A young London Maccabi Vale 2nd team put in a determined display as they were beaten by 70 runs against Middlesex Sunday League Division Three leaders SKLP
With seven teenagers in the team, six of them under 15, this was always going to be a challenge against the top-of-the-table side.
Winning the toss for a the 10th time in 11 attempts this season, LMV elected to field first.
Benjamin Lederman, and the man with more nicknames than stars in the sky, Jonathan Fishel opened the bowling. Ben bowled an excellent spell and whilst, Fishface, Fishy, The Fishmonger, Fish, Chips, Nemo or whatever moniker you wish to use, conceded quite a few runs he certainly tested the batsmen with some aggressive bowling.
The SKLP openers recorded a century stand as a couple of difficult chances went begging. After 20 overs SKLP had reached 96 and we were hoping to hold them to a sub 200 score.
In the second 20 overs, all the bowlers bowled well but it wasn't until the introduction of another bowler with several nicknames, Simeon Cohen (1-36) that the first wicket fell, Stavros bowling a well-flighted delivery that was spooned to deep mid on.
Gideon Gale (1-32) took his first wicket for the Adult team, and Avi an excellent catch until he realised that throwing the ball back into play having caught it and about to run over the line, he need to then get back into play and catch the ball again, never mind he did eventually take an excellent catch as well as a couple of wickets.
Joseph Nyman followed up his impressive performance last week with a great spell of five overs 2-13, when SKLP were looking to push on, and Ben Lederman returned to bowl an even better spell than his opening one, to finish with the excellent figures of 2-22 from his eight overs, as well as an excellent catch off Aviel Schwarz's bowling. SKLP finally ended up on 209-9.
With a plethora of teenagers in the side, the tea was swarmed over like bees at the honey pot, with Benjamin again showing good form as did Simeon and Mark Spanjar, who having not had the best of days behind the stumps, did not drop a morsel of food.
Paul Buxton and David Freedman opened the innings, and in the first over Bucky edged a rising delivery to slip 0-1. Schwarz came in to join Freedman and they put on a good stand of 60, with the latter hitting an array of well timed strokes on both sides of the wicket.
Schwarz was then stumped, and captain Jonathan Lederman and then Freedman (37) following shortly afterwards as 60-1 became 64-4. Fishel and Lederman jnr came together and put on a stand of 36 before Fish (19) was caught and then Ben (16) swept one to square leg.
Mark Spanjar (14), now refreshed from tea, also batted well. Poor Simeon got done by one that rolled along the ground.
LMV were never really in the hunt and declined to 139 all out in the final over.
Realistically LMV were never going to win this match but the performance of all the boys should give great encouragement to our future development.
