Kenya secure victory: Tikolo leads team to beat Hong Kong in cricket WC qualifiers

By Oscar Pilipili

Collins Obuya lines up to play a shot during last week’s Kenya World Cup qualifier match against Uganda in New Zealand. Kenya beat Hong Kong by 10 runs yesterday. [PHOTO: COURTESY/CRICINFO]

Lameck Onyango and Steve Tikolo tore into Hong Kong’s batting order, claiming four and three wickets respectively to help Kenya win their opening Super Six phase match in the ongoing 2015 ICC World Cup cricket qualifiers.

Kenyans were declared winners of the match on the Duckwortg Lewis (DL) method with 10 runs in Christchurch, New Zealand yesterday. The DL method is used to determine results in rain affected cricket matches.

Kenya won the toss and sent Hong Kong to the crease. Superb bowling restricted Hong Kong to just 258-8 in 50 overs during the opening match of the Super Six phase yesterday.

Onyango in his best performance ever for the national team claimed four wickets and conceded 29 runs in 10 overs.

Coach-cum-player Tikolo was also outstanding in bowling claiming three wickets for 54 runs in his maximum overs.

Kenya’s bowlers started off strongly after Onyango bowled opener Irfan Ahmed, who was caught by wicketkeeper Irfan Karim on duck after just five balls into the first over.

Onyango cleared off Hong Kong’s openers in succession after he dismissed Waqas Barkat who was caught by Collins Obuya in 2.3 overs with just two runs.

Alex Obanda was responsible for claiming the biggest wicket of the day when he ran out JJ Atkinson in 36.4 overs. Atkinson had scored a steady 85 runs that were made of three sixes and nine boundaries before Obanda’s effort sent him back to the pavilion after 36.4 overs. B. Hayat was unbeaten on 45 runs that included one six and two fours.

In Bowling, Onyango was 4-29 while Tikolo was 3-54 as Hong Kong were bowled out at 254-8 in 50 overs that lasted 202 minutes.

In the Kenyan innings, the batsmen continued from where the bowlers had stopped and opener Karim handed the team a strong foundation, scoring 82 runs with seven boundaries.

Karim’s opening partner Alex Obanda did not last long on the crease as he was bowled out by Nadeem Ahmed in the 6.1 over with scores at 1-15.

Ragheb Aga then partnered with Karim to push the scores to 70 runs before he was bowled out by Tanwir Afzal with 28 runs.

Obuya could only manage eight runs from 15 balls before he was dismissed by Ahmed at 3-94. Karim succumbed to Hong Kong’s bowling pressure after Kenya lost its fourth wicket at 4-166.

Maurice Ouma added a strong 69 off 70 balls while captain Rakeep Patel contributed 36-balls, 24 before the match was rained off at 4-223.

Organisers decided to apply the DL method that gave Kenya a 10 run victory against Hong Kong. The match was stopped in the 45.2 over with scores at 4-223.

In other matches, Netherlands (172-3) beat Nepal (171-9) by seven wickets; United Arab Emirates (280) beat Papua New Guinea by 150 runs while Canada won by 59 runs over Uganda.

Meanwhile, Clint McKay took three wickets, including a bizarre stumping to dismiss Ravi Bopara, as Australia beat England by five runs in the fifth one-day cricket international on Sunday to win the five-match series 4-1, adds Associated Press.

Australia made 217-9 in its 50 overs after choosing to bat on a sluggish pitch at the Adelaide Oval and England lost its last wicket at 212 with three balls remaining in a match marking the Australia Day national holiday.

England seemed to be coasting to victory when Joe Root made 55 and Eion Morgan 39 in a 64-run partnership for the foruth wicket that had it 154-4 in the 36th over. But it lost vital wickets quickly in a chaotic run chase.