CI champions live on

CLUBHOUSE OPTIMISTS seem certain of a last four place in the CI Club Championship while Total Cobo and C&W Rovers face a winner-takes-all clash next weekend to join them in the semi-finals. Ami Banerjee, dropped on nought second ball, stroked a superb century as Optimists eased past Romerils by 76 runs at FB Fields on Saturday, while Cobo and Rovers also beat Jersey opposition to keep alive their hopes.

But for defending champions Cobo, it was the closest of calls.

At King George V Field, Peter Vidamour's men squeezed home in the last over against Jersey champions Old Victorians.

Two overs out, Cobo's hopes of successfully chasing OV's 221 for nine in 45 overs seemed to be fading.

Cobo, who had been in a strong position while Matt Oliver (57) and Jeremy Frith (58) were at the wicket, had subsided to 205 for six with 17 required from the last two overs.

But at that point Cobo youngster Jamie Nussbaumer straight-drove spinner Ward Jenner for two big sixes and although the batsman was bowled by the last delivery of Jenner's spell, Nussbaumer had turned the tide decisively.

Cobo began the last over with just two required and from the third ball Mark Renouf tucked Chris Jones off his legs through square for the winning runs.

The winners will have island batsman Stuart Le Prevost back for the Rovers showdown, but Vidamour is not getting over-confident.

'We've done pretty well against Rovers this season but they are a decent side.'

Jones, the OVs' captain, thought his side had done enough to win before Nussbaumer's intervention.

'After the 43rd I thought we were there,' he said.

'I didn't expect ''Wardy'' to go for something like that.'

At the College Field, Rovers were indebted to Aaron Scoones (64), Richard Hamilton (51) and Tim Duke (5 for 29) for their 40-run win over Caesareans.

Meanwhile in Jersey, Matt Hague sank Wanderers with an unbeaten century for Sporting Club.