3rd Match: Kenya v Zimbabwe at Sharjah, 5 Apr 2003 CricInfo Live Report

3rd Match: Kenya v Zimbabwe at Sharjah, 5 Apr 2003
S Rajesh

Pre-game: Toss and Teams,
Kenya innings: 25 Overs, End of innings,
Zimbabwe innings: 25 Overs, End of match,

MARILLIER ANCHORS ZIMBABWE FOR A TENSE WIN
The last time these two sides met, Zimbabwe were humiliated by seven wickets, allowing Kenya a passage to the World Cup semi-final. It was revenge time for Zimbabwe under lights at Sharjah, as they survived a minor hiccup and ran away winners by five wickets, getting their first points of this tournament.

The star of the day for Zimbabwe was Doug Marillier, who cracked a splendid 100 - the first century of his one-day career. His knock was magnificently paced, and allowed Zimbabwe to make light of a challenging target of 226, especially after they had struggled at the start of their innings. Marillier’s 130-run stand for the third wicket with Grant Flower (59) turned the tide, and ensured that Collins Obuya’s excellent spell - 2 for 31 from 10 overs - didn’t translate into a Kenyan victory.

Kenya began their defence of the target with their usual enthusiasm and discipline. Martin Suji and Thomas Odoyo frustrated Marillier and Craig Wishart, bowling consecutive maidens and allowing just 55 runs in the first 15 overs.

Collins Obuya then came on and struck twice in quick succession, first having Wishart caught by Steve Tikolo at slip (56 for 1), and then taking a return catch off Gavin Rennie (68 for 2). Flighting the ball and getting appreciable turn, Obuya consistently pitched on good length and troubled all the batsmen. However, the Marillier-Flower partnership gradually turned things around.

Marillier, circumspect at the start, played none of the audacious slogs which have characterised his batting in ODIs. His first fifty took all of 82 balls - compared to 57 for his next - and though it included a few powerful drives and pulls, there were plenty of dot-balls too.

None of this bothered Marillier, though. With Flower timing the ball sweetly and rotating the strike, Zimbabwe’s innings soon got a move-on. Flower completed 6000 runs in ODIs, and then proceeded to sweep Maurice Odumbe and Tikolo to distraction. Marillier struck both of them for six, and an asking rate which had climbed to more than a run a ball quickly descended.

But Kenya weren’t finished. Flower and Marillier were both snared by Tony Suji - who was introduced in the 45th over of the innings - in eight balls, and when Andy Blignaut hoicked Odoyo straight to Joseph Angara at midwicket, Zimbabwe needed 18 from 15 balls.

Heath Streak, aided by some uncharacteristically sloppy work in the field - Jimmy Kamande twice misfielded at long-off - made sure that Zimbabwe didn’t mess it up. The end came when Streak tonked Tony Suji for six over long-off.

Earlier, Zimbabwe had put in a disciplined performance in the field to restrict Kenya to 225. Kenya’s innings was characterised by plenty of batsmen getting starts, but no-one going on to convert that into anything substantial.

David Obuya clunked his way to 57 - his first fifty in one-day internationals - while Odoyo held the innings together at the end with a workmanlike 46, but the rest of the batting fell away after promising a lot. Kenya reached the four-an-over mark in the 26th over, with Tikolo and David Obuya going strong, but then lost three wickets in the next 12 overs, and never quite regained the momentum.

David Obuya and Brijal Patel put together 52 for the second wicket after Kennedy Obuya was nailed early on by Streak, but the best phase of Kenya’s innings came when Tikolo joined David Obuya in a 59-run stand.

Obuya swished and missed plenty of times, but also connected with a few meaty blows, including an effortless six over backward square leg off Douglas Hondo. Tikolo’s was a classy knock. He struck only two fours in his 37, but rotated the strike superbly with deft flicks and fluent drives. However, the Kenyan innings began to unravel when David Obuya hoicked Raymond Price to Gavin Rennie at long-off (114 for 3).

Tikolo was dismissed against the run of play, top-edging a sweep off Price to Marillier at square leg (131 for 5), while Odumbe - coming off an excellent World Cup - popped a return catch to Rennie.

Odoyo and Hitesh Modi put the innings back on track with a sensible partnership, eschewing strokeplay and working the singles around to ensure that Kenya batted through their 50 overs. But ultimately, the total of 225 turned out to be about 15 too few.

ZIMBABWE OFF TO A CAUTIOUS START
The dew was supposed to make spin bowling difficult under lights, but Collins Obuya put in a splendid display to peg Zimbabwe back. After 25 overs, they had made only 85 for 2, with Collins taking both wickets to fall with his loopy legspin.

Earlier, Martin Suji and Thomas Odoyo were spot-on with the new ball, frustrating the Zimbabwean openers with excellent control over line and length. Consecutive maidens in the sixth and seventh overs forced Doug Marillier to use his feet in an attempt to disturb the length of the bowlers, but Kenya – aided by their usual enthusiasm in the field – kept up the pressure.

Craig Wishart was especially slow, taking an agonising 45 balls for his 15, before Collins Obuya put him out of his misery. Coming into the attack in the 16th over, he struck with his third ball, a flighted delivery outside off which tempted Wishart to go for the cut. The edge flew off Tatenda Taibu’s gloves to Steve Tikolo at slip, who juggled with the ball endlessly, but finally pouched it at the fourth attempt (56 for 1).

Zimbabwe’s ploy of sending a left-hander to negate Obuya’s legspin didn’t work either, as Gavin Rennie (7) was deceived by a flighted ball which dipped, and spooned a catch straight back to the bowler (68 for 2).

Grant Flower came, and immediately collected the single he needed for 6000 runs in one-day internationals. He then swept Obuya for four – Zimbabwe’s first boundary in nine overs. With the asking rate climbing towards six an over, Zimbabwe were in desperate need of more such shows of aggression.

KENYA SET CHALLENGING 226 RUN CHASE
Zimbabwe put in a disciplined performance in the field to restrict Kenya to 225 in their day-night encounter at Sharjah. Kenya’s innings was characterised by plenty of batsmen getting starts, but no-one going on to convert that into anything substantial.

David Obuya clunked his way to 57 - his first fifty in one-day internationals - while Thomas Odoyo held the innings together at the end with a workmanlike 46, but the rest of the batting fell away after promising a lot. Kenya reached the four-an-over mark in the 26th, with Steve Tikolo and David Obuya going strong, but then lost three wickets in the next 12 overs, and never quite regained the momentum.

Zimbabwe began well after being asked to field. Heath Streak nailed Kennedy Otieno (0) with a perfect outswinger in the corridor, and then proceeded to make runscoring difficult for Brijal Patel and David Obuya.

Only 12 runs came off Streak’s seven-over first spell, but both batsmen found respite at the other end, with Andy Blignaut struggling for direction. David Obuya swished and missed plenty of times, but also connected with a few meaty blows, including an effortless six over backward square leg off Douglas Hondo.

Patel was more orthodox, striking a couple of handsome square-drives off the back foot. However, his tendency to rock back finally cost him his wicket, when he tried to pull a ball from Hondo which wasn’t short enough, missed, and was bowled for 18 (55 for 2).

Then came Kenya’s best phase of the innings, as Tikolo showed his class with an assured 37. He managed only two fours, but rotated the strike superbly with deft flicks and fluent drives. The third wicket added 59, but when David Obuya left, hoicking Raymond Price to Gavin Rennie at long-off (114 for 3), the Kenyan innings began to unravel.

Tikolo was dismissed against the run of play, top-edging a sweep off Price to Doug Marillier at square leg (131 for 5), while Maurice Odumbe - coming off an excellent World Cup - popped a return catch to Rennie.

An innings which promised so much was in danger of falling apart, and it required Odoyo and Hitesh Modi to eschew strokeplay and work the singles around to ensure that Kenya batted through their 50 overs. Odoyo batted sensibly, and missed out on a well-deserved half-century when Marillier plucked out a sensational one-handed catch at midwicket.

Peter Ongondo tonked Hondo for a six over extra cover, and Modi got a couple of fours off Streak’s last over to push the Kenyan total towards 230. With the dew expected to make it tough for Collins Obuya - Kenya’s most potent bowling weapon - Zimbabwe will fancy their chances of a successful run-chase.

KENYA OFF TO A GOOD START
David Obuya made the most of Ravindu Shah's absence at the top of the order, making an unbeaten 50 - his first half-century in one-day internationals - as Kenya built an excellent platform in their first match of the Sharjah Cup. At the halfway stage of their innings, they had reached 99 for 2, with Steve Tikolo in ominous touch.

Zimbabwe started well after being asked to field. Heath Streak bowled his seven overs with exceptional control, keeping the ball in the corridor and swinging it away from the right-handers. One such delivery accounted for Kennedy Obuya (0), who nicked a regulation catch to Tatenda Taibu (3 for 1).

Brijal Patel and David Obuya got Kenya's innings back on track with a 52-run second-wicket partnership. Both profited from some loose bowling from Andy Blignaut, who strayed in direction and offered plenty of width on both sides of the wicket. David Obuya swished and missed plenty of times, but also connected with a few meaty blows, including a hoick over square leg for six off Douglas Hondo.

Patel was more orthodox, and played a couple superb square-drives for fours off the back foot when Streak pitched short. Hondo wasn't spared either, with an impudent horizontal-bat shot down the ground. Hondo got his own back, though, when Patel was bowled for 18 attempting to pull a ball which wasn't short enough (55 for 2).

Tikolo came in and immediately middled everything, collecting singles with ease and putting away the bad balls with the minimum of fuss. His 23 came off just 26 balls, and Kenya were looking good for a competitive total.

KENYA WIN TOSS AND ELECT TO BAT AT SHARJAH
Another hot and sunny day at Sharjah, and Steve Tikolo had little hesitation in opting to bat after winning the toss. The pitch was the same one on which Pakistan played Sri Lanka yesterday, and while it appeared firm, the ball was expected to lose pace and bounce later in the evening.

Zimbabwe made just one change from the team which lost to Pakistan, bringing in Raymond Price for Travis Friend. Kenya were forced to make a change at the top of the order, with Ravindu Shah being unavailable for the tournament. David Obuya came in as replacement.

Zimbabwe have enough reason to approach this match with complete seriousness. They enjoy a 12-1 win-loss record against Kenya in one-day internationals, but their one defeat was a comprehensive seven-wicket drubbing at the Super Six stage of the World Cup less than four weeks ago. That result, which was instrumental in enabling Kenya through to the semi-final, will be fresh in Heath Streak’s mind as Zimbabwe take the field today.

Zimbabwe’s record in Sharjah is less than impressive as well – just four wins in 20 attempts. For Kenya, it’ll be their first experience of international cricket in the Emirates.

Teams
Zimbabwe 1 Craig Wishart, 2 Doug Marillier, 3 Grant Flower, Travis Friend, 4 Dion Ebrahim, 5 Gavin Rennie, 6 Andy Blignaut, 7 Raymond Price, 8 Sean Ervine, 9 Tatenda Taibu (wk), 10 Heath Streak (capt), 11 Douglas Hondo.

Kenya 1 Kennedy Otieno (wk), 2 David Obuya, 3 Brijal Patel, 5 Steve Tikolo (capt), 5 Thomas Odoyo, 6 Maurice Odumbe, 7 Peter Ongondo, 8 Hitesh Modi, 9 Martin Suji, 10 Tony Suji, 11 Collins Obuya.

S Rajesh is sub editor of Wisden.com in India.