Rovers' bowlers put title favourites to sword

ROVERS made full use of a slow, low KGV strip to bowl Optimists to a comprehensive defeat on Saturday. A score of 115 for 7 from their full 45 overs looked at least 30 short of a testing total, but the Rovers bowlers performed superbly.

Their line and length was spot-on. Optimists were too hesitant with their shots and paid the price.

Only the top three looked in any sort of form. They all managed double figures, but little more.

Two were undone by Mark Renouf's nagging swing, Mark Jefferies by a thigh muscle strain that forced his temporary retirement and then, when he returned with his side in trouble, severely hampered his strokeplay.

Renouf and Aaron Scoones bowled straight through their spells, the latter getting a couple to jag alarmingly.

The swing bowler accounted for Ami Banerjee with one that tempted him slightly out of his ground. A sharp piece of work by keeper Richard Headington did the rest.

Scoones' wicket of Andy Biggins was also a fine piece of bowling, a slightly quicker ball aimed at the Optimists skipper's feet which he hurriedly flicked to mid-wicket Paul Philp's welcome hands.

Rovers' ground fielding was deserving of victory.

A couple of difficult half-chance aside, they were safe and clean and looked pumped up throughout.

Change bowlers Matt Jeffery and John Tall ensured no let-up, the former prompting a cut from Ian Damarell to point in his first over, then finding a gap in Andre van Rooyen's defence in his second.

Wickets tumbled at a pace, six Optis making the walk back to the pavilion in the space of 17 runs in 10 overs.

That seemingly modest target seemed well out of reach and Jefferies, back on with a runner, could do little but watch the game be wrapped up by Tall with nearly 10 overs left.

Rovers' innings had been circumspect. Headington and Jon Baker put on 48 in 23 overs before Banerjee induced an edge.

Scoones soon followed but Headington looked set for a 50 before he was tempted by another short ball from Biggins and pulled the ball right down deep square-leg's throat. Three previous half-trackers had been dispatched to the leg-side boundary.

The partnership with Tim de Putron broken, Biggins gave way to Elliott Green who also found plentiful turn.

Renouf added a valuable 23 in the middle order, including one six off Green.

Banerjee bowled well for his four wickets - hitting the right line and length that Rovers would also exploit so well.