”Extraordinary,” was the only word Kenyan cricket captain Steve Tikolo could think of to explain how he felt after leading his team to an historic seven wicket victory over Zimbabwe in their Super six encounter played in Bloemfontein on Wednesday.
To call the achievement extraordinary would not do justice to the deed with the win meaning that Kenya have now reached the World Cup semifinals, the first time a non-test playing nation has reached the final four in the history of the competition.
The Kenyans cannot finish lower than third on the log and this means a date with the Indians in one of the semi-finals. The Kenyans completely outplayed their African rivals restricting them to 133 all out before cruising to the target in
just 26 overs.
”Today was extraordinary … The critics were saying that Kenya does not deserve to be here but I hope this will silence them,” said Tikolo.
Based on this emphatic performance the Kenyans do deserve to be here, battling it out at the death of the competition and despite the poor Zimbabwean performance the East Africans proved that on their day they can compete with any team.
”If we can continue playing good cricket then anything is possible,” said Kenyan coach Sandip Patel, himself a World Cup winner with India as a player in 1983.
”Steve (Tikolo) and the team have really proven a point and I hope the ICC will take notice,” continued Patel, who also said that he might be leaving the Kenyan team after the World Cup after coaching them for the past four years.
Zimbabwean captain Heath Streak admitted his batsmen battled on the slow pitch against the disciplined Kenyan bowlers but refused to lay the blame on the political furore that dogged the team since the start of the tournament.
”There have been a lot of implications and political insinuations and that does have a bearing on the players’ focus and performance but we can’t use that as an excuse,” said Streak.
Defending his decision to bat first after winning the toss Streak said that he thought the pitch would play slower, suiting the Kenyan attack later in the day.
The pitch did suit the Kenyan bowlers with Martin Suji picking up the man of the match award after a brilliant opening eight over spell of three for 19.
He was backed up by the find of the World Cup, leg-spinner Collins Obuya, who picked up three for 32 as the Kenyans throttled the life out of the beleaguered Zimbabwean batsmen. Only Andy Flower managed some resistance with a determined 63 but the score of 133 was never going to be enough to deny Kenya an historic victory.
The east Africans then set about the run chase in an impressive manner, seeing off the opening bowlers before upping the rate towards the end. There was a slight hiccup initially when they were reduced to 33 for two and then 62 for three but Thomas Odoya and Maurice Odumbe, with an unbeaten partnership of 73 runs, saw them home with an aggressive approach that belied the tension of the encounter.
Kenyan opening batsman Kennedy Obuya provided the groundwork, grinding his way to a patient 19 off 50 balls and when he departed lbw to Henry Olonga, the hard work was done.
All that was left was for Odoyo and Odumbe to blast their way into the semifinals. Odumbe was the more brutal, hitting an unbeaten 38 off 20 balls while Odoya top-scored with 43 off 60 balls.
Streak scoffed at suggestions that Kenya do not deserve to be in the semifinals of the World Cup saying,”they are not a side to be taken lightly … they are up on their confidence.”
Patel also sounded a warning to the Indians: ”It’s one-day cricket and we have beaten India before. Why not again?,” he asked.
Why not indeed. – Sapa