A tense, low-scoring encounter at Grainville between holders SCF and Total Cobo was won by the Sarnians with two balls to spare.Cobo’s eighth-wicket pairing of Rob Turville and TJ Ozanne saw them home in the final two overs after SCF had produced a rousing fight-back in the field.Although it was a difficult pitch to bat on, SCF were disappointed that their strong line-up could not muster more than 128 all out.Liam Smyth produced an excellent six-over opening burst during which he removed both of SCF’s dangerous openers.First to go was Matt Hague, who had looked in good nick with his 12 runs coming from three boundaries before he pushed forward at a good length delivery and Justin Ferbrache took a brilliant one-handed diving catch low to his right.Steve Carlyon followed in Smyth’s next over as he played on from a back-foot defensive shot to make the score 21 for 2.Only one more run had been added when an opportune bit of work from Ozanne at mid-wicket ran out Ben Silva and the trouble worsened for the home side when Turville replaced Smyth and claimed the scalp of Trevor Rousseau in his first over.But the big wicket was to be that of SCF skipper Tony Carlyon who was in determined mood and looked positive.Carlyon and Dave Morfee pushed the score up to 83 before the captain was dismissed.
Spinner Gary Rich found the wicket to his liking and exploited it well to get rid of Carlyon with a full delivery that knocked over the batsman’s castle.Morfee then went from the support act to senior player and played well with little assistance.The reply started in such a fashion that it seemed Cobo would romp home.
Matt Oliver hit a brisk 28, including a couple of fours and a big six, as he and Alex Hunter added 42 in ten overs before both fell on the same score.The Carlyon brothers bowled well in tandem but it was Steve who was the pick of them with a masterful display of medium-pace bowling.
His ten overs cost just nine runs and only four deliveries were scored off the bat.Martin Higgins claimed the wickets of Stuart Le Prevost and Ferbrache while Peter Vidamour was trapped in front by Hague for 35.Cobo were suddenly 95 for 6 and SCF were on top.Turville and Rich nudged the score up to 117 but the nerves in the Cobo camp were rattled once more when Morfee took a fine return catch to dismiss Rich, which left Ozanne and Turville needing 12 to win off two overs.Optimists set up an all-Guernsey CI knock-out final with a convincing win against St Ouen in Guernsey.A fifth-wicket stand of 127 from Divan van den Heever and Simon Gaudion guided the Sarnians to a six-wicket victory at the KGV.St Ouen won the toss and elected to bat with an approach every bit as bright and breezy as the cool conditions.Rob Tewkesbury’s 47 minutes at the crease gave the visitors a solid foundation as he made 44 off as many balls, including eight boundaries.Craig Douglas and Richard Gomersall added just 22 runs before being dismissed as the memories of St Ouen’s promising start evaporated.However, Mark Tribe’s 93 minutes at the crease at least enabled St Ouen to set Optis a competitive target.
Tribe hit five boundaries, including two sixes, eventually returning to the pavilion having made 56 off 79 balls.Tribe’s was the last wicket to fall, but his middle-order team-mates were unable to support his efforts significantly.
St Ouen made 189 for seven off the reduced 40 overs.Optis opener Elliott Green hit five impressive fours but precious little else in his 48-minute spell at the crease, making 23 off just over double that number of balls.
Opening partner Mark Jefferies went for just 12.Inter-insular hero Ami Banerjee then made 19 and Biggins three as Optis were left faltering at 63 for four.Enter van den Heever and Gaudion and Optis had secured their place in the final against Cobo a little under two hours later; the former made 63, the latter 45.
