Kenya down Ghana: Cricket National Under 19 team off to winning start

U19 CRICKET Keeper and Batsman of Team Kenya Aman Gandi (right) and Wicket Keeper Joseph Adotei of Ghana during the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup Qualifier at Nairobi Gymkana Grounds on Saturday, July 01, 2017. [PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD]

Tournament is used to select team to the 2018 ICC Under-19 World Cup.

Kenya cricket team started the journey to the 2018 U19 World Cup on a promising note with victory over Ghana in Nairobi yesterday.

The local juniors launched their quest for a ticket to the global showpiece set for New Zealand with an 82 runs win on day one of the African Qualifiers at Gymkhana Oval, Nairobi.

At Jaffreys Sports Club, Uganda also started on good note beating Botswana by 183 runs.

Skipper Sachin Bhudia was outstanding for the Kenyans as he took five wickets as he steered his team to a victory in the opening match.

Bhudia destroyed Ghana’s top and middle orders ensuring that they did not reach the target of 199 runs.

His plan worked well denying Ghana time to settle.

In just 2.2 overs Bhudia had dismissed Ghana’s opening pair of Kelvin Awala and Francis Amani and destabilised Ghana’s game plan.

He didn’t spare the middle order too as he took the wickets of Aziz Sually and Alex Osei. He completed the job by dismissing David Pereira.

Abhishek Chidambaran took three wickets while Yakish Patel and Gerald Mwendwa grabbed one each for Kenya. Ghana were all out with their score at 116 in 32.3 overs.

Kenya’s coach Jimmy Kamande said the win will give them the momentum as they face Botswana today in the battle for the sole ticket to New Zealand.

Kenya won the toss and elected to bat but were restricted by the West Africans for a score of 198 in 48.4 overs.

Opening batsman Aman Gandhi and wicket keeper Ankit Hirani were superb with the bat for the hosts and smashed a half a tonne each.

Gandhi’s 71 runs off 102 balls set Kenya on the road to victory.

He cracked the edge seven times with six boundaries and a six before Joseph Aboagye got him out after 37.1 overs with Kenya’s score at 139 for the loss of seven.

Ankit Hirani put up a spirited fight scoring 55 off 74 deliveries. However, Aboagye hurt Kenya once again dismissing Hirani in the 44th over with the scores at 172 for nine.

David Pereira (3/32), Joseph Adoteli (3/38)and Aboagye (3/41) starred for Ghana with the ball.

Meanwhile, India’s Mahendra Singh Dhoni top-scored with an unbeaten 78 and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took three wickets as they beat West Indies by 93 runs in a one-day international on Friday to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, Reuters reports.

India eked out 251 for four off 50 overs on a slow pitch in North Sound, Antigua in the third ODI, after the first match was washed out and the tourists cruised to victory in the second.

West Indies were never in the hunt in reply, all out for 158 off 38.1 overs in another mediocre performance at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

“I think it was a clinical performance again,” India captain Virat Kohli said in an on-field interview.

About the only thing that disappointed Kohli was losing the toss and being sent in.

“Early on there was quite a bit of moisture,” he said. “It was a good toss to win, and they bowled really well. It was a good batting effort to get us to 250.”

A 66-run third-wicket stand between Ajinkya Rahane, who compiled a patient 72 off 112 balls, and Yuvraj Singh (39) set the visitors on the road to a decent score, before Dhoni took over with a typically impressive run-a-ball performance.

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