Bessborough Cricket Club

Bessborough concluded the 2015 season with the traditional curtain closer on Saturday, the colts versus seniors match for the Colin Horsley Trophy, and it was the older players who showed the youngsters they still have much to learn with a thumping 117-run victory.

Bad weather has meant this fixture hasn’t taken place since the end of the 2012 season, but the colts would have fancied their chances of gaining a first win in the series going into this game as their side contained many players who have performed so well for both the seniors and colts sides this year.

However, the two openers for the seniors’ side, Tharshan Kanagaraj (72) and Rajan Modha (36), showed no mercy as they put on 82 runs in the first 12 overs. A season’s best 49 from first team skipper Rohan Karkhanis at number four and 39 from 3^rd and 4^th team player Dinal Kadawathage at number six helped the side reach an imposing 267 for 7 in their 40 overs.

Wicket takers for the colts were Hatim Kanchwala (2-33), Ravi Vyas (1-49), Ajan Sivakumar (2-41), Thanuka Jayawardena (1-43) and Stefaan Fernando (1-34).

The colts reply got off to a solid start as Vidoosha Jayawardena (pictured) and Dillon Maloney put on 42 in the first seven overs before Dillon was caught off the bowling of Daniel Malik (1-31) for 17. Beavan Fernando helped to get the score up to 86 in the 20^th over before he was dismissed by the seniors’ captain Ian Ridley (2-31) for 19.

A flurry of middle-order wickets followed to put the colts on the back foot but with Vidoosha still at the crease they wouldn’t have given up hope. Cameos from Ravi Vyas (12) and Stefaan Fernando (16*) moved the score along but the game was up when Vidoosha was dismissed for 73 by Kadawathage (2-2) towards the end of the innings and the side were eventually all out for 150 with three balls remaining.