Vale can take positives from opening league loss

CRICKET LONDON Maccabi Vale were defeated away to Brondesbury Eagles in their opening league match of the season.

Faced with a powerful Brondesbury side, who are one of the favourites for the Chess Valley Division One title, Vale went down to a four-wicket loss although there were several positives for the club to take moving forward.

Winning the toss and electing to bat on a sun-baked day in North-West London, Vale were jolted by a brace of early wickets.

Adam Brand and Ben Kohler steadied the ship and shifted momentum in Vale’s direction, but regular wickets denied the visitors the chance to post an imposing total.

Brand contributed a wonderful knock, reading the match situation perfectly to withstand initial pressure before guiding Vale to a challenging score. He had advanced to 79 before being bowled with just a few overs to go. Only one other batsman, captain Neil Lederman, passed 20 — highlighting how several of the Vale line-up got themselves in but could not push on.

A total of 196 on a decent track against a batting-heavy opposition was never likely to be enough, and so it proved.

Brondesbury’s openers got their team off to a flying start and, despite Lederman dismissing both set batsmen, it left Vale’s bowlers with too much to do.

The young attack valiantly stuck to their task, and there were wickets for Steven Allweis, Rayno GreenwallCohen, Rafi Saville and Joe Nyman, but the home side cruised to their target with more than five overs to spare.