Expert 'finishers' put Cobo in Premier One driving seat

TOTAL Cobo took a big step in their quest for the Premier One title by defeating one of their main rivals, NRG Pessimists, last night. Jeremy Frith and Gary Rich put together an excellent unbeaten partnership of 57 to guide their side home with nine balls to spare when, halfway through the Cobo innings, it had looked like the match was going to go right down to the wire.

In fact, the two Guernsey players made chasing 46 from just five overs look incredibly easy.

Their team-mates may have been getting edgy on the bench but Frith and Rich were extremely cool in the middle as they emphasised why they are possibly the best finishers in the business.

Pessimists had batted patiently and well after Tim Belton had won the toss.

The skipper himself did not last too long as Peter Vidamour took a sharp catch at point, but Tim Duke and Pierre Moody approached their task very sensibly.

Boundaries did not come often for much of the innings, but they put the ball in the gaps and ran hard as both reached deserved half-centuries. Together they put on 87 for the second wicket.

Duke brought up his 50 from 54 balls and then tried to cut loose the very next ball, but Liam Smyth held onto a fine catch at long off to dismiss him.

Pete Matthews followed in the following over but James Warr joined Moody and they launched an impressive onslaught in the final three overs which yielded 41 runs.

Moody ended not out on 60 from 49 balls, including four sixes and a four, while Warr contributed 20 from just nine balls with a four and a six.

Cobo were left chasing 149 for victory and got a decent start from Vidamour and Matt Oliver, who put on 44.

But the introduction of Moody split them up and brought the run-rate down which helped to cause the run out of the other opener.

Frith and Stuart Le Prevost got their side back on track with a quickfire partnership of 48. The skipper scored 29 from 15 balls before mistiming one to mid-wicket.

But that brought Rich (23 from 16 balls) and Frith (49 from 37 balls) together and they saw their side home with some to spare.

That means Cobo have still only dropped two points while Pessimists have now dropped six.

Optimists and DHS St Pierre have dropped five and four respectively with half the season gone.