Israel Night League favourites Super Lions Lod returned to winning ways with two comfortable victories over the weekend.
First up was Yefeth Nagavkar's youthful Modi'in Young Lions who bravely pushed Lions Lod all the way, eventually losing by 26 runs as Lod recovered from back-to-back defeats.
Shalom Rubin (32) and Gershon Massil (34) were SLL's top-scorers in their teams total of 123. Modi'in Young Lions were always slightly behind the required run rate, despite an impressive 23 run stand between youngsters Meir Heilbrunn and Yogev Nagavkar. The loss meant that MYL slipped out of the playoff positions to seventh place, with four games remaining.
David Wiseman's Pearl Dental Cricket Club were next up for Super Lions Lod and after eight overs in the PDCC innings, with the score on a paltry 12 and the city of Modi'in measuring temperatures of 5c, they probably wished they had stayed indoors and not ventured out to play Lions Lod.
Some consistent SLL bowling and sloppy PDCC batting meant that the total of 34 was never going to prove a challenge for SLL and they duly set upon the task of overhauling the 35 needed for victory and continued to a big score of 109 which will go along way in improving the all-important run rate that will come into play later on in the season.
SLL youngsters, Avial Varsulkar and Shifron Nagavkar, who both have high hopes of making the Israel under-18 Maccabiah squad for this summer's Games, picked up two wickets apiece as Nagavkar, who made his Night League debut impressed with the highest individual total of 22.
Super Lions Lod moved up several positions in the league to third while Pearl Dental Cricket Club slipped to fourth.
First play fifth on Thursday night as top of the table Yagod Morris Cricket Club 'A' take on the ever-improving KAT Israemploy Tigers in what should be a pulsating match. KAT are riding a wave after defeating SLL and they will feel very confident of dislodging Brett Hickson's table topping YMCA off the top of the table.
The last time YMCA played, they won a thrilling super over match against Gold Insurance Bet Shemesh Lightning, so both teams will be high on confidence and looking for maximum points.
Saturday night sees a double-header with Dialogz Dragons, who are sitting second on the table take on Yagod Morris Cricket Club 'B', who are sitting ninth after suffering four consecutive defeats. Dialogz will do well not to underestimate their opponents as the YMCB have regrouped and are considerably stronger at this stage of the season after recruiting some very useful players.
KAT Israemploy play their second match of the week as they take on the the Bet Shemesh Royals who are rooted to the bottom of the table. The last time the BSR played they suffered a massive 155-run loss to Pearl Dental CC, as PDCC batsmen Danny Brill and Craig Levy shared a 64-run partnership which ranks as the highest partnership of the Night League.
There is a lot bearing on this game for both teams as a victory for Yonni Sidelsky's BSR will lift them off the bottom of the table and a win for Chaim Emmett's KAT will see KAT propel into the top two and in an automatic semi final qualification position.
