More work to do

Fegocowosa CC put up a spirited performance in their friendly encounter with defending league champions - Ibeju-Lekki I CC - last Sunday, but it wasn't enough to avoid a 45-run defeat. Once again, Roland Ilube won the toss and invited his opponents to bat. The four-prong pace attack put in an excellent display while the shine was on the ball, and reduced the much-vaunted Ibeju batting line-up to 90-4, with Friday Udoh and Biodun Abioye in particular moving the ball prodigiously. However, the Ibeju player-coach, Shaun Phillips, then found an ally in Lekan Awolowo, and as the ball grew old and the sun beat down, this pair put together what would prove to be a match-winning partnership. They took the score past 200 before Lekan departed for 30, but Shaun kept going, taking a particular shine to Uthe Ogbimi's medium pace, and brought up a chanceless century to guide his side to an imposing total of 245-6 off 40 overs.

In reply, the Warri openers set off like a house on fire, racing to 50 inside the first 8 overs, and it looked like the Ibeju score might be well within reach, but after the breakthrough the middle order failed to get going, and when Femi Oduyebo was run out by a smart throw the Federal boys were four down with 88 on the board. Uthe and Roland rebuilt against the spinners, but the asking rate was climbing all the time and eventually Uthe had a dip at Lekan and holed out in the deep. That effectively ended the contest, although Roland (63*) batted through to the end to take the Old Boys score to an even 200 for the loss of seven wickets. So, some positives to take away before the start of hostilities proper, but still a look of work to do.