Neve Yonatan extend lead at top of table; winning start for Young Ashdod

In a busy weekend of league matches, Aby Daniels starred with seven wickets as Neve Yonatan extended their lead at the top of the Division 1 table with an 81-run victory over Sri Lanka Tel Aviv, whilst Young Ashdod enjoyed an impressive opening game 30-run win over Ra'anana. Lions Lod were held to their third straight draw, this time against Lod Rangers, whilst in Division 2 action, Kiryat Gat were far too strong for Lod, winning by 157 runs after declaring their innings closed on 267 for nine, Be'er Sheva defeated Petah Tikva by four wickets, and Lions Be'er Sheva won a low scoring contest away against Dimona C. In one Division 2 T20 match played on Friday, Tel Aviv beat Ra'anana 2 by 31 runs, despite a hattrick by Anthony Harris (3 for 13).

Asked to bat in Ashdod on Friday, Young Ashdod were reduced to 38 for 4, unable to play the swing generated with the new ball by Amitabh Trehan. However a 61-run fifth wicket stand between Rimon Nagawker (49) and Kapila Yasaratne (13) put the innings back on track, before Yaniv Razpurker scored a patient 53, before being last man out with the score on 211. Trehan finished with five for 57. Left with 37 overs to achieve their target, Ra'anana started brighly enough, Daniel Hyman (46) in particularly good form, adding 49 for the second wicket with Sandeep Hans (18). However with the score on 98, Hyman chipped a catch to long-off, the first of a procession of Ra'anana batsman to gift away their wickets with poor shot selection. Despite the loss of wickets, Ra'anana continued to chase the win, eventually dismissed for 181. Fast bowler Yasaratne fittingly took the last wicket, with 10 balls in the match remaining, bowling superbly in taking five for 21.

Neve Yonatan continued their impressive start to the season with a comfortable win over Sri Lanka Tel Aviv in Ashdod on Saturday. Itamar Kehimkar (51) top scored for the hosts as they reached 199, before being dismissed after 43 overs. Daniels then almost single-handedly desroyed the visitors batting line up, finishing with the remarkable figures of seven for 23.

Sunny Ashtamkar (five for 18) starred for Lions Be'er Sheva as they successfully defended their small total of 100, dismissing Dimona C for just 84 in a match played Saturday in Dimona.

Batting first in Be'er Sheva on Saturday, Petah Tikva batted out their 45 overs, reaching 168 for seven, with Roger Gosalkar top scoring with 46*. The hosts comfortably reached their target for the loss of just four wickets and with four overs to spare. Shimshon Choor (56*) and Priel Waskar (46*) shared an unbeaten stand of 96 for the fifth wicket to secure the win.