First junior 'Test Match' ends in draw

After two days of intruiging cricket in a 2-day U16 match played between a North X1 and the Negev X1 at Hadar Yosef this week, a draw was the final outcome. The game was highlighted by a brilliant century from North X1 captain Gal Matz, but even his efforts were not enough to secure a win for his side against a tenacious Negev team.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, a disastrous start to their innings immediately put the Negev team onto the backfoot. All the batsman struggled against hostile and disciplined bowling through the first session, and when captain Oren Chinchulker was out the ball before the luncheon interval, his team were in deep trouble at 65 for 6 wickets. Despite losing a further two wickets soon after the break, Ronen Wasker and Eliezer Yugadayev dug in to frustrate the Northern attack for over two hours with their 9th wicket partnership. Wasker, playing with a dead bat and intent on pure survival, was the perfect partner for Yugadayev, who showed more attacking flair and played a couple of elegant drives through the off side. By the time a slower ball from Matz had enduced Wasker into playing in the air and being caught for a stubborn 23, the score had been taken beyond 150. The innings closed on 158, with Yugadayev undeafeated on 30. Apart from Wasker, Chinchulker (21) was the only other batsman to make a significant contribution. Yaniv Raspurker was easily the pick of the bowlers, taking 4 for 36 with his medium-fast deliveries. Reuven Bergman finished with 3 for 20, and Matz 2 for 32.

Still thinking about what may have been had they managed to take the final two wickets sooner, the North X1 began their innings with 90 minutes still remaining in the first day.Openers Alex Ozer (4) and Ilan Menashe (6) both fell to left arm quick bowler Artur Arutinin, but Raspurker and Matz steered the North X1 to the close of play without further alarm. Things may have been very different however had the Negev players managed to hold on to their catches. No less than three chances went down in the 16 overs bowled to complete the day.

Resuming on 49 for 2 on day 2, Raspurker and Matz immediately made their intentions clear, batting positively right from the start. Eager to score as quickly as possibily in order to leave enough time to bowl out the Negev X1 for a second time, the scoring tempo was more reminiscent of a limited overs match. Once Raspurker was out for 22, and with the overs and time ticking by, Matz began to take charge, adding 54 for the 4th wicket with Yehuda Gordon (21). A dramatic 40th over brought 22 runs, as Matz, seeking to declare, hit Raz Ben-Zaken for three 6's and a 4, bringing up his century in the process. The flurry of boundaries took the total to 191, a lead of 33 when the declaration came.

Quick wickets either side of the lunch interval were what the North X1 required, but Shai Chayun and Wasker were defiant, playing with extreme caution and lots of patience, despite the sporting declaration which they may have responded to with more enthusiasm. Ilan Menashe finally got the breakthrough in the 16th over, bowling Wasker for 10 with the score on 34. With the Negev intent on pure survival and holding out for a draw, batting hero Matz gave some hope to the North with an inspired spell of bowling either side of tea. He picked up the wickets of Chayun (22), Malyekar (0) and Chinchulker (17), but that was not enough. Yugadayev played another excellent innings, scoring 25, and with Ben Zaken not out on 16, Varsulker on 3, and the score at 136 for 5 and the lead 103, both captains agreed to end the game as a draw with 8 overs still remaining in the day. Besides for Matz (3 for 26), Raspurker was impressive again, although without reward.

The Negev X1 can both be criticised for their negative approach, and commended for battling their way out of trouble. Although playing the more positive cricket, and working hard for over 110 overs in the field, the North X1 were left to rue the lack of variety in their bowling. The match may have ended in a draw, but the winner was Israel cricket, as 22 young cricketers got a taste of what it takes to be a real test cricketer, what it means to occupy the crease for a long period or to work really hard for each and every wicket, things from which they will no doubt improve and benefit from.