Rich keeps Cobo flying in Premier

TOTAL Cobo were indebted to veteran all-rounder Gary Rich in maintaining their unbeaten start to the Barclays Premier One season on Friday. Rich made a vital contribution with bat and ball in what was essentially a comfortable victory over Deutsche Bank Taverners at KGV.

But the greens, boosted by an equally impressive performance from skipper Robbie Moore, would have felt they could have got closer than the eventual 23-run margin of defeat but for the absence of key bowlers Justin Scriven and Martyn Bone.

Their Achilles heel was a fourth bowler, as a combination of three men leaked a telling 59 runs in five overs.

Batting first, Cobo raced away at eight an over, with island opener Matt Oliver to the fore.

But Pete Vidamour could get no real fluency in his game and jammed up a scoring rate that threatened to go sky high.

Oliver was first to go for an easy 47 from just 31 balls, well caught by Moore, and Jonathan Wilkes-Green quickly scuttled one underneath Frith's pull shot.

Cobo had got stuck at six-and-a-half an over until, with change bowlers Andy Orme and Matt Seeds into the attack, Rich was dominant in taking 31 from the final two overs of the innings. His personal 31 not out came from just 16 balls.

Cobo would have thought a 20-over target of 145 was out of Taverners' reach and Rich and Mark Renouf ensured that it would be so with tight opening spells.

Having bowled through, Taverners needed almost 10 an over from the change pairing of Frith and Rob Turville, and for a while Moore and Seeds tucked in as if they had a chance.

Moore, enjoying a useful start to the season, reached 50 in 41 deliveries.