Aussie Meades and Cobo on song

TOTAL COBO hardly broke sweat as they hammered a lacklustre C&W Rovers at the KGV on Saturday. Both sides were missing first-team regulars, with Jeremy Frith and TJ Ozanne injured for Cobo while Rovers were without Aaron Scoones and Stuart Bisson among others.

But the CI champions' strength in depth was the telling factor as they rattled out their opponents for just 89 and even contributed the highest score to the total as extras mounted up to 23.

The early loss of Jon Baker was soon followed by the important wicket of Richard Headington as Tom Le Tissier took an outstanding catch at mid-off, making full use of all his goalkeeping attributes as he dived to his left.

With the former island skipper back in the hutch, Cobo knew that they would be firm favourites once they got rid of Tim Duke as well.

In order to dismiss the Guernsey all-rounder, Stuart Le Prevost turned early on to his own island star, Gary Rich.

The ploy worked perfectly as the off-spinner got one to turn through the gate and Duke was on his way, leaving Rovers 35 for three.

The wickets kept tumbling, with Rich the pick of the bowlers as he claimed four for 15.

Mark Renouf chipped in with the scalp of Richard Hamilton as Jamie Nussbaumer took a well-judged catch going to his left from extra cover.

Nussbaumer and Kris Moherndl took two wickets apiece as Rovers' innings was concluded with more than five of their allotted 45 overs to spare.

At the start of the reply, Rovers gave youngster Phil Martin a chance with the ball although he had to run into a stiff wind and found the going tough.

Matt Oliver certainly had no interest in hanging around and struck a run-a-ball 37 including five fours and a big straight six.

However, the island opener was less than amused when he toed a catch out to Duke at deep mid-wicket to give Jody Bisson a surprise wicket with the end in sight.

Peter Vidamour, filling in at the top of the order while Frith is unavailable, saw his side home with an unbeaten 29. He also cleared the boundary on one occasion and struck two fours.

'To be fair, Rovers were not at full strength but our guys made sure that they maintained their concentration and did not slip up,' Le Prevost said.

'We bowled well, particularly Gary, in what were not the easiest of conditions with the wind blowing straight down the track.'

n AFTER success in their first championship match, Elizabeth College were brought down to earth with a heavy defeat by Randy Paddle Mavericks.

Australian Justin Meades was the architect of the win with a hard-fought unbeaten 104, his first century locally.

His 152 second-wicket partnership with Vince Kenny, who battled his way out of a slump in form with a well-crafted 79, was the foundation of Mavericks' 226 for two in 45 overs.

The college reply was doomed as Johnny Orme and Lee Gallienne claimed the first three wickets within seven deliveries with the score on just five. Without Tim Ravenscroft, on county duty, it was left to Johnny Clark and Jonathan Wilkes-Green to show some gumption for a while, but the college crumbled to 107 all out once Wilkes-Green departed for 24. Gallienne finished with four wickets.