Ra'anana avoid drop with playoff win

Ra'anana, league champions just two years ago, ended a disappointing season which saw them finish seventh in the 8-team Division 1 league, with something to smile about, defeating Young Sri Lanka Tel Aviv by 25 runs, who had finished second in Division 2 in their debut season,

in the playoff game which finally brought down the curtain on a long 2012 season. The match, which had been delayed numerous times due, was finally played at Hadar Yosef on Friday. Asked to bat first, Ra'anana staged a good fight back to reach 180 for nine in their 35 overs, Danny Hotz (55) and Matt Hoffman (30) adding 70 for the 6th wicket after the Sri Lankans had started well reducing Ra'anana to 23 for three.

Despite making a very positive start to their chase, Yohan and Prianta adding 41 for the first wicket, the introduction of Ra'anana's spinners brought the breakthroughs, Josh Evans and Steven Shein sharing four wickets between them as 41 for none became 52 for four. Achinta continued to keep the chase on track, but as wickets continued to fall and the required run rate climbed above six runs per over, the task was beyond his best efforts, eventually last man out for 59, bowled by Shein who finished with five for 26.