WEEKEND REVIEW - AUGUST 9
By Simon Heaney and Rohan Karkhanis
Saturday 9 August 2014
MIDDLESEX CHAMPIONSHIP CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
Bessborough 1st XI 209-9 (49.3 overs)
Osterley 1st XI 208-8 dec (50 overs)
Bessborough won by 1 wicket
MIDDLESEX COUNTY CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION THREE
North London 2nd XI 254-7 dec (54 overs)
Bessborough 2nd XI 255-5 (49.4 overs)
Bessborough won by 5 wickets
MIDDLESEX 1987 CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
Bessborough 3rd XI 244-8 dec (43 overs)
Wycombe House 3rd XI 245-5 (43.5 overs)
Wycombe House won by 5 wickets
MIDDLESEX 1987 CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION FIVE
Turnham Green & Polytechnic 4th XI 164-8 (50 overs)
Bessborough 4th XI 168-2 (33.3 overs)
Bessborough won by 8 wickets
Bessborough win thriller
Bessborough took a giant step towards their goal of winning the Middlesex Championship on Saturday, winning an epic game in the last over against closest rivals Osterley.
With both sides level on points going into the match there were understandable signs of nerves from both teams at the outset, but what followed didn’t disappoint as the teams served up a nerve-shredding game packed with high quality cricket that will stay long in the memory.
Having won the toss, Bessborough captain Rohan Karkhanis elected to field and Osterley openers M. Suraweera (17) and Laeeq Ahmad (34) came out attacking with some initial success. However, tight bowling from Amrit Ryatt (2-41) – who obviously enjoys playing Osterley having taken four wickets against them earlier in the season – induced some pressure and caused false shots that were smartly caught by Patel and Andy Carr.
Another typically miserly spell from spinner Nitin Modha (2-69) kept Osterley in check, with only number three batsman Kamran Taj (56) able to make a significant contribution before being run out by Hemmen Jutla.
A late collapse meant that Osterley couldn’t get away, even with Bessborough reduced to 10 players from about the 20th over when Carr had to leave the field after sustaining a serious finger injury when dropping a sharp chance that was drilled to him at long-off. The away side eventually declared on 208-9 off 50 overs.
Osterley’s opening pace attack of Ilyas (4-48) and Kamran Abbasi (3-81) – the former reckoned to be the fastest bowler faced this year - didn’t allow Bessborough’s Ishan Shah (26) and Jigar Shah (19) to play with their normal fluency, leaving the game finely poised at drinks with a score of 76-2 and a required rate of 5.3 runs per over.
A third wicket partnership of 57 between Ramesh Gunalan (49) and Jutla (29) in eight overs brought the required rate down before Gunalan holed out to long off sparking a dramatic collapse.
The loss of Gunalan and Jutla from the first two balls of Ilyas’ second spell was closely followed by the wickets of Ian Barrie (1), Patel (1) and Ryatt (8), leaving Bessborough teetering on the brink of their first league defeat on 152-7 with 11 overs remaining.
The game turned back in Bessborough’s favour thanks to a vital partnership of 41 in eight overs between former captain Sherrick Chavda (35 not out) and current skipper Karkhanis (19), consisting of excellent running between the wickets and a few squeezed fours.
When Karkhanis was run out in the 47th over Bessborough still needed another 16 runs with two wickets standing. Former chairman Modha (5) smashed a four over mid-on to help reduce the target to four runs before he became another scalp for the rapid Ilyas on the fourth ball of the penultimate over.
That wicket brought out last man Andy Carr (2 not out), batting down the order to try and protect his suspected broken finger, and “Geezer” successfully dealt with the fifth ball before hitting the last ball of the over through the covers for a quick two to give the strike back to Chavda.
Facing Abbasi, Chavda saw off a couple of dots to crank up the tension, but a top edged slog sweep off the third ball was fumbled on the ground by a sprinting deep square leg to allow the pair to come back for the second run and spark celebrations not witnessed at the Borough for many years.
It seems fitting that two Bessborough legends in Chavda and Carr (pictured) should bring home the crucial win, but in truth this was another superb team effort which has been a feature of the way the side has come together this season.
The victory, combined with a loss for third placed Wycombe House, means that Bessborough are now top by 10 points with four games to play. Next up is a trip to Birkbeck College, beaten by four wickets in the previous game at Headstone Manor.
The second eleven added to the feel-good factor around the club with a five wicket win away to North London that puts them within a point off second place in the Middlesex County Cricket League Division 3.
The hosts racked up 254-7 declared in 54 overs, but Bessborough’s batsmen stood up to the task to win with eight balls to spare. Talha Junaid followed up his 75 from last week with a superb 90 to confirm his return to form, while overseas star Urooj Ahmed plundered 84 not out. Rishi Patel (39) and William Grogan (21) also joined the party with important innings.
The 2s promotion race continues next week at home to Southgate with the added incentive of putting right the horrendous collapse in their first match.
The third eleven now looked doomed to relegation from Middlesex 1987 League Division 1 as they succumbed to a five wicket defeat at home to Wycombe House.
Typical of their season there were some good individual performances – Tade Carmichael (100) and Rajan Modha (47) – but a lack of clear leadership and discipline is preventing the team from gelling as a unit.
There is clearly a lot of potential in the side, but something needs to be fixed for it to be realised. The 3s now face four must-win games, starting off next week with Edmonton, one of the few sides they can catch. A defeat to Edmonton and win for Old Actonians would be enough to send us down.
The fourth eleven maintained their promotion chances with a comfortable eight wicket win at Turnham Green & Polytechnic.
Bessborough restricted their hosts to 164-8 in the full 50 overs with Eddie Idrees the pick of the bowlers with 3-17.
In reply, skipper Sahil Hathi continued his fine form with 75 as he and Idrees (48) put on 125 for the first wicket. Following a very decent spell of bowling in the first innings, youngster Hamish Jeyacumar saw the side home with a controlled 25 not out.
Depending on other results, the 4s move up to either third or fourth place in the Middlesex 1987 League Division 5 and will be looking for three wins on the spin next week at home to North London.