Cricket, as is the case with most countries, was brought to Israel by the British. Once the British left in 1948, local enthusiasts managed to keep the game going for a while, but interest was at an all-time low a decade later. However, this changed thanks to the return of Jewish immigrants from the United Kingdom, South Africa, and India. The Jewish National Fund also played their part.
What Did the JNF Do?
Well, as you probably know already, the JNF is concerned with creating a homeland that Jewish people from all around the world will be happy to return to and spend the rest of their days there.
They use the money that they receive from donations to solve water shortage problems, improve the education system, plant trees, construct synagogues, provide affordable housing, and offer rehabilitative services to those who have special needs. In short, whatever the people of Israel need or want, the JNF will do their best to ensure that they get it.
Therefore, when they heard about the increase in the popularity of cricket, they reached out and asked whether they would like some facilities built for them so that the quality of cricket in the country can improve.
Their Offer Was Gleefully Accepted
This was an offer that the cricket community could not turn down, so the JNF set about locating a piece of land where a cricket pitch and some necessary cricket facilities could be set up.
They decided that Beersheba, or Be’er Sheva, was the best place for this project. This is a large city that can be found in the Negev desert, which is in the south of the country. This is how the Beer Sheva Cricket Club came into being.
A Closer Look at This Cricket Club
Nowadays, the club consists of two teams – Beer Sheva CC and Beer Sheva Masters. There are a lot of passionate cricket players in this region and the club are not short of members. As they are always looking to improve the state of cricket in the country, they accept anyone, no matter what their abilities are. They are of the belief that anyone can become a good cricketer if they put in the time and effort to practice. That also applies to cricket at thebest online sportsbooks.
These two teams compete in the Division 2 League, which is made up of seven other clubs. This competition is taken very seriously, and many people turn out to watch the match between Beer Sheva CC and Beer Sheva Masters. Each player puts in their best performance as nobody wants to be on the losing side as they will have to listen to banter from their friends for the next couple of weeks.