They have had a tough time on this tour but Kenya has finally won agame

Charlie Austin23-Jan-2000They have had a tough time on this tour but Kenya has finally won agame. In an all- African clash they defeated Namibia by 54 runs at theBOI ground in Negombo. It wasn’t all plain sailing though for theKenyans, who had let the Namibians back into the game after reducingthem to 74-6.Kenya who batted first after their captain, Muhamad Sheikh, won thetoss for only the second time in this tournament, were all out for 220and then bowled out the Namibian’s for 166.Despite scoring their highest score of the tournament, the Kenyanswill have still been disappointed with the score. A good battingpitch, a fast outfield and some pretty ordinary bowling by theNamibians should have resulted n a final total in excess of250. However, as they have throughout the tournament, some of the mainbatsmen were guilty of throwing their wickets away cheaply.Anitkumar Bhudia (30) started the innings well for the Kenyans and inpartnership with Shiekh (26) had taken the score to 64-1. When Sheikhthen threw his prized wicket away with a lazy drive at a wide ballfrom Ludick Kenya began a now familiar collapse.Reduced to 106-5 it looked as if the Kenyan’s were in for anotherdepressing day. However Collins Omondi (42) and the young MauriceOuma (44) rescued the innings with some sensible batting. Althoughguilty of not putting all the bad balls away they both milked thespinners well in a stand of 91. When they were dismissed the Kenyaninnings went into a spectacular free-fall and were bowled out for 220.In reply the Namibians started confidently and appeared to berelatively untroubled by the Kenyan bowlers. However the replacementof Vijay Kalyan with the medium pace of Bhudia in the seventh over gotKenya the breakthrough, albeit in a rather unexpected way with totalconfusion breaking down into a victorious sprint by Bhudia to thevacant batsmen’s end. Swanepoel (12) immediately followed hisopening partner when he was caught behind off the same bowler.In direct contrast to the indifferent body language that the Kenyansthat have displayed throughout most of this tournament, they were nowbuzzing. Sensing victory, they vocally goaded one another on. Everygood delivery was greeted with excited clapping and shouts ofencouragement as Namibia collapsed to 74-6.However the Kenyans relaxed and expected the Namibians to give inmeekly. They had underestimated the talents of Pieter Burger (69). Atall batsman, who strokes the ball in a relaxed fashion and with goodbalance, played himself in and then started to attack the Kenyanbowling.The fielders became very quiet as Burger carried his team to within 60runs of the Kenyan total. A good piece of fielding on the third manboundary by Halai dismissed his partner, Tobie Verwey (14).The dismissal marked the end for the Namibian’s as the final fourwickets fell for just five runs.