The start of the fourth season of the ever-popular Israel Night Cricket League started last week with last season's Division Two champions Pearl Dental Cricket Club crushing last year's Division Three champions.

Gold Insurance Bet Shemesh Lightning team's paltry score of 37 was no match for the 116 that Pearl had amassed.

This season, the league has expanded to 12 teams, with each team playing each other once in the league format, before being separated into three different divisions with further matches to be played. Top four - Division 1; Positions 5-8 in Division Two and the bottom four into Division Three.

Pearl Dental's player-manager David Wiseman has been very busy in the transfer market, securing the services of two national team players, Gerrit Grundling and Daniel Hyman, who will no doubt strengthen their team. They had a relatively easy victory over Wiggie's Gold team as stand-in captain for the night. David Kovler decided to bat first.

Kovler and Ashley Coleman put on a reasonable opening stand of 23 but ultimately two wickets apiece by Wiseman and Danny Brill, backed up by excellent fielding from the Pearl team meant that the following 12 overs cost a a paltry 13 runs.

Pearl chased down the target with ease with Brill putting on a fantastic alround display, top-scoring with 21 runs and taking a smart stumping behind the stumps.

Pearl's 116 will go along way to ensuring that their Net Run Rate is in a healthy position towards the end of the season when the teams are jostling for log positions.

In this week's matches, the local derby between the Yagod Morris Cricket 'A' and the Yagod Morris Cricket 'B should be enjoyable viewing, even though the YMCA hold the upper hand.

YMCA have also been busy in the transfer market with captain Brett Hickson, managing to persuade two national team players, Yefet Nagavkar and Gershon Massil, to join their ranks.

The clash of the weekend is undoubtedly the match between two new teams to the league, the Mumbai Indians who hail from Lod/Ramle and will be captained by Elan Underakar, and the Kiddush Club Jerusalem who will be captained by former Pearl Dental player, Jason Bloom.

Both sides will fancy their chances to win the league, so this match should be a a classic.

Matches start at 7:15pm on Thursday evening at the Modi'in Cricket Venue and Saturday evening at 8pm.