Island players in good nick for Dutch contests

MATT OLIVER warmed up for Guernsey's games against the Dutch Flamingo A this week with a neatly compiled century on Saturday. The Cobo opener looked in great nick as he laid the foundations for his side's comprehensive 127-run win over Rovers at the KGV, with 102 made from just 107 balls.

The left-hander's driving was particularly impressive as he put the emphasis on timing rather that trying to knock the leather from the ball and his typically heavy piece of willow did the rest.

He did offer a couple of chances once he had passed 50.

The first came the ball after he had brought up that milestone as he chipped a Robbie Le Corre delivery over mid-off's head and Neil Davey grounded the opportunity and later on Quinten Hubbard put down a sharp chance at slip off the bowling of Aaron Scoones.

But Oliver put those incidents behind him immediately and continued to punish anything wayward with authority.

He and Peter Vidamour had looked well set early on before the latter took on a suicidal second run to Jody Bisson at deep point to gift Rovers, who were again missing some key players including Tim Duke and Richard Headington, a wicket.

In the absence of Jeremy Frith, Ben Ferbrache got his chance up the order for Cobo and took it well with a mature 47 before Ryan Bishop's swift glove work brought about his dismissal to give Scoones the first of his two wickets.

Oliver and Ferbrache had added 118 for the second wicket.

Cobo and island captain Stuart Le Prevost, with a run-a-ball 46, also got some valuable time at the crease before the Dutch encounters this week.

He looked set for a bigger score before a remarkable, nonchalant catch by Davey at deep mid-wicket ended his innings.

Oliver, who hit 14 fours and a six in his 171-minute stay in the middle, fell towards the death trying to push the run rate along, but a useful 26 plundered by Jamie Nussbaumer got Cobo up to 275 for eight from their 45 overs.

Rovers lost Hubbard early in their reply and Kris Moherndl claimed his second wicket, that of Jody Bisson, to reduce them to 31 for two.

But Bishop was continuing his impressive start to the season at the other end, demonstrating his back-foot prowess with some powerful cuts and pulls to anything dropped short, of which there was too much from Cobo in the opening overs.

However, a short, wide delivery proved to be the South African's downfall.

Seventeen-year-old James Mullen dragged down his opening delivery and it looked for all money that umpire Martin Gray would have called it a wide had Bishop not opted to chase it. But he managed only to toe the ball to Nussbaumer at point and he gratefully grasped the catch above his head.

That proved to be the beginning of the end for Rovers.

From being 67 for two after 13 overs, they were skittled out for 148.

Stuart Bisson and Jon Baker were the only other batsmen to contribute a knock of note while off-spinner Gary Rich chipped in with three cheap wickets for Cobo.

TJ Ozanne finished things off with the final two in his single over.

'It was a comfortable win in the end and we are happy to come away with maximum points,' said Le Prevost.

'Everyone knows Olly is capable of scoring lots of runs and it was really good to see him concentrate the way he did today.'

Yesterday at the same venue, Mavericks continued their unbeaten start to the season with a three-wicket victory over PKF Wanderers.

Opener Paul Wakeford and the in-form GH Smit both hit half centuries as Mavs successfully chased Wanderers' total of 225.

Having won the toss, Richard Veillard elected to bat and although each of the Wanderers top four got a start, only Ross Kneller converted it into a substantial score.

The opener hit five boundaries in his 57 made from 71 deliveries.

Useful contributions from the lower middle order - namely Pierre Moody, Dave Piesing and Andrew Boyce - pushed Wanderers to maximum batting points while Justin Walker finished with three wickets.

Wakeford led the reply excellently with 83 from 107 balls including six fours and a six.

He shared in a second-wicket stand of 173 with Smit, who made 73 from 70 deliveries with nine fours and a huge maximum, to help steer Mavs home.