 23 September 2025, at Wanstead
| Bd | Wanstead B | R1 | R2 | Thurrock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whitton, Terry D 1861 (B, W) | ½-½ | ½-½ | Ralys, Vincas 2040 (W, B) |
| 2 | Murrell, Mark RA 1815 | 0-1 | 0-1 | Maguire, Jake 1484 |
| 3 | Staniland, Philip 1792 | 0-1 | 0-1 | Wilson, Mathew 1698 |
| 4 | GopiKrishna, Ashwin 1790 | 1-0 | 1-0 | Gibbons, Brendan 1437 |
| 5 | Lataille, Matthias 1704 | 1-0 | 1-0 | Akinyosoye, Banky 1461 |
| Average: 1792 | 2½-2½ | 2½-2½ | Average: 1624 | |
| 5-5* | ||||
Playing away and outrated by an average 168 points a board, Thurrock pulled off a spectacular smash and grab by taking both Boards 2 and 3 to win on Board Count. Unlike the Cup Final, this was not a match of two halves, but a remarkable double-take, the colour reversal making no difference.
Thurrock had given the Wanstead A team a scare in the Cup R1, by limiting Wanstead A’s R1 advantage to one point. Yet, Thurrock’s team in the above match was quite a bit less strong than the earlier match; only Vincas and Mathew played in the first fixture (v Wanstead A). Remarkable.
Many congratulations to Thurrock on a splendid result, to go with their Essex League Division 3 Championship.
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