Optis' pressure game too much for weak blues

OPTIMISTS were always in control as they crusied to victory over Rovers at the KGV last night. Once again the blues fielded a weakened side and, unsurprisingly, they were second best in every department as they opponents dominated from the outset.

Andre Van Rooyen and Steve Queripel both supplied controlled opening spells of six overs apiece to give Andy Biggins the start he wanted and importantly, the big wicket of Richard Headington came as early as the third over.

The Rovers opener had struck 10 at a run-a-ball when he looked for another drive off the South African and only succeeded in giving a regulation catch to Ian Damarell behind the stumps.

Meanwhile, Queripel was beating the edge of the bat on several occasions and, being backed up by some very athletic fielding, was extremely miserly to go with it - his first four overs costing just seven.

As the overs disappeared quickly without the run-rate increasing significantly the pressure began to tell on Matt Jeffery and Tim de Putron. Before too long it had led to the second wicket.

The number three dabbed a Queripel delivery into the covers and both batsmen hesitated before eventually setting off for the run. But Jamie Chambers had already swooped and completed the simple run out of Jeffery. Rovers were 18 for two after six overs and severely struggling.

Now joined by Aaron Scoones, de Putron knew that his side could not afford to lose any more wickets at this stage because of the lack of quality to come. Understandably, then, they took their time rebuilding against the outstanding Optimists display in the field.

Jamie Chambers' shout of: 'great pressure this boys,' with Rovers 37 for two from 10 summed up the whole game.

Scoones had managed to smash one glorious drive through the covers for four but generally the score went up in ones and twos as the impetus the innings so desperately required never came.

Queripel and Van Rooyen finished only with a wicket between them, which was a bit of an injustice, but the introduction of extra pace from Divan Van Den Heever soon had them tumbling.

His first came with his second delivery, as Scoones picked out Nick Chambers precisely with a lofted cut shot.

De Putron, whose 28 was easily the top score for his side, was next to go when a very full ball just nicked the off stump and Paul Philp - another run out victim - followed in the next over. Van Den Heever claimed his third and final wicket when Roger Martin gloved a pull shot to the wicketkeeper.

The only bowler to be costly was Ami Banerjee. That was mainly because he had trouble with leg-side wides and Matt Hallett played a little cameo at his expense towards the end. But 104 from 21 overs was never going to be enough.

Banerjee, who played very unconventionally in continually stepping back and hitting Matt Jeffery over extra cover, and Simon Gaudion gave Optimists' reply a rapid start before Mark Clapham played the best innings of the night.

His 36 from 38 balls was very composed and included a couple of superbly-timed boundaries before Scoones did well to run him out.

The skipper was also run out before the end and that left the Chambers brothers to finish things off with four overs to spare.