To celebrate 50 years associated with the club, President
Graham Sainsbury returns to the field as his President's XI side including
Bessborough legends past and present take on the club this Sunday (June 30).
Past legends Duncan West, Paul Snelling and the Wale brothers are all included
in his squad as is our most famous former player, Mark Ramprakash who hopes to
take the field for some if not all of the game.
Graham first became associated with the club in 1963 when he
started going down the club to play some softball cricket and watch the first
and second teams at the weekend. Two years later, after scoring for the second
team, Sains made his debut for the club scoring 1 not out in our second team’s
game against Southall. His technique and talent with the bat was evident for
all to see and a first 50 for the club against Harrow St Mary’s in 1971 saw him
promoted to the first eleven where he remained for the next 21 years.
His performances on the field for the club were absolutely
mind-blowing. Sains scored 1,000 runs in a season for 19 consecutive seasons between
1976-1995 with 17 of them being for the first team. He scored 17 hundreds for
the club and he scored what many believe is the fastest every 50 which came off
only 17 balls. Sains also shared 200 hundred run partnerships with three
Bessborough players who went on to play First Class Cricket, Ramprakash, David
Fell and Andrew Miller. He is also the club’s leading scorer with a staggering
total of over 30,000 runs with 25,000 being scored for the first eleven.
As a captain he was ahead of his time in terms of tactics
and plans. He first captained the club between 1977-80 and on and off for the
next 18 years. He captained the club in four of our five Mayor of Harrow
victories and as a captain he never lost a final.
The stats that backed up his achievements on the field are
staggering but many will argue that it is what he helped the club achieve off
the field is his legacy. He has done almost every job for the club including
chairman, groundsman and club captain. He was heavily involved in setting up
the club’s Colts section which continues to go from strength to strength. As a
coach he was first class and Ramps has often been quoted in the media as saying
what an inspiration he was on him and how he helped shape his career.
Even though his playing days at the club are now over, his
appointment as club President last year was no less than he deserved. His
daughter Chloe has now taken on the mantle from her father and is rumoured to
be an excellent young cricketer.
Graham is massively looking forward to the weekend. ‘My
connection with club is 50 years this summer, although playing wise will be in
a further two years time. I just think of all the bowlers I have bored and
padded away for Bessborough. The number of colts who have passed through while I
was involved must be many hundreds. While there have been many ups and downs
with the club, I have few regrets and made many friends and have an awful lot
of abiding memories’.
The match starts at 11.30am
at Headstone Manor this Sunday (June 30).
President's XI Squad
Graham Sainsbury (c)
Matthew Brewster
Andy Carr
Andrew Davis
Peter Doole
Robert Park
Mark Ramprakash
Chloe Sainsbury
Kevin Skelton
Paul Snelling
Nick Wale
Steve Wale
Duncan West