Bessborough Cricket Club News story


Bessborough starlet Vidoosha passes 1,000 runs

10 Aug 2015

BESSBOROUGH STARLET VIDOOSHA PASSES 1,000 RUNS
By Simon Heaney

Bessborough’s Under 15’s captain Vidoosha Jayawardena has passed 1,000 runs for the season following his innings of 79 for the Third XI on Saturday.

Vidoosha  has so far scored 607 runs for the colts (U15s and U17s) at an average of 46.69 with four half-centuries, while for the seniors (2nd XI and 3rd XI) he has racked up 413 runs at an average of 37.54 (five 50s). His combined tally for the year so far is 1,020 runs at 40.80 with a highest score of 85 not out for the U15s in Division 1 of the MCA North League against Stanmore in July. His best for the seniors came last Saturday with 79 for the 3rd XI in their vital 1987 Cricket League Division 2 promotion-chasing game away to Indian Gymkhana.

Vidoosha’s excellent performances for Bessborough have seen him gain recognition at County level with Middlesex CCC.

He will have more opportunities to plunder more runs as his successful U15s will take part in the MCA Finals Day on Sunday 30th August, while the seniors still have four more league weekends of action, not to mention the Colin Horsley Trophy on Saturday 12th September when the Bessborough colts take on their elders. Few senior bowlers will relish taking on Vidoosha in his current form. 

As well as scoring runs for fun Vidoosha has also picked up 15 wickets for Bessborough across all teams, with a tidy average of 27.33.

“Congratulations to Vidoosha. He is following the tradition of many fine batsmen the club has produced over the years,” said Graham Sainsbury, Bessborough’s president and former first team captain who was heavily involved in the colts’ set-up in the 1970s and 80s.

Other players that have scored 1,000 runs in a season for Bessborough while colts include David Fell,  Andrew Miller, Geoff Watson, Richard Ayre, Mark Ramprakash (pictured in action for the Borough in 1982), Graeme and Duncan West,  Peter Longfield, Rupert Thaker, Paul Snelling and Keith Dutch.


The last player to score 1,000 runs in a season for Bessborough was former first team captain Dan Hawes, who scored 1,099 runs in 2013 at an average of 49.95. The club’s record for 1,000 runs seasons is held by Graham Sainsbury, who achieved the feat 17 times, while Graeme West scored the most ever runs in a single season in 1993 when he hit 2,012 runs, including five centuries. Few would bet against Vidoosha getting close to or breaking that record in a few years.