Cricket: kenya lose in Warm up

By OSCAR PILIPILI

KENYA: Opening batsman Irfan Karim knocked unbeaten 130 runs but this was not enough to prevent Hong Kong from edging out Kenya by two runs in their warm-up up match ahead of the 2015 ICC World Cup qualifiers.

The World Cup qualifiers proper that are featuring 10 Associate Nations bat off in Christchurch, Australia on Monday.

Kenya won the toss and chose to bat and the fielders did a fantastic job to restrict Hong Kong to just 242-9 in 50 overs.

Mark Chapman led Hong Kong’s onslaught with a steady 89-ball 69 runs and he was ably supported by Babar Hayat who struck 46 off 48 balls. The other Hong Kong batsmen who scored above 20 was opener Irfan Ahmed who recorded 37 runs off 49 ball, which included six boundaries and one six.

Kenya bowling order started off with purpose claiming the first wicket, of Ahmed, in the fourth over for 1-8. Pacer Nehemiah Odhiambo bowled out Ahmed (2-48) in the 12th over before Rakep Patel caught Jamie Atkinson off Ragheb Aga ball in the 19th over for 3-75.

Hong Kong fifth man Nizakat Khan was the next to return to the pavilion. Aga caught him off Elijah Otieno ball in the 30th over for 4-125. Kenya player/coach Steve Tikolo caught the big wicket of the day when he bowled Chapman at 69 runs off 110 balls.

Before his dismissal at 5-168, Chapman tore into Kenyan fielders hitting 10 fours and a six to his credit. The next wickets to fall were that of Kruger (6-185), Tanwir Afzan (7-188), Aizaz Khan (8-216) and Hayat (9-237).

Aga (2-39) and Otieno (2-33) were outstanding in Kenya’s bowling. Lameck Onyango (1-22), Odhiambo (1-32), Hiren Varaiya (1-33), Tikolo (1-29) and Shem Ngoche (1-18) claimed one wicket each.

In Kenya innings, Karim put up strong resistance to record unbeaten 130 runs off 164 balls. His century included nine fours and a six. His opening partner Alex Obanda (12) was removed, leg before wicket, in the 12th over by Nadeen Ahmed for 1-41.

The next wicket to go was that of Maurice Ouma (8) who was caught behind by wicketkeeper Ferguson off Irfan Ahmed ball in the 17th over. Collins Obuya (12) was bowled out by Nadeen Ahmed in the 23rd over.

Captain Ragheb Patel was one run of a half a century after he knocked 70-ball 49 before he was caught by Kruger off Aizaz Khan ball.

Tikolo’s game plan was to give upcoming batsmen opportunity to play. He placed himself, Duncan Allan and Thomas Odoyo, who is player/assistant coach at the tail of the batting order. Kenya is scheduled to play Nepal in their second warm-up match today.

In other warm-up matches, Namibia (231-9) beat Nepal (227-9) by four runs, Papua New Guinea (171-10) lost by seven wickets against Scotland (174-3) while United Arab Emirates (280-8) beat Uganda (207-5) by 73 runs.

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