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Wanderers and Cobo to contest the GCA Cup Final
David Piesing
The 2007 Carey Olsen GCA Cup Final will be contested by Total Cobo, the GCA Champions, and PKF Wanderers, the current Cup holders who will have reached the Cup final two years running when they have also finished bottom of the Championship.
On Saturday at KGV the game between Wanderers and Marlborough Trust Optimists was reduced to 40 overs per side due to heavy overnight rain, resulting in a late start. Wanderers were inserted after losing the toss and after the early loss of Matt Thornton a fine partnership between James Warr and Sher Khanagha developed. The pair put on over 70 at more than four runs per over until Warr played far too early at a Tom Magson long hop and got bowled. Ben Driver fell lbw to Mike Kinder and when Kinder removed Richard Veillard first ball, it signalled a steady collapse as Mark Jefferies' off-breaks snared four wickets on a wicket providing lots of turn. However, Khanagha kept going and at 145 for 9 he was joined by last man Phil Challenger who kept one end going as Khanagha smashed several late boundaries. The pair put on a vital 28 for the last wicket before Khanagha holed out to legspinner Ben McVey on 92. A target of 174 to win in 40 overs looked a decent one and Optimists were later to rue the 28 wides that they conceded.
In reply, Pierre Moody removed Tom Magson early and after Tim de Putron survived an easy chance at mid-off off Moody, the same bowler soon got his man. Ami Banerjee and Andy Biggins steadily built a partnership before Biggins was bowled behind his legs by a big off-break from Challenger and Optimists started to fall behind the rate. That was of little concern with Banerjee still at the wicket but on 49 he holed out to James Warr on the midwicket boundary off Ben Driver and from thereon the asking rate was approaching 8 an over with wickets tumbling steadily. Andy Good made a quick 28 to keep his side in the game but Driver kept chipping away to finish with 4 for 21 as Optimists were all out for 158 to lose by 15 runs. Pierre Moody finished with 3 for 34.
On the same wicket on Sunday, further heavy rain in the morning saw the other semi-final between Total Cobo and Mavericks reduced to 30 overs per side. Cobo lost early wickets and really struggled on a difficult wicket against steady Mavericks bowling, collapsing at one point to 57 for 5. Skipper Stuart Le Prevost (31) and Gary Rich (28) took them to a final score of 117 for 7 with TJ Ozanne smashing the last two balls for six and four. Andy Burkhardt was the pick of the Mavericks bowlers with three wickets.
Mavericks really needed GH Smit and Justin Meades to make decent scores if they were to win but after Smit was bowled by Kris Moherndl wickets fell dramatically. Mark Renouf started the collapse and ended with three for 9 but the real drama was to come when off-spinner Gary Rich took a hat-trick with his first three balls and came perilously close to bowling Lee Gallienne with his fourth delivery as well. There was no way back for Mavericks from that point and they were bowled out for just 53, Rich finishing with figures of four for 3. Mavericks would have really fancied their chances of chasing 117 but the Cobo bowlers were always going to be suited by the conditions as the sun dried out the pitch.
The final between Cobo and Wanderers will be on Sunday 9th September.
© Guernsey Cricket Board
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