Hat-trick of tons on KGV belter

THREE classy centuries lit up the KGV on Saturday. Matt Oliver and Jeremy Frith both maintained their superb form this season with brilliant knocks as they shared in a second-wicket stand of 162 to lay the foundations for Total Cobo's 62-run victory over previous leaders Wanderers.

Richard Veillard also compiled an excellent hundred as he, too, took advantage of a very good strip, albeit in a losing cause.

However, it is Optimists who have leapt to the top of the GCA championship.

Their comfortable eight-wicket victory over Rovers at the College Field secured them maximum points, while their main rivals took points off each other at the KGV.

But it was still a good win for Cobo in the last match of their campaign and the performances of the centurions will have pleased island manager Dave Hearse.

If Oliver had been knocking on the Guernsey door for the inter-insular before the weekend, it should now have been well and truly opened for him.

His innings - the second century he has scored in the 2003 competition - is arguably second only to Dave Gorman's 100 for Caesareans against Optimists as the best innings seen on the island this season.

The left-hander's timing was exceptional, particularly in his driving and his temperament is improving with each game.

Oliver brought up his 50 in 68 balls and it took just another 47 to reach three figures, even though he was visibly tiring due to the heat. He hit 14 fours in his 112 before finally clipping a simple catch to Veillard at mid-wicket to give Keith Le Cheminant his second wicket.

Early on Oliver was well supported by Alex Hunter before Frith came to the crease.

The all-rounder almost crept unnoticed up to 50 from just 47 deliveries as he showed his astute skill of finding gaps and on a lightning-quick outfield, that usually meant boundaries.

His 100 came from the 83rd and last ball he faced. He had struck 12 fours.

An entertaining cameo of 42 from just 15 balls from Stuart Le Prevost (five fours and two sixes) pushed Cobo to a massive total of 286 for two.

After losing Tim Duke and Ben Driver in the first 10 overs of their reply, Wanderers made a good effort in their chase with Tim Belton and Veillard both in excellent touch.

The opener dispatched the bad ball extremely well in his 61, while Veillard finished unbeaten on 103 from a 108-ball stay during which he displayed his full array of quality strokes.

But the required run-rate was always too high for Wanderers and they finished on 224 for five.

At the College Field, Mark Jefferies was the surprise star for Optimists with the ball as they dismissed Rovers for 118 with the off-spinner claiming four victims.

He then contributed 43 of an opening stand of 99 with Elliot Green, who scored 52 from 76 balls as the new table-toppers won with 18.2 overs remaining.