MIDDLESEX CHAMPIONSHIP CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

Birkbeck College 215-7 dec (52 overs)

Bessborough 158-6 (37 overs)

Winning draw for Bessborough

BESSBOROUGH had to settle for a winning draw at Birkbeck College on the opening day of the Middlesex Championship Division One season.

Borough claimed four points as their journey began for another season, but it could have been more had the rain not halted progress with the score at 158-6.

The away side lost the toss and were asked to bowl by hosts Birbeck.

Nirav Ghantiwala (1-24) made the breakthrough in the sixth over, bowling Birbeck’s opener for 14, but Bessborough had to wait another 10 overs for the next wicket when Rohan Karkhanis caught and bowled Imran Haider (16) with the score on 63.

Apart from number three Ali Haider, who went on to score an unbeaten 115, Birkbeck’s batsmen were largely held in check by the Bessborough bowling unit, particularly the spin duo of Karkhanis (2-32) and Nitin Modha (2-56) during the middle overs.

Birkbeck’s first hundred came at a rate of around three runs per over, although Haider picked up the pace after the fall of the fourth wicket with some big hitting. Ian Barrie (2-39) grabbed two late wickets in his second spell, both expertly caught by Sanil Shah, to put the brakes on the opposition, who declared on 215 after 52 overs.

After the tea interval, Bessborough started off their innings positively in the knowledge that rain was almost certainly on its way.

Captain Danny Hawes (29) and Adil Parker scored freely in an opening stand of 65, with Parker especially keen to get above the required 4.13 run-rate, smashing 49 off 39 balls.

New batsman Elango Thavalinkam carried on where Parker left with two huge sixes in a 16-ball 21, while Talha Junaid added to his growing reputation with a quick-fire 30.

Birkbeck’s bowlers eventually tied down Bessborough’s middle-order with the run rate dropping from 4.67 after 31 overs to a nervy 4.27 after 37, when the inevitable rain arrived and ended Bessborough’s score on 158-6, giving the away side the winning draw and four league points.

Borough’s second eleven were up against Highgate at Headstone Manor with Captain Phil Bush opting to bat first, a decision which surprised the opposition.

Bush declared on 188-8 after 48 overs knowing that the inclement weather was likely to restrict the Highgate innings.

Highgate came out after tea knowing they needed to score around four runs per over, which they just managed to achieve as they scored 89-2 after 21.1 overs when the heavens opened and ended the contest.

The thirds came the closest to victory of all Bessborough teams, just one agonising wicket away from claiming all 10 points against Old Actonians.

Just a few miles up the A40, the fourths faced Old Actonians.

Despite playing with only 10 because of a last-minute cry-off, and missing most of last season’s potent bowling attack, a tail-end rear-guard saw Bessborough come home with a creditable losing draw.