MAL earn second Sunday League title

MAL retained the Maccabi Sunday League title with a 41-run victory over former winners Casual Nomads at Shenley.

A half-century from Maccabiah star Yoav Lebens steered MAL past the 200-mark in a game they started badly after Simon Renshaw (6-18) sending Tali Rowe and Jamie Breslaw back to the pavilion with the score on 10.

Mark Landau and Lebens added 30 for the third wicket before Renshaw removed Landau for 17. At 40-3 things looked a little precarious for MAL but an aggressive partnership between Lebens and Grant Traub took the score to 120. Richard Berman accounted for Traub (33) before snaring Lebens for an excellent 53 off 46 balls, with eight boundaries and one towering straight six.

There was a significant lower order innings from Pinty Baddiel, who made an unbeaten 35 to take MAL to a competitive total of 231. Renshaw returned to mop up the tail, finishing with outstanding figures of 6-18.

The Nomads response started steadily, if unspectacularly. At 75-0 after 17 overs, the required rate had crept up to almost seven.

The introduction of left-arm spinner Grant Traub lifted MAL. He picked up two quick wickets, removing skipper Richard Ferrer (21) and Mark Aziz for a duck. The first ball of his next over saw Samson fall LBW for an excellent 46. 76-3 became 99-5 in the 27th as Michael Klinger added to the pressure with two wickets, courtesy of excellent catches from Gav Lebens and Avi Gelley.

Jerome Roith (57) put together an excellent innings but there was far too much for him to do. Gelley and Lebens combined picked up four wickets between them as Nomads looked to throw the bat in vain.

Roith was eighth man out with the score on 172 and with him went any residual hope that Nomads might have had. The final wicket fell in the 38th over and sparked scenes of celebration.

A man of the match display from Tony Gellman helped Manchester Maccabi win the NJCL Cup final.

Gellman (41) top-scored in Manchester’s total of 192 from 40 overs. Steven Allweis added 38 runs. Daniel Franks (4-5) put in a demon spell with the ball for Bury, but his efforts went unrewarded as Bury & Whitefield were dismissed for 50. Belmont & Edgware 1st were beaten in their final game of the season, a friendly against North Harrow. An unbeaten 74 from Michael Blasebalk, his highest ever score, helped BECC close on 187-8. Harrow won the match with overs to spare.

BECC skipper Blasebalk announced his retired at the close of play. He is stepping down after 11 years at the helm and is standing forward to become club chairman.