Vale take the pride... and the points
JEWISH CRICKETING pride – as well as Chess Valley League points – was up for grabs on Sunday as two teams from London Maccabi Vale CC and Belmont and Edgware CC squared up against each other in league and friendly action.
The first match, played at Knebworth Park, saw Belmont 2nd XI put Vale’s 1st XI into bat, with debutant South African Matthew Feinstein stealing the show with a superb 140 not out. Ably assisted by his chairman, Alex Haffner, who retired at 51 not out, and despite the best efforts of Jonny Eintracht and Jonny Evans, Vale set BECC an imposing 320 runs to win off 45 overs.
In reply, Belmont batted well but never looked like reaching their target, thanks in no small part to fine figures from debutant 16-year-old Jacob Borm, who picked up 2-36 off 10 overs, while Sam Feigenbaum ended on 4-66. Evans and Michael Blasebalk made 42 for the first wicket, with Adam Jacobs and Dan Humphrey also batting well in tandem, making 33 and 40 respectively, before both fell in quick succession. Matt Gittleson, Zack Gothelf and James Harvey posted their best scores for the club, with captain Adam Morris also registering his highest score of the season, but ultimately Belmont fell 60 runs shy.
Morris said: “There are definite mixed emotions coming out of today’s game – 259 is up there with our highest scores of the season, which is obviously encouraging, but still was 60 runs short.
“This was a game we should have been really competitive in, but there are lots of positives to take. If we take these positives and perform in the field to our usual standards, that elusive
Both games were played in the best possible spirit
first league win should only be round the corner!”
Over at Old Camdenians CC in Mill Hill, Vale’s development team took on Belmont 2nd XI and, choosing to bat first, Vale scored 249-2 off their 35 overs. Harry Davis hit a belligerent 68, Joseph Greenwall Cohen retired on 52 not out on his return from serious injury and 13-year-old Ben Musikant, fresh from picking up Vale’s Colts Player of the Season award earlier this month, claimed a brilliant 89 before being run out from the last ball of the innings.
In reply, Belmont were bowled out for 136, with 13-year-old Eli Talisman taking 2-32, Avi Schwartz 2-20 and skipper David Marks 4-9 from five overs. David Gray led the Belmont chase with a classy 63, while veteran Clive Hyman hit a boundary-laden 33. Belmont captain Jack Mendel said: “Despite a difficult day for the twos, it’s great to have got 44 players on the park across the two fixtures, including many talented young players. There is a bright future for Jewish cricket!” Reflecting back on the double-header, Vale chairman Alex Haffner added: “It was nice for both our teams to come out on top but above all what was great was that both games were played in the best possible spirit, demonstrating the good relationship between our two clubs on and, in many cases, off the pitch.”