Advantage Cobo in championship race
STUART LE PREVOST and Matt Oliver proved what class acts they are, putting on 123 for the second wicket to ensure that Total Cobo beat Optimists in the Barclays Evening League Division One at the KGV last night.
STUART LE PREVOST and Matt Oliver proved what class acts they are, putting on 123 for the second wicket to ensure that Total Cobo beat Optimists in the Barclays Evening League Division One at the KGV last night. Chasing 129 in 22 overs, the two island batsmen were brought together when opener TJ Ozanne went for a duck in the first over. Opener Oliver struck 78 and Le Prevost knocked up 42 before he was caught by Andy Biggins off Andre Bisson's medium pace bowling.
Optis went into the game without a number of players, including the influential island all-rounder Ami Banerjee.
'To be fair they were missing a few frontline bowlers and Ami,' said Le Prevost.
'But nevertheless I thought we bowled and fielded well to keep it below six an over and then it was a case of me and Ollie pacing it. I'm just pleased to get the win.'
Three of Optis top four batsmen all got into the 20s, openers Mark Jefferies hit 28 and Andy Biggins 22 before he was caught behind off Kris Moherndl. Number four Mark Clapham held the innings together as the rest of Optis batting order sacrificed themselves in pursuit of picking up the run rate.
Ian Damarell played a number of dinky paddle shots before he played one too many and was given out lbw off Mark Renouf's swing bowling when a full-pitched delivery struck his front leg bang in front of the stumps.
Jamie Chambers, playing his last innings for Optis before leaving later this week to work in Singapore, played some sweetly timed shots as Optis posted 129.
In a surprise move, Stephen Queripel threw Biggins the new ball and the occasional off-spinner fully justified his captain's decision when he bowled Ozanne with the last ball of the first over.
The swashbuckling Ozanne tried to put a straight delivery over the trees and into Sausmarez Park but missed to pay the consequences. Oliver and Le Prevost knew that they had to deliver if their team was going be smiling come the end of the game and deliver they did as they punished anything loose from the Optis bowlers.
But it could have been a different story as in the sixth over bowled by Queripel, Oliver was dropped by GH Smit on the leg side boundary. The South African, wearing trainers on the dewy surface, slipped at the crucial moment to let the ball hit the deck.
Oliver reached his 50, with a flick off his legs for two runs from the bowling of Adam Hindle. The 14-year-old quickie has a nice action and looks a good prospect.
Both Oliver and Le Prevost got themselves out going for big shots when the game was safe as Robbie Moore and Rich saw Cobo home.
'That's one each in the evening league,' said Queripel.
'There's still a long way to go and there are a couple of teams that can turn both of us over this year,' he added.
