MIDDLESEX CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE
Crouch End 199-8 dec (51 overs)
Bessborough 132-9 (49 overs)
Winning draw for Crouch End
BESSBOROUGH’S flickering title hopes were extinguished on Saturday as they could only salvage a losing draw away to new Middlesex Championship leaders Crouch End.
The result drops Bessborough down to sixth in the Middlesex Championship, 30 points behind Crouch End with three games to go, with MTSSC lying second following their 47-run defeat to Perivale Phoenicians.
Crouch End’s better head-to-head record means that even if Bessborough were miraculously able to make up the points difference they cannot now overtake the leaders.
Crouch End elected to bat first after winning the toss and were in some trouble early on at 37-3, before a steady 62-run partnership held Bessborough in check.
Once that partnership was ended, Bessborough picked up wickets regularly and did well to restrict Crouch End to 199-8 declared after 51 overs.
Pace bowler Akshay Hirani with 3-48 was the pick of Bessborough’s attack, while Talha Junaid deserved more than his tidy figures of 1-13 from six overs.
In reply, Bessborough were rocked by the early dismissals of openers Dan Hawes (12) and Adil Parker (14) and things got worse as overseas player Alex Haniff (15) had a rare failure.
Bessborough were in serious danger of coming home empty handed on 82-6, but a fine 47-run seventh-wicket partnership between Richard Edmands (37) and Hirani (16) looked to have saved the team from defeat.
However, a flurry of late wickets meant Mitesh Vyas (3 not out) and Rohan Karkhanis (0 not out) needed to block out for six nervy overs to collect the solitary point.
Meanwhile, Boro’s relegation-threatened second eleven picked up a vital four points haul from a winning draw at home to North London.
It leaves the seconds still bottom of Middlesex County Cricket League Division Three, but they have closed the gap to their nearest rivals, Edmonton, to seven points with three games left.
The thirds were crushed by bottom club Teddington by seven wickets as their bowling proved toothless.
It drags the side into a relegation battle and they are now only nine points clear of danger in Middlesex 1987 Cricket League Division One.
The fourths lost by two runs in a nail-biting 40-over friendly at home to Harrow Town.
