CANTERBURY (England) - Apart from a streaker who evaded a slow-moving security yesterday Darren Gough was about the only ray of sunshine on a bleak World Cup day as the England opening bowler gave a hint that he was ready to take on South Africa at The Oval on Saturday.

The genial Yorkshireman earned four wickets against Africa Group A lightweights Kenya to become only England's third bowler to take 100 limited-overs international wickets in a career when he bowled Tony Suji's for four, the third of Gough's four victims. His haul of four for 34 at a cold, bedraggled St Lawrence County Ground saw him reach 101 wickets, two less that Phil DeFreitas. Although he is still some way behind Ian Botham who has 116 LOIs wickets to his credit, Gough has a chance to surpass this figure in this tournament.

Gough, now 28 and a certainty to tour South Africa with the England side later this year, admitted it had been a ``relief to pass the 100'' mark in this match.

``No, it was not playing on my mind, but it is a relief to get there,'' he said yesterday. ``It has always been an ambition to get 200 Test wickets and 150 limited-over internationals wickets, so I an heading in the right direction.''

Gough felt he had bowled well with the new ball against Sri Lanka in the opening World Cup match at Lord's on Friday but had not been as tidy or as tight as he would have liked.

``But it was perfect here. I felt I had bowled well with the new ball then came back strongly later on. Kenya were going well and I was brought back to get some wickets,'' he said. He terminated the partnership between Ravindu Shah and Steve Tikolo, bowling Shah for 46 after they had added 100 for the second wicket.

Until that stage, the England bowling, after the nervous energy expressed at Lord's against Sri Lanka last week, was missing. There was a decided lack of pace and swing in their bowling and even Alan Mullally was strangely much lower key than he had been at Lord's.