Manchester Maccabi produced one of the shocks of the season to set up a clash against holders Bury and Whitefield in the NJCL Cup final on September 6.

A 31-run victory saw league leaders South Manchester defeated for the first time this year. Opening pair Anthony Gellman (29) and Simon Jeffries (34) did most of the damage, putting on 82 for Maccabi’s first wicket. With Akiva Lieberman grabbing 3-37 runs, Maccabi set South a target of 160 to progress.

Maccabi’s young bowlers Adam Goldstone, Simon Blank and Andrew Williams stifled South with a remarkable display of control. Each took two wickets and frustrated South’s strong batting line-up. Shaya Rabinowitz looked good in making 31 but could not find a partner to build the partnership to break Maccabi’s resolve. In the end, with two players unable to bat, South reached 129 leaving Maccabi the ecstatic victors.

Bury beat Leeds by four wickets in a rain-reduced match. Electing to bat in a 25-over match, Leeds were soon in trouble and struggled against the Bury attack. Adam Schogger (3-17) was well supported by Huddi Zaltser. With the help of 25 extras Leeds finished on 72 for 8. In reply, Bury lost openers First and Saunders cheaply to set their nerves jangling but Mark Blackston, Shloime Wolfe and Natan Fagleman edged them towards victory to secure Bury a second successive final.

Casual Nomads recorded an emphatic 10-wicket win against Belmont & Edgware in the Maccabi Sunday League. Phil Mayer (49) and Cliff Horowitz (31) laid solid foundations, punishing the occasional short or wide delivery. But the Nomads bowlers maintained tight control throughout the innings, with Oscar Brodkin (3-15) and Simon Renshaw (3-30) the main destroyers as the visitors were bowled out for modest but competitive 162 .

Openers Richard Ferrer and Danny Samson hit half centuries as Nomads took advantage of a typically flat Shenley pitch and eight dropped catches to win with overs to spare.