Kenya cricket team set for Dubai tourney

Kenya’s national cricket team leave for Dubai on Friday night to play in the Twenty20 World Cup qualifiers in high spirits, buoyed by their victory in the shorter version’s triangular tournament in Nairobi.

The hosts won the series when they beat Scotland by 10 wickets at the Nairobi Gymkhana on Thursday. Scotland also travelled with Kenya for the Twenty20 World Cup qualifiers that start on Tuesday.

Replica match

The opening pair of David Obuya (64 not out off 47 deliveries with seven boundaries and two towering sixes) shared a winning opening partnership of 126 with the former skipper Steve Tikolo (56 not out off 42 balls with eight boundaries and a mighty six) to reach the target of 124 set by Scotland with 33 balls in hand.

Unbeaten stand

It was a replica of the first game against the same opponents at the same venue last Monday where the duo put on unbeaten opening stand of 110 to win by the same margin. In Friday's encounter, Obuya’s half a century came off 39 balls with four fours and two sixes while Tikolo reached his 50 from 38 deliveries with five boundaries and two sixes.

Kenya’s captain Morris Ouma won the toss and elected to field first. When Scotland was put in, they lost wickets at a more regular interval without meaningful runs showing on the scoreboard. Jan Stander (45) was Scotland’s highest scorer and was supported by Gavin Hamilton (28) and Ryan Watson (13).

The remaining batsmen failed to get double-digit totals. Nelson Odhiambo was Scotland’s main destroyer with five wickets for 20 runs conceded. His victims included Stander, whom he clean-bowled.

Same dose

Odhiambo gave the same dose of the medicine to Gordon Drammond, who replaced Stander at the crease, when he clean-bowled him for a golden duck even before Stander had settled down at the pavilion.

The Kenyan also took the wickets of the opening bowlers and had Kyle Coetzer caught by Rakep Patel for nine and then clean-bowled Watson. He was supported by Nelson “Mandela” Odhiambo (2-33). Three batsmen were ran out.