WEEKEND REVIEW - AUGUST 27
By Simon Heaney
Saturday 27 August 2016
MIDDLESEX COUNTY CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION THREE - FIRST TEAMS
Kenton CC 1st XI 160 all out (42.1 overs)
Bessborough CC 1st XI 163-2 (22 overs)
Bessborough won by 8 wickets
MIDDLESEX COUNTY CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION THREE - SECOND TEAMS
Bessborough CC 2nd XI 330-6 (45 overs)
Kenton CC 2nd XI 279 all out (44 overs)
Bessborough won by 51 runs
MIDDLESEX 1987 CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
Bessborough CC 3rd XI 169 all out (44.5 overs)
Harrow Town 3rd XI 170-4 (32.4 overs)
Harrow Town won by 6 wickets
MIDDLESEX 1987 CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION FIVE
Hampstead 5th XI 180 all out (43.5 overs)
Bessborough CC 4th XI 118 all out (32.4 overs)
Hampstead won by 62 runs
Easy win secures MCCL status for another year
Bessborough secured their place in the Middlesex County Cricket League for another year on Saturday after a comprehensive eight-wicket win at relegation-haunted Kenton.
Bessborough skipper Rohan Karkhanis won the toss and elected to field first, and was vindicated almost immediately as pace man Rohan Desai (2-31) bowled Sohail Butt (1) with the first ball of the second over. Desai’s new ball partner Sharuban “KP” Kanthasamy (2-23) then grabbed two wickets in his third over before Desai claimed one more to leave Kenton in all sorts of trouble on 19-4 after eight overs.
To their credit Kenton managed to salvage a total of 160 with number three Kaushal Patel the main source of resistance with 47. All-rounder Kibreeth Rameez (4-30) cleaned up the tail with four of the last five wickets to put him in with an outside chance of finishing the season as the leading wicket taker in the division.
After tea Bessborough made easy work of the chase, taking only 22 overs for the loss of just two wickets to reach the target. Opener Hemmen Jutla (70) and number three Sherrick Chavda (pictured, 70*) doing the bulk of the work.
Back at HQ the match between the second XI’s of the same clubs was a run-fest; Bessborough coming out on top of a game when over 600 runs were scored in the day.
Bessborough set the tone with a mammoth 330-6 from 45 overs. Leading the charge with the bat were overseas star Urooj Ahmed (90*), Tharshan Kanagaraj (68), colt Beaven Fernando (39 in his debut for the 2s) and Gihan Pallage (37).
Kenton tried their best to keep up with the rate with most of our bowlers taking punishment at one stage, the exception being young spinner Ajan Sivakumar who finished with very tidy figures in the circumstances of 1-28 from nine overs.
Eventually though Kenton were dismissed 51 runs from the winning line with another spinner Mitesh Vyas having a big say in our win with 4-54.
Having put aside any relegation fears last weekend, the third XI chose a reasonable time to deliver one of their worst performances as they were easily beaten at home to second-placed Harrow Town.
Batting first Bessborough could only muster 169 in 45 overs with no batsmen getting past 30 – Owais Ahmed top scoring with 28. Harrow Town only needed 33 overs to pass the target, losing four wickets in the process.
The fourth team finally succumbed to the inevitable as defeat at Hampstead 5s confirmed their relegation from Division 5 of the 1987 Cricket League. The home side were made to work hard as Bessborough dismissed them for 180 in 44 overs. Star of the show was undoubtedly 12-year-old spinner Guganeshan Muralitharan, playing in his second game for the team, who picked up three wickets in three overs at the end of the innings.
In a microcosm of the season as a whole Bessborough then undid all of their good work in the field with an abject batting display, gifting their wickets all too cheaply, including two suicidal run outs.
Colt Rebant Ruparel (24) and skipper Richard Ward (25) briefly threatened to pull off a miracle with a ninth-wicket stand of 55 but it wasn’t enough to save the day as we came up short by 62 runs. As things transpired even a victory wouldn’t have taken the relegation battle to the last game as Harrow St Marys won to move out of reach.
Bessborough CC 2016 Fantasy League - Week 19 MVPs
Sponsored by Ed's Party Pieces
- Urooj Ahmed 120 points
- Sherrick Chavda 118 points
- Tharshan Kanagaraj 108 points