Tel Aviv avoid relegation with win in Be'er Sheva

Tel Aviv waited three months to record their second victory of the season, which was enough to avoid relegation and send Be'er Sheva down to Division 2. Playing in extreme heat of 40 degrees in the Negev, the Tel Aviv side ran out eventual winners by 5 wickets.

The ICA Cup also began in it's new group fomat, with Lions Lod defeating Kiryat Gat by 10 wickets, Ramle defeating Lions Be'er Sheva and the Ra'anana first team were almost embarrased by their second team, but managed to scrape a 12-run victory.

Sent into bat Be'er Sheva did well to get to 176 off their allotted 35 overs. "Extras" top scored with 53, followed by a very responsible knock by 15-year old Shifron Wasker, who batted for 90 minutes for his 34*.

He was involved in a 64-run fourth wicket partnership with Moshe Talkar (29). Earlier on Shimshon Cohrdekar had shown fine aggression in a hard hit 32. Once again poor catching and wayward bowling cost Tel Aviv dearly, as it has done throughout the season. Eddie Worrell bowled superbly (1 for 16 in 7 overs) with Sanjay Gupte (3/28) and Mike Mohnblatt (2/44) the other wicket takers.

Worrell (19) and Shai Samuel (25) put on a quickfire 31 for the first wicket, and with Omer Penkar (18) and Gupte (21) taking the score to 73 for 3 off 10 overs, Tel Aviv had the advanatge. Stanley Perlman (32) took his team further towards their target with a highly responsible knock, before Russell Corin, playing in his first game for Tel Aviv, and Elad Graham put on 26 runs to ensure victory.