Sri Lanka Jerusalem win inaugral T20 Cup

The T20 tournament, which replaced the traditional ICA Cup, saw teams divided into four regional groups, with the winners from each group advancing to the semi-finals. Sri Lanka Jerusalem defeated Neve Yonatan and Kiryat Gat upset Lions Lod in the semi-finals to advance to the final.

The ancient bible city of Be'er Sheva played host to the final. Extensive engineering work was done on the desert ground, which had been badly affected by the recent rains in the area, ahead of the match. Both teams arrived with plenty of support, and together with local spectators created a festive atmosphere.

Fast and accurate bowling from the Sri Lankans helped dismiss Kiryat Gat for just 112, with Shimon Penkar contributing 25, which the Sri Lankans reached for the loss of just four wickets, led by Gayan with a whirlwind 30* off just 9 balls. For the 300 spectators the game was just the beginning of the entertainment - after the winning runs had been hit, music, dancing and a barbeque ensured a festive ending to the 2009 season.