Tight at the top as Ra'anana and Lions Lod both win

There was a time when Lions Lod and Ashdod A were bitter rivals who were always involved in close encounters

17-May-2004

Action from the Ra'anana versus Be'er Sheva game at Hadar Yosef
Photo © Israel Cricket

There was a time when Lions Lod and Ashdod A were bitter rivals who were always involved in close encounters. However further testimony of the widening gap between Lions and the rest was provided on Saturday, as Ashdod were dismissed for just 120 and Lions romped home by 7-wickets. The one team in the country that may be capable of breaking their dominance of the domestic league is Ra'anana, who brushed aside Be'er Sheva on Friday to extend their unbeaten start to the season, and although the league isn't won in May, the clash between Lions and Ra'anana scheduled for two weeks time, could well go along way to deciding the championship.

Danny Hotz has scored hundreds of runs in junior domestic matches, for the Israel U15's, and even did well representing the senior Israel team in 2002. However his record in the senior domestic league has been one of underachievement. Until Friday that was. Walking in to bat at the fall of the first wicket with the score on 20, Hotz dispatched his first two balls to the boundary and never looked back. Together with Solly Bergman (43), he added 83 for the 2nd wicket, before really dominating a 76-run 3rd wicket stand with Israel U17 teammate Gal Matz. Having brought up his half century with a fourth boundary, he then really upped the tempo, taking 23 off the 27th over of the innings bowled by the hapless Naor Gudker. With the score on 179 for 2 after 32 overs, Ra'anana were set for a big score, but a late collapse, inspired by Benny Gudker, suddenly brought some joy to the visiting team, and almost justified their mystifying decision to bat first in sweltering conditions. Hotz was caught off Benny Gudker for an excellent 86, Matz followed soon after for 15, Josh Braun was run out without scoring, Rafi Zauer (8) played on to Gudker trying to cut, Yehuda Gordon was bowled by Gudker for a duck and Michael Levy fell the same way to a ball that kept frightfully low. With six wickets having fallen for the addition of just 11 runs Ra'anana were suddenly struggling to bat out their allotted 40 overs, but Steven Shein and Des Moss ensured the innings would finish on a positive note, adding 31 for the 9th wicket before Shein was stumped in the final over for 19. Moss finished undefeated on 8, Danny Brill on 1, and the target set for Be'er Sheva was 228. Benny Gudker was easily the pick of the bowlers, bowling a perfect length to take 5 for 27.

Action from the Ra'anana versus Be'er Sheva game at Hadar Yosef
Photo © Israel Cricket

Be'er Sheva were always going to struggle to reach such a daunting target, but any hopes they may have entertained were effectively gone by the 6th over, when Danny Brill had taken 3 wickets, Des Moss another and Be'er Sheva were reduced to 25 for 4. To their credit, they did not just capitulate, and although wickets continued to fall, Omer Penkar provided some excitement with a brisk 45 which included a huge six over square leg. A frustrating 35-run last wicket stand between Naor Gudker (14) and Saylis Waskar (12*) kept Ra'anana out in the sun far longer than they would have liked, but when Moss claimed the final wicket, with the score on 162, everybody would have been relieved the no-contest was finally over. Brill (3 for 34) and Shein (3 for 36) picked up the wickets for the hosts who, despite the big 65-run win, were far too casual in the field.

The only battle Ashdod A won against Lions Lod was the toss. Their decision to bat first was a brave one, but with David Massil removing both opening batsmen for ducks, hardly seem the correct one. Rimon Nagaukar put up a fight in scoring 35, but otherwise the Ashdod players failed to seriously stand up to the visiting bowlers, hardly helped themselves with two run outs, and were dismissed for 120. David Massil (3 for 23), Isaac Massil (2 for 11) and Anim Solomon (2 for 18) all enjoyed the conditions.

The Lod run chase was hampered with two early wickets for Ashdod skipper Menashe Wadhawkar, who removed Yefet Nagavkar (10) and Shalom Rubin (1), but Isaac Massil ensured there would be no further alarm with an unbeaten 46, and by the time Mahendra Jaiswar was caught off Joel Rueben for 35 the game was effectively won.

Sunny Ashtamkar scored 78 and Jacky Divekar 40 as Dimona C reached a competitive target of 230 set by Ramle with relative ease. Having elected to bat, Daniel Pingle scored 63* and Isaac Samson 32 in Ramle's innings. But the Dimona pitch is a batsmen's paradise, and no target can ever be too big, as was proved as Dimona C cruised to victory with 5 wickets and almost 5 overs in hand, earning themselves four valuable points and leaving Ramle without a win after three games in Division 1.

Lions Be'er Sheva extended their lead at the top of Division 3 with a 25-run victory over Kiryat Gat. Norman Sankar (63) and Samson Ashtamkar (35) were both in good form as Be'er Sheva totaled 225 for 9 at the completion of their 40 overs. Avner Charikar (4/40) was the best of the visiting bowlers. The Kiryat Gat run chase began well enough with a good opening stand between Yehoshua Shaporkar (20) and Avshalom Sankar (35), but although Moshe Charikar also added 35 in the middle order, no batsman managed the really big innings that would have secured victory. Be'er Sheva picked up wickets at crucial times, with Kiryat Gat being bowled out in the final over for 201. Raymond Waskar (3/43) and Ashtamkar (3/53) enjoyed success on a day dominated by the batsmen.