Firsts still have fighting spirit
DESPITE sitting eight points outside of the top four and with virtually no chance of playing finals, the Maccabi AJAX First XI still had a point to prove, with the side skirling Gunbower United for 98 before limping to 3-21 at the close of play.
DESPITE sitting eight points outside of the top four and with virtually no chance of playing finals, the Maccabi AJAX First XI still had a point to prove, with the side skirling Gunbower United for 98 before limping to 3-21 at the close of play.
Jones brothers Benjamin and Joshua were welcome additions to the Firsts, combining for five wickets as the side set up what could be its fourth victory of the season.
Benjamin (3-24) and fellow opening bowler Adam Klein (1-17) got Maccabi off to a stellar start, with the first 20 overs yielding only 23 runs.
Spinner David Majtlis and quick David Fayman then entered the attack and took wickets in consecutive overs to have Gunbower on the ropes at 4-33.
The home side rallied for a 48-run fifth-wicket stand, however once Benjamin broke through again, the remaining wickets fell rapidly.
Majtlis (3-36) struck twice more, before Joshua (2-11) chipped in with a couple as the final six wickets fell for just 16 runs.
In response, the Firsts struggled early as the top order fell to have the side at 3-21, with Josh Sacks and Mark Soffer the not out batsmen.
The Seconds’ match against Eastern Flow hangs in the balance after Maccabi bowled its opposition out for 142, with Simon Fisher (4-29), Matt Aubor (2-15) and Paul Litinsky (2-39) the best of the bowlers. Fisher and Darren Bloch saw out the final overs as the side sits at 0-12 ahead of day two.
The Third XI suffered a heavy defeat in its one-dayer against Parkville District, with its 57-run first innings setting up a disappointing loss.
Parkville smashed 0-93 in response to Maccabi’s paltry total, before declaring and sending the Thirds back into bat.
Maccabi was able to put up a better fight the second time around and prevented an outright defeat, with Ben Fisher (39) and Howard Machlin (20) getting the side to 3-121.
The Silver Arc Fourth XI has continued its incredible run of form with a crushing victory over Thornbury Turf Strokers to make it six wins in a row.
Daniel Wein and Nadav Greenberger took three early wickets to have the visitors on the back foot, before Zev Aron and Adam Kahlberg got among the wickets as Thornbury was bundled out for just 72.
The Fourths then continued their dominance with the bat, as Dovi Paltiel (45), Aron (38) and Osher Klein (26) got the side to 5-149 before it declared.
Then chasing an outright win, Maccabi just fell short as it had its opposition at 3-69 at the close of play.
The Firsts continue their match against Gunbower United at 1pm on Sunday at Fawkner Park, Oval 3 (Melway: 2L C7).
AJN Staff
Photo: Peter Haskin
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