Young stars put Jewish cricket on the front foot

If anyone’s best to comment on the players coming through, it’s Jack Davis, who was set to coach the Team Maccabi GB’s Junior squad at this summer’s Maccabiah Games in Israel before it was postponed for a year.

Working for Middlesex in the Community, the charitable arm of Middlesex Cricket, as the club’s lead, he’s also the director of junior cricket at Totteridge Millhillians CC and was part of the Team Maccabi GB’s junior squad at the 2017 Maccabiah Games.
Speaking about the plethora of names coming through the ranks – and how they’ve got there – Davis said: “County pathway squads are extremely competitive to get in to, so having so many boys at that level is very exciting.

“The talent level of this group is phenomenal.

“It was such a shame that the Maccabiah Games couldn’t go ahead as we were confident that our squad could have challenged South Africa and Australia for the gold medal.” From the side that played against Mumbai, only Ben Musikant and Leo Davis have previous experience of participating in an international Jewish competition.

Musikant and Davis opened the batting for Team Maccabi GB at the 2021 Maccabiah, but for the rest of the squad, this summer provided their first involvement in Jewish cricket.
The U21 side’s clash with the touring Mumbai Cricket Academy saw the visitors bat first.
They finished their innings on 322 for 6 so MGB’s task to overhaul this was always going to be a tall order and they were bowled out for 218.

Davis said: “It was a brilliant day of cricket showcasing a lot of talent and promise for the future of Jewish cricket.

“Creating an opportunity alongside their busy schedules for the boys to play together is a priority for us.

“We’re looking to continue with this group and hope they will form and contribute to Team Maccabi GB cricket for many years to come.”