The Hindu : Odoyo shines in Kenya's win

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 17, 2003

Sport

Sport - World Cup

Odoyo shines in Kenya's win

CAPE TOWN Feb. 16. A chanceless 61 by opener Ravindu Shah and a career-best 4-28 by Thomas Odoyo propelled Kenya to a four-wicket win over Canada in a World Cup Pool B match an Newlands under lights on Saturday.

Chasing Canada's 197 all out, Kenya scored 198 for six and won with nine balls to spare after a match-winning 84-run stand for the second wicket between Shah and skipper Steve Tikolo, 42 runs off 49 balls.

It was left to Odumbe to lift the side from a moment of uncertainty at 116 for three as he hit 26 runs off 19 balls.

Then, Odoyo, 27 not out, and Peter Ongondo (16) combined to see Kenya through with a 44-run stand for the sixth wicket. It was a fine all-round performance by Odoyo at a crucial stage.

Facing a possible embarrassment at the hands of a team of amateurs at 148 for five in the 37th over, Odoyo and Ongondo saved face to give Kenya the first points of the tournament it had lost to South Africa on Wednesday.

Shah hit nine boundaries off 95 balls in his 10th half century in his 35th match and couldn't have come at a more appropriate situation.

Tikolo believes his side is in with a realistic chance of qualifying for the Super Sixes.

With New Zealand not expected to travel to Nairobi for its Feb. 21 match, Kenya will have eight points.

``If we beat Bangladesh and target one of the big countries like Sri Lanka or West Indies, we have a realistic chance of qualifying,'' Tikolo said. ``We have to win two of our next three games, and anything is possible with one-day cricket. We're here to win the trophy, not just to be a number.''

Tikolo said the winning on Saturday was made difficult by some poor middle-order batting when the batsmen failed to rotate the strike.

Hitesh Modi took 17 balls to score his first run and then scored six runs off 48 balls.

Canada sensed another upset victory following its 60 runs win over Bangladesh.

But skipper Joe Harris ran out of bowling options after medium pacemen Davis Joseph and Sanjay Thuraisingham (2-32) and off-spinner John Davison finished their quota.

Davison, who hit 31 off 32 balls, followed it up with the outstanding figures of 3-15 in his 10 overs to check Kenya's progress.

Davison, who plays first-class cricket for South Australia in Australia's domestic seasons, claimed the wickets of Tikolo, Modi and Odumbe.

``I think we were 20-30 runs short,'' claimed Harris. ``We were cautious in the middle-order after we lost three early wickets.

CANADA

I. Maraj b Odoyo 5

(17b, 1x4)

J. Davison c C. Obuya
b Ongondo
31

(32b, 2x4, 2x6)

D. Chumney c Shah
b C. Obuya
10

(20b, 2x4)

I. Billcliff b T. Suji 71

(100b, 8x4, 2x6)

J. Harris c T. Suji
b C. Obuya
31

(74b, 2x4, 1x6)

F. Samad b Odumbe 7

(10b)

N. de Groot lbw
b Odumbe
0

(4b)

A. Bagai c D. Obuya
b Odoyo
12

(15b, 1x4)

S. Thuraisingam
c D. Obuya b Odoyo
13

(10b, 1x4, 1x6)

A. Codrington b Odoyo 5

(7b)

D. Joseph (not out) 4

(6b)

Extras (1b-2, nb-1, w-5) 8

— —

Total (in 49 overs) 197

— —

Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Maraj), 2-47 (Davison), 3-48 (Chumney), 4-134 (Harris), 5-158 (Billclif), 6-159 (de Groot), 7-162 (Samad), 8-186 (Thuraisingam), 9-186 (Bagai).

KENYA BOWLING

O M R W

M. Suji 7 1 23 0

T. Odoyo 10 1 28 4

Ongondo 6 1 12 1

C. Obuya 10 1 46 2

Odumbe 9 0 41 2

T. Suji 7 0 45 1

KENYA

K. Otieno b Thuraisingam 4

(17b, 1x4)

R. Shah c Maraj
b Thuraisingam
61

(95b, 9x4)

S. Tikolo lbw b Davison 42

(49b, 6x4)

H. Modi c Harris
b Davison
6

(48b)

M. Odumbe lbw b Davison 26

(19b, 2x4, 1x6)

T. Odoyo (not out) 27

(42b, 2x4)

P. Ongondo b Codrington 16

(16b, 2x4)

D. Obuya (not out) 4

(5b)

Extras (1b-3, w-9) 12

— —

Total (for six wickets
in 48.3 overs)
198

— —