Youngsters see OEA to victory

With Cobo having set a target of less than four an over at the KGV, largely due to the efforts of their captain Josh Butler, without whom it could have been much less, the loss of main men Matt Stokes and Ben Ferbrache, as well as skipper Charlie Clapham, before the first drinks break, with more than 140 still required posed intriguing questions of the OEA young batters against a bowling attack including five Island players.

However, they passed the test with flying colours.

Top of the class was Charlie Birch, who played with great composure and displayed a fine array of shots in a crucial knock worth 91.

He really deserved a hundred, but on a nice summer’s afternoon he just ran out of steam with the winning post in sight and became the last of Will Peatfield’s three wickets, as the Guernsey paceman returned for his final over as Butler’s last roll of the dice.

Peatfield, who was the pick of the bowlers, had also bagged the big wicket of Stokes early on as well as that of Harry Duke in his second spell, the No. 5 having given Birch vital support in the fourth-wicket partnership of 71.

Marcus Thomas was worthy of a merit award, too, as his 42 from just 38 balls, including three fours and two pulled sixes, ensured their were no late jitters and although he was not there at the end to see it through, Joe Marshall and Ollie Clapham got them over the line with eight balls to spare.

Earlier, OEA got their day off to the near-perfect start as they reduced Cobo to 2 for 2 in the first two overs by removing two Guernsey players.

Zak Damarell was the first to go, losing the battle with his Indies teammate Stokes by nicking one to the keeper Marshall in the first over.

Peatfield then hit Duke straight to extra cover in the next over and Cobo were in immediate trouble.

You would not have known it, though, when watching captain Butler at the crease. He seemed to be playing a different game to the rest of his team.

Typically powerful through the off side, one of his early boundaries crunched through the covers made a sumptuous noise off the bat.

He received some decent support from Ollie Newey for a little while as they looked to rebuild the innings and the No. 4 played one glorious off-drive off Stokes as the partnership mounted to 46.

But then Newey mistimed another attempted drive off Duke and sliced a catch to wide gully.

Declan Martel came and went before the score had reached 50, getting a leading edge to backward point as he looked to work a Stokes delivery into the leg side, and Cobo were 49 for 4 just three balls after the end of the 10-over powerplay.

Alex Bushell looked to keep his skipper company and patiently played his way to double figures with a couple of nicely driven fours to stick around until the drinks break, but in the first over after the resumption he edged behind off Louis Steyn.

Butler brought up his half-century with a single pushed out to deep cover in the 23rd over and went on to share in his best partnership with Tom Veillard with the pair putting on 67 for the sixth wicket up until the next drinks break with the skipper continuing to look good.

However, that second interval proved crucial as, just a couple of balls after the resumption, Thomas served up a short ball from which Butler should have added to his boundary tally, but he failed to clear mid-wicket with his pull shot and Stokes took a fine catch above his head to send the batter back to the pavilion for a classy 80.

Veillard and the tail added some useful runs to total as the last four wickets took Cobo from 136 up to 195, which looked competitive if the light blues could get among the OEA batting order, but though they managed to do that to a certain extent, they still proved to be at least 25 short of a testing target.

• GRIFFINS made it four wins from four as they beat Wanderers-Irregulars by seven wickets.

Wanderers-Irregulars were bowled out for 156 inside 39 overs batting first at the College Field, with Lucas Barker making 50 and Martin-Dale Bradley adding 45. There were three wickets apiece for Adam Martel and Tom Kirk.

Griffins reached their target in just 27-and-a-half overs with Luke Le Tissier top scoring with 56 and Matt Philp finishing unbeaten on 52.