WEEKEND REVIEW - MAY 21
By Simon Heaney
Saturday 21 May 2016
MIDDLESEX COUNTY CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION THREE - FIRST TEAMS
Osterley CC 1st XI 174-9 (45 overs)
Bessborough CC 1st XI 194-6 (45 overs)
Bessborough won by 20 runs
MIDDLESEX COUNTY CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION THREE - SECOND TEAMS
Bessborough CC 2nd XI 256-6 (45 overs)
Osterley CC 2nd XI 261-6 (33.3 overs)
Osterley won by 4 wickets
MIDDLESEX 1987 CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
Bessborough CC 3rd XI 202 all out (48.1 overs)
Southgate CC 3rd XI 229-4 dec (32 overs)
Southgate won by 27 runs
MIDDLESEX 1987 CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION FIVE
Southgate CC 4th XI 213-6 dec (45.5 overs)
Bessborough CC 4th XI 113 all out (36.1 overs)
Southgate won by 100 runs
Rameez to the rescue for Bessborough
Bessborough first XI’s winning habit continued on Saturday as they beat Osterley by 20 runs to move into joint fourth place in the Middlesex County Cricket League.
Batting first, Bessborough got off to a ponderous start with runs only coming at 2s per over before the first wicket fell in the tenth. There was little change to that pattern in the following overs as Osterley’s attack had us six down for 95 after 31. Into the breach stepped young all-rounder Kibreeth Rameez (68*) and keeper Will Grogan (33*) who put on an unbeaten stand of 99 for the seventh wicket to get the side up to a defendable 194-6 from the full 45 overs.
Saturday’s knock is “Kibby’s” (pictured) best innings for the club so far, in just his seventh competitive game for the 1s.
Osterley’s reply was brisker than ours with runs coming at around 4 per over, but the home side was kept in check by the fall of regular wickets, three of which were snared by opening bowler Gihan Pallage (3-28).
Kamran Ali with 46 and Hameed Ahmadzai with 28 kept Osterley in the hunt but tight work from spinners Rameez (1-15 from 9 overs), Urooj Ahmed (2-32) and Nitin Modha (1-34) helped to end their chase 20 runs short.
The second eleven were extremely unlucky not to come away with more than a single losing point from their game with Osterley, but despite a fine batting display they were blown away by a remarkable innings from Osterley’s Pinder Singh.
At tea Bessborough were more than happy with the 256-6 they scored from 45 overs with the bulk of the runs coming from captain Phil Bush (50), restored to the openers slot, and debutant Saghar Tanoli (68). However, they didn’t reckon on Singh’s devastating unbeaten innings of 131 from number three. He and Farooq Jabangir (60) took the game away from Bessborough in ruthless fashion and allowed his side to complete the chase inside 34 overs of brutal hitting.
The third team were also on the wrong end of some quick-fire batting as Southgate racked up 229 runs in 32 overs before making a daring declaration as they feared rain would come. Harrison Folland (107*) and Shiv-Raj Sharma (87) were the main tormentors. Sahil Hathi was the most effective Borough bowler with 3-29.
With 60 overs to play with – but unfortunately only 10 players – Bessborough went about chasing the target in a steady fashion and skipper Ian Ridley carried on his great early season form with 57 in an opening partnership of 126 with colt Thanuka Jayawardena (45) – his best score for the club. Ridley is currently the club’s leading runs scorer (171 @ 42.75) and wicket taker (11 @24.09) across all games played so far.
Hathi (18), Praekash Balendra (14) and Shiv Patel (23) – the latter a victim of a secret stag-do later than evening in the clubhouse - all helped to progress the side towards an unlikely victory but in the end the team’s shortage of players cost them dear as while chasing the game they lost the final two wickets in the 59th over, finishing 27 runs behind.
Southgate completed the double over us when their fourth team beat ours by 100-runs, meaning that our lads are still waiting for their first points of the season after three weeks. Southgate’s opener-keeper Partha Dave was unlucky not to complete a century when he was dismissed for 93, while seamer Rishi Dave made sure Bessborough didn’t get close to winning with sensational figures of 8 for 39. Simon Heaney top-scored for Bessborough with 38.
Bessborough CC 2016 Fantasy League - Week 5 MVPs
Sponsored by Ed's Party Pieces
- Kibreeth Rameez 132 points
- Saghar Tanoli 98 points
- Ian Ridley 92 points