Six wickets! Half-ton Karim, Odhiambo lift Kenya past Uganda

What you need to know:

  • Coach Obuya’s team plays Singapore in Oman on Friday.
  • Victory over Uganda in World Cricket League Div. Three tourney revives hopes of promotion.

Middle order batsmen Irfan Karim and Nelson Odhiambo each cracked half century as Kenya recovered to beat Uganda by six wickets Tuesday in the ongoing World Cricket League Division Three championships in Oman.

Left hand batsman Karim knocked 59 runs off 118 balls while right hand Nelson, smashed 53 off 68 balls not out as Kenya reached Uganda’s target of 177 runs with 25 balls to spare.

The victory revived Kenya’s hopes of qualify for promotion to World Cricket League Group Two next year after starting their campaign badly, losing to Oman by five wickets on Friday before crashing to United States of America by a massive 158 runs on Monday.

MATHEMATICAL CHANCE

Kenya, coached by David Obuya, must now beat Singapore on Friday and Denmark on Sunday if they are to be promoted to Division Two. However, for Kenya to be promoted, USA and Oman must also lose their matches.

The top two teams from the tournament will be promoted to the World Cricket League Division Two next year.

Oman, who had also downed Singapore by four wickets, beat Denmark by three wickets to go top of the table with six points still with matches at hand against USA and Uganda. USA have four points while Singapore, Uganda and Kenya have two points each.

Uganda won the toss and opted to bat to score 177 for the loss of nine wickets.

Skipper Shem Ngoche and Sachin Bhudia took two wickets each, with Bhudia taking a vital sixth wicket against Dinesh Nakrani, who had knocked half-a-century off 71 balls.

Uganda’s Charles Waiswa took 22 runs off 29 deliveries not out, while Brian Masaba took 21 before falling to Narendra Patel.

Kenya would then weather top order collapsed as Karim and Nelson steadied the ship with 107 runs partnership to triumph.

Opener Alex Obanda continued with his poor showing, going out in the hands of Waiswa for just 11 as Dhiren Gondaria, who had hit two sixes fell to Frank Nsubuga for the third wicket with 16 runs intact. The score stood at 33/3.

Then Rakeb Patel collected 22 runs before he fell to the fourth wickets after he was caught leg before by Riazat Ali Shah. Nelson stormed to field to guide the Kenyans to victory.

Against USA, Kenya won the toss and elected to field as USA hammered in a good score of 254 all out and Kenya staged a futile chase, scoring only 98 all out in 26 overs. Nelson Odhiambo and Nehemiah Odhiambo snatched three wickets each with nelson clean-bowing Aaron Jones for the eight wicket but all was in vain.

Jones had smashed 68 runs off 118 balls to take their score to 243 as compatriots Hayden Walsh and Steven Taylor contributed 48 and 41 runs each respectively for their second consecutive victory. USA launched their campaign with 54 runs victory against Uganda.

Skipper Shem Ngoche went for the catch off Sachin Bhudia’s delivery to take out Taylor, who fell for the third wicket, having faced 35 balls to take the score to 114. Elijah Otieno would send Walsh to the pavilion for the loss of the fifth wicket, burling their score to 204.

Nelson and Nehemiah plucked out openers Monank Patel (26) and Jaskaran Malhotra (28) for the first and second wickets. Kenya literacy wobbled through their chase with Rakep Patel emerging the highest scorer with 19 runs followed by Nehemiah (15) and Sachin Bhudia (13).