Kenya’s prospects of a World Cup upset at the North West Stadium on Wednesday seemed remote after the east Africans were bowled out for 140 by South Africa in a Pool B match.
The Kenyans, who produced one of the greatest shocks in World Cup history in Poona in 1996 when they beat the West Indies by 73 runs, never quite got going in Potchefstroom after winning the toss and opting to bat first.
They did not have to deal with the threat of Allan Donald, surprisingly left out by the South Africans who chose, instead, to give Charl Langeveldt his first game in the tournament. Even so, after losing their first wicket to a run out off the last ball of the second over, the Kenyans failed to build a single partnership of any significance and were dismissed in only 38 of their 50 overs.
There was some resistance from opener Ravindu Shah, who defied the South Africans for 87 balls for his 60, but he played pretty much a solo hand. He was dropped on two by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher off Makhaya Ntini — one of four chances uncharacteristically spilled by the South Africans during the innings — and played with great composure until a sharp throw from Lance Klusener to the bowler’s end ran him out.
Klusener, in fact, once again appears to be reserving his best form for a World Cup. He took five for 21 against Kenya in the 1999 World Cup and he was the best of the South African bowlers in Potchefstroom on Wednesday, finishing with four for 16, including the wickets of Maurice Odumbe and Collins Obuya with successive deliveries.
Thomas Odoyo, dropped by Boucher off Boje when he had seven, a life he celebrated by hitting Boje’s next two balls for six and four, was dropped again by Shaun Pollock at slip off Makhaya Ntini on 21 before becoming last man out for 22.