Cobo go head-on at SCF

IT IS a big weekend in two major competitions. Before a couple of vital Cable & Wireless Guernsey Championship fixtures take place tomorrow, the Channel Islands Knockout has reached the semi-final stage with both of today's matches being inter-insular affairs.

The pick of the ties takes place at Grainville where the holders and current CI club champions Sporting Club Francais meet Total Cobo in a repeat of the 2002 last-four encounter.

SCF were comfortable winners on that occasion at the FB Fields as Cobo under-performed and lost by eight-wickets. Mathew Hague was the star of the day with a classy 77.

They are marginal favourites again this time around, but captain Tony Carlyon is unable to call on a couple of key personnel in his bowling attack.

Both Mark Reynolds and Nick Jewell are away at Trent Bridge watching the test and so the skipper has had to call on a couple of his reserve team.

'It is 20 overs that we have got to find,' said Carlyon.

'We have still got enough bowling in the side and it gives an opportunity to lads who would otherwise perhaps not get a bowl. Batting wise, though, we are as strong as ever.'

Carlyon reiterated that the CIKO is one of his side's priorities.

'The best of both islands is in this competition and in some respects it is better than the Upton because we will have had to have beaten both Wanderers and Cobo to reach the final and would then probably face Optimists.

'So we would play your top three sides and that makes it a very good competition.'

Cobo will be at full strength for the encounter with all five of their Guernsey representatives from the inter-insular available. Mark Culverwell and Rob Turville are also in an attack that has four capped players.

'Obviously, we have got several players on a high from last week but we cannot be over-confident because they are a good side and they have shown that over the past few years. We will play the game, not the occasion,' said Cobo captain Stuart Le Prevost.

His opposite number has a similar respect for today's opposition.

'We are always fairly confident because we have got a good record in every weekend competition but Cobo are a good side - you do not have five players representing Guernsey otherwise - and we will not be taking them lightly.

'I fully expect them to be confident of winning also and I expect it to be a good game of cricket,' said Carlyon.

Meanwhile, Optimists are firm favourites to progress through from their semi-final against St Ouen.

Andy Biggins' side were not at their best in their tight quarter-final win over Caesareans but still managed to secure a last four spot and will face, on form, weaker opposition in this round.

St Ouen, who qualified as the fourth Jersey seed, have won just two of their eight completed NatWest Divi-sion One matches and are second from bottom in that league. They defeated an understrength Rovers side by four wickets in a low-scoring encounter at the KGV to reach this stage.

But St Ouen still boast players with inter-insular caps such as Paul Horton, Rob Tewkesbury and Craig Douglas, who recently returned to local cricket following a spell back in his homeland of South Africa, so they have the potential to cause an upset.

But it is hard to see Optimists losing this one, especially as they look to make amends for last week's defeat to Pessimists in the Alexander Forbes Cup.

That is the first of two massive games for Biggins' men over these two days as tomorrow they face Wanderers in a top-of-the-table championship clash at the KGV.

Defeat would end Wanderers' hopes of clinching the title while a loss for Optimists would not rule them out of the hunt but they would need a minimum of nine bonus points and then win their last fixture, against St Pierre, to beat Cobo's average of 15 points. Wanderers need at least 32 points from their final two matches to overtake Cobo.

Tomorrow's other league fixture sees Rovers meet St Pierre at the College Field, with the Port Soif side vying for fourth spot and, potentially, a place in next season's CIKO.

It is the reigning champions' final match of their campaign and, as they currently lie in fifth, only a win will do for them.

Saints still have a big say in to whom the championship goes as they still have to play both Optimists and St Pierre.