Cricket making waves in Israel
By JERUSALEM POST SPORTS STAFF
10/15/2012 00:10
The tourists were treated to a game played by the main school in Hura, while they did some coaching.
RA’ANANA cricket players celebrate. Photo: Courtesy
This past Friday, the 18 MP’s and former England Test player John Emburey spent
the day visiting the southern Israeli town of Sderot and then moving on to the
Beduin village of Hura, where cricket has in recent years has passed soccer in
popularity.
The tourists were treated to a game played by the main school
in Hura, while they did some coaching and had a wonderful
lunch.
Beersheba was the next stop where the Israel Cricket Associations
globally successful project, Cricket4Peace, was taking place, again the tourists
were treated to some fun activities amongst the Palestinian and Israeli children
who form part of the project.
The Parliamentarians did get to play some
cricket themselves, (although they probably wished they hadn’t) as on Friday
they came up against the Israel Cricket Association’s Chairman’s XI, captained
by ICA chairman Stanley Perlman and consisting of former Israeli captains,
Hillel Awaskar, Alon Moss, Steven Shein, Stanley Perlman and current captain,
Herschel Gutman.
The rest of the team was made up with the brightest
young talents in Israel, players that have all learned their cricket in Israel
and had major successes in the junior national teams.
The Chairman’s Xl
batted first and Stanley Perlman and Gabi Schachat put on a convincing 65-run
opening stand. Israel’s brightest young talents shone during the game as Gabi
Shachat scored an excellent 105 while Yaniv Razpurker used all his talents and
brute strength to smash a 25 ball undefeated 91 as the Chairman’s Xl finished on
305/6 in their 30 overs.
Perlman rotated his bowlers wisely, giving
everyone an opportunity to bowl as the touring Lords and Commons Cricket Club
only managed 146/7 in their 30 overs with the Chairman’s Xl winning by a massive
159-run margin.
Former England Test player John Emburey took two very
good catches during the Chairman’s Xl’s innings.
On Saturday, last year’s
ICA champions, Young Ashdod, beat the touring British team by 85 runs. Young
Ashdod managed 185 in their 25 overs, before dismissing the Lords and Commons
Cricket Club for a 100.
The Lords and Commons Cricket Club donated a
large amount of cricket equipment to the ICA, which the ICA will be using to
continue the excellent work that is taking place in all the youth centers around
Israel.