Seven wickets! Kenya thrash Canada in Twenty20 opener
What you need to know:
- Karim’s unbeaten 74 runs came off 54 balls with seven fours and three sixes. Karim was Kenya’s highest runs getter.
- Nelson Odhiambo (2/30) and Rakep (1/7) were the other Kenyan wicket takers.
- Kenya will next face Oman at the same venue on their second game on Saturday.
Kenya’s left-hand opening batsman, Irfan Karim, on Friday knocked a quick half a ton that steered his team to a seven-wicket victory over Canada in their opening match of the ICC World Twenty20 qualifier at Myreside, Edinburg.
Karim’s unbeaten 74 runs came off 54 balls with seven fours and three sixes. Karim was Kenya’s highest runs getter.
Put in to bat first, Canada set a target of 144 for the loss of five wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Ruvundu Gunasekers contributed half a century, 51 that came off 38 deliveries with three boundaries and four sixes.
Canada started their innings on a promising note with openers Gunaseker and Rizwan Cheema (35) putting on an opening partnership of 83. The Partnership was broken when Cheema was caught by Rakep Patel off the bowling of James Ngoche (2/22). Hiral Patel (25) and Navneet Dhaliwal (16) were the other Canadian batsmen who posted meaningful runs on the scoreboard.
Nelson Odhiambo (2/30) and Rakep (1/7) were the other Kenyan wicket takers.
REPLIED IN STYLE
In reply Kenya was home and dry, 146 with seven wickets and nine balls in hand. Karim and Morris Ouma 34 (off 26 balls with three boundaries and a six) shared a winning fourth-wicket partnership of 94. Narendra Patel (19) and Nehemiah Odhiambo (13) were the other batsmen who contributed meaningful runs to the side.
Jeremy Gordon (2/23) was Canada’s highest wicket taker. Saad Bin Zafar (1/25) was the other one.
Kenya will next face Oman at the same venue on their second game on Saturday.
