Bessborough slumped to an eight-wicket defeat at home to Middlesex County Cricket League Division Three leaders Highgate on Saturday.

The visitors came into the match with a 100 per cent record and that never looked under threat as they eased to victory at Headstone Manor.

The home side quickly found themselves in deep trouble on 17 for four and later 40 for five after devastating spells from Highgate’s opening bowlers Hashen Ramanayake (three for 27) and William Brookes (four for 45).

A sixth wicket stand of 66 between Hemmen Jutla (33) and Gihan Pallage (39) restored some pride but a lower order collapse meant Bessborough could only muster 123 all out from 39 overs.

It took Hampstead just 24 overs to reach the target for the loss of only two wickets. Opener Christopher Arul top scored with 54.

The loss means Bessborough now sit in joint-sixth place with 20 points.

Bessborough Seconds remain without a win this season after a three-wicket defeat at Wembley.

Openers Adil Parker (39) and Vidoosha Jayawardena (11) put on 45 for the first wicket but things rapidly deteriorated as five wickets fell with only an extra 14 runs added to the total.

Kibreeth Rameez (64) and Shiv Patel (65) came to the rescue with a fine sixth-wicket stand of 147. Unfortunately, once those two departed the Bessborough innings lost momentum as the tail failed to wag and the away side declared on 218 for nine.

Bessborough’s attack, spearheaded by veteran spinner Nitin Modha, picked up wickets at regular intervals so that the game was evenly poised entering the final stages.

Nitin finished with five for 78 – his second five-wicket haul of the campaign – but it was not enough as Wembley closed out on 221 for seven with seven balls remaining in the game.

Bessborough Thirds suffered a second home defeat in the Middlesex 1987 Cricket League Division Two when they were beaten by 105 runs against Indian Gymkhana.

Captain Ian Ridley (two for 55) won the toss and put the opposition into bat but they managed to reach 237 for nine.

Bessborough were never in the hunt and in reply collapsed to 132 all out inside 32 overs. Dinal Kadawathage top scored with 18.

In Division Five of the 1987 League, Bessborough Fourths pulled off a dramatic one-wicket win at Alexandra Park.

New ball pair Ravi Vyas (one for 55) and William Gill (two for 32) kept it tight at the start of Alexandra Park’s innings before they finally declared on a very competitive 217 for nine.

At 55 for four the side were in trouble. But Aman Maan scored an unconventional 91 and Ward’s 50 added 137 quick runs but when both departed soon after one another there were still 26 more runs required for the win.

A composed ninth-wicket partnership of 19 between Vyas’ Bharat (12) and Vyas (7 not out) got the side tantalisingly close before Prashant Dhayal hit the winning boundary.