By James Waindi
Former national cricket team skipper Maurice Odumbe led Telca to a 14-run win over champions Kanbis in a Nairobi Province Cricket Association Super League match at Ngara Sports Club.
Odumbe played his third competitive match since returning to action after serving a five-year ban by the International Cricket Council for having contact with a known bookmaker, Jagdish Sodha, in 2004.
He displayed flashes of his bright years that saw him scoop several man-of-the-match prizes.
Telca won the toss and elected to bat first in the match officiated by Subhash Modi and Lalji Bhudia and were soon in trouble against tight bowling. Rohit Vekaria picked four wickets for 18 runs, Rikesh Hirani picked two wickets for 17 runs, Dhiresh Vekaria two wickets for 15 runs and Rajesh Bhudia two wickets for 35 runs.
Batting performance
Telca, however, managed to score 117 runs all out in 41.1 overs, thanks to fine batting performance by youngster Nelson Mandela, 35 not out, and international, Alex Obanda, 31.
Kanbis, who have won the league for the past five years, were bowled for 103 all out.
Odumbe is fighting for a call-up to the national team with a view of taking part in the 2011 World Cup. He picked three wickets for 18 runs, while international all-rounder Thomas Odoyo, Telca’s skipper, picked three wickets for 19 runs and Mandela two for 21 runs to spearhead the bowling attack for Telca.
The trio bowled with intelligence and experience to frustrate the champions.
Odumbe took a brilliant catch in the slip to dismiss Dhiresh off the bowling of Odoyo; indeed it was the catch of the match. Arvind Halai scored 25 runs for Kanbis and Ramesh Mepani 14 runs.
The win earned Telca 18 points while Kanbis picked four points.
