Vale leave Old Boys in a spin
CRICKET LONDON Maccabi Vale secured their first Chess Valley League victory of the season with a comprehensive seven-wicket triumph away to UCS Old Boys.
A dominant all-round performance saw LMV restrict UCS to 147-7 off 45 overs, before chasing those runs down for the loss of only three wickets with almost 12 overs remaining.
Whilst most cricket fans’ attention was on a somewhat more prominent game at Lord’s, this was a crucial fixture for LMV as they came into the match off the back of one defeat and one rain cancellation from their two Division One outings.
Electing to bowl first, captain Steven Allweis (2-27) set the tone from the outset as he claimed a wicket in the first over of the match. From there, LMV never let their grip on proceedings slip as they produced a complete bowling and fielding display.
Neil Lederman (3-26) bowled with unerring accuracy, whilst LMV deployed two left-arm wrist-spinners who turned the ball sharply. Allweis returned at the death to claim another victim and, helped by a run-out and more controlled bowling, UCS Old Boys could only muster a total of 147.
That was never likely to be enough, even on a challenging surface, and Vale’s opening batsmen got the chase off to a solid start. Daniel Grabinar (39) and Adam Spooner (23) added 55 for the first wicket to negate any potential threat. A breezy 33 not out from Adam and Ben Lederman, with a brutal 32 off 19 deliveries, guided Vale home.
SCOREBOARD
CHESS VALLEY LG DIVISION ONE UCS OLD BOYS 147-7 (45 OVERS) Neil Lederman 3-26 LONDON MACCABI VALE 148-3 (32.3
OVERS) Daniel Grabinar 39, Adam Parker 33 not out, Ben Lederman 32
LMV won by 7 wickets