Cricket: Solomon takes five wickets as Lions seal double with Cup win

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Anim Solomon spun Lions Lod to victory in the ICA Cup final in Ashdod on Friday, with a haul of five for 20, as Lions defeated Ra'anana by 66 runs. Earlier in the day Yefet Nagavkar smashed 71 to take Lions to 188, which was too many for Ra'anana which was all out for 122. Winning the toss and batting first, Lions lost Shalom Rubin (10) and Eshkol Solomon (5) relatively early, and Nagavkar retired hurt with his score on nine. Ra'anana maintained the pressure well and were rewarded with the wickets of Isaac Massil (18), David Massil (20) and Anim Solomon (5) in quick succession, to leave Lod in trouble at 96 for 5. However Nagavkar returned to the crease, going on the offensive, finding the boundaries with ease and quickly turning the game in Lod's favour. He was eventually bowled by Des Moss (2 for 37), having dominated a partnership of 77 with Shailesh Bangerra and taken the score to 176. Missing key batsmen, Ra'anana were always going to struggle chasing a sizeable score, and a difficult task became even harder when Rafi Zauer (0) was brilliantly caught behind by Bangerra off David Massil in the first over. U-19 internationals Reuven Bergman and Shai Hayun both played well, with Bergman showing his class and timing with a stunning flick for six. However, having added 50 together and with the score on 52, Lod grabbed three wickets with Hayun edging Solomon to Bangerra, Bergman bowled by an Isaac Massil yorker, and then Danny Hotz (0) was stumped off Solomon to complete a dramatic collapse of 3 wickets for 0 runs. Steven Shein and Gabi Schachat stemmed the flow of wickets with defensive play, but with the required run rate mounting, Shein (1) was trapped leg before by Solomon, who grabbed his fourth and fifth wickets soon after, as Danny Brill (0) and Shlomi Korman (0) also fell. To his credit Schachat never gave up the fight, showing good composure in scoring 34, before being adjudged leg before to David Massil (2 for 18), to confirm Lod as champions.