Le Prevost lessens the burden in search of runs

STUART LE PREVOST got what he asked for last summer. Total Cobo had been through a few years of frustrating inconsistency and the captain wanted that changed.

At summer's end a record of either winning or finishing runner-up in every competition they entered was a more than satisfactory answer from his troops.

The GCA Cup was emphatically retained as Pessimists were dismissed for a paltry 46 and, although it is a very minor competition, Cobo were proud to be the inaugural winners of the Premier One Super Eights.

The Channel Islands KO trophy should undoubtedly have been added to the Rockmount cabinets as well.

That final though was a major disappointment, especially after overcoming Jersey champions Sporting Club Francais in a tense last-four encounter at Grainville, but you will pay the price for dropping Ami Banerjee three times.

Second place finishes in both the GCA Championship and Barclays Premier One were also, in their way, disappointing for Cobo after confidence and belief had been build up during the season.

That said, such finishes would have been grabbed with both hands before the campaign started.

But there have been changes as Cobo look to progress.

Le Prevost has relinquished the captaincy on the weekends to, in his words, 'concentrate on my batting and try to get back to scoring runs'.

Peter Vidamour is a more than adequate replacement in the skipper's role and he believes that Le Prevost made a brave but correct decision.

'With Stuart relieving himself of the captaincy, it should mean he will have a better season with the bat.

'He would admit he has not scored the runs he would have liked to in the past couple of years and I think being captain affected him in that respect.

'His most important role for Cobo is as a batsman and we need him firing again,' said Vidamour.

The evidence of last season backs up that analysis.

Easily the best innings Le Prevost played was in the inter-insular when he did not have the captaincy burden hanging over him and smashed 48 off 37 balls, despite the pressure of coming in when Guernsey were teetering at 91 for four.

Throughout most the season he had been worrying about his island place though and he really cemented his selection only with an unbeaten and brutal 65 from 32 deliveries for Guernsey against Sparsholt, again when he wasn't skipper.

That is what he is capable of and what Vidamour is looking for now that Le Prevost is just one of the guys again, particularly with the new captain being slightly anxious about having a short batting line-up.

'My main worry is on the batting side,' said Vidamour.

'But, if Matt, Frithy and Stuart have good season and Gary and I can chip in with some runs, the prospects are reasonably positive.'

The lower order should be capable of contributing to the totals.

Andre van Rooyen and Matt Watson should occupy the number six spot at various times this season, while TJ Ozanne is no mug with the bat and neither are new signing Mark Renouf and Rob Turville.

In fact it was down to Ozanne and Turville that Cobo got through the CIKO semi-final on a tough Grainville track.

But, of course, the main role for both Renouf and Turville will be with ball in hand and Vidamour is delighted to have the ex-Rovers man on board.

'Mark is one of the leading opening bowlers in the island. He probably lost form a bit last season, but I think he maybe lost a bit of enthusiasm as well. He is keen to prove a few points this year.'

The addition of Renouf strengthens an already decent attack.

'We are well off for bowlers this season.

But the biggest addition to the 2004 squad is someone who has been in it for the past four seasons.

Justin Ferbrache's importance to Cobo cannot be underestimated and when he left for New Zealand in November it appeared to leave a gaping hole in both the club's line-up and the island's.

But he has returned and Vidamour has breathed a big sigh of relief.

'He is by far and away the best keeper on the island.

'It is a huge bonus that he is back, particularly when you have got two spinners and he can also stand up to some of the seamers, which can affect batsmen.

'As well as being good news for us, it is good news for the island because there are not too many obvious replacements for him in either side.'

With all that in mind, Vidamour will be disappointed if Cobo come away from the weekend season empty handed.

'We are going to be competitive,' he said.

'As for expectations, we would like to pick up a trophy and the preference would be to win the championship and then go into the CI competition looking to win that.

Le Prevost will still be in charge of the Premier One side and his targets in the shorter game are very similar to those of his counterpart on the weekends.

'With a team like ours, you have always got to aim to win it,' he said.

'A lot depends on our batting; bowling is not a problem.'

*THE new GCA Hand-book is available from today at the KGV clubhouse.