Luck and teamwork makes the difference

TEAMWORK is essential in 11-a-side cricket. In eight-a-side any slight weakness is exposed and luck plays a part as Optimists found out to their cost at the KGV last evening.

The two best teams produced a fine Barclays Super Eights Premier One final.

Everyone played a part, whether with the ball, bat or in the field.

Cobo's 17-run win was achieved with the slight advantage they had on the night - fortune. An edge for four here, a slightly flatter, straighter throw there, a bowler's front foot landing smack on the line rather than a fraction over it.

Cobo were asked to bat and set off at a pace, Stu Le Prevost and Matt Oliver rattling up 43 in three overs.

Oliver's cover drives were outstanding, a six over long-on effortless.

But Andy Biggins threatened to stall that charge. With consecutive balls he removed Le Prevost, whose sweep clipped his body and looped in the air for a catch behind, and then next ball Jeremy Frith.

The island star swept all around a straight ball and was untidily bowled.

Gary Rich accelerated without effort, turning easy ones into classy boundaries.

With two men retired, Cobo could afford to swing the bat. Some fortunate shots found the rope and Ami Banerjee shaved the stumps with one ball that then eluded the keeper and went for four byes.

Cobo adopted the same fielding positions as Optimists - everyone well back. Optimists found gaps well at first, but when the openers departed - Biggins to a sharp recovery from a fumble and flat throw by TJ Ozanne at third man - the rate rose.

The Chambers brothers and Banerjee kept the team in the hunt, but Cobo took advantage of the enforced retirements to bowl straight to the lower order and some tidy, attentive fielding prevented too many worries.

Steve Queripel was pouched by Frith on the extra-cover boundary and Justin Ferbrache applied the coup de grace to give Rich his fourth wicket.