Kirk leads by example to guide Griffins to victory
MOTHER NATURE wanted to test Griffins as much as Cobo did on Saturday – but Tom Kirk came up with all the answers.
Such are the vagaries of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in rain-affected matches, the champions were left raising their eyebrows when set a target of 218 from 36 overs after Cobo’s innings had ended prematurely thanks to a heavy downpour that, along with subsequent showers, took the players from the field for approaching three hours.
DLS takes into account the resources at the batting team’s disposal when play comes to a halt.
However, the formula was not to know that beyond Cobo’s top five there was little in the way of established batting still to come and had they lost just one more wicket – particularly that of Josh Butler – Griffins would have considered themselves into the opposition’s tail.
But those are the rules of the competition and so the target was set and it resulted in a cracking run chase that hung in the balance right until the last over, with Griffins having their captain Kirk to thank for a marvellous knock that saw his side home with a couple of balls to spare.
Nathan Le Tissier had begun the reply in ideal fashion, pulling the first ball for four, but as it went on, the DLS par score on the board suggested throughout that this was going to go down to the wire.
The Le Tissier cousins gave the champions a good platform with an opening stand of 74 until they were separated in the 16th over when Nathan top-edged an attempted sweep off Tom Veillard to Dan Brown at backward point.
Luke, who had given a tough chance earlier in his innings, went on to complete yet another half-century with six fours and a six and had largely silenced the fielding side until, in the 21st over, a firm, flat sweep that would have carried for another maximum was grabbed by a jumping Dec Martel at deep square-leg and suddenly Cobo sensed a chance.
With two relatively new batters at the crease, the required run-rate started to increase, as did the tension in the Griffins ranks with Cobo having little to lose.
Kirk got off the mark with a six, but he remained watchful early on as did partner Adam Martel, to the extent that Griffins needed 101 from the last 11 overs.
But then the acceleration came, with Kirk playing the lead role, timing the ball sweetly as the boundaries started to flow with back-to-back sixes off the first two balls of Dec Martel’s final over being partly significant.
The skipper gave a chance at the start of the next over when 50 were still required off six, but it was a steepler that bounced out of the fielder’s hands as he ran around at long off and it would have been a fine catch.
A maximum over long-on later in that over brought up Kirk’s half-century, but Kieran Le Gallez finished that set by trapping Adam Martel in front of the stumps as he attempted a reverse paddle and the partnership of 84 came to an end.
Crucially, though, Kirk was still going and, having been joined by Jordon Martel, the necessary boundaries kept coming until, with seven required off the final five deliveries, the captain cleared long-on to bring the scores level.
A single into the leg-side two balls later was met by cheers from his thankful teammates as Kirk scored his 83rd run to see his team across the line.
Earlier, the rain had come with Butler closing in on a century having taken on the anchor role after opting to bat.
In the absence of Zak Damarell and Ollie Newey among others, as well as having a couple of youngsters making their debut in a very inexperienced lower order, the Cobo skipper was well aware that the top five had to provide the bulk of his side’s runs.
He was to lose his opening partner Tom Veillard early on as he edged Dane Mullen to first slip where Luke Le Tissier safely pouched the chance.
Will Peatfield played a couple of nice shots, including one sumptuous on drive, in his 18 before he was yorked by Luke Bichard and Cobo were 33 for 2 in the 13th over.
Dec Martel joined his captain in adding 59 for the third wicket as Cobo tried to set a competitive total, but just as he was looking set, the No. 4 miscued an attempted pull shot and he was resigned to his fate long before James Hudson took the catch in the deep.
All the time Butler was looking at ease, ticking along without taking any unnecessary risks and putting the bad ball away, no more emphatically than when he hooked a short ball for six to bring up his half-century in style.
He found a willing fourth-wicket ally in Alex Bushell, who grew with confidence the longer he stayed in the middle and he thumped five fours in progressing to 43 before the rain started to fall just as the 42nd over came to an end.
The umpires took the players from the field as the heavy downpour began and they were not to return until more than two-and-a-half hours later, buy which time Griffins knew the equation.
• AT THE College Field, OEA ensured the title race will go down to the final round of Weekend Championship fixtures when the top two will go head-to-head.
Charlie Birch made 97 with nine fours and three sixes for the home side against Wanderers-Irregulars as OEA made 238 for 9 from 45 overs in a rain-interrupted innings before they bowled out the opposition for 154 to win by 84 runs.
Anthony Armstrong finished as top-scorer for WIs with an unbeaten 63 including 10 fours.
