Lions ease ahead of the pack, but Gupta the weekend star with 162

Lions Lod remained the only undefeated team in Division 1, easing past Ra'anana by 36 runs at Hadar Yosef on Friday. A good team performance ensured the win against a Ra'anana team which could not produce the batting form of their earlier league games. Also in the top flight, the Ashdod derby saw Ashdod A edging out Young Ashdod by 22 runs. Jacky Divekar hit the ball long and hard in taking 25 off the final over of the innings, helping Dimona C to a comfortable win over Lod, and Avshalom Senkar returned the remarkable figures of 7 - 3 - 12 - 5 as Kiryat Gat upset the history books and beat Diamond. But the performance of the week was undoubtedly in Dimona, where Sanjay Gupta scored his second successive century, hitting 162 as Dimona A crushed Petah Tikva by 201 runs.

Lions Lod won the toss and elected to bat against a high-riding Ra'anana team who were soon celebrating when Yefet Nagavkar (4) was trapped leg before to Des Moss fourth ball of the innings, having hit a boundary off the previous ball in a frantic first over which brought seven runs and wicket. Mahendra Jaiswar, his regular steady self, and Shalom Rubin, not scared to play his shots, first cashed in on some wayward bowling, and then batted well as the bowling tightened up, to compile a 66-run partnership for the 2nd wicket. With both batsmen well set, the wicket came almost as a surprise. Danny Brill, who recovered from a disastrous start, won a leg before appeal against Jaiswar (23), and followed that up by bowling Rubin with a yorker, soon after he had gone to a well played half century. With Rubin out for 54, it did not take too long before Ra'anana were celebrating again, this time the prized wicket of Isaac Massil, who never looked comfortable throughout his innings. With his score on 20, he could only loft a delivery from Gal Matz which jumped off the pitch to mid off, where Yehuda Gordon held a good catch diving forward. Any hopes Ra'anana may have had of running through the Lod middle and lower order were soon dispelled however, as Anim Solomon, who may have been run out before even facing a ball had Steven Shein managed to hit the stumps with a throw from mid wicket with Solomon stranded out his ground, smashed two huge sixes, and five fours, in an innings of 39. Two run outs off successive balls removed Shilesh Bangerra (3) and David Massil (8), but as the innings came to a close, Gershon Massil (19) lofted a couple of boundaries before becoming last man out in the final over with the score on 200. Shein picked up three late wickets to finish with 3 for 28, but it was Brill (2 for 48), Moss (2 for 47) and in particular Matz (1 for 29) who did the damage up front.

Needing to score above 200 against any team is a mammoth task, but against the vaunted Lions Lod attack even more so. A good start was needed, and when Adrian Vard clipped two lovely boundaries off his pads to the mid-wicket fence off David Massil, Ra'anana had the scoreboard ticking. However Massil soon had his revenge, getting Vard leg before for 10, and Isaac Massil, not to be outdone by his brother, picked up his first wicket soon after when Danny Hotz (1) played a dashing drive to a wide, full delivery, but only managed to edge through to the keeper. Solly Bergman, a defensive wall at the other end, was joined by Shein. Just as the two seemed to be building a partnership, Shein inexplicably played a rash shot to the gentle medium pace of Benny David and was bowled for 15, with the score on 55. The procession of wickets continued with Rafi Zauer (6) cutting a Solomon delivery straight to point, and Gal Matz followed in identical fashion for the identical score. Bergman continued to defy the inevitable, lofting Solomon over the ropes twice, and with Des Moss in attacking mood, Ra'anana's hopes would have been suddenly revived. However all resistance came to a rather unfortunate end when Bergman was adjudged leg before to Isaac Massil for 44, despite being well forward. Gershon Massil was introduced into the attack and mopped up the tail, getting the wickets of Moss (17), Braun (8), Gordon (5) and Brill (12) to finish with 4 for 16, Ra'anana dismissed for 154. Although it was Gershon Massil who returned the best figures, Isaac Massil was undoubtedly the best bowler, returning the economical figures of 2 for 18 in a typically tight display of bowling.

Asked to bat by Young Ashdod, Ashdod A lost early wickets, before the experienced middle order players steadied the boat. Menashe Wadhawkar (23), Danny Malyankar (30), Hillel Awaskar (17), Nissim Reuben (29), Israel Tal (23) and Michael Moses (20) all contributed, as did the Young Ashdod bowlers who gave away 58 extras, to a total of 228.

A 48-run 2nd wicket stand between Jared Solomon (19) and Shai Penkar (23) provided the perfect start for Young Ashdod, and Avi Talkar added a brisk 31, but three run outs proved very costly. Danny Malyankar was in aggressive mood, and despite the continuous fall of wickets, for as long as he was at the wicket, Young Ashdod had their hopes alive. However with the score on 195 Malyankar was bowled by Nissim Reuben for 58, and the innings ended soon after with the total on 206. Hillel Awaskar (3 for 35) was the pick of the Ashdod A bowlers.

Dimona C were given a solid start to their game against Lod at Hadar Yosef, with Sammy Dandekar (36) and Betzalel (35) adding 77 for the first wicket, before both were out in quick succession. Sunny Ashtamkar scored 26 before being run out, and Israel contributed 27, but it was Jacky Divekar who ensured a competitive total would be set, with final over heroics which yielded 25 runs. The innings closed on 198 for 8, with Divekar undefeated on 46.

Although five of the top six Lod batsmen could reach double figures, none could go on to build a match-winning innings. Hannan Sogadson and Avraham Penkar compiled a 66-run partnership for the 4th wicket, before Divekar entered the fray again and bowled Sogadson for 27. At 116 for 4 Lod were still in with a chance, but when Penkar fell 4-runs later having scoreed 29, the game was all but over. Divekar continued his impressive day by grabbing three further wickets to finish with 4 for 24.

On last season's form Kiryat Gat were expected to be no match for the Diamonds, and after they had won the toss, elected to bat, and been bowled out for just 153, the match result seemed to be headed according to expectations. Four wickets a piece for Amit Shah (4/20) and Nirav Shah (4/25) did the damage for the Diamonds. Despite their good work in the field, the Diamond's batting left much to be desired. No less than five batsmen scored 0, as only Anis Zaveri (22) and Raju Shah (44) applied themselves and made worthy contributions. Avshalom Senkar produced an inspired spell of bowling, grabbing five wickets, as the Diamonds slumped from 46 for 4 to 50 for 8. Although Raju Shah led some sort of recovery, the damage had been done and they were all out for 112, handing Kiryat Gat victory by 41-runs. Ezekiel Digorkar claimed 3 for 23.

Petah Tikva must have been wondering why they even bothered to make the long trip down south to Dimona, although perhaps having front row tickets to watch Sanjay Gupta bat was indeed worth the drive. Fresh from a century against the Negev Academy last week, Gupta passed the hundred mark again, but was far from finished, eventually being bowled for 162 by Yossi Satamkar, who, despite the carnage, returned the respectable figures of 2 for 41 in his 8 overs. Dimona A's total of 322 for 5 was based largely on the efforts of Gupta, but Yona Shmuel also played well in scoring 71 not out.

Petah Tikva must have left the field after fielding wanting to do nothing but return home and lick their wounds, but of course still had to go and bat themselves. They lasted just 24 overs, bowled out for 121. The Gupta and Shmuel show continued, each claiming three wickets for good measure.