Channel Islands champs out to retain the crown

COBO have two things that all other clubs on the island want. Firstly, they have a large squad and secondly they always seem to be able to get their best players on the pitch.

These factors helped to ensure that they ran away with last year's Barclays Evening League and retained the KMPG CI Club Championship.

But one title that did elude them was the domestic Carey Olsen League, which runs during the first half of the season.

'We don't start very well but we finish strong,' said Total Cobo captain Stuart Le Prevost.

'We want to try and knock that on the head this year. We want to hit the ground running.

'For the last couple of seasons, apart from our first game in the CI championship last year, I think we haven't lost a game in July, August or September.'

The ability to be able to field their strongest players on a regular basis has stood them apart from the other big clubs in the island such as Optimists and Rovers. That also indicates to their success in the CI championship that this year starts at the end of July.

Most clubs seem to struggle to get their best 11 players out during what is traditionally the summer holiday and weddings season whereas Cobo do not.

'We've been quite lucky that our guys are all pretty committed,' said Le Prevost.

'That's basically the secret of it. We got through last season using just 14 players or something like that and the nucleus always turned out.

'We've got a strong 12 or 13 players and most weekends 11 out of those 13 are available.'

Their star, Jeremy Frith, best demonstrates this commitment. The right-handed run machine and left-arm spinner is currently based in Hampshire, but still turns out for Cobo at the weekends.

He also spends an extensive amount of time in Guernsey coaching cricket with the island development coach Jason Shambrook. It is because of that that he is allowed to live off island and still play in the leagues.

'Having Frithy is always a big boost for us,' said Le Prevost.

'He's our lynchpin and he keeps everyone going. If anything needs doing like getting a wicket or getting some runs or taking a catch, nine out of 10 times it will be Frithy.'

While Frith is Cobo's main man, the destructive opener Matt Oliver comes a close second. Time and time again last season Oliver tore opposition bowling attacks apart to notch up 1,185 runs in all GCA competitions.

The left-hander was named the GCA's cricketer of the year for 2005.

Add Le Prevost into the mix as well and you have three very good batsmen whose positions in the island team are set in stone. Two others that could concern the opposition are Rich and Jamie Nussbaumer.

The pair also picked up a player-of-the-year award at the GCA presentation dinner in October - Rich in the over-40 category and Nussbaumer as the best young player of the season.

Rich and Frith will provide the spin options for the west-coast side, while Nussbaumer, who switched to seam bowling from wicketkeeping last season, will trouble batsmen with his height and pace.

He, along with fellow senior island squad members Kris Moherndl and Blane Queripel plus Elizabeth College fast bowler Peter Le Hegarat, represents another of Cobo's strengths. The club has talented juniors coming through.

'We keep saying to ourselves that it's going to be teething year but, to be fair, with Jamie, Blane and Kris coming through, they are starting to each become key players instead of filling places,' said Le Prevost.

The only name that will not be on a Cobo team list is former island manager and opening batsman Pete Vidamour, who has retired from playing. Also last year's Guernsey keeper, Justin Ferbrache, is taking a step back to allow Oliver to don the gloves, which is a role that he will be taking with the island team this year.

With Optimists apparently missing personnel, Cobo are clear favourites to pick up all the trophies on offer this summer.

According to Le Prevost, they are after the weekend league crown after finishing second last year behind Optis, but it is not the one they really want.

'We're looking to go one better in the afternoon league,' he said.

'But if you said to me you can have either the afternoon league or the CI championship, I'd take the CI. That's the big one.

'It's the creme de la creme and it's always nice to beat Jersey teams as well.'

* COBO play HSBC Griffins in Barclays Evening League One today at the KGV.