U15 players proudly display their medals upon their return to Ben Gurion airport Photo © ICA

It gives me great pleasure to submit my eighth annual report since first becoming chairman in 1994.

U15 team win silver medals at European Championships

The U15 team surpassed all our expectations in bringing home a silver medal from the U15 ‘B’ ECC Championships that were held in Berlin in August. The pleasure at seeing the team record victory after victory proved that the decision to send the team was fully vindicated. Not only did they acquit themselves superbly on the field, their behaviour off the field was regarded as being of the highest standard by the organizers.

Easy victories over Spain and Belgium, followed by a great win over Germany, took the team into the semi-finals against Gibraltar. The game was a nail-biting affair, with Israel edging out their opposition by 2 wickets. Our winning run came to an end in the final, which Germany won by 50 runs.

Credit for the success of the team must go to National Coach Herschel Gutman who spent hours preparing the squad for this historic visit. His vital experience helped tremendously in moulding an inexperienced group of boys into a well-oiled cricket team. George Sheader, the manager, was a great credit to Israeli cricket in the way in which he conducted the affairs of the team. Whilst each and every player in the squad deserves praise for their performances, special mention must be made of captain Gal Matz, who was the all-rounder of the tournament, excelling with both bat and ball. His 57* in steering his side to victory against Gibraltar was an innings of both skill and strength of character. Dani Hotz and Yaniv Raspurker also deserve special mention for their performances, whilst Michael Muchie was the find of the tour, finishing with 9 wickets.

5 defeats for National Team at ICC Trophy

The performance of the national team at the 7th ICC Trophy held in Toronto was most disappointing. For 4 months prior to departure the team trained twice a week at the Hadar Yosef nets. No Israeli team had been as well prepared for an international competition as was the team that went to Toronto. The team in Canada was accompanied by coach Herschel Gutman and a full-time physio Dan Kiesel. Without the calm manner of the coach and physio, the ability of the team to rally after each defeat would have been more difficult. All the credit to them for the outstanding work and effort that they put into the team.

Off the field the team was well behaved and represented their country with credit. However, on the field the team lacked direction and determination. In the first two games against Argentina and France, both lost in the final over, they were unable to press home the advantage. The gap between our standard and ICC Trophy standards was clearly evident as heavy defeats were recorded against Malaysia and Uganda.

New pitches in Dimona and Be’er Sheva

The ICA continued its policy of investing in infrastructure. New Astroturf pitches were laid in Be’er Sheva during year, adding to the present facilities in Ashdod and Hadar Yosef.

Tel Aviv wins league championship

For the first time in 10 years, Tel Aviv won the Division A league, after winning all 3 games in the play-offs. The consistent form of their leading players is reflected in both the batting and bowling averages. One of the reasons for the team’s success was their inherent attitude of playing the game for fun. Tel Aviv enjoyed their cricket and their league triumph was due in no small part to their positive attitude and gentlemanly conduct at all times.

Congratulations is also extended to Neve Yonatan who finished winners of Division B. They will return to Division A in 2002, with Yeruham being relegated.

MCC cancels trip to Israel

It was with much regret that the MCC cancelled their trip to Israel, scheduled for October 2001, citing security concerns. The eagerly awaited trip by the club was to have been the show piece of the 2001 season, and the cancellation was a serious blow to Israeli cricket. Whilst the teams decision was fully accepted by the ICA, it is hoped that a swift end to the current violence in the region will enable the visit to go ahead in the near future.

National Coach – Herschel Gutman

Special mention must be made of the outstanding contribution made to Israeli cricket by our national coach. Herschel arrived in Israel in March and immediately set about preparing the senior team for the ICC Trophy. Upon his return from Canada he took the U15 team under his control and the results speak for themselves. His excellent, even-handed approach to both the senior and junior squads was a pleasure to behold.

Umpires

Thanks is extended to the Israel Cricket Umpires Association which contributed so much to the 2001 season. To Sammy Bamnulkar and Eli Yaakov, Chairman and Secretary respectively, a special word for their unstinting efforts in organizing seminars and ensuring a plentiful supply of umpires to officiate in all the fixtures. The standard of umpiring continues to improve, contributing greatly to an improved standard of cricket being played.

Youth Programme continues to blossom

The youth development programme continues to be the jewel in the crown of Israeli cricket. The major highlight of 2001 was the introduction of an U15 league, which is set to become the breeding ground for future international players. Ra’anana defeated Be’er Sheva in the league final to win the inaugural competition.

The other significant step taken was the launching of an initiative to introduce cricket into schools. A total of three schools are currently part of the programme, with more targeted for the coming year.

Thanks to all the youth coaches for their involvement in the programme, to George Sheader for his unstinting and unwavering determination and to Steven Shein for his meticulous planning and strategic support. The ICA continues to work closely with the European Development office, and values the tremendous support granted by Ian Stuart, Adam Cole and Alison Smith.

In conclusion, thanks are extended to all the committee members who gave up their time to run the ICA over the past 2 years. A special word of thanks to Naor Gudker for his unselfish devotion to cricket in Israel, to Ezra Ben Yehuda for running the finances so smoothly and to George Sheader for the amazing work he has done with junior development. The years 2000 and 2001 were undoubtedly the most successful and meaningful in the annals of Israeli cricket. For the first time we won a medal at an international competition.