Kenyan lads face West Indies in final group match

Kenya Under-19 cricket team batsman Avit Desai goes for a catch during training on December 15, 2018 at Sikh Union grounds. Kenya is yet to name it's squad that will take part in Africa Division One World Cup qualifiers set for Namibia in March. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

What you need to know:

  • Group matches end Saturday in New Zealand.
  • Kenya Under-19 coach, Jimmy Kamande remained cautiously optimistic and pointed out that the defending champions were beatable.

Kenya Under-19 cricket team plays its final World Cup group matches today against defending champions, West Indies at Lincoln Green in New Zealand.

Asked about Saturday’s opponents, Kenya Under-19 coach, Jimmy Kamande remained cautiously optimistic and pointed out that the defending champions were beatable.

“West Indies are beatable.  The morale of the boys was lifted when they received a congratulatory message from Jackie (Cricket Kenya chairperson Jackie Janmohamed) on being named team of the year during Sports Personality of the Year Awards (Soya) on Wednesday,” Kamande told Nation Sport on phone from Christchurch on Friday.

The team is captained by Sachin Budhia.

Kamande, who was named coach of the year at the awards ceremony, added: “It means a lot when your efforts are recognised at home.”

Kamande said Kenyan players and coaching unit have learnt a lot from teams at the World Cup. The coach pointed out that the main difference between Kenya and their group opponents was that the other teams have two or three very good players in their ranks who win matches for them.

He pointed out that Kenya must do more to match the standards displayed by other teams at the World Cup.

“We have along away to go to reach the standards of teams from Test playing countries, there is much to be done.”

Kenya and West Indies, who are yet to get a single point at the competition, will both compete in quarter-finals of Plate League on Tuesday, while New Zealand and South Africa move to the quarter-finals of the Super League.

Depending on Kenya’s performance of today’s game, the team will face either Sri Lanka or Ireland on Tuesday.

“I will decide on the team for the match after examining the ground tomorrow (Saturday). I was not able to inspect the wicket yesterday as the match between Australia and Papua New Guinea was taking place there,” Kamande said.

Kamande said his team had left Nairobi for New Zealand with one objective in mind - to be the top associate team in the World Cup. That position was held by Namibia in the 2016 event.