WEEKEND REVIEW - JUNE 7-8
By Simon Heaney
Saturday 7 June 2014
MIDDLESEX CHAMPIONSHIP CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
Osterley 1st XI 117 all out (44 overs)
Bessborough 1st XI 231-6 dec (50 overs)
Bessborough won by 114 runs
MIDDLESEX COUNTY CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION THREE
Bessborough 2nd XI 181-8 dec (47 overs)
North London 2nd XI 86 all out (32.3 overs)
Bessborough won by 95 runs
MIDDLESEX 1987 CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
Wycombe House 3rd XI 154-3 (43.3 overs)
Bessborough 3rd XI 153 all out (45 overs)
Wycombe House won by 7 wickets
MIDDLESEX 1987 CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION FIVE
Bessborough 4th XI
Turnham Green & Polytechnic 4th XI
Match abandoned
Sunday 8 June 2014
CHESS VALLEY SUNDAY LEAGUE DIVISION THREE
Bessborough 205 all out (44.3 overs)
Preston (Herts) 207-3 (38 overs)
Preston won by 7 wickets
Bessborough off the mark with first win
Bessborough’s First Eleven finally clicked into gear on Saturday with an excellent all-round team performance to bring home their first 10 point haul of the season, winning by 114 runs away to Osterley.
Following two draws and two games lost to the weather Bessborough were in danger of losing ground in the Middlesex Championship and with the forecast predicting severe thunderstorms throughout the day it looked like it would be another weekend of frustration. However, after one early shower the sun came out and Bessborough showed their potential with a dominant display to give new club captain Rohan Karkhanis his first win in charge.
Osterley won the toss and put Bessborough into bat. Overseas wicket-keeper Jigar Shah (pictured) was promoted to opener and the newcomer delivered the goods with partnerships of 67 with Talha Junaid (25) and 65 with Ian Barrie (56) on his way to a season’s best of 77.
Bessborough declared after 50 overs on 231-6 mindful of last weekend’s match against Crouch End when they batted the full 55 but were left short on overs to bowl needing only one wicket to win.
Osterley started their reply in brisk style, with openers Suraweera (15) and Captain Laeeq Ahmad (30) scoring 40 from the first seven overs. The game changed dramatically in the eighth over which cost 16 runs, but more importantly saw Akshay Hirani (3-34) remove both openers.
Bessborough were now on a roll and they picked up another six cheap wickets before the 20th over. Amrit Ryatt did most of the damage with 4-40.
With Osterley floundering on 82-8 the home side belatedly decided to drop anchor in the hope of escaping with a losing draw and there followed a frustrating period of 17 overs without a wicket and very few attacking strokes. The ninth wicket eventually came in the 37th over with the very first ball from Junaid (1-6), bowling the stubborn Baharami for 20. The win was completed seven overs later when Ramesh Gunalan (1-1) trapped I. Butt lbw.
Skipper Karkhanis was particularly pleased with his side’s fielding, which included six catches in total and three from club stalwart Andy Carr, the last one a skier at mid-off that he tracked back to catch and held on to despite knocking his head on the ground as he rolled over.
The win moves Bessborough up to fifth in the Middlesex Championship, eight points behind leaders Wycombe House.
Bessborough 2s moved up to second place in the Middlesex County Cricket League Division 3 with their second win on the bounce at home to North London.
The home side eventually ran out comfortable winners by 95 runs, but the victory wasn’t looking so assured early in their innings at 98-6. Thankfully, a game changing 56-run seventh wicket partnership between Nirav Ghantiwala (30) and Eranda Jayasinghe (50 not out) enabled stand-in skipper Adil Parker to declare on 181-8 after 48 overs.
After lunch Bessborough were ruthless in the field with the frontline pace attack of Ghantiwala (3-27) and Sharuban Kanthasamy (3-9) grabbing early wickets and never letting the visitors off the hook. Spinners Nitin Modha (2-13) and Kibreeth Rameez (1-19) also helped turn the screw as North London were dismissed for only 86.
The third eleven’s poor start to the season continued with a heavy seven-wicket loss away to Wycombe House that leaves them rooted to the bottom of the Middlesex 1987 League Division 1. Only new players Harris Siddiqui (52) and Anand Thangaiah (35) can really say they stepped up as the side were all out for 153.
A somewhat hasty decision (agreed by both captains) early in the morning to abandon the fourth eleven’s home match against Turnham Green & Polytechnic following and early shower and the forecast for more of the same, denied the side the opportunity to build on their good start to the season in the Middlesex 1987 League Division 5.
On Sunday, Bessborough were beaten by seven wickets in their opening Chess Valley Sunday League game against Preston (Herts) at Headstone Manor. Some decent starts by most batsmen saw Bessborough reach 205 all out, but the visitors were rarely troubled as they passed the target after 38 overs and the loss of only three wickets.