Football is almost done... now it’s overs to the cricket

As the final whistles of the football season echo into memory, Jewish sporting attention pivots seamlessly to the sound of willow on leather. With summer approaching, Belmont & Edgware Cricket Club and London Maccabi Vale—the country’s only two Jewish adult cricket outfits—are polishing whites and sharpening spikes for campaigns both clubs predict will be memorable.

BECC will run two sides this summer, their First XI stepping into uncharted territory in the North Herts Sunday Cricket League Division Two. “There are some familiar faces in that division so we’re looking forward to some old rivalries renewed,” captain Adam Morris said. “We had a good few years in the Middlesex Sunday League and are ready for the new challenge.” Morris, wary of setting hard targets for a debut season, insists momentum is the priority. “Get that first win, then build. Finishing as high as possible is the aim, but enjoyment and competitiveness must coexist.”

The Second XI will concentrate on friendlies against similarly-matched opposition, emphasising development. “Tail-enders grabbing match-winning runs or youngsters taking key wickets—those moments breed confidence,” Morris added. Mid-week T20 fixtures will also proliferate; BECC have appointed a dedicated T20 captain for the first time to meet surging demand. Age profiles span GCSE students to thirty-year veterans, ensuring Sunday double-headers—particularly against LMV—carry special resonance. This year both clubs will stage simultaneous XI-versus-XI showdowns at a single venue, putting more than 40 Jewish players on the field at once. A further fixture will commemorate founder Ronnie Palester, who died over the winter, uniting rivals in remembrance.

Off the pitch, BECC trade strictly on camaraderie. “We’re a social group first; results are secondary, especially for the Twos,” Morris stressed. Prospective players can reach him at adammorris55@msn.com.

LMV, meanwhile, field a First XI in the Chess Valley League’s top flight and a Second XI in North Herts Division Two. Acting chairman Anthony Wise targets a top-three finish for the senior side and promotion for the seconds, who finished fourth last year after joining the league. “Most Chess Valley clubs run strong Saturday sides, so standards are high,” he noted.

The club’s junior programme—unique among Jewish cricket clubs—boasts 70-plus youngsters. Last season harvested a first-ever U15 Division 1 crown and an U11 Division 2 title. Four teams (one U11, two U13, one U15) will contest Middlesex Junior Cricket Association fixtures after outdoor training resumes post-Pesach. “We welcome boys and girls, years 3-10, regardless of experience,” Wise said. Indoor work began in October; an elite winter squad feeds future adult sides. Several graduates have represented Great Britain at the Maccabiah, underlining LMV’s production line. The club invites new juniors and adult players via londonmaccabivale.play-cricket.com/Aboutus.

With football fading, Sunday afternoons and mid-week evenings now belong to BECC and LMV—two clubs, four XIs, and a community ready for another summer of Jewish cricket.