Having not tasted defeat in the league for 19 games Bessborough have now lost two on the bounce after losing to MTSSC by 68 runs in their Middlesex County Cricket League match on Saturday at Headstone Manor.

The Middlesex Tamils side elected to bat after winning the toss and were looking relatively comfortable.

But Bessborough skipper Sharuban Kanthasamy (four for 35) trapped skipper Abdul Hamza (2) leg before wicket in the ninth over with the away team on 32.

There followed a sublime spell of bowling from Kanthasamy and Jay Chavda (five for 46) to leave MTSSC reeling on 64 for seven after 21 overs.

And MTSSC’s lower order fought back with a vengeance.

Thurkasuthan Kailasapillai (12) and batsman Kavithasan Kannathasan put on 44 for the eighth wicket to get the away side to 108 for eight.

Kavithasan masterminded a ninth-wicket partnership of 84 with Nishanth Paneerchelvan (23). MTSSC closed on 196 from 51 overs.

Bessborough’s innings got off to a horrible start after tea as both opening batsmen, Jigar Shah – a former MTSSC player – and Ishan Shah, bagged ducks.

Kushal Patel (28) and Ian Barrie (19) put on 45 for the third wicket to bring the home side back into the game but wickets continued to tumble with alarming frequency and other than a stubborn 26 from number eight Vyas Bessborough, succumbed after 41 overs for 128.

Incredibly, nine of the ten wickets were caught, with Kavithasan pouching five of them to cap off a fine game-changing individual performance for MTSSC.