Kenya exert dominance over East Africa neighbours

Captain Cricket Kenya Team Rakep Patel dive to save ball during the cricket world cup qualifier on Friday, Nov 18, 2016. [PHOTO:JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD]

Kenya intensified their hunt for a ticket to Gaborone, Botswana for the International Cricket Council (ICC) 2020 T20 World Cup Africa Regional qualifiers with victory against neighbours Tanzania.

Kenya yesterday beat Tanzania by seven wickets to maintain their unbeaten run in the ongoing Africa B qualifiers at Gahanga Cricket Stadium in Kigali.

Kenya are on course to grabbing one of the two slots available for the Eastern Africa Sub-Region after winning all their first round matches against Uganda, Tanzania and hosts Rwanda.

Against Tanzania, former national team captain Rakep Patel was in a formidable form on the crease staging a superb performance that won him man-of-the-match award.

Rakep’s 27-ball 72 made Kenya’s chase of Tanzania’s 118 a walk in the park as 8.3 overs is all the Kenyans needed to reach the required 119 and register their third successive victory.

Winning the toss and electing to bat, Tanzanian batsmen found themselves struggling to remain afloat as Kenyan bowlers destroyed their top order and destabilised their game plan.

Openers Jitin Singh 4 (9) and Abhik Patwa 5 (9) could barely settle on the crease as they fell victims of Eugine Ochieng and Elijah Otieno, who got them caught with only 3.2 overs played.

Raahil Armashi was reduced to a spectator on a duck after being run out by Dhiren Gondaria to put their score at 14 for the loss of three.

Tanzania will have Jatin Chandubhai, who hit a half century, for pushing their scores.

Coming in the middle order, Chandubhai was the only batsman, who challenged Kenyan bowlers as he scored an impressive 52 off 38 balls.

He cracked the edge 10 times for seven boundaries and three sixes before being caught and bowled by youngster Pushpak Kerai.

Shem Ngoche was brilliant with the ball for Kenya taking three wickets for 23 while Kerai took two for 26. Nelson Odhiambo, Gurdeep Singh, Otieno and Otieno took one wicket each to set stage for Kenya’s successful chase.  

Kenya had a slow start in their innings as Gondaria, who had been very instrumental in wins against Uganda and Rwanda, was caught by Mapunda off Riziki Kiseto with the score at 23 in 1.4 overs.  

Rakep took charge of the match to push Kenya’s score. However, their partnership did not last long as Obanda also fell in the hands of Kiseto in the fourth over with Kenya’s score at 36 for the loss of two wickets.

Rakep was on fire as he smashed eight sixes and five boundaries before Harsh Ramaiya got him caught in the eighth over with Kenya requiring two runs to win. Gurdeep and Rushab Patel completed the job with four balls.

Today, Kenya's coach Maurice Odumbe will be seeking a second victory against Rwanda, who are coached by former teammate Martin Suji.