WEEKEND REVIEW - AUGUST 11-12
By Simon Heaney
Saturday 11 August 2012
MIDDLESEX CHAMPIONSHIP CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
Bessborough 1st XI 283-5 (50 overs)
Crouch End 1st XI 175-7 (50 overs)
Winning draw for Bessborough
MIDDLESEX COUNTY CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION THREE
South Hampstead 2nd XI 166 all out (42.4 overs)
Bessborough 2nd XI 266-4 (50 overs)
Bessborough won by 100 runs
1987 CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
Bessborough 3rd XI 255-8 dec (46 overs)
Wycombe House 3rd XI 113 all out (33.1 overs)
Bessborough won by 142 runs
1987 CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION FIVE
Crouch End 4th XI 120 all out (37 overs)
Bessborough 4th XI 121-7 (41.1 overs)
Bessborough won by 3 wickets
Sunday 12 August 2012
CHESS VALLEY CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
Harpenden 1st XI 335-6 (45 overs)
Bessborough 1st XI 202 all out (40.5 overs)
Harpenden won by 133 runs
Almost a “Super Saturday” for Bessborough
Bessborough very nearly had their own “Super Saturday” at the weekend as only a winning draw for the first eleven got in the way of a clean sweep of league victories for the club.
Playing at home on a glorious sunny day, the first team were put in to bat on a flat track by Crouch End and Danny Hawes (56) and Ramesh Gunalan (105) made them pay with an excellent opening stand of 159.
Gunalan’s fluent century, his first of the season, came off 123 balls and included one six and 19 fours.
Bessborough’s innings was given further impetus by Ian Barrie (47) and Andy Carr (34), both of whom scored faster than a run per ball. The home side completed their allotted 50 overs with a season’s best 283 for 5.
In reply, Crouch End shook off the early loss of opener Dilnawaz Ali, LBW to Barrie for 2, with a steady 98-run second wicket stand between Omar Khan (46) and James Jenkins (55).
Bessborough’s opening bowlers Barrie and Neal Patel, the latter with a double-wicket maiden, induced a mini-collapse as Crouch End lost three wickets in quick succession to put them at 114-4.
Crouch End’s number 4 Hitesh Goswami tried to up the run rate with some big shots, but when he was caught by Patel off the bowling of Barrie for 25, Crouch End’s chances of victory were effectively ended.
Bessborough were left with five overs to try and get the three wickets needed for victory, but Crouch End’s tail-enders held on to close on 175-7, giving Bessborough four points for the winning draw (faster run rate).
The second eleven returned to form and rekindled their promotion hopes with a comprehensive 100-run victory against South Hampstead. Batting first, Bessborough rattled up 266 for 4. Leading the charge were Mark Emanuel (77), Ian Ridley (74 not out) and Eranda Jayasinghe (52).
Jay Chavda was the star performer with the ball, claiming 5-36 from his 9 overs, as South Hampstead were bowled out for 166. Emanuel picked up 2-35, while there were wickets apiece for Rohan Desai (1-50), Mitesh Vyas (1-51), and Stephen Kimsey Snr. (1-1).
The 2s remain in fourth place and need to make up 25 points on second-placed Wembley to get promoted. They face a crucial two-week period with the chance to play catch-up with matches against higher placed Southgate and Wembley.
The 3s got revenge for their heavy defeat at Wycombe House a couple weeks back with a crushing 142-run win in the return fixture at Headstone Manor.
The victory was set-up by a brilliant knock of 93 from 15-year-old colt Kunal Choksi as Bessborough declared on 255-8 after 46 overs, and the job was finished off by a remarkable spell of bowling by another teenager, Nandesh Patel.
Patel completed his 8.1 overs with astonishing figures of 6 for 5 runs (including two no balls). Wycombe House’s innings was ended on 113 after 33.1 overs.
Bessborough 4s helped their own promotion chances with a hard fought 3-wicket victory away to Crouch End.
The hosts won the toss and made a brave decision to bat first on a very green and lively wicket that gave plenty of assistance to Bessborough’s hungry young attack.
Opening bowlers Oscar Farr (2-10) and Stephen Kimsey Jr. (2-18) were causing the Crouch End batsmen problems with probing lines and good pace and were rewarded with the early wickets of Crouch End’s top three. The first wicket was a father-son combination as Ian Farr, a last-minute emergency stand-in after a couple of late drop-outs, pouched a great reflex catch in the slips from his boy Oscar’s bowling.
Ian proved his worth again soon after with another great slip catch, this time off the equally dangerous pace bowling of Majid Abassi (1-19).
In the end Crouch End were all out for 120 from 37 overs. All of Bessborough’s bowlers picked up at least one wicket. Aside from those already mentioned, Ravi Vyas had figures of 2-27, Richard Ward 2-34, while Bharat Vyas chipped in with 1-12.
The fourth eleven have struggled with low scores this season and were once again in trouble when three wickets fell early. However, a vital 49-run partnership between Kimsey Jr. (27) and Simon Heaney (17) eased the tension slightly, although there was still quite a bit of work needed to be done by the lower order and thankfully Ward (12) and Oscar Farr (14 not out) - the latter ably guided by Bharat Vyas (0 not out) - saw the team home.
The only disappointing aspect of the match was the behaviour of one or two of Crouch End’s players. Having written so eloquently and entertainingly about the spirit in which cricket should be played, clearly not all of Crouch End’s team had read Captain Andrew Smith’s words as one bowler (mid-delivery stride) whipped off the bails of one of our non-striking batsmen (fortunately he was still in his crease) and the same bowler later refused to shake hands after the game. There were also a couple of alleged insults thrown about during play.
Regardless, it was an excellent all-round team effort by Bessborough’s development side and they will hope to back-up this performance in the coming weeks against some of their main promotion rivals.
On Sunday, Bessborough were well and truly stuffed by a strong Harpenden side in the Chess Valley League.
Skipper Phil Bush had a plethora of batting talent at his disposal, but a paucity of bowling options, so losing the toss was always going to be tough on a superb batting track.
Harpenden’s top three Gregg Cooper (112), Nick Reeves (70) and Nick Lamb (72) duly smashed the ball to all parts of the ground as their side racked up a daunting 335-6 in 45 overs.
The only highlights for Bessborough were two superb Tom Daley-esque full-length diving catches by Andy Carr, while the suspension of spinner James Wheeler for three high full-tosses by our umpire Jerry Halfhide was also worth a chuckle.
Bessborough posted 202 all out in reply, with decent knocks from Adil Parker (41) and Neal Patel (41 not out).