Barker ton as Sarnian sides blow CI League wide open

While Wanderers-Irregulars were comprehensive winners over Old Victorians at the KGV, Cobo inflicted a first defeat of the campaign on defending champions St Ouen Springfield in emphatic style in Jersey as the Sarnian weekend champions won by 91 runs at Les Quennevais.

An outstanding fourth-wicket partnership of 112 between Island pair Zak Damarell and Ben Ferbrache, who made 55 and 64 respectively, proved absolutely vital for Cobo, who had been reduced to 11 for 3 early on.

They finished on a seemingly modest 178 all out, but then Will Peatfield took four wickets as SOS were bowled out for just 83 in a rain-interrupted innings with DLS brought into effect.

It was Cobo’s third victory in the CI League, which brings them level with their table-topping opponents on six points so far this campaign.

Meanwhile, Wanderers-Irregulars moved up into the top three on net run-rate thanks to their second win in four matches as they dominated from start to finish against OVs. Captain Lucas Barker starred up front with a brilliant century as part of a 150 opening stand with Ben Wentzel that set the tone for the home side.

It was a coin toss that the WIs skipper was happy to lose as he continued his recent good form with an imperious knock that saw him cash in ruthlessly on anything loose from the visiting bowlers.

A youthful OVs XI quickly learnt that it is not a good idea to drop short against Barker, who pulled almost with disdain, but he was also strong off the front foot.

While he was cruising towards three figures, the only time he looked in any sort of difficulty was when Wentzel was on strike and drove the ball straight back to bowler Andy Dewhurst who came close to running out Barker as he backed up.

A couple of overs later – just the 22nd of the innings – Barker brought up a magnificent century with a single and he must have fancied his chances of going on to double his score only to fall to his next delivery as he picked out deep mid-wicket with another pull shot.

He had hit 10 fours and five sixes from the 76 deliveries he had faced.

Both Tom Nightingale and Martin-Dale Bradley scored quicker than a run-a-ball as they maintained the momentum in successive partnerships with Wentzel, who looked set to join his fellow opener as a centurion until he was the fourth man out for a well-compiled 91 from 98 balls with eight fours and a maximum.

There was still the best part of eight overs to bat for WIs and Nairn Guilbert, Will Hanson and James Wilson all chipped in with useful contributions to ensure their side eased past 300 and left OVs requiring a mammoth 325 for victory.

Former Jersey all-rounder Dewhurst got the reply off to a fast start with a boundary off the first ball, but it was four and out for him as Harry Johnson castled him with the next delivery and the young seamer also struck in his third over before fellow teenager Charlie Forshaw joined the party as OVs lost their top three within the first 10 overs.

Having replaced Johnson, Anthony Armstrong then produced a fine nine-over spell from the de Beavoir end to pick up three wickets as OVs continued to struggle, with the exception of Luke Gallichan, who made 44 before he was run out by Bradley’s fingertips while backing-up.

Ali Webster ended up as OVs’ top scorer with a fine late cameo of 65, but the game was long over as a contest and Forshaw returned to add two more wickets to his tally as the visitors fell 135 runs short.