Bessborough Cricket Club

MIDDLESEX COUNTY CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION THREE - SECOND TEAMS
South Hampstead CC 2^nd XI 191-6 (28.2 overs)
Bessborough CC 2^nd XI 189 all out (52 overs)
South Hampstead won by 4 wickets

MIDDLESEX 1987 CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION TWO
Bessborough CC 3^rd XI 207 all out (47.1 overs)
Teddington CC 4^th XI 157 all out (39.1 overs)
Bessborough won by 50 runs

MIDDLESEX 1987 CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION FIVE
North Middlesex CC 5^th XI 89-2 (14.1 overs)
Bessborough CC 4^th XI 86 all out (26.2 overs)
North Middlesex won by 8 wickets

Bessborough cling on for draw

Bessborough’s first XI’s long wait for another Middlesex County Cricket League victory stretched to seven weeks as they rescued a losing draw at home to South Hampstead on Saturday.

The visitors to Headstone Manor put up an imposing 266 all out from 49.5 overs with all of the top five bats getting starts and two of them - Shrutarth Rajani (52) and Sacha Duran (58) – bagging half-centuries. The wickets were shared between the Borough spin trio of Nitin Modha (3-31), Sherrick Chavda (3-87) and Rohan Karkhanis (2-28), while keeper Jigar Shah was responsible for two run outs.  

In reply, Bessborough were struggling to score at anything like the required run rate, reaching 64-2 after 20 overs but they were at the very least looking safe from defeat with plenty of wickets in hand. That apparent serenity was blown away by a devastating three-over spell from Touqeer Ahmad (4-31) and James Williams (3-27) that reduced Bessborough to 65-6 with more than half the innings overs still to come.

Vice-captain Chavda (29) and Gihan Pallage (9) stopped the rot for 10 overs before the latter holed out to Williams. The skipper Karkhanis stuck around until the 40^th over before he was out caught to the same bowler without scoring, while Chavda finally succumbed in the 47^th trapped lbw to Ahmad. Fortunately, last pair Sharuban Kanthasamy (2 not out) and Modha (7 not out) were able to survive the remaining 23 balls to secure the point from a losing draw.

Bessborough remain second-bottom of the league but did extend the gap to North London in last place to four points as they lost to Harrow. Next up for the Borough is a short journey to Sudbury to play mid-table M.T.S.S.C.

It was a case of as you were for the 2s who lost by 4 wickets at South Hampstead but retained their slender one point advantage over bottom side Harrow, who also lost.

Bessborough were dismissed for 189 in 52 overs. Kibreeth Rameez top-scored with 65, while Adil Parker (31) and Phil Bush (26) both made starts. The away side didn’t help themselves with two run outs, including that of skipper Bush.

South Hampstead’s batsmen clearly had early evening plans as they raced to the target in just 28 overs. Opener Fuad Ahmed (61) and number six Habib Akram (56 not out) were the tormentors-in-chief as the home side closed on 191-6. Rameez with 2-28 from eight overs was the most effective of Bessborough’s bowlers.

The third XI maintained their excellent run with a 50-run victory at home to Teddington 4s.

Bessborough were slightly worried that their below-par score of 207 all out (Ian Ridley 38, Rajan Modha and Shiv Patel both 46) was reachable as Teddington’s opener Patrick Crossley (44) and number three Robert Eveson (52) looked set.

However, at about 100-1 at the half-way stage of the second innings things took a dramatic turn of events as change bowlers, captain Ridley (4-7) and colt Stefan Fernando (5-16), between them cleaned up the final nine wickets for around 50 runs.

Ridley’s (pictured) haul, combined with those taken earlier in the week for the Barbarians, means that he is now the club’s leading wicket taker with 38 in all competitions at an average of 21.26.

That win elevated Bessborough up to fourth place in Division 2 of the Middlesex 1987 Cricket League although victories for all of the top three sides means that the distance to leaders Osterley 4s stays at 13 points.

They have the chance of moving into second spot next week when they take on current incumbents North London.

The fourth XI’s hopes of promotion were all but extinguished on Saturday as an under-strength and under-manned side were given an 8-wicket drubbing at leaders North Middlesex.

Having been put in to bat Bessborough were very quickly reduced to 15-5 (effectively 6 with only 10 players) by the seam bowling of Alex Thomas (5-23). Colt Jamie Young showed his more senior team-mates the right way to do things with a personal best for the club of 48 that added a modicum of respectability to the final total of 86.

Young (1-23) then claimed a wicket with the very first ball of the North Middlesex innings and while a second wicket fell shortly after to Ahsan Javaid (1-31) the result was never in doubt once Seb Carr (65 not out) got into his stride.

Our Twenty20 mid-week side the Barbarians won one and lost one - by the same margin of 8 wickets - last week. Tuesday’s away match at Northwood Town was played out in gloomy and damp conditions but served up a treat of a game as the home side posted a very challenging 149-8 from their 20 overs. Kyle Lawrence top scored for Northwood with 50, while stand-in skipper Ian Ridley (4-22) grabbed some late wickets to finish top of the bowling charts.

The Barbarians response got off to a rapid start as the team’s leading scorer Rajan Modha smacked a few early boundaries before he was caught in the second over for 13, enough to take him past 500 runs for the club for the season. Fellow opener Dinal Kadawathage was caught soon after for 6 and it was looking like Bessborough’s chances were fading as quickly as the light.

However, a quite brilliant stand of 102 between Vivek Patel (80 not out) and Iqbal Harooni (30 not out, retired injured) swung the game back to the Barbarians. Patel’s innings in particular was exceptional with some brutal crisp hitting all around Northwood’s ground.

Harris Malik (12 not out), the replacement for the injured Harooni, scored the winning runs in the 18^th over to seal the win and complete the 3-0 whitewash over Northwood for the season.

On Thursday evening at Headstone Manor the Barbarians were brought back down to earth, losing by 8 wickets to North Harrow.

Despite only losing three wickets the home side didn’t capitalise and could only reach 139. New player Bhavin Kakkad top scored with 85. North Harrow reached the target with an over to spare with opener Ahsun Khan guiding his side to victory with 64 not out. The defeat means that North Harrow claims the summer series 2-1.

This week the Barbarians take on Watford Town on Thursday evening at Headstone Manor.

Bessborough CC 2015 Fantasy League - Week 14 MVPs

1. Ian Ridley 158 points
2. Kibreeth Rameez, Stefan Fernando 125 points
3. Vivek Patel 110 points