Looking for a cricket club in Kenya?

If the player from England who is looking for a club and left a comment on a previous post would like to drop me an email, I'll be more than happy to help find somewhere suitable for you.

email is:
chemosit@ozonline.com.au

Cricket in the news

Having mentioned earlier that I thought a couple of my articles had been used by cricinfo, I feel it is only fair that I point out that their Beyond The Test World blog has since referred to two more of my articles and given the due credit. Aside from the fact that they deemed my articles worth linking to, it is great to see this being regularly updated. Long may this continue.
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Elsewhere, the Nation, which has been so full of poor cricket journalism in recent times, at last has an article that looks as though it has been properly researched (Tikolo confident...). Hopefully they have ironed out their "issues" with Cricket Kenya and we will now see more responsible journalism from them rather than the fabrication they have been so keen on. Credit to those who have been involved in the battle to bring this about.
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A couple of articles in the sports section of today's Standard also mention cricket in their year round ups, though neither in a positive light. It amazes me that people can go on and on about Kenya being whitewashed by Bangladesh and ignore the fact that we drew with Zimbabwe, and whitewashed both Canada and Bermuda. Again, evenly balanced reporting would not go astray.

Tikolo Kenyan Player of the Year 2006

Steve Tikolo finished top of the voting in the Cricket Europe Kenyan player of the year. All credit to him for a wonderful 12 months in which he held the team together through tough times, produced personal best's in both forms of the game and really took it to Kenya's opponents. A great year from a great player leading from the front. May 2007 be even better!

He is now through to the poll for Cricket Europe Associate player of the year, so go to Cricket Europe - Kenya and get voting.

2006 in review

My review of Kenyan cricket in 2006 can be read here on Cricket Europe - Kenya.

A second article with an analysis will follow shortly.

First in, best dressed...

I just thought I would point out a couple of articles written by me and published on Cricket Europe on 17th and 19th December and an article published on cricinfo today. See any similarities?

My articles:
NPCA washed out 19/12/06
Two horse race in Mombasa 17/12/06
The cricinfo article:
Kanbis clean up 27/12/06

I don't think anything more needs to be said...

What agenda is being pushed by the Nation?

Readin Chris Tsuma's review of the year gone by in today's Nation (the article is titled: Tikolo mellows with age), I wondered - and not for the first time, what exactly Cricket Kenya have done to get the Nation off-side.

Mind you, his article does have some positives in it and compared to some we have seen from the paper over the last year is an improvement on some of the vitriolic nonsense that has been written about Cricket Kenya by a supposed neutral organisation. At least credit is given to the players that have performed well. Tikolo, Mishra, Varaiya and Odoyo all come out with positive reports, though Tsuma misses I think just how well some of them have played. No mention is made of Tikolo being top ranked of the Associate players in terms of batting, the fact that this year has also seen Odoyo reach several personal bests nor that Varaiya took a wicket with his first ever ball in ODIs. Peter Ongondo I feel also deserved a mention for his form earlier in the season, when he took a wicket in every match Kenya played.

It is Tsuma's overall assessment of the year which I think is most unfair:

"Save for the emergence of three young players as internationals and Tikolo’s continued batting form among a few positives, it has been an utterly forgettable year for Kenya cricket".

What a load of rubbish.

For the first time in several years, Kenya actually had a busy calendar year in terms of Internationals. Part of this was due to the ICC and the Intercontinental Cup, but no small amount of effort was put in by Cricket Kenya to secure the series against Bangladesh (twice), Zimbabwe, the Australian Acadamy and Uganda. Irrespective of the results, this should be seen as a definite positive for Cricket Kenya.

Kenya was also confirmed as the hosts for the WCL Division 1, the Africa Zone women's World Cup qualifiers and the 2010 Under 19 World Cup

Next, there is the issue of sponsorship. Lack of finances has been a real problem for Kenyan cricket after the mis-managment of the previous administration and it should be a huge credit to Cricket Kenya that they have signed two major deals to secure the future of the game. Tsuma's point about Cricket Kenya being unlikely to secure matches against the opposition they need to keep the Nimbus sponsorship is simply uninformed. Samir Inamdar has access to plenty of administrators from Test nations through his post at the ICC and there is a definite push for teams to visit Kenya on their way to or from South Africa and Zimbabwe. Cricket Kenya would not have signed the deal if they did not have the belief they would get the required matches.

His claim that the details of the Nimbus partnership are sketchy is plainly untrue. Cricket Kenya released pretty much all the details of the contract: exactly how much they will get, what the conditions were etc. All those who reported on the partnership came out with the view it was a definite positive for Kenyan cricket.

Claims that the NPCA are running the only domestic competition are also either at best not researched, at worst clear fabrication. In Mombasa, the CCA league is about 3/4 completed and will wind up in February next year. Rift Valley successfully completed the Akshar League and will start the RVCA main league in January. Successful six-a-side and junior competitions were also hosted by NPCA, RVCA and Kisumu. CCA also successfully hosted the Atul Shah tournament. True, there has been no provincial tournament set up as promised (it has been put back until after the WCL), but to call domestic cricket dead is an insult to all those playing in Kenya and to those working hard to revitalise the game.

This year has also seen Kenya come within a rained off match off winning it's first ever ODI series against a Full member when we drew 2-2 with Zimbabwe. Then we completed our first ever series win by beating Canada 2-0, before registering our first ever home series win against Bermuda 3-0. True, there have been low points, most noteably the losses to Bangladesh and the failure to get through to the Intercontinental Cup final, but it has been far from a forgettable year.

It is high time that the Nation started to show more responsibilty in their reporting. There has been constant criticism of Cricket Kenya at a time when they are trying very hard to rebuild the game after inheriting a complete mess. They need to be given the support neccessary to achieve this, or if that is beyond the Nation correspondents, at lest they should be given fair coverage with credit given where it is due.

In case anyone thought I was alone in my opinion on this, here is the link to what cricinfo have to say.

A few things I'd like

First up, a belated Very Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope you all had a great day, whatever your faith, and that the next year brings you all that you hope for. With this in mind, I thought I would look at Kenyan cricket and make a small wish-list of the things I would like to see put in place for 2007. This is a time when all of the other Associates are making changes and improving themselves, and if we are not careful, we will fall behind. Without further preamble, here are the things I think we need to see if the game is to continue to thrive in Kenya:

• A domestic competition bringing together the top players from each province, plus possibly Uganda and Tanzania. I have talked about this before, but if each province gets 1 team in the regional comp plus 1 extra team for every 10 teams playing in their league(s), it would work out about right at the moment. Assuming that Uganda and Tanzania each get 1 team, the make up would be as follows: NPCA - 3 teams, CCA, Rift Valley & Central (?) 1 team each.
• 3 or 4 day domestic cricket - preferably as part of the above provincial tournament, but if not at least bringing together the top 50 players in Kenya. Again it would be great to include Uganda and Tanzania.
• Leagues set up at Under 13, Under 15 and Under 17 levels. Could be started with schools and clubs that already play. A must if we are to keep ahead of our rivals.
• More 4 day cricket for the national team. There is no reason that when we play teams in the Intercontinental Cup, we cannot play a series of say 3 games against them of which only one counts towards the Intercontinental cup.
• A Publicity Manager for Cricket Kenya. Too often there is no way of publicising what they are doing and there is certainly no active Press Officer that I know of. Someone needs to be brought in who can not only market the game to the public, but keep the press informed and on-side, maintain the website (currently an embarrassment) and generally promote the game.
• A Player's Association or Union. It is imperative that players are represented by one of their own at the administrative level of the game.
• A turf wicket for Nakuru. They have an active administration who are trying to grow the game. To produce players who can compete with those from Nairobi and Mombasa, they must have the chance to play on a proper wicket.
• Regular fixtures for the A team/Under 19 team. Kenya needs to groom the youngsters who will one day play for the national team. A home tour by Denmark and the Uganda tour in January (more comments on this here) are perfect opportunities to put this in place. We must not miss out on another U19 World Cup, and we must be competitive when we do qualify.
• Better coverage of cricket in the local media. This would tie in with the Press Officer position I noted above, but could also be helped by all involved in cricket writing to/phoning/emailing radio stations, TV stations and newspapers.
• More provinces and clubs to set up and maintain their own websites. So far only the CCA and three clubs are represented on the web, and none of those are regularly updated.
• More ODI games against Test sides after the World Cup. I know this is an area where Cricket Kenya has done exceptionally well so far, but it needs to continue. Not just for the sake of the standard of Kenyan cricket, but to keep Nimbus happy and the cash coming in through sponsorship as well.
• Greater communication and cooperation between all involved in Kenyan cricket. This next year is a huge opportunity for the game in Kenya. We are playing in the World Cup, hosting the WCL and the biggest team sport in Kenya (football) is in all sorts of difficulties. It is an opportunity that used correctly should bring a huge boost to player and supporter numbers.

It is a lot to ask I know, and there are several things there that will take more than a year to really get up and going. However, as I mentioned above, this is perhaps the best ever opportunity Kenyan cricket will have in the foreseeable future. It is imperative for the game that 2007 is not allowed to go to waste.

Good cricket coverage by Standard

There seems little doubt at the moment which of the two main dailies has the better cricket coverage. The Standard have had several articles recently covering both the Nimbus deal and the women's World Cup qualifiers. Today's edition has this excellent article by James Wokabi - a new name to me. He writes well and seems to have actually bothered to talk to the people concerned before writing the article. Let's hope we see more of him covering cricket related issues in the future.

Good to see Cricket Kenya saying that both the national team and youth development will both be looked after by a third of the funds from the Nimbus deal. No word on where the other third goes, but general administration would probably account for a fair bit. Hopefully we will hear more on the youth development front soon. With World cup fever due to build through January and the WCL until March, now is the time that the administration need to concentrate on harnessing that interest and using it to generate more players and a greater love of the game in Kenya.

Gymkhana top in Mombasa

Good to see the CCA blog updated again after a fairly lengthy abscence. It now has the updated schedule for the rest of the 50-overs tournament and also the current league standings before today's match between SCLSC and MSC 'B'. My article covering this on Cricket Europe - Kenya can be read here, so I won't repeat myself.
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On a different front, the CCA have apparently restarted the Under 12's development program, but I don't yet have any more details than that. Good to hear something is being done to introduce more kids to the game anyhow.

Kenyans dominate associate rankings

The December rankings for non-test teams have just been released by Cricket Europe and it is good to see Kenya topping all of the lists. After winning the ODI series 3-0 against Bermuda, the national team not only keep the number one spot, but extend their lead at the top of both the overall team rankings and the High Performance Program (HPP) Team Rankings. With critics and detractors from certain circles still making noises about Kenya going backwards, it is good to see the team's improvement and dominance in Associate cricket getting the recognition it truly deserves. True, Scotland and Ireland are having a break at the moment, so have not had any opportunity to close the gap, but this will change soon enough when Scotland play Bangladesh and then the tri series in January (Kenya-Scotland-Canada) and the WCL come around. I both hope for and expect Kenya to still be sitting at the top of both tables after those events.

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The Official ICC ranking does not take into account teams not on the rankings list, so Kenya does not get the opportunity to improve that standing until the World Cup warm-up match against the Windies in March. The less said about this rankings system the better, although should they include Kenya on the list of Associate teams, we would again be clear leaders.

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While the team's consolidation of it's position is reassuring, the individual player rankings are also worthy of note. Steve Tikolo, previously ranked 22nd on the Cricket Europe Batting rankings takes his true position at number 1 on the back of his masterly display against Bermuda. He also rises to 58th on the ICC top 100 batsmen list with 503 points. Great to see the best batsman outside Test cricket in his rightful spot, lets hope he can continue that dominance come January and beyond.

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Tanmay Mishra also climbs on both lists, jumping 13 places to 8th on the Cricket Europe rankings, while coming in at a career best of 77th on the ICC list with 432 points. This places him as the second highest ranked Kenyan on both lists, a great achievement in his first real year as an international. Other Kenyan batsmen to feature are Hitesh Modi and Thomas Odoyo who come in at equal 23rd on Cricket Europe. Odoyo also makes the ICC list in 83rd place with 401 points. Modi and Kennedy Obuya both slip off the ICC top 100.

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If Kenya's batsmen look good, they are outshone quite easily by the bowlers, 3 of whom are in the top 5 of Cricket Europe's bowler rankings. Top of the list is Thomas Odoyo, who overtakes teammate Peter Ongondo. Odoyo's move comes after career best bowling figures against Bermuda and is matched by a career high 552 points on the ICC top 100 bowling list which puts him at 43th position overall. A great effort from a player who seems to be finding his peak at just the right time for his country. Peter Ongondo drops a couple of places to 4th in the Cricket Europe rankings after failing to keep up his wicket taking records against Bermuda, but still makes the ICC top 50, coming in at 47th with 494 points. The one to watch for Kenya is Hiren Varaiya who is only in 5th position on the Criekt Europe charts because of the lack of matches he's played. Similarly, he is just outside the ICC top 100, but if he maintains up his strike rate and economy, it will not be long before he will be right at the top of both lists. Tikolo (15th), Kamande (23rd) and Odhiambo (26th) round out the other Kenyans in Cricket Europe's top 30. Tikolo sits at 74th on the ICC list and is kept company by two bowlers who have not really featured for us this year, but keep their positions due to their past efforts, Collins Obuya (85th) and Martin Suji (96th).

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With the national team taking a month off now, some of these positions may have slipped a bit by the time the January rankings come out. In the mean while, congratulations to all those who have made the lists. Here's hoping they can surpass their efforts in 2007.

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Don't forget also that the Player of the year poll is running on the Cricket Europe - Kenya page. The winner goes into a poll against the winner of each of the other countries for Associate player of the year. So log on, get behind our players and show your support.

Tikolo talks it up

Kenya's captain has been talking to the standard, and has his eyes firmly set on reaching the second round of the World Cup in the West Indies. While expressing confidence about beating Canada, Kenya will also need to beat either England or New Zealand to get through to the group stage. Tikolo knows that Kenya will need to be at their best to do so:
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"We’ll have to raise our game a notch higher to be able to beat England or New Zealand. Both have balanced sides, who are good with the ball and the bat, but our team has some good upcoming players who are up to the task," he said.
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looking at the performance so far of Canada, it is easy to see why the captain is upbeat about our chances against them, but we must guard agaist over complacency. January and the WCL will see us play them again before we meet them in St Lucia, so that match will take on added importance. A win would be a big psychological blow for Kenya, but when it comes down to it, the World Cup game will be the one that counts. If Tikolo's aims are to come to fruition, it will be a match we cannot lose.
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In the interview, Tikolo mentions "scrappy" preparations, but the facts are that this time around, Kenya will actually be much better prepared. We have played many more ODIs over the last year than we even thought about prior to 2003 and the Intercontinental Cup games and Winter Training Camp will have given a much needed boost in techniques.
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Between now and the start of the World Cup, Kenya play 11, hopefully 12 ODIs (depending on qualifying for the WCL final). One of these will be against the Windies in Jamaica as part of the official warm up games, the rest will be against Associate opposition. There are pros and cons to this, the most obvoius being that Kenya really do not play any matches against teams of the same percieved quality as England and New Zealand until that game in Jamaica. There are however positives. One is that associate cricket continues to improve, so the gulf is not as great as many, including I'd say the Test teams, think. Second, Kenya should win the majority of those games. If they do this, they will go into the World Cup on a roll and knowing what it feels like to win. Last time, it was our team spirit that helped get us through. If we can reproduce that and couple it with the improvements, there is no reason we cannot upset at least one Test side come March. It will take hard work, but Tikolo and Roger Harper the coach know that. Lets just hope they can back up the talk with success on the pitch.

Kricket 4 Kenya

I came across the link to this fantastic site on the Friends of Kenya Cricket - UK site that has finally been updated (if only Cricket Kenya would follow suite!).

Basically, Kricket 4 Kenya is a new charity set up in th UK to collect sporting equipment, especially cricket gear, for under-privileged children in Kenya. It has been set up by MWR Solicitors in response to the current humanitarian situation in kenya and if you live in in England, it needs your support. If you do not have any equipment to donate, you can still help: Talk about it, tell your friends, let your local school know. It will end up making a huge difference to the children in Kenya and will hopefully help to bring on a new generation of Kenyan players who will now have a chance rather than nothing.

Kricket 4 Kenya has the backing of Cricket Kenya, so get in touch and 'Be a sport and donate today'.

For those of you in Sydney, Australia who would like to help, we are also collecting, so drop me a line (the email link is in the 'profile page').

Note: I am not officially linked with K4K, but it is a bloody good idea and as we had already recieved some donations here, hopefully we can join forces.

How About Hiren

In my last post, I commented on Thomas Odoyo getting into the top 100 for strike rate for bowlers in ODIs. Looking a bit further at the stats, there is a second Kenyan bowler who could well get onto this list in the next year or so. Young left arm spinner, Hiren Varaiya certainly entered the international scene with a bang when he took 3/24 on debut against Canada, but his impact is not really put in perspective until compared with the best:

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At the top of the all time most economical bowlers list is Joel Garner with 3.09. Second is R.Willis of England with 3.28. Hiren Varaiya is currently sitting on an economy rate of 3.15 which would put him just behind Garner. True, Varaiya has only played 6 matches and is yet to face the much tougher opposition of the Test nations, but this is a fantastic start from the youngster. To get on the top 100 list, he needs to bowl a minimum of 1500 balls. At the moment, he is about a fifth of the way there with 308. Bowling an average of 8 and a half overs per match so far, he needs to play another 23 at this rate before he has enough to qualify.

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Regards strike rate, he also has a little way to go, needing 50 wickets to get into the top 100. To date, he has taken 12 wickets at an average of 2 per match. Continuing at this rate will take him 19 matches before he qualifies. This assumes of course that his strike rate continues to rank him amongst the best. So far, his 12 wickets have come at a strike rate of 25.66. Compare this with the best ever: Shane bond (NZ) with 26.85.

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I am not for one moment saying Varaiya is one of the best bowlers ever. To claim that, he will have to prove himself against quality opposition over a long period of time. What I am saying is: Watch this space! Depending on the performance in the World Cup, Kenya can expect to play somewhere in the region of 20 ODIs over the next 12 months. During the next year and a half, it is therefore likely that Hiren will have bowled enough overs and hopefully taken enough wickets to qualify for both top 100 lists. How far up he will slot in and where he will end up at the end of his career will depend on how he improves and who Kenya play as they progress. Whatever happens, it will be a fascinating story to follow as it unfolds. Doubtless there will be many great players to come out of the Associate nations over the next 10 years, but Hiren Varaiya is certainly the one I will watch with the most interest in the near future.

Odoyo in top 100 for Strike Rate

Caught up in the euphoria of belting Bermuda 3-0 and all the personal milestones that came with it, I missed perhaps the most significant of all for the Associates. Thomas Odoyo took his ODI wicket tally to 86 in 82 matches to take him into the top 100 in terms of strike rate in One Day Internationals. Bowling wise, he is now the first Associate player to make this step, hopefully the vanguard of a whole host who are going to join him from all of the Associate countries in the years ahead. In terms of batting, Kennedy Otieno's 144 against Bangladesh has him on joint 58th place in highest individual totals. While Odoyo makes it into the top 100 in terms of strike rate, he still has a little way to go in terms of overall wickets taken. Currently the 100th spot is held by Azhar Mahmood of Pakistan with 122 wicket, a target that is drawing ever closer.

Getting into the top 100 bowlers by strike rate is great achievement from a player who is currently in the best form of his life. Tim Brooks, whose article on Cricket Europe brought this to my attention looks forward to seeing him take his 100th wicket during the World Cup. I look forward to seeing him take it a lot earlier than that: in Kenya this January during the WCL. Maybe he can look to be taking his 120th wicket in the World Cup and getting on that top 100 list as well. Go Thomas!

A series of Personal Bests

My round up of the 104 run win in the 3rd ODI between Kenya and Bermuda can be read at here at Cricket Europe - Kenya. One thing does stand out for Kenya other than the fact that we had plenty more to offer than Bermuda and that is that our players are improving almost across the board. Credit to them, Roger Harper and the Winter Training Camp coaches for that.

This tour saw the following players all register personal bests in either first Class (Intercontinental Cup) or ODIs:

I.C:

Thomas Odoyo 5/21

1st ODI:

Nehemiah Odhiambo: 31*

2nd ODI:

Thomas Odoyo 4/25

Nehemiah Odhiambo 2/37

Tanmay Mishra: 64*

3rd ODI:

Steve Tikolo: 111

Malhar Patel: 25

Jimmy Kamande: 3/32

Great to see so many of the team all showing improvement. Sure Bermuda are not the strongest opposition we will face, but these are still official First class and ODI matches and credit to those players who played so well to give us our first ever whitewash on home soil.

All the best too to Maurice Ouma for his recovery.

First Home Series Win

Kenya's 7 wicket win in the second ODI in Mombasa gives Kenya its first ever series win on home soil. It should also silence some of the teams recent critics who have been loudly proclaiming its demise. Both wins against Bermuda were comfortable and Kenya should have enough in the tank to give a couple fo the fringe players a chance to show their worth in the final match. Great to see some of the youngsters really stepping up to the plate and perfoming. Tanmay Mishra got his first ODI half century having come close several times, so now that monkey is off his back, he should be able to really relax and get some big scores. Hiren Varaiya has improved in leaps and bounds this year and gives back that extra edge in the spin department we lost when Collins Obuya fell out of form. Nehemiah Odhiambo has started taking wickets for us and showed he is no slouch with the bat either. If he continues to apply himself and improve, he could well be the next Odoyo for us. Talking of whom, what a great seam of bowling form he is in at the moment. No surprise he and Peter Ongondo are both at the top of the Cricket Europe rankings list for bowlers.

With the World Cup drawing ever closer and also the WCL in January which will decides the associate to qualify for the twenty-20 World Cup, Kenya's key players are beginning to find the form we need. It is now up to Roger Harper to continue to build that momentum through January and into March. All we need now is for a player or two to step up to claim those fringe spots and for the openers to consolidate their progress.

Kenya vs Bermuda 1st ODI

Kenya won the toss and are batting first.
Ouma (0) and Suji (2) the early casualties as we sit on 76/2 after 20.
David Obuya is on 43 and Steve is on 18.

I will be trying to keep abreast of things on the Cricket Europe - Kenya site.

Scores are courtesy of http://www.vipulibs.com/eacricket/

NPCA Latest Results

All the results from the last 2 weekends have now been updated on the Cricket Europe- Kenya site. Kanbis look to be sitting pretty at the top of both the Super Division and Division 1 - with two such strong sides, one wonders if they have any thought of adding a third string team next season. Stray Lions A look to be the team gunning for promotion from Division 2, while Parklands Ndovu's win over Sir Ali B means they now top the table in Division 3.

At the other end of the tables, it is also fairly clear cut as to who looks like going down. Sir Ali Muslim A have a chance of overtaking Kongonis or possible Aga Khan in the Super Division, but SCLYL are pretty much dead and buried at the bottom of division 1. Gymkhana B are the team in danger in Division 2 and look to only have a slight chance of overtaking 6th placed Quitbis. Bottom of Division 3 are Oshwal, but they will be bouyed by their win over Jafferys and with 3 matches still to play could get themselves out of contention for the wooden spoon.

Back

Well sort of. I am at least now back at the keyboard, but in terms of cricket coverage, will be concentrating mostly on Cricket Europe - Kenya for the time being. There are a couple of new articles there from the last couple of days. Thanks for the understanding and support from everyone, it has been much appreciated. In time, I may also get back to blogging with my opinions etc, but not sure yet how things will pan out timewise.

Those of you who I had been in email contact with who have not had an email from me in the last couple of days, it is because I had a stuff-up and lost my address book. It does not mean I am not keen on keeping in touch, so drop me an email if you would like to stay in contact. It would be good to hear from you, especially those club players in Kenya.

Hiatus

Due to unforseen and unavoidable circumstances, I have been forced to spend some time away from my computer recently. To my regular readers, my apologies for not letting you know sooner and for the interuption in service.

I hope to resume service of some sort before too long, but in the meanwhile Cricket Europe will be launching the expanded version of their site covering Kenyan Cricket as of Monday. I hope to be closely involved with this, but it will depend how things pan out over the next couple of days.

To all those who missed me and emailed to ask where I was, my thanks for your support.

Akshar League 2006 Leading Batsmen and Bowlers

The following are the figures for the top ten batsmen and wicket takers in the Akshar League 2006. Note figures do not include semis, I will post a list incorporating the semis and finals after next weekend:

Top 10 Bowlers by Wickets taken:

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BOWLER..........CLUB..........TOTAL.....5wkts.....4wkts
Ghanshyam.....Akshar.A..........18.............2..............1
Raju.................Diamond..........12.............1...............1
Shanti...............V.O.C...............11..............1..............0

Rakesh..............Eldoret............11...............1.............0
Tejash...............Eldoret............10..............1..............0
Batuk.................V.O.C..............10..............0.............1
Ravi..................Akshar.B..........10..............0.............1
Jogesh..............Akshar.A..........10..............0.............0

Snehal...............Eldoret..............9...............0............0

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Ghanshyam the clear leader there and no small reason why Akshar A are playing this weekend's finals. Surprising to see no player from Kericho feature in the top 10. They did however have 4 players who finished on 8 wickets each, so a team effort rather than individual brilliance from them to top the table.

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Top 10 Batsman By Averages:

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Batsman..............Team.......Innings......N/O............Total.....Average
Jogesh..............Akshar.A...........5.............1................160........40.00
Lalji...................Kericho............4.............2.................78.........39.00
Vishal.................Eldoret............4.............1.................116........38.67
Vimal................Diamond..........3.............1..................76.........38.00
Rakesh..............Akshar.B..........4.............2..................65.........32.50
Jigar..................Kericho............3.............0..................93.........31.00
Rakesh...............Eldoret............3..............2.................26.........26.00
Tushar...............Kericho............1..............1.................26..........26.00

Divyang............Akshar.A..........6............0..................146.........24.33
Armadeep.........Naivasha.........4.............1....................73.........24.33

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Top 10 Batsmen by Total runs:

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Batsman..........Team.......Inngs.....N/O.....HS....Total......Avg........50s
Jogesh..........Akshar.A........5............1.........88.....160......40.00.......1
Divyang........Akshar.A........6...........0.........70.....146.......24.33.......1
Vishal.............Eldoret..........4...........1.........50.....116........38.67.......1
Jignesh..........Kericho..........6...........0........61......116........19.33........1
Pragnesh......Akshar.A.........6...........1.........54......99........19.80.......1
Viral..............Akshar.B.........4..........0.........41......97........24.25.......0

Jigar..............Kericho...........3..........0.........58......93........31.00.......1
Sunil..............Akshar.B.........5..........0.........57......85........17.00.......1
Ketan..............V.O.C.............6..........0.........45......85.........14.17.......0

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No surprises that the four semi finalists were the two Akshar teams, Eldoret and Kericho.

Bhudia On Song As Herning Promoted

I have been poor in covering Kenyans abroad recently for which I apologise. Especially as Kenya's representative in Denmark, Amit Bhudia hit an unbeaten 131 on Saturday to secure Herning promotion to the Elite division next year. A fantastic effort from him to cap off what has at times been a difficult season. Herning will be well pleased with their season having won 10 of the 11 games played so far. Fantastic for Amit that he was able to repay their faith in him with that fine knock. No idea whether he intends to return to Kenya during the Danish winter, but if so should be a prime target for any of the Kenyan clubs. It would probably not be a bad move either considering the selectors are still trying to find a batting line up that is capable of getting Kenya big scores.

If I Were A Sponsor

Tom Tikolo has recently been quoted in the Nation as saying that Cricket Kenya are still finding it hard to attract a corporate sponsor. There are no doubt many reasons for this, not least the image of cricket that remains in Kenya as the legacy of the KCA. With this in mind, I have thought a bit about how I would respond to an approach if I were a sponsor and the questions I would ask before I decided to commit to sponsoring Kenyan cricket.

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First would be a guarantee that the accounts will be made accessible to auditors for random checks to ensure any money I spent was not being misapropriated. After the last regime, this would be high on a list of worries.

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Then comes the matter of exposure. How much will I get as a sponsor of the national team? This really should be a strong argument in favour from CK. They have so far this year ensured a full calendar, and with the WCL, World Cup and expanded Intercontinental Cup, there will be ample coverage of the team and by association its sponsors.

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Performance would be the worrying factor. So far this has not been great, but we are in a rebuilding phase and this needs to be looked at long term. If we are weak now and I provide sponsorship, can CK tell me how they intend to strengthen the side so they start to win more? CK need to make me understand the difference in expectation when playing Test sides to Associates and that a fighting loss against a Test side can still be seen from a positive light. Also, with enough exposure, even a team that loses lots initially is still attractive to a sponsor so long as it improves. If it could cause an upset, and Kenya's World Cup history indicates this is a possibility, then the sponsor could get a huge amount of publicity by association.

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I would want to know what steps have been taken/are planned to improve the domestic structure. No CEO is going to want to commit money to a venture that does not have a solid support structure and with cricket this means a sound and growing player base. I would want to know when I could expect to see a national domestic comp so that my brand would get nationwide exposure. This ties in with improving the national side as well. I would want my brand to be seen as making a difference.

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Similarly with junior development. Billions are spent annually in marketing to children worldwide and this is a potentially huge incentive for a sponsor. For it to be attractive however, again there would have to be a concrete plan whereby CK could show me how they will spread the game to more children and thus increase my exposure to that market. Kenya has huge potential in its youth, but before I put money towards it, I want to know my investment will give returns.

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Finally, I would want to know how cricket Kenya intend to promote my product once I do decide to sponsor them. As yet, they do not seem to have a promotions officer nor a way of getting my name out there. There is a website, but I would want it regularly updated so that my logo would keep being seen by repeat and new visitors. Static websites attract no traffic and this means me, the sponsor is missing out. I would want to know how CK intend to approach marketing to the media and public and how this will reflect on my company.

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Overall, there are plenty of reasons for me to look at sponsoring Kenyan cricket, not least its potential for growth. It would be great to be associated with that and to have my name at the World Cup. However, there are also plenty of potential pitfalls and I would need a way around these and a plan for future growth clearly mapped out. In short, prove to me you are an opportunity, not a liability and I'll come on board.

Under the microscope

With the recent losses the Kenya team have suffered at the hands of Bangladesh and then the Australian acadamy, there are not surprisingly questions being asked by various members of the media as to why. It is however irritating to see articles such as the one yesterday in the nation attacking Cricket Kenya for allowing the development projects started by the KCA to go to waste, when as Martin Williamson points out in a much more balanced article, the whole of cricket was allowed to do the same under the KCA. Why some in the media are not more supportive of Cricket Kenya and are still trying to promote what was essentially the regime that brought Kenyan cricket to its knees smacks of self interest rather than interest in the game or the common good.

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As Williamson rightly points out, no one claims the new regime under Samir Inamdar has all the answers, but at least they are working hard to try to repair the damage done. I am however interested in what they have so far done in terms of restarting the youth program, for that is what will be they key as to whether Kenyan cricket has a long-term future. Williamson's article states that there has been difficulty getting the game reintroduced to schools. This makes me wonder if the right avenues are being approached.

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As far as I understand, there are a core of private, cricket playing schools in Nairobi and upcountry that play to a fairly high standard. At prep school level these include the likes of Kenton, Banda, Pembroke and Braeburn amongst others. Have, I wonder, CK approached these schools to see what they can do to help grow the game. They already play each other throughout the Christmas term and so the basics of a league are already set up. These schools also have the facilities and staff that could potentially help less well set up schools in their region. It may be that these schools are not prepared to help, but if the games they play could in some way be used to spread the game to other school children, the opportunity should be siezed with both hands.

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Cricket Kenya still have a lot to do, but they would be able to achieve far more if the detractors actually gave them a fair go. It will be a long hard slog to get the game to where we all want it and this will only be achieved if we all work together. Whatever happened to the spirit of Harambee and pulling together?

MSC 'A' Start Well in Coast League

The first two games of the coast league have been played over the last two weekends with MSC A in action both weekends and recording wins over first their B team and then a closer fought victory over Coast Gymkhana by 2 wickets this weekend. The above links should take you to the appropriate stories on the CCA blog which has further details. Credit to Upesh for setting this up, it is great having a second blog out there covering Kenyan cricket and especially one that gives us results and news from the coast. Let's hope it is kept up to date on a more regular basis than Cricket Kenya's has been so far.

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A shame that only six teams are taking part this year. For the area that claims to be the second strongest cricket playing centre in the country, they are looking in grave danger of being overtaken by Rift Valley who not only have more teams due to play in their next competition, but have also started a program with the local schools to increase the long-term player numbers. The CCA really need to do something similar as they have the potential to produce good players for the national team, but who will never get the chance unless the game is actively grown. This is the region in which cricket was first played in Kenya over 100 years ago and it must be encouraged to get back on track.

Akshar A Cruise into Finals

Two half centuries and some inspired bowling saw Akshar A breeze past their B team and into the final of the Akshar league on Sunday. Akshar B won the toss and decided to field first. They got off to a good start with Ramesh bowling line and length resulting in the removal of both openers in the third over. Unfortunately for the B team, their fielding then let them down as they dropped Pardeep at least three times allowing him to make a quick 53 not out in 55 balls before he retired hurt. Though Ramesh is an excellent bowler to right handed batsman, he just could not bowl against left handed Pragnesh, and ended up bowling 6 wides in the same over he removed the two right handers. Jogesh chipped in with 36 before being trapped lbw by Hiren, but it was Dilip's 51 that put the icing on the cake for Akshar A. They went into the break having scored 266 for the loss of 8 wickets and would have been confident of being able to defend that total.

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Akshar B in truth never looked like being able to get even close to the target as the top order were terrorised by Ghanshayam, who despite his age has still shown himself to be the pick of the tournament's bowlers. Jogesh then got in on the act to destroy the middle order and it was pretty much all over. Raju provided brief resistance at the death to finish top scorer for Akshar B with 17*, but it was too little, too late and they were bowled out for 97. Akshar A will now play Kericho in the final of the tournament to be held at the NAC grounds on Sunday from 10am.

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SCORECARD:
Akshar A Innings:

Harshil............Ct..Kalpesh...........Ramesh.......10
Divyang...........Ct..Viral................Ramesh.......00
Pardeep..........Retired Hurt..............................53*
Pragnesh.........Ct..Hiren...............Kalpesh.......23
Jogesh............LBW.......................Hiren..........36
Aku.................Bowled...................Samrat........05
Dilip...............Ct..Viral.................Ramesh........51
Deval..............LBW........................Hiren..........20
Ketan.............Bowled...................Kalpesh........01
Raju................NOT OUT...................................15
Ghanshyam....NOT OUT..................................00
Extras.................................................................52
Total..for..8..wickets........................................266
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Akshar B innings:
Trushit.............Bowled...............Dilip...............07
Viral.................Bowled..............Ghanshyam....08
Sunil.................Bowled..............Ghanshyam....05
Kalpesh............Bowled..............Ghanshyam....02
Hiren..............Ct..Divyang.........Ghanshyam...02
Rakesh............Ct..&..B...............Jogesh.............13
Samrat............Bowled...............Jogesh.............01
Jalo.................Bowled...............Jogesh.............00
Ravi................Ct..&..B...............Harshil............10
Raju................NOT OUT...................................17
Rameash........St..Deval.............Harshil............10
Extras.................................................................20
Total...All..Out....................................................97

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FINALS TO BE PLAYED ON 10 SEPT 2006 KERICHO v/s AKSHAR A at NAC FROM 10 am

Cricket in The Wild Report

The winning Outram team from the inaugral Cricket in the Wild tournament held at Ol Pejeta conservancy.

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The following is Subash Modi's report on the recently concluded Cricket in the Wild tournament. Congratulations to the winners and the organisers for their efforts. A very worthwhile cause has had a great boost this weekend and it is wonderful that cricket was the catalyst that allowed this to happen.

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The 1st Ol Pejeta “Cricket in the Wild” tournament finished on Sunday afternoon, out of the seven teams playing in the tournament (From the UK Hugh Crossley and Tim Best, from Nairobi David Seagon, and Arnie Mitchell, from Laikipia Batian Craig and Giles Davies, and from Gilgil Chris Outram.) Chris Outram’s team from Gilgil was the team that took home the inaugural trophy - an elephants head carved out of an old cedar post holding a cricket ball in its trunk (carved by a community member).
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The final was between the Outram team and Tim Best’s team from the UK - we are very proud that the first tournament was won by a Kenyan team and the trophy will remain in Kenya for at least another year.
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The matches were carefully umpired by Subash Modi, Eddie Fernandes and Brian Haworth and the scoring was done by Aliya Bauer with Charity, “Jenga” and Wilson managing the score board.
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The event was set up as an opportunity to raise funds for development programmes within the communities surrounding Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Each team was required to raise money to enter the competition. The highest fund raiser was a team from England captained by Hugh Crossley. In total the tournament raised an estimated USD 120,000 – this money will be spent on the development of local schools, dispensaries and other facilities within Laikipia.
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In his closing speech Richard Vigne, Executive Director of Ol Pejeta thanked all the teams for participating and promised to make the tournament an annual event. The MP for Laikipia East and Asst. Minister for Energy, Hon. M Kiunjuri also congratulated all the teams for their fund raising efforts and the Ol Pejeta management team for taking the time and effort to develop and run the event.
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Ol Pejeta would like to thank the following for their kind contribution to the event:
East African Safari Air Express
The Driftwood Beach Club (The Larby’s)
Serena Hotels
Rhino Ark
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
Lewa Ceramics
Wines of the World
The Glass Gallery
One Way
Sandra & Brendan Hill
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Callum Looman
Local Kenya Media & Nick Deverell
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For catering:
Alpana Patal and Sophie Graten
East African Women’s League (Nanyuki branch)
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For medical assistance:
Nanyuki Cottage Hospital.
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Ol Pejeta Conservancy Cricket in the Wild organizing committee members:
Sandra Hill
Richard Vigne
Brian Haworth
Sue Haworth
Brendan Hill
Batian Craig
Giles Prettejohn
Ali Prettejohn
Paul Leringato
Melissa Duveen

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Aussies Take Series 3-0

Tony Suji top scored for Kenya with 85 yesterday, but it was not enough to prevent the visiting CBCE side taking the final match and the series 3-0. While the result was perhaps not a surprise considering the margins of the visitor's victories over the previous two matches, at least Kenya showed signs of general improvement. We still lost by 59 runs, but that is at least a lot closer than 10 wickets and 200 odd runs.

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Batting first, the Australians set a target of 295 for victory with Voges leading the way with an unbeaten 126. None of the bowlers returned particularly good figures, but Nehemiah Odhiambo will be disappointed to have conceded 100 runs from his ten. Still, these matches are there to give the newer players to the team match experience, and he should have learnt a fair bit about what no to do from yesterday's match. Jimmy Kamande had the best figures with 2/53, but Hiren Variaya was the most economical with his 10 overs conceding 34 runs he can be proud of that comeback after getting some rough treatment the day before. All the other bowlers, with the exception of Ongondo, went for 5 or more an over. Even so, this was a better effort than Saturday and Kenya improved their fielding performance by about 100 runs.

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Unfortunately, the reply got off to a bad start as the openers went back to their troubled ways and were out cheaply. Tony Suji at 3 played well for his 85 and should have done enough now to keep his place there and silence his critics for a while at least. I am happy to be proved wrong, and he is one batsman from Kenya who can come out of this series with his head held high. David Obuya replaced his brother Collins in the team and gave Suji good support with his half century. Mishra chipped in with 23, not really what we need from him, but again an improvement on the last match. Odoyo rounded out the batsmen who made runs with a fighting 38, but in the end Kenya ran out of overs and finished on 8/234. Another loss, but at least this time we made over 200 runs and a couple of batsmen made decent scores.

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Kenya's next opponents are Uganda away and it is a series that we must win convincingly. Who the selectors choose will be interesting as it is a great opportunity to try out a couple of new faces before the Bermuda visit in November. It will also be good practice for the players expected to play in the Intercontinental Cup, so we may well see a strong side heading to Kampala. Whoever goes, let's hope they come back with a bundle of wins. Two 3-0 lost series is pretty bitter medecine to have to swallow, however much it may have improved our players.

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SCORECARD:

CBCE innings:
A Crosthwaite..........Ct..K Obuya............Ongondo......0
T. Paine....................Bowled....................Odoyo..........35
A. Voges....................not out.......................................126
A. Finch....................lbw..........................Kamande.....26
C. Ferguson..............Ct..K Obuya............Kamande.......8
G. Gailey...................run out.........................................42
B. Dorey...................Ct..Odhiambo..........T. Suji..........39
C. Bailey....................not out...........................................5
Extras........................(lb-2, nb-6, w-4)..........................12
Total......for 6 wkts, 50 overs........................................293
Did Not bat: G. Sullivan, B. Hilfenhails, D. Doran

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FoW: 1-8 (Crosthwaite), 2-50 (Paine), 3-123 (Finch), 4-143 (Ferguson), 5-222 (G. Bailey) and 2-276 (Sullivan).

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Kenya Bowling:

T. Odoyo..............10-1-57-1

P. Ongondo..........9-0-37-1

N. Odhiambo......10-0-100-0

H. Varaiya............10-?-34-0

J. Kamande..........10-0-53-2

T. Suji...................1-0-12-1

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Kenya innings:
K Obuya...........Ct..Paine............Sullivan..........4
M Ouma..........Ct..Paine............Hilfenhaus......0
T Suji...............Ct..Paine............Doran............85
D Obuya............lbw.....................Dorey............50
T Mishra..........Ct..Doran............Sullivan........23
T Odoyo............Bowled..............Hilfenhaus.....38
J Kamande.......lbw....................Hilfenhaus.......2
N Odhiambo....lbw....................Hilfenhaus.......2
M Patel.............not out.......................................6
P Ongondo.......not out.......................................3
Extras............(nb-3, nb-1, w-16).......................20
Total...for 8 wkts, 50 overs).............................234
Did not bat: H. Varaiya

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FoW: 1-10 (K. Obuya), 2-10 (M. Ouma), 3-115 (D. Obuya), 4-155 (T. Mishra), 5-214 (T. Odoyo), 6-220 (T. Suji), 7-223 (N. Odhiambo) and 8-230 (J. Kamande)

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Bowling:

B.Hilfenhaus................10-2-31-4

G. Sullivan....................8-0-25-1

D. Dorey.......................7-0-27-0

C. Bailey.......................8-0-58-0

D. Doran......................10-0-59-2

A. Voges.........................7-0-31-0

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Umpires: Ebrahim Fidahussein and Rocky D'Mello

Cricket In the Wild a Great Success

The inaugral Cricket in the Wild Tournament at Ol Pejeta Consevancy sounds like it has been a great success. The main aim of the event is obviously to raise money for a very wortheile cause, but great to see some competetive games being played in the right spirit as well. Subhash Modi, Kenya's leading umpire sends the following report from the initial couple of days:

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The three day prestigious Ol Pejeta Conservancy Cricket in the Wild Cricket Tournament started at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy yesterday with seven teams participating namely:- Outram, Crossley, Seagon, Davies, Craig, Mitchell, and the Best XI. Patels XI withdrew at the last minute as they could not raise the team.

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Richard Vigne, Executive Director of Ol Pejeta Conservancy and Sandra Hill - both members of the organising committee are really delighted with the progress and success so far of the tournament as all the teams are fighting for the top honours.

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The finals of the the tournament will be played tomorrow and a reasonably good crowd is expected to turn up.

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The Official umpires are:-
Subhash Modi, Brian Haworth, Eddie Fernandez and Martin Hamilton and the official scorer is Aliya Baurer.

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Results so far:
Davies(96/4 wkts) beat Seagon 95/4 wickets.
Craig(120/4 wickets) beat Outram 109/6 wickets
Davies 150/7 wickets beat Crossley 129/7 wickets.
Outram 99 for no loss beat Seagon 98/6 wickets
Best XI 131 /6 wickets beat Davies 113/9.

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All the officials and players as well as the spectators were pleased to see the clear view of the World Famous Mount Kenya from the cricket ground. The tournament is played in good spirit and the cricket ground, pitch, matting and the scoreboard are in good condition.

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The organisers of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy Cricket in the Wild Fund Raising Committee deserve pats on their back for excellent organisation and tremendous efforts for the noble game.

Humbled Again

Shaun Marsh dominated with the bat yesterday hitting 207 not out as the visiting CBCE side again handed Kenya a major belting. This time the Aussies batted first, and it looked initially as though things may be different from the first match as Odoyo had them reeling at 2/12. Marsh and George Bailey (152) then combined to give the Kenyans a lesson in how to build an innings and make big scores. Their effort took the total to 3/404 by the close (Ongondo finally clean bowled Bailey) and it was always going to be a formidable total.

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Kenya's reply got off to a better start than it has done recently with both openers actually getting into double figures. However, Kennedy Obuya fell for 17 with the score on 40, and Maurice Ouma perished shortly after for 23. Tony Suji again came in at 3 and this time he top scored for Kenya, though his 48 off 93 looks pretty meagre compared to the aussies' efforts. Malhar Patel made 33 and Nehemiah Odiambo a quickfire 41 as Kenya struggled to 199 all out in 49.1 overs.

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It is hard to keep being positive about losses, especially ones of this magnitude against a nation's third string side. Mind you going by Kenya's football international loss yesterday, if Harambee Stars played Brazil's 3rd or even fourth side, the result would probably be a loss of similar magnitude. At least there are signs of improvement in some areas. For a start we batted out almost the entire 50 overs. True, the runs required were miles away from what we reached, but at least it is an improvement on the last game. Suji did well at 3, but I am still yet to be convinced he is the man for this position. Rakeb Patel brought into the side as an all rounder batted at 8 and was only given 2 overs. Somewhat mystifying as he was no more expensive than any of the other bowlers who also went for 7+ an over. The idea of matches like this is that they give the players experience against top quality opposition. One would have thought that a youngster like Patel would be more in need of overs than an experienced player like Suji. That said, it is good to see the latter used as a bowler, his figures not withstanding, as I do not see him justifying a place in the side with his batting alone, despite his 48 yesterday.

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Today sees the final match of the series being played, and Kenya will be hard pushed to get a result that gives the aussies anything other than a 3-0 whitewash. Results aside, if the team members can each show improvement, then that at least will be something. January and the WCL is not far away now, and beyond that looms the World Cup. Both are tournaments in which it is vital Kenya perform well and we are running out of time to find a team that can do that consistently.

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SCORECARD:

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CBCE innings:
Tim Paine..........Ct..Odhiambo..........Odoyo..........13
Shaun Marsh......Not out......................................207
Adam Voges.......Bowled.....................Odoyo...........0
George Bailey.....Bowled.....................Ongondo....152
Extras:.....................(lb 4, w 6, nb 7).......................17
Total:............For..3..Wickets in 50 overs.............404

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FoW: 1-12 (T Paine), 2-12 (A Voges), 3-286 (G Bailey).
Did not bat: D Doran, A Finch, A Crosthwaite, G Sullivan, B Drew, B Hilfenhaus.

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Bowling:

T Odoyo...........10-1-73-2

P Ongondo......10-2-72-1

N Odhiambo.....9-0-93-0

H Varaiya........10-0-74-0

T Suji.................9-0-75-0

Rakeb Patel.......2-0-13-0.

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Kenya innings:
K Obuya................Ct..Crosthwaite..........Finch........17
M Ouma................Ct..Crosthwaite..........Finch.......23
T Suji.....................Bowled...................Hilfenhaus...48
M Patel..................LBW............................Voges.......33
T Mishra................Ct & B.........................Voges.........2
C Obuya.................LBW............................Doran........0
T Odoyo.................St..Crosthwaite...........Voges........11
R Patel...................Ct..Voges.....................Finch..........1
N Odhiambo.........Bowled.....................Hilfenhaus...41
P Ongondo............St..Crosthwaite........Hilfenhaus.....1

H Varaiya..............Not out............................................1
Total.......All Out in 49.1 Overs.................................199
FoW: 1-40 (K Otieno), 2-46 (M Ouma), 3-102 (M Patel), 4-104 (T Mishra), 5-105 (C Obuya), 6-123 (T Odoyo), 7-133 (R Patel), 8-179 (T Suji), 9-196 (N Odhiambo), 10-199 (P Ongondo).

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CBCE Bowling:

A Voges.......................10-2-25-3

D Doran......................10-0-25-1

T Paine........................4-0-24-0

B Drew.........................7-0-38-0

B Hilfenhaus................8-1-29-3

A Finch.......................5.1-0-22-3

C Ferguson...................2-0-24-0.

Trounced

Another serving of humble pie was doled out to Kenya yesterday as a team including many of our potential squad for the World Cup was handed a belting by the visiting acadamy side from Australia. Losing the toss, we were put in to bat on a wicket that is a batsman's nightmare in the morning. Only Kennedy Obuya (44) and stand-in captain Thomasa Odoyo (36) troubled the scorers as Kenya were bundled out for 143 in 43 of the allocated 50 overs. Edmilson was the pick of the visiting bowlers with figures of 7.1-0-20-3.

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In reply, the CBCE openers T Paine (66*) and S Marsh (70*) raced to the total in a mere 28.3 overs handing Kenya their worst defeat so far this year. While the pitch may be a bowler's paradise in the morning, there can really be no hiding behind excuses. We were handed a thrashing and something must be done to teach the batsmen to excercise patience, to build innings and partnerships and the importance of batting out the full 50 overs. Not that the latter would have helped looking at yesterday's scores. It is a real shame that our bowlers are not getting the chance they need to show their worth.

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I suppose the one bit of good news from the match was Kennedy Obuya getting into the runs again. His 44 may have taken 78 balls, but highlights the importance of staying at the crease and playing oneself into form. Hopefully he will be able to build on this innings over the next couple of games and restore his confidence and form fully.

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SCORECARD:

Kenya innings:

K. Obuya..............................44
M.Ouma................................0
T. Suji....................................5
M. Patel................................18
T. Mishra..............................12
C. Obuya................................0
T. Odoyo...............................36
R. Patel...................................1
N. Odhiambo........................8
P. Ongondo...........................0
H. Varaiya.............................0
Total..all..out..43 overs......143
143 all out in 43 overs

F of W 1-2, 2-11, 3-54, 4-80, 5-80, 6-115, 7-120, 8-140, 9-140, 10-143

CBCE Bowling:
Sullivan........9-1-25-2
Edmilson......7.1-0-20-3
Drew.............6-2-22-1
C Bailey........10-2-31-2
Vogel.............8-1-24-2
G bailey........2-0-13-0

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CBCE Innings:
T Paine...........................66*
S Marsh...........................70*
28.3 overs
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Kenya Bowling:
T. Odoyo............6-1-28-0
P Ogondo...........7-0-31-0
N Odhiambo.....5-0-29-0
H.Variaya..........6-0-19-0
R. Patel..............3.3-0-21-0
C. Obuya.............1-0-15-0
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A horrible thing to publish that - here's hoping the weekend brings different results.

Players For Winter Training Camp Confirmed

Kenya's four players selected to go to the Winter Training Camp in Pretoria, South Africa have all verbally confirmed their availability. All the players selected are expected to play a role for Kenya in the upcoming World Cup, but are also all players with plenty of years ahead of them in which to make use of the skills learnt. This was a major factor in their selection as Kenya look to life beyond West Indies 2007.

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Hiren Vayaiya (22), Maurice Ouma (23), Nehemiah Odhiambo (23) & Tanmay Mishra (19) have all represented Kenya this year and, with the exception of Ouma have all given glimpses of their potential. It is good to see the Kenyan selectors going for players that will not only play for us in the Windies, but whom may well form the backbone of the team over the next decade.

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Mishra is at 19 the youngest of the players selected, but he is also perhaps the one from whom most is expected. Despite his age, he has shown maturity with the bat against almost all of Kenya's opponents so far this year. While he has not yet made a half century in an ODI, he has come close and his average of 25.33 is one that should rise over the coming year once he convinces himself he can get past this milestone. He went some way to realising his true potential with an unbeaten 83 against Canada in the first innings of the Intercontinental Cup and one imagines was an almost automatic choice for a spot. Should get a lot out of this opportunity.

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Hiren Varaiya also came to the fore against Canada where he took 3/27 on debut in the Intercontinental Cup and followed it up with 4/25 on his ODI debut. Unlike Mishra, his average of 11.71, economy of 3.51 and strike rate of 20 may all suffer as he comes up against stiffer opposition, but he has the potential to also develop into a match winner for us. He has been working recently on taking more wickets rather than worrying overly about his economy and it certainly worked against Canada. I am not sure why he was left out against Bangladesh, but it is great to see him given this chance to improve his game. He has a very professional approach, so should derive maximum benefit from the camp.

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Nehemiah Odhiambo was one of the three Kenyans who attended last year's camp, and surprised many by returning with the greatest improvement. With a strike rate of 53.5 in ODIs and an economy of 5.21, there is still plenty of room for improvement, but his first class average of 16.28 and economy of 3.95 give some indication as to what he is capable of. Nehemiah really came into his own this year with 5/54 against Canada in the Intercontinental Cup and will be hoping this camp has a similar effect on him in his second year. If it does, he could develop into a very useful bowler indeed for Kenya.

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Maurice Ouma is the oldest player being sent by Kenya and the one with the greatest need to make the most of it. This time last year, he was in fine form as Kenya thumped Zimbabwe A, but little has gone right for him recently. Potentially a long-term replacement for Kennedy Obuya, he needs to regain his confidence in his ability and learn the concentration needed to survive as an opener. He will also need to make some big strides in his wicketkeeping if he is to claim that position as his own. His selection in the four an indication of the selector's faith that he can do both. Hossain Ayob once described him as a star in the making, let's hope the camp helps realise that somewhat sidetracked potential.

Kenya Tour Dates To Uganda Released

Kenya's rumoured tour to Uganda is now confirmed for the end of next month with three ODIs and a 3-day game all scheduled to take place at the Lugogo oval. Kenya are due to arrive in Kampala on Thursday 21st September and play back to back One Dayers on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th. There is then a day's break before the final One Dayer on the Tuesday. The 3-day match will be played over the following weekend, starting on Friday 29th and concluding on Sunday October 1st.

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This is a great step for Kenyan, and indeed Ugandan cricket and can only be good for cricket in the region. As I said in an earlier post, the rise of Tanzania and Uganda is a golden opportunity for Kenya and with today's announcement, it looks like the administrators are keen to grab hold of it. Especially pleasing is seeing the 3-day match included. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first multi-day game that has been organised between Associates without the ICC being the driving force. It is a definite step towards improving the quality of cricket for both national teams and credit to both Cricket Kenya and the Ugandans for taking this initiative. May it be the first of many similar.

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I am not yet sure what strength squad Kenya will send, but with the Bermuda visit drawing ever closer, one would like to see many of the players expected to play in that series make the trip to Kampala. Already, the national team includes a fair proportion of youngsters and tours like this one to Uganda are the perfect way to prepare them for tougher matches ahead. Also, Uganda have proved that they are better than our A team and warrant a crack at our national side in at least some of the matches as a result. It will be an interesting tour not only in terms of team selection, but cricketing wise as well. For Kenya, we must come back with a victory in the One-day series as well as the 3-day match. Unless it is our A team sent, anything else will cause some serious questions to be asked.

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In due course I will do a preview of the tour, but for the time being I think we can begin to look forward to a really good period of growth in cricket within the region. Hopefully the national media will take note of this tour and increase awareness amongst the general population as a result. Today is a good day for Kenyan cricket.

Cricket In The Wild

Cricket will be played in one of the most beatiful, if unlikely of locations this weekend as Ol Pejeta Conservancy play host to Kenya’s first ever “10:10” cricket tournament. Organised to raise funds for the conservancy, the event kicks off on Friday 1st and continues over Saturday and Sunday. The following is an edited version of the press release from the organisers:

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There are a total number of seven teams; they will be split into two leagues with each team required to play at least three games.

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All teams are required to raise a minimum of KSh: 100,000 sponsorship. All funds will go towards the Ol Pejeta community assistance programme. This programme assists local people in the development of health and education services, water and road infrastructure, eco-tourism based enterprise and agricultural extension. Ol Pejeta conservancy works to conserve wildlife, provide a sanctuary for great apes and to generate income through wildlife, tourism and complementary enterprise for reinvestment in conservation and community development
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The first game is scheduled to start at 12.00pm on Friday the 1st, and we hope to complete the tournament no later than 14.40hrs on Sunday 3rd, followed by a prize giving ceremony which includes the team that raised most sponsorship, the winning tournament team and the most humorous “sledgers”.

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Spectators are welcome for the duration of the event at a nominal charge of KSh: 500 per vehicle or aircraft to be put towards the Ol Pejeta community assistance programme. Ol Pejeta will provide shade structures and limited chairs, players and spectators should bring there own chairs if possible. General facilities include a comprehensive cash bar at the pitch side, food outlet (selling burgers, hot-dogs, bacon sandwiches, samosas etc cash basis) and toilets. On Saturday entertainment for children will be provide in the form of a bouncy castle, face painting, a magic man and acrobats and on Saturday the East African Womens League will be providing a BBQ lunch featuring Ol Pejeta beef.

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Kenya has a great tradition of such sporting events that raise money for charity. Some of the better known are the Lewa Marathon, The Rhino Charge and Diani Rules. It is great to see cricket joining the party and helping make our nation just that little bit better. For those who would like to know more, you can visit the website. I may also look at posting the schedule here tomorrow as well if I get time.

Kericho Win First Akshar Semi-Final

Eldoret met league winners Kericho at the NCA ground on Sunday for the first semi-final of the Akshar League. Akshar A meet Akshar B next week to decide the other finalist. Kericho won the toss and had no hesitation in electing to bat on a warm, sunny day. Both teams have the same aggressive approach to the game, so it was always on the card that the team winning the toss would try to put a big total on the board to put pressure on the opposition.

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Tejas gave Eldoret an excellent start bowling a great first 5 overs. He bowled Dipu with an slower off cutter delivery and next ball beat Jignesh for pace with an out swinger that was edged to the keeper who dropped a lollypop. Eldoret will be rueing the decision to field a novice wicketkeeper in the semi-finals as Jignesh then went on a rampage. He hit six 6s and twelve 4s on his way to 124 not out from 103 balls. In the end, it was only fatigue that could put the brakes on and he was forced to retire. Despite Eldoret managing to remove several of the other Kericho batsmen cheaply, Jignesh's century - the first of the tournament, meant that Kericho went into the break with a total of 234 all out.

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Eldoret's reply got off to a disasterous start with both openers caught on the boundary trying to make an early dent in the required run rate. It was a situation they were never able to climb out of, and though Bhavin made a fighting 36 late on in the innings, it was too little too late as Kericho bowled them out for 119 to secure their place in the finals. Man of the match Jignesh chipping in with 3 wickets to add to his superb batting effort.

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Eldoret, who forfeited two matches during the league stage may now be regretting that they did not play and wishing they had got themselves into a position to play either of the Akshar teams instead. Kericho have two weeks to prepare for the final which will most likely be against Akshar A. A great effort by them, and if Sunday was anything to go by, they will go into that match as red hot favourites.

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SCORECARD:

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Kericho Innings:
Dipu.................Bowled..............Tejas.............00
Pinakin............Bowled...............Rakesh..........25
Jignesh............Retired....................................124*
Dipesh Praj.....Bowled..............Vishal.............13
Virag...............Ct..Dharmesh....Tejas..............15
Lalji.................Ct..Dharmesh....Tejas.............00
Akshay.............Bowled..............Ketan.............02
Nitesh.............Ct..Yogesh..........Bhavin...........19
Dilpesh............Bowled...............Vishal............00
Vipul...............Run Out....................................01
Rashmi...........Not Out.....................................00
Extras................................................................35
Total......All...Out..............................................234
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Eldoret Innings:
Chetan............Ct..Virag.............Pinakin.........00
Tejas...............Ct..Virag.............Pinakin.........04
Ketan..............Bowled................Nitesh...........07
Dharmesh......Ct..Dipesh...........Nitesh...........07
Vishall.............Run Out...................................00
Rakesh............Ct..Lalji...............Rashmi..........13
Nikunj............Bowled................Jignesh.........00
Bhavin............Ct..Dipesh..........Jignesh..........36
Ritesh.............Ct..&..B................Rashmi.........11
Swapnesh.......Bowled................Jignesh.........00
L.Vekaria........Bowled................Rashmi.........00
Extras.................................................................41
Total...All...Out.................................................119

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Note: Not sure why 11 wickets seem to have been taken by Kericho. I can only assume one of the latter ones was in fact not out.

Cricket In the Press

Both the Standard and Nation today carry cricket stories which is nice to see.

Richard Mwangi in the Nation concentrates on the Super Division clash between Kanbis and Nairobi Gymkhana which Kanbis went on to win by 28 runs. Odoyo and Jadavji Jesani the main contributors with the bat for Kanbis. Several youngsters on the fringes of the national team get a mention, as does Ravindu Shah who managed 7. Judging by the Standard's report however, he is still a while away from match fitness, so no need to read too much into that.

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Oscar Pilipili's article makes a big deal of Ravindu not being included in the squad to face the visiting Australians, but it seems like a fair call to me. He was called up for training to guage his fitness which was deemed insufficient to play for the national team. Not surprising considering he was out for the best part of two years and has only played three domestic matches since returning. Given time, he will no doubt make his way back into the team, but he must be in the correct shape to do so otherwise his inclusion will do neither him nor the Kenyan team any good. According to the article, Roger Harper says he has been working hard to improve the concentration levels at the top of the order. I certainly hope so, as the lack of runs in that department has become a real worry. No doubt we shall see how effective he has been come Thursday.

Kenya Team To Play Australian Development Side

Kenya selectors have named the side to take on The Commonwealth Centre Of Excellence team from Australia in three One Day matches starting on Thursday. The second and third matches will be layed over the weekend with all matches to be hosted by Nairobi Gymkhana. Kenya look to be fielding a fairly strong team with many of the players selected already this year either keeping their spots or making a return.

Steve Tikolo will be captain assisted by the on-form Thomas Odoyo who was in fine form for Kanbis again over the weekend. Other players included in the team are:
Kennedy Obuya - probably on his wicketkeeping form rather than his batting which we all hope will return to what it used to be.
Tony Suji - Returns after missing out against Bangladesh.

Tanmay Mishra.
Collins Obuya.
Peter Ongondo.
Nehemiah Odhiambo
Maurice Ouma - showed signs against Bangladesh that he might be improving. Will be a good learning experience for him.
Malhar Patel.
Hiren Variaya - great to see him back in the side. In my opinion should never have been dropped against Bangladesh.
David Obuya - recalled after being dropped following an ordinary start to the year.
Alfred Luseno.
Rakheb Patel.

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Interesting to see Suji and David Obuya getting a recall. So far, I am not aware that either has done that well in the NPCA league and I would have thought this would be a perfect opportunity to give a real go to some of the youngsters like Ashish Karia and Timothy Muange who have been hovering on the sidelines, but never really given a decent chance. It is good to see Rakheb Patel included for the first time as it looks like he can bat a bit as well as bowl. Luseno, Ouma, Malhar Patel, Odhiambo, Mishra and Variaya are all youngsters that have potential but need more exposure, so great to see them in the side. Lets hope they are able to learn from the experience and make the selectors take note ahead of Kenya's next full International series which will be against Bermuda in November.

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This will be a tough series for Kenya as the Australian visitors include many who are tipped as future Australian Internationals. They play a tough brand of cricket, and it will do our youngsters the World of good to be exposed to it. All credit to those who organised this visit, and all the best to the team.

Cricket Kenya's Website

The following is a transcript from my email to the site administrators. I think it speaks for itself about my thoughts on the Official site for Kenyan cricket:

Why is the Website not being updated?
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5 ODI's have been played by Kenya since the site was last updated.
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There is no news on the domestic front, despite Nairobi, Nakuru and Mombasa leagues all playing over the weekend.
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There is no news on junior development.
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For this site to be a success, it must be kept up to date. Otherwise, it is a waste of resources.

A Golden Opportunity

East African Cricket On The Rise

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Tanzania's resounding victory in the WCL Africa Div 2 (Associates) championship recently completed in Dar es Salaam means that both of the African representatives to the WCL World Div 3 (Associates) will be Kenya's neighbours. Uganda had already qualified through ICC ranking system when the divisions were first set up. To be played in Los Angeles early next year, the Div 3 tournament gives two teams the opportunity to progress to Division 2, from which the first to fourth teams go through to the 2011 World Cup Qualifier Tournament to be held in 2009.

In LA, Tanzania and Uganda will line up against:

Cayman Islands
Fiji
Hong Kong
Italy
Papua New Guinea
USA

A resurgent USA may feel themselves favourites for the tournament on home soil, but with the right preparation, there is no reason why the two East African teams could not finish first and second.

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This is where Kenya must step in. Aside from regional loyalty, it is in our interests to see our two immediate neighbours get stronger. Already Uganda are able to beat our A team and before long may be giving our national squad good competition as well. If Tanzania continue to improve, which considering most of their team are under 20, should happen, we could get to the stage where Kenya can play competetive matches against both our immediate neighbours. This will not only mean we can all prepare for major tournaments better and cheaper, but it should also mean that interest in the game will pick up locally. There is nothing like a local derby to get people interested in a game.

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Kenya needs to make the most of the opportunity provided by having two improving neighbours. We need to organise further events like the Atul Shah Tournament where our A team plays both Uganda and Tanzania. More importantly, we need to organise to play them at the longer form of the game as well. Regular matches between the three nations played over 4 days will ultimately not only significantly strengthen all the national sides, but should also start to build a strong fan base as the rivalries develop. Both are vital if sides from the region are each going to take the next step up from their respective positions.

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With the rise of Tanzanian and Ugandan cricket, Kenya has a golden opportunity to lead the region forward and strengthen ourselves as a result. This must not be allowed to go to waste. If handled correctly, there is no reason why the East African region cannot by 2009 have all 3 teams vying for a place in the 2011 World Cup. A note of warning however: Uganda and Tanzania have got where they are today by setting up impressive youth systems. If Kenya does not emulate or better these, then we will be looking at being overtaken. We must make the most of this opportunity to help take our neighbours forward, but need to ensure we also strive to improve ourselves to keep ahead of them.

Oshwal Win Junior Tournament

The Crown Berger Obuya junior cricket tournament was held for the first time this weekend at Nairobi Jafferys. I'm not sure how many teams took part, as the first I had heard about it was this report by Oscar Pilipili in the Standard. Judging by the names, it looks as though both girls and boys played in the teams. Nice to see also a good racial mix playing the game, something that can only bode well for the future.

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The article in the Standard goes into more detail of the tournament, but the final was won by Oshwal High who beat Nairobi Gymkhana. Again, I'm not sure of the ages of the players involved, but good to see junior cricket not only being played, but also reported in the press. What would be even better would be to see an official league or leagues set up to nurture the talent that is obviously there and give it the foundation needed to flourish.

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Already there are plenty of private schools who, at least at primary level, play their own leagues and produce players of a high calibre. What Cricket Kenya need to do is approach these schools with the aim of bringing them under one umbrella league that will bring together all junior cricket teams. Without knowing exact numbers, there would probably be enough schools playing in Nairobi alone for at least two if not three divisions, more if teams from further afield are included. With the staff and facilities they have, one would expect the club sides and private schools to dominate, certainly in the first few years. Playing them however would certainly raise the standard of many of the schools who are newer to cricket and it would also give selectors an idea of which players to watch for the future from the whole junior player base.

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September is normally the beginning of the cricket term in the private schools, so it may be too late this year, but there is no reason the groundwork cannot be done now and a couple of tournaments organised where the teams from different backgrounds are introduced to the idea. Kenya has plenty of cricket talent, we just need to find a way to grow it and funnel it through to senior level.

New Talent

Following 20-year old Khashif Rashid's efforts with the bat for Sir Ali 'B' against Jaffery's last weekend, comes the news that another Kenyan youngster is showing great potential in England. Seren Waters, son of National selector and Kongoni's co-ordinator and player David Waters, has set Surrey alight with his performances for their Under 16 and Under 17 teams. According to this report on cricinfo, Waters made 206* for Surrey U16s against Essex, and as a result was promoted to the U17s. He responded by making 139, then capped it off by leading Old Cranleighans to victory in the Brewers cup with 129.

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In a time when Kenya's batsmen have been struggling at the senior level, these big scores from youngsters are heartening news. Whatever level cricket is being played, making a century, or double century requires talent and concentration. To make three in a row like Waters, requires a great deal of both. If we can hold on to players that show this sort of form so young, the future may be brighter than most of us have felt over the last few weeks.

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Rashid, despite playing in the 3rd Division of the local league will certainly have made the national selectors take note. At a time when players are being considered to make the trip to South Africa for the Winter Training Camp, this is a timely knock. It is worth noting that the only two other players to have achieved this milestone in local cricket have been the two regarded by most as Kenya's best players over the last ten years. Steve Tikolo and Ravindu Shah have both made 200, but not at such a young age as Rashid. It will be interesting to see if he is promoted to the A team for Sir Ali's next match, they certainly could have done with his help last week.

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Waters, despite his youth, may also have to be considered for the training camp. England have a nasty habit of poaching promising youngsters from the Associate nations, and this must not be allowed to happen here. For one, it would be a great loss of talent, but it would also pose some difficult questions to Seren's father as a Kenyan selector. I do not know who the selectors are considering sending to the training camp, or for the upcoming series against Uganda and Bermuda, but they will find it hard to ignore upcoming talent after the recent performances of some of the senior players. Going into a World Cup year in which the Intercontinental Cup will also be expanded to a round-robin tournament, it is vital that we can start to bring through players that can produce the goods when needed.

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I am not advocating that we rush players like Waters and Rashid straight into the national team, but they need to be recognised and brought into the feeder system where they will get a chance to play with the national squad players in training. If they then have it what it takes, maybe they can then be given a chance either through the A team, or even the senior team. After all, Alex Kervezee is hardly any older than Waters and has already proven a great find for Dutch cricket.

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This weekend will see league cricket in all three main centres in Kenya and more youngsters will have the opportunity to make their mark with both bat and ball. For those that do, it is imperative that Cricket Kenya are soon able to provide a national competition where they can prove themselves against the established players. Until they do, we may continue to see the best players sitting on the sidelines as the national team persists with already unsuccessful experiments.