MIDDLESEX CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE
Bessborough 261-5
Perivale Phoenicians 1st XI 170-8
Winning draw for Bessborough
BESSBOROUGH captain and opening batsman Danny Hawes became the club’s first batsman since 2005 to score 1,000 runs in a season.
Hawes passed the milestone with a half-century in a winning draw against Perivale Phoenicians at Headstone Manor on Saturday.
The skipper’s innings of 58 took his tally to 1,020 at an average of 53.68 in all formats, making him the first batsman since Carl Hoar to rack up such a haul.
He has passed 50 on eight occasions this summer, converting three into centuries, including a career best 145 not out against Osterley at the end of May.
Hawes’ previous best season for the club was in 2005 when he scored 907 at an average of 34.
Unfortunately, individual success was not enough to secure maximum points on Saturday as Perivale clung on for a draw with only two wickets remaining.
The four points gained from the winning draw moved Bessborough up to fourth place in the Middlesex Championship.
But the gap to joint leaders MTSSC, who beat SKLP by 96 runs this week, and Crouch End has extended to a virtually unassailable 27 points with only four games remaining.
Meanwhile, Rishi Patel top scored with 62 for the seconds as they lost by five wickets at Ickenham, leaving them 11 points adrift at the bottom of the table.
The thirds, missing a number of regular players, lost at home to Enfield by three wickets, where Sammy Hawes (49 not out) and Sahil Hathi (5-44), both promoted from the fourths, were the stand-out performers.
The fourths lost a hastily-arranged friendly away to Hertingfordbury’s second team, while Bessborough’s Sunday side won a friendly against GWR Trailfinders as Phil Bush returned to form with a solid 74 runs.
