Champions start with crushing win

After just one round of matches, the Division 1 table already has a familiar look to it with defending champions at the top after a crushing 188-run win over Tel Aviv on Friday. Ramle and Neve Yonatan also started with big wins to take maximum points, with Ra'anana won point behind after easing past Young Ashdod. Petah Tikva Lod are undefeated after three matches in Division 2.

At Hadar Yosef on Friday, Lions scored 246/8 batting first against Tel Aviv, with Shalom Rubin (71), Gershon Massil (44) and Anim Solomon (30) amongst the runs. Kapila then took four for 14 in a hostile spell of fast bowling, which left the Tel Aviv reply in tatters. They were eventually all out for just 58.

In Ashdod, Young Ashdod won the toss and decided to bat against Ra'anana, but against disciplined bowling and good fielding, lost wickets at a steady rate and were all out for 134. Eyal Matz took four for 25. In reply, Ra'anana lost an early wicket but Adrian Vard (33) and Gerrit Grundling (37*) ensured a comfortable win for the visitors.

Also on Friday, Ra'anana 2 scored their first win of the season, and handed Kiryat Gat their fourth straight loss, winning by 4 wickets at Hadar Yosef. Anthony Harris took 3 for 22 as Kiryat Gat were dismissed for 126. Ra'anana reached their target due mainly to Gavriel Kaufmann (35*).

Lions Be'er Sheva pulled off a 3-wicket win over the Diamonds in a high scoring game in Ashdod on Saturday. Anis Zaveri (55) and Chirag Modi (77) took Diamonds to 257 for 8 in their allotted 40 overs, with Jacob Penkar taking 5 for 41 for Be'er Sheva. Despite the sizeable target, 82* from Moshe Saul and 61 from Samson Ashtamkar gave Lions a three wicket win with three overs to spare.

In Dimona on Saturday, Petah Tikva Lod cemented their place at the top of Division 2, with a comfortable 59 run win over Dimona A. Adiel Yaakov (3 for 28) and Shimon Shmuel (4 for 30) were amongst the wickets, but the visitors still managed to reach 221, with Yossi Satamkar (48) top scoring. Dimona replied with 162, Madhukar Thappa (3 for 30) and Avner Waskar (3 for 24) doing the damage.