Ra'anana start 2004 in style

The 2004 domestic cricket season got underway on Friday, with Ra'anana visiting Ashdod to take on newly promoted Young Ashdod in Division 1. Home captain Raymond Aston won the toss and elected to bat in conditions perfect for a game of cricket. Opener Danny Malyankar was quickly into his stride, blasting a series of boundaries on both sides of the wicket. However off spinner Steven Shein introduced himself into the attack in just the 7th over and almost immediately got a ball to spin back sharply and beat Malyankar's defence with his score on 19. Medium pacer Gal Matz settled into a good rhythm and picked up two wickets, the second courtesy of a good diving catch by Danny Hotz in the covers. Des Moss returned into the attack to trap Alex Ozer (1) leg before wicket and two balls later picked up the prize wicket of Aston (0), caught at slip, to leave Young Ashdod on 57 for 6.

Eitan Benyamin decided attack was the best form of defence, and hoisted Moss for two sixes, before taking 12 off an over by Yehuda Gordon. However, as was so often the case last season, slow bowler Adrian Vard produced the breakthrough for his team, as Benyamin, having scored an aggressive 27, hit a ball straight to Danny Brill on the square leg fence. Vard followed that up with two further wickets, and Eyal Matz was rewarded for an excellent spell in his final over with the wicket of Shai Penkar, who batted very patiently for his 26, as Young Ashdod were dismissed for 139.

Ra'anana began their run chase in positive fashion, with Solly Bergman unleashing a square cut for four, and Vard flicking a full toss from Malyankar off his legs for six. However the very next ball, another full toss, he hit straight to Shmuel Moses at square leg who held onto the catch at the second attempt. Malyankar, working up a lively pace, clean bowled Danny Hotz round his legs two balls later, and when left arm seamer Shai Gefen trapped Bergman (11) plumb in front, Ra'anana were toitering on 40 for 3. It could have been worse had Nissim Gerrard held on to a regulation chance at first slip offered by David Silver. Young Ashdod were made to pay for their mistake as Silver took his chance, rode his luck as two more chances were spilt later on, and, with the assistance of Gal Matz, who played the anchor role perfectly, added 100 for the 4th wicket as Ra'anana coasted to victory with 7 wickets and more than 13 overs in hand. Silver finished not out on 66 and Matz on 23.

The season kicks into full gear this weekend. Tel Aviv travel to Dimona to play Dimona C in Division 2 on Friday, whilst on Saturday, Be'er Sheva A host Ashdod A in Division 1, Neve Yonatan play Ramle in Division 2, and in Division 3, the Negev Academy host Lions Be'er Sheva, and the Diamonds play Dimona A at Hadar Yosef.