Cobo joy

THE Rozel Shield is practically in Total Cobo's trophy cabinet after they beat Clubhouse Optimists for the second time in a week. Cobo now only need to beat either Pessimists or Griffins this week to ensure that the title is theirs again after a six-year break. Matt Oliver was again the main man for the west-coast team at the KGV as he hit 79 not out to help set an imposing target of 165 off 16 overs.

Oliver's innings left his captain, Stuart Le Prevost, in raptures after Optimists fell 72 runs short.

'I'm very happy with our batting display,' said Le Prevost.

'Matt batted very well again. With that many runs, you can set a defensive field early on and it makes it hard to score.

'Credit to our bowlers as well: they bowled straight and full.'

Oliver's innings was a typically bludgeoning knock from the left-hand opening batsman. He smashed four sixes and Stephen Queripel came in for some particularly harsh treatment as he went for 55 runs from his four overs.

Le Prevost ably assisted Oliver with a quick-fire 40 before Mark Jefferies caught him off Mark Clapham's sporadic leg spin.

The Optimists batsmen were always going to be up against it chasing such a huge total but they made a fist of it, with GH Smit opening up and hitting 23 in no time.

The powerful South African was out when Mark Culverwell caught him just inside the boundary down at long leg.

With Andy Biggins and Ami Banerjee both going cheaply, the match was always going to go Cobo's way and it duly did in the 14th over.