MICHAEL METELITS, Johannesburg | Tuesday 12.15pm.
WHEN South Africa face Kenya in their fourth World Cup cricket match, the word mismatch will acquire new depth.
The World Cup favourites have not lost one of their three matches, beating India, Sri Lanka and England, occasionally returning from actual danger to save the day. Kenya have yet to win a Group A match, losing to Zimbabwe, England and India.
Wednesday’s match will be the first World Cup meeting between the two sides, since Kenya have only recently been granted one-day international status, and have yet to be recognised as a Test-playing nation. South Africa, by contrast began the World Cup as favourites, widely touted as the best one-day side in the world.
Kenya’s form player is Maurice Odumbe, the side’s vice-captain. Odumbe is a right-arm break bowler,a dn also bats right-handed. He has played in all of Kenya’s official internationals. His best bowling was 3 wickets for 14 runs in a shock win over the West Indies in the 1996 World Cup.
It’s tough to find players for South Africa who aren’t in form. Captain Hansie Cronje has publicly fretted about the side’s batting, but with Gary Kirsten and Herchelle Gibbs finding their form against England and Lance Klusener waiting to clean up any poetential mess, there is some room for error.
Further, the side’s bowlers and fielders have repeatedly saved the day when batting has flagged. Allan Donald’s four wickets against England and Jonty Rhodes’ habitual acrobatics easily brought the side home.
Only 5000 people will be able to watch the fun at Amstelveen, outside the Hague on Wednesday.