Where there’s a Will, nine-man Cobo can find a way
ON A day when Cobo needed their senior players to stand up and be counted, Will Peatfield took it upon himself to do exactly that.
Miscommunication during the week led to the champions starting their title defence with only nine players against Wanderers Irregulars on Saturday at the KGV, three of them being under-15s.
That meant that the odds were stacked against them as they faced a side whose confidence had been boosted by their season-opening victory over Griffins.
However, Peatfield has played match-winning innings on bigger stages than this in the past and on this occasion he could claim to be a genuine all-rounder as not only did he carry his bat for an excellent 94 not out before picking up four wickets, including three in five balls, to wrap up the victory, but he also donned the gloves for good measure in between spells, such was Cobo’s need on the day.
It was an outstanding individual performance, although the contribution made by Matt Breban should not go underestimated.
Peatfield admitted between innings that when Cobo lost their third wicket with only 54 on the board, he feared they would be rolled over for something near 80.
Breban had other ideas, though, and together they batted with a great deal of sense and no little ability in putting on 143 for the fourth wicket.
It was a day that called for sensible batting throughout and Peatfield took that on board from the outset. Without taking any undue risks, he knocked the ball around impressively and some of his timing, particularly driving down the ground, was sumptuous.
His opening partner Rob Byrne hung around for a while before Lucas Barker clipped the top of his off stump and in the following over Pierre Moody picked up the big wicket of Josh Butler with one that beat the Cobo captain’s inside edge before thudding into his front pad.
Luke Nussbaumer joined Peatfield in the middle and looked in decent nick, finding the boundary a couple of times in his 20 from 36 balls, but in Declan Martel’s first over he padded-up to straight one and Cobo were already down to their last regular first-team pair.
Peatfield and Breban judged the situation well and merely looked to keep the scoreboard ticking over without taking any unnecessary risks.
The opener brought up his half-century with a single to long-on in the 28th over while Breban did so with a pull for four in the 34th, one of the six fours he struck along with a six over long-on.
The fourth-wicket pair hung around together until the final over of the innings, Breban eventually falling for 70 from 62 balls as they tried for an optimistic two to get Peatfield back on strike.
Peatfield was unable to manufacture the couple of boundaries he needed off the last couple of balls to reach a deserved century, but his unbeaten 94 from 112 balls was worth more to Cobo as they finished on 200 for 4.
They knew they needed to make early inroads in the Wanderers Irregulars reply and who else but Peatfield obliged, removing Barker with only the second ball of the innings.
Gashi Masvikeni, who played in trademark attacking style for a brisk 18, was next to go as Luke Nussbaumer worked to the ‘you miss, I hit’ tactic and then a sharp piece of work from Butler, who had taken over the wicket-keeping gloves from the injured Finton Ridgewick, ran out Ben Wentzel to leave the chasing team 32 for 3.
Declan Martel and Ryan Harris restored calm to the batting side, though, and took risk out of the equation, making the most of the gaps.
Martel, in particular, played some classy strokes including one on-drive for four that really caught the eye as he made his way to a fine half-century.
However, as is so often the case, the drinks interval brought with it a wicket as, on the first ball upon the resumption of play, Martel was trapped plum in front by Butler.
Cobo started to fancy their chances once more and Nussbaumer returned to skittle Harris before Butler took a sharp return catch to dismiss Werner Van Zyl then Breban removed Dom O’Brien.
Moody joined young Olly Bromley to get their side back on track, though, and their eighth-wicket partnership of 39 took them to within nine runs of victory with Peatfield about to start his final over.
It was now or never for Cobo and their star man came up trumps.
A full straight delivery accounted for Moody and Ollie Clapham saw off a couple of balls but could not keep out his third.
With his tail well and truly up, Peatfield had Dave Piesing adjudged leg before with his next delivery and Cobo had won.
