A superb century from Maccabiah-bound Richard Black steered London Maccabi Vale 2nd to their second victory in Middlesex Sunday League Division Three in a 114-run win over West Middlesex.
LMV were close to calling the fixture off after poor availability left them with only seven players available. Black received a late call-up after his cup match for Stanmore was rained off so they arrived with eight.
Having received a life early on, Black played fluently, adding 46 with Jeremy Harris. Mark Spanjar joined Black, the pair adding 61 for the next wicket with Black bringing up his century in superb style. LMV closed on 187 with Black the last man out for 126.
Benjamin Lederman and Jonathan Freedman chipped in with early wickets as West Middlesex’s reply started badly.
Joseph Greenwall-Cohen bowled a very accurate spell to claim 3-7 in five overs. A run out, a wicket for Aviel Schwarz and two at the end for Jonathan Lederman saw West Middlesex dismissed 73 in only 22 overs, leaving LMV winners by 114 runs.
LMV 1st were soundly beaten by Indian Tigers. Having lost their opener against defending champions UCS, LMV were soon regretting their decision to bat first on a damp wicket at Shenley. Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals with some late order resistance from Daniel Caplan and Ryan Kangisser saving face. Kangisser continued his good form with the ball, taking his second consecutive five-wicket haul but it was not enough as the Tigers won with 10 overs to spare. Mark Landau and Yoav Lebens were the stars of the show as defending Maccabi League champions MAL cruised to victory against Belmont & Edgware.
Left-armer Landau ripped the heart out of the BECC top order within the space of five balls, dismissing Philip Mayer and veterans Cliff Horowitz and Jeremy Freeman both for ducks, with some viciously swinging deliveries.
Daniel Geey and Barr began a rebuilding job, taking BECC to 106-6. Barr and Kaplin took the score to 180 before Kaplin played one shot too many.
Barr eventually subsided for 57 as BECC were dismissed for 188 in the final over.
In reply, a second-wicket partnership between Landau and Lebens featured some big hitting.
The latter launched his fourth ball out of the ground and smashed 50 off just 29 balls. He went on to club 82 off 43 balls including nine sixes.
At the halfway stage, MAL were 136-1 leaving Landau to see them home with a run-a-ball 60.
The victory takes MAL comfortably clear at the top of the table with a crucial match against Southgate on Sunday.
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