Firsts washed out, Seconds on song
WITH the Maccabi AJAX Firsts’ game washed out due to rain, all eyes were on the Seconds in their battle with Emmanuel South Oakleigh, with the side precariously placed at 8-103 at the close of play on day one, just 27 runs short of victory.
WITH the Maccabi AJAX Firsts’ game washed out due to rain, all eyes were on the Seconds in their battle with Emmanuel South Oakleigh, with the side precariously placed at 8-103 at the close of play on day one, just 27 runs short of victory.
The bottom-placed Firsts were set to take on Gunbower United, but with rain playing havoc on the Gary Smorgon Oval pitch, play was called off for the entire first day of action.
The Second XI got off to a good start, with Nadav Greenberger tearing through the opposition’s top order to claim three early wickets, and with help from Eli Lipshatz, the Seconds had the home side at 4-20.
Emmanuel South Oakleigh gathered momentum and formed a strong partnership to lift its total, but Maccabi rallied once again, with Gid Gelbart and Adam Paykel taking a string of wickets to reduce the hosts to 7-110 at the tea break.
After the interval, Daniel Sneider and Matt Aubor got to work, cleaning the tail up and dismissing the Emmanuel South Oakleigh for 129.
In reply, Simon Fisher (13) and Jeremy Balbin (22) made a solid start, with Sneider adding a further 19 handy runs as well.
However, a mini collapse threatened to take the game away from Maccabi, before skipper Leon Jacobs and Aubor steadied the ship.
But with both dismissed before the end of the day, the Seconds finished at 8-103, with Greenberger (7) and Paykel (5) the not out batsmen.
The Third XI’s match against Bentleigh was also cancelled due to inclement weather, leaving the side stranded at the bottom of its respective ladder with just the one win.
The Silver Arc Fourth XI fell ago- nisingly short of victory in its one-dayer against South Yarra, unable to take the opposition’s final two wickets required for the win.
Sent in to bat, Jonathan Dodge and Josh Jones saw Maccabi steam along to 1-52, before Jones was caught for 23.
Ze’ev Aron (15) then had a handy partnership with Dodge (29) and the Fourths were well placed at 2-71.
But Dodge fell when he hit his own wicket, and Maccabi then lost seven wickets for just 16 runs, capitulating for 94.
Ian (3-14) and Josh Jones (2-23) starred alongside Aron (3-29) with the ball, sending South Yarra to the ropes at 8-38.
But the final wickets never came, as the opposition’s tail enders dug deep, condemning the Fourths to a heartbreaking loss.
The Firsts will hope to begin their game against Gunbower United at 1pm on Saturday at Gary Smorgon Oval (Melway: 2N J1).
Simon Morawetz
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