Bangladesh Reply

Over 31.

Odhiambo sacrificed for the last over and conceded a four off the first ball to give Bangladesh a comprehensive 6 wicket victory. On the whole not the result we hoped for from Kenya at all. Tomorrow needs to see a completely different approach from the batsmen if we are to be competetive. No idea as to what must be done with the openers, and Kamande should maybe swap places with Mishra or Obuya to give us some sort of momentum in terms of runs at the top of the order. Well done to the Tigers on bouncing back after Zimbabwe. Hopefully Kenya can do the same tomorrow.

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Over 30.
Ongondo a bit wayward, and Bangladesh having a crack at everything now. Only 3 runs required for Bangladesh now to make it five from five against Kenya this year. Back to the drawing board for the hosts and hopefully a better effort from the batsmen tomorrow!
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Over 29.
Bangladesh looking to finish this off. Asraful with a six, then Reza with a four. 12 off the over, and the end in sight for the visitors. Disappointing, but not unexpected after out poor batting display.
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Over 28.
Tikolo brings Ongondo back on. Asraful responds by driving the first ball of the over for 4. A second 2 balls later as Ongondo continues to stray down leg. 10 runs end up coming off the over, and Bangladesh are almost home and hosed.
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Over 27.
Reza seems to have decided it is time to finish this off. Three fours off the first 4 balls of the over give Bangladesh a further 12 runs. Variaya comes back well to finish with 2 dot balls. 37 runs required only now.
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Over 26.
An expensive one from Tikolo, conceding 8. Bangladesh now need less than 50 to complete the win.
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Over 25.
Good over from Hiren. Well pitched and flighted, his bowling deserves a wicket. Only one run from it, a good effort, though run rate is no longer a worry for Bangladesh (if it ever was!). Still, I hope he gets a wicket for his efforts, he seems to have adapted well.
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Over 24.
Tikolo into the attack. not the result that Variaya got - he goes for 5 in the first over including a boundary. Kenya desperately need a coule of quick wickets to stay in the game and avoid it becomming a formality.
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Over 23.
Variaya seems to be bowling well, but Reza still able to get him away for a four after Asraful got a single. Once again a reflection of how much different it would have been had we posted a decent total.
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Over 22.
Brings up the 100 for Bangladesh - via a wide. Could have been a good over from Odhiambo to put the new batsman under pressure. As it is, 2 wides of what should have been the final ball release some of it. 3 runs from the over - at least better than his last. A good comeback bar the wides.
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Over 21.
Hiren Variaya into the attack. A real test for him - notonly is he facing tougher opposition, but Kenya also are really in trouble. Immediate result. Saqibul Hasan is run out by short fine leg with a direct hit. While not Variaya's wicket as such, it should give him increased confidence. Good work by Kenya in the field (no word yet on the fielder). At least that gives us half a sniff of a glimmer of a chance.
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Over 20.
Odhiambo punished by Asraful with 12 runs coming from the over. Painful to see really. Hope to see the spinners in action soon. At least it will be a change.
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Over 19.
Again, a mainly good over, but Kenya punished by a boundary. Had we managed to post a decent target, Bangladesh would be under so much more pressure. At the moment, they can afford to wait for the bad delivery and punish it. Even though it is early, Tikolo maybe needs to bring himself or Variaya on to try to force a wicket.
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Over 18.
Odhiambo produced 5 decent balls, but Asraful is able to get him away for a boundary. Kenya badly need wickets as Bangladesh are cruising to victory at the moment.
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My two bits on what is going on during the remaining overs

Kenya On Back Foot

Firstly, my apologies for posting so late in the day. This is the first chance I have had to look at the game, and it is not a pretty sight to come home to. Once again, the question mark over Kenya's openers looms large. Maurice Ouma was brought back into the side to provide impetus at the beginning of the Kenyan innings. He did, but the wrong sort - falling for a duck and was followed suit by Kennedy Obuya not long after. 2/4 is always going to be a tough place to come back from, and Steve Tikolo's 47 could have done just that had Jimmy Kamande been able to support him. 5 From 41 however is not going to be enough in any ODI and with Kenya's top 3 falling for less than 10 runs each, we could feel lucky to even reach the 168 we did. Once again, Tanmay Mishra has provided a cause to move him up in the batting order. He is wasted at 7 when his strokemaking could be so better utilised at 3 or 5. So long as our top order continue to struggle, our lower order batsmen are going to come in under pressure. Once again, he did well, contributing 35 off 51, but should have been in earlier where he could have batted without feeling he was the last stand before the tail.

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At least we have struck back with 3 wickets so far, but with 70 runs of the 169 required already on the board, it is going to take a minor miracle for Kenya to come back from here. In truth, our front line bowlers are doing a good job, but the batsmen left them with far too little to bowl to. Hopefully, we can at least take a few more wickets and make it a competetive finish.

Your Players from the Canada Tour

Voting has now closed for your players for each match of the series. The results speak for themselves, so without further ado, here they are along with the points allocated by you towards the kenyacricket.com awards:

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Best Player From the Intercontinental Cup Match:

Nehemiah Odhiambo - 42% (3 Primary Points)

Collins Obuya - 22% (2 Primary Points)

Tanmay Mishra - 14 % (1 Primary Point)

Steve Tikolo - 11%

Hiren Variaya - 8%

Hitesh Modi - 3%

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Best Player From the 1st ODI:

Jimmy Kamande - 41% (3 Primary Points)

Steve Tikolo - 23% (1.5 Primary Points)

Hiren Variaya - 23% (1.5 Primary Points)

Tanmay Mishra - 14%

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Best Player From the 2nd ODI:

Hiren Variaya - 56% (3 Primary Points)

Steve Tikolo - 32% (2 Primary Points)

Peter Ongondo - 6% (1 Primary Point)

Brijal Pate - 3%

Kennedy Obuya - 3%

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Totalling all the votes from the three matches gived the following players as those you thought performed best on the tour:

Hiren Variaya - 29%

Steve Tikolo - 22%

Nehemiah Odhiambo - 14%

Jimmy Kamande - 14 %

Tanmay Mishra 9%

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Once the voting is in from the Bangladesh series, I will post the current standings in terms of the awards.

Ouma Recalled As Kenya Name Squad

Opening batsman Maurice Ouma has been recalled to the squad to face Bangladesh in the first ODI tomorrow. Ouma is named second in the list of 14 players behind Kennedy Obuya, to my reading a sign that the selectors are prepared to give him another chance. Brijal Patel, who opened in Canada is retained in the squad, but is listed 13th, an indication that he may sit Saturday's match at least on the sidelines. Timothy Muange, who made the trip to Canada but did not play, loses his place as does Tony Suji. Malhar Patel and Josephat Ababu are the other players brought in to make up the squad of 14.

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Ouma's inclusion is a brave move by the selectors and one I hope works not only for Kenya's sake in the series, but for Ouma as a player. So far this year in ODIs, he has made 3, 4 and 12 against Zimbabwe followed by 2 and 16 against Bangladesh. Bringing him back now against a team that obviously enjoyed bowling to him before is not only a huge gamble, but also a stern test of character. Let me get one thing clear: Ouma is a better batsman than his form for Kenya so far this year shows. He has the skill to come back, and has the potential to be a key player for Kenya in the future. If he performs this series, then all will be forgiven from earlier in the year, but if he doesn't it could do huge damage to his confidence for future series. I'm sure I am not alone among Kenyans in hoping that he can come good and give us the stability at the top of the order that will be so vital if we are going to be competetive.

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Ouma aside, it looks like we are going to go into tomorrow's game with the same line up that beat Canada. This is good news as it keeps together a winning combination, but also reassures the youngsters that they are trusted with an important job. Do not be surprised if one or more of them again prove their worth against the Tigers. Tanmay Mishra, Hiren Variaya and Nehemiah Odhiambo will again be asked to take a step up in performance levels and a good performance from them over the weekend will be almost as good as seeing a Kenyan win. Having juniors coming through, even though there has been little infastructure for them to build on, is great. Imagine what it could be like with a good feeder system in place.

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The full squad:

1. KENNEDY OBUYA

2. MAURICE OUMA

3. JIMMY KAMANDE

4. STEVE TIKOLO

5. HITESH MODI

6. COLLINS OBUYA

7. TANMAY MISHRA

8. THOMAS ODOYO

9. NEHEMIAH ODHIAMBO

10. PETER ONGONDO

11. HIREN VARAIYA

12. MALHAR PATEL

13. BRIJAL PATEL

14. JOSEPHAT ABABU

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My thanks to Nakeel for the info.

One Sleep To Go

No news yet on the team to take the field tomorrow, but Roger Harper has hinted at a shake up of the opening spots and the retention of the yougsters who did so well in Canada. In the meantime, I'll leave you with another picture courtesy of Rizwan Karim and Shaneabbas Merali. It is of Peter Ongondo charging in to bowl.

Pictures From Kenya vs Canada 1

Thanks to Rizwan Karim who took the picture and Shaneabbas who very kindly forwarded this and some other photos from the ODIs in Canada. Anyone who will be at Nairobi Gymkhana over the weekend and has a digital camera, the benchmark has been set...

I think this one was taken in between wickets. I have to say, I am a fan of the new strip. I think it looks much more professional than the previous one.

Kenya Team For Bangladesh ODIs To Be Selected Today

It has been very rare in recent times to see cricket take the leading story in any of the countries dailies. That Kenya's team would be selected today has done so in today's Nation is a big step forward and hopefully a sign of things to come. According to this article on Tiger Cricket, over 20 reporters and journalists turned out to watch the Bangladesh training session at Ruaraka. Finally, it seems that cricket is beginning to be taken a bit more seriously by the Kenyan media, and that is fantastic news for Kenyan cricket. It will mean more people reading and learning about the game, and hopefully that will turn itself into more fans at matches and players taking up the game next season.

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Of course for the game to really take off, the national team needs to be seen to perform well. Victories in the two ODIs in Canada will have raised expectations, especially among those who are fairly new to following the game and do not yet understand its heirachy. Many of them will expect a winning series against Bangladesh which, as those who understand more about the game know, is a big ask. Still, with the right team selected, it is possible that we could give the visitors some trouble, so whom are the selectors likely to go with?

Obvious selections after the tour to Canada are:

Steve Tikolo. Captain and talisman. a good series from him will be vital if we are to be competetive.

Thomas Odoyo. V.capt. not at his best at the moment, but still easily our top choice opening bowler. An automatic choice along with Peter Ongondo. Hopefully the latter can continue to improve and take wickets.

Tanmay Mishra. Developing well and will be a regular starter for quite some time I would think.

Nehemiah Odhiambo. Canada were an easier side to bowl to than Bangladesh will be, but he showed more than enough to warrant selection.

Hiren Variaya. Bowled beautifully in Canada on debut. A sterner test against the Tigers, but could well give them some trouble on his home turf.

Collins Obuya. Really improving as a batsman and enjoyed his two innings against Bangladesh previously.

Jimmy Kamande, His 68 in the first ODI was marred by his duck in the second, but is probably still enough to warrant a place.

Hitesh Modi. Experienced and due for a big score for Kenya. enjoys playing Bangladesh.

This leaves the two openers spots to fill, again a problem for the selectors. Kennedy Otieno will probably be retained, and after their stand of 46 for the first wicket in the last ODI, the selectors may be tempted to keep Patel in there as well. A difficult choice as there are not many options to replace him with. Muange was not given a chance in Canada despite Patel failing in the first ODI, so hardly likely to be picked this time around. Ouma looks like he may be getting back into form in the NPCA comp, but was terrorised by Bangladesh last time, and it would likely do irreparable damage to his confidence should the same happen again. It will be an interesting choice for the selectors and good luck to whoever they select. It has been a long time since the whole Kenyan team fired, but maybe with stability and home ground advantage, this could be the series.

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Those of you who are in Nairobi and haven't yet booked your tickets, get a move on and be there this weekend at Nairobi Gymkhana to support the team. It could make all the difference.

Bangladesh Confident

Bangladesh had their first training session at Ruaraka ground yesterday and coach Dav Whatmore was upbeat about his teams chance against Kenya in the three upcoming ODIs. While unhappy with his side's loss to Zimbabwe, he gave credit for the way the team adapted to the different conditions and expected more of the same when they face Kenya in the first match on Saturday.

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The Tigers have made no secret of their disappointment with the loss in Zimbabwe and will be coming to Kenya looking for a big series win to restore the wavering faith of their fans. Kenya need to beware of this, as a wounded side are often the most dangerous. It could however play into our favour as it does increase the already high expectations on the Bangladeshi players. From Kenya's view this is a good thing. After all, many expected Bangladesh to come home from Zimbabwe having won 5-0. It may have been the pressure, it may have been the conditions, it may have been that Zimbabwe played better than expected, most likely it was a combination of all three that made them lose the series, but the important factor is that they did, and there is no reason why Kenya can not also cause an upset or two.

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Our team are due back into the country today, so it will actually be Bangladesh who have the better warm up before the series, but we are playing at home, and Whatmore knows that this can be a real boost, after all, it was his Sri Lankan side we defeated in Nairobi to qualify for the second round of the World Cup. A lot has gone on for Kenyan cricket since then, a lot of it bad. How fitting it would be if this series was the one where we showed that we have come the full circle.

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Bangladesh have every right to be confident after their 4-0 whitewash the last sides met, but Kenya are a stronger team than they were then and have more in the armoury to upset their party. Only 3 sleeps to go...

Sir Ali B Too Good For Ruaraka

Sir Ali went into the game in high spirits having won comfortably last week's fixture. Ruaraka won the toss and put Sir Ali to bat on a moving, damp wicket. Sir Ali were on the backfoot early on as their two openers, Asif Khan and Akbar got out with the scores at 12. Amazingly, the match was started without an umpire though Joshua Oyieko finally showed up after the two batsmen were out. From then on, Sir Ali took the game to Ruaraka with Abdul Rehman and Kashif Khan playing sensibly and taking the score from 2/12 to 64 before Khashif was out on 25 attempting a shot over midwicket only to get caught by the wicketkeeper and in the process breaking his bat! Abdul, who seems to be in very good form and Nadeem Butt then upped the run rate before Nadeem was bowled for a very good 41. Tariq Alvi chipped in with a quick 27. The Ruaraka bowlers bowled relatively well, especially the opening pair of Ritesh and Nguru, with the latter very unlucky not to get a wicket. Ritesh finished with 5 wickets, a great effort from him. Abdul went on to make a fine 125 and take Sir Ali to an imposing 263 all out from only 43 overs. Ruaraka will be relieved that they were able to bowl them out before the full 50. Despite the total, Sir Ali missed the full 4 batting points by only 12 runs. Asked to bowl at least 5 overs before the lunch break, Sir Ali took full advantage when Ali Rehman removed Nguru. This seemed to affect the Ruaraka team and none of the batsmen really shone. Ali Rehman bowled well to finish with three wickets. Although Sir Ali were put under pressure early on by the Ruaraka batsman-wicketkeeper, Ramesh, who punished Sir Ali opening bowler Tariq Alvi, Sir Ali never let go of the game. They took wickets at regular intervals and thus put pressure on the Ruaraka batsmen. With the introduction of Abdul Rehman who took 4 wickets for only 7 runs, Sir Ali won the game easily. Ruaraka had one batsman who was injured so they scored 83 for the loss of 9 wickets.
It will be interesting to see Sir Ali next week when Abdul Rehman plays for the A team.

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My thanks for this report. If you a player in the NPCA league, and would like to see your match report on the site, please send me an email.

Report On ICC Umpires Seminar For East Africa 29-30 July 2006

Below is the report on the recent umpires seminar in Nairobi. It speaks for itself, so I have left it pretty much as sent to me with just one or two ammendments for brevity's sake. It sounds like a great success:

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Sponsored By: ICC (Hoosain Ayob’s Office – Africa)
Organized By: Cricket Kenya (Tom Tikolo)
Coordinator/Conductor: Subhash Modi
Venue: Nairobi Club
Theme: Achieving the dream - Success comes through commitment and hard work (based on recent ICC Umpires Seminar for ICC Associate / Affiliate
Umpires – held in Dubai).
Accommodation: Nairobi Club (provided to all the visiting delegates outside Nairobi).
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The two days ICC Cricket Umpires Seminar organized by Cricket Kenya was held at Nairobi Club during the weekend of 29th and 30th July 2006.
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In Attendance:
Tom Tikolo - Chief Executive Officer – Cricket Kenya
Samir Inander - Chairman – Cricket Kenya & ICC Official
Abdul Sattar - Chairman – KCUESA
Asif Karim - Former Kenya Cricket Captain
Subhash Modi - ICC Associate/Affiliate International Panel Umpire (Kenya)

Aliya Baurer - Member of KCU&SA
David Odhiambo - Member of KCU&SA
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The following Umpires were invited by ICC Regional Development Manager for Africa, Hoosain Ayob through the respective countries Cricket Associations/Boards:
Kyambadde Baker Mande - Uganda
Mukasa Benjamin Semivure - Uganda
Kamala David - Uganda
Makumbi Patrick Musoke - Uganda
Onesmo Mwenzi - Tanzania
Lucy Silas Mayunga - Tanzania
Paul Bakuru - Rwanda
Byiringiro Emanuel - Rwanda
Kutub Gulamabbas - Kenya
Rockie D’Mello - Kenya
Hemant Desai - Kenya
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Introductions:
The welcome address done by Tom Tikolo: Important role played by the Umpires in East Africa and the neighbouring countries.

Tom expected all the delegates to enhance their Umpiring knowledge during the seminar and also exchange the finer points on Umpiring matters among the delegates and the Seminar Conductor. Tom emphasized the vital role played by the Regional Umpires and hoped that meaningful and fruitful exchange of ideas on Umpiring, its promotion and development would be focal points of this important and educative seminar.

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Hoosain Ayob’s goodwill message was read and was appreciated by all. All the delegates appreciated his goodwill message and his unending efforts to promote not only the noble game of cricket in Africa, but also the upcoming and promising Umpires to the higher level through the respective boards.
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Abdul Sattar shared the Umpires’ experiences and the vital role played by Kenya Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association since 1958. He paid tribute to many Kenya Cricket Umpires and scorers who represent and represented the country in various ICC Cricket Tournaments. His Umpiring experiences and role played by the Association was well presented.
Abdul Sattar highlighted his personal umpiring experience since 1974 and the challenges he and Kenyan umpires faced since then. The present membership of the Association (KCU&SA) is :-
Umpires:-
Life Members...............13
Full Members ..............35
Associate Members......5
Ordinary Members.......9
Hon. Member................1
Scorers:-
Full Members...............11
Associate.......................6
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Abdul Sattar further highlighted important roles played by many umpires/members of KCU&SA in other cricketing bodies such as Anil Sarkar, Harilal Shah, Jackie Janmohammed, Late Robie Armstrong, Sunil Sarkar, Mahmood Quraishy, Sukhbans Singh, Tom Tikolo, B.C. Patel.
He gave accounts of players unacceptable behaviour on the field of play and the qualities of good umpires. Abdul Sattar had opportunities of meeting many cricketing personalities and thanked the delegates and officials on the main table for listening to his presentation.

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Aasif Karim – the former Kenya Cricket Captain congratulated Hoosain Ayob, ICC, Cricket Kenya, Tom Tikolo, Samir Inamdar and Subhash Modi for sterling efforts to organize this ICC Umpring Seminar which brought Umpires from the different countries to Kenya to better their Umpiring skills and exchange ideas. He highlighted the Umpires relationship with the captains, players, coaches and officials. He shared his wisdom and valuable experience and highly praised the role played by the unsung heroes “Umpires”
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Aasif recalled that during his childhood he used to observe the ugly incidents of violence after the matches if some Umpires decisions were not accepted by the team and supporters. Discussion between players and umpires were then regarded as negative compared to their positivity these days. The game changed as the years passed where communication improved between the umpires and players as the spirit of the game has been observed. This has made it positive and it is getting better all round. Obviously, T.V. has played an important role where we see the communication being more relaxed even during a match between the umpires, captains and players. It is good to see that the umpires are also encouraging it, after all umpires are also human beings with a conscience and seen to do a good job when the task is not very easy but thankless. Umpires are praised for good work and they should accept criticism for their mistakes. Finally, he congratulated Samir Inamdar for his recent election to the ICC Board and appealed to all interested to work together to take Kenya cricket back to where it belonged – at the highest level.
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Captains play a very important role on the ground and a healthy relationship with umpires is encouraged. Aasif admires and respects Umpires for the tough job they do and remarked that the game would not be the same without them.

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Samir Inamdar, Chairman of Cricket Kenya and ICC official was honored to be invited to this exciting and prestigious seminar. Samir was delighted to see delegates from different counties. This seminar is good for sharing and gaining knowledge. Samir Inmadar briefly highlighted his election to the ICC board on 4th July 2006 and his attendance at an ICC Technical Committee the next day. He said the committee was comprised of yester-years great cricketers and they have respect and support for the umpires. The technical committee voted out the 3 appeals per innings for each side to be experimented on the next championship trophy. Surely, this protected the spirit of the game and also the authority of the Umpires.
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Samir Inamder also highlighted the procedures of the appointments of the umpires in the ICC and also the procedures of the appointments by Cricket Kenya. He advised the delegates to improve the standard of umpiring throughout the region by their own initiative and to try to umpire as professionals. Umpires have to work together to uplift the image of the game in this part of the world. The game cannot develop without good umpires. At the international level, umpires are playing a major role as the official confirmations are that they have 93% of their decisions right and only 7% wrong. We have to give our best and support the game and also maintain good relationships with the cricket board as our needs and recommendations can be considered for the betterment of the game. He would like to see more umpires climbing up the ladders. Cricket Kenya is accountable and transparent and they are encouraging the Kenya Cricketers to form their own association and would soon have an umpire on their technical committee to support umpiring matters. Cricket Kenya recently sent Lalji Bhudia to attend the ICC Umpires Seminar in South Africa. Samir congratulated Subhash for his recent elevation to ICC Associate/Affiliate International Panel Umpire. Samir confirmed that Modi has been selected by the ICC to officiate the Kenya-Bangladesh series with India’s Umpire Hariharan. The match referee will be from Srilanka., Roshan Mahanama.
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Cricket Kenya would like to see improvement in the umpiring standards and also their relationship with the respective cricketing bodies in Kenya. We have seen the darkest cricketing period in our country, but somehow we are overcoming and are likely to see major changes for the betterment of the game in future. Remember, we all are responsible for our own actions! Finally, Samir wished all the delegates a rewarding, fruitful and mind blowing seminar.

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Aliya Baurer and David Odhiambo highlighted umpires relationship with the third team (scorers) and Aliya also presented her papers to the delegates.
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On the first day of the seminar, all the delegates traveled to Nairobi Gymkhana “lords of Kenya” and visited the cricket ground. Some felt it was great honor for them to be at the international venue. Some fieldcraft and technical skills were discussed.
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On Sunday, an umpiring video by John Holder was shown to the delegates and ICC Presentations on the Dubai Seminar were shown on both days. Fruitful and knowledgeable discussions took place among the delegates and to their satisfaction.
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Training Resources and Expectations of Panel Members in their own countries:
1. No country including Kenya has Umpiring Training Resources.
2. No country including Kenya have their own panel of graded / first class umpires – except one that is provided to the board on request and the final authority is the board for the representative and first class matches. There is need to have umpiring training resources in East Africa and Rwanda i.e. also has the list of the National panel of Umpires.
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What umpires decided they need from the regional development manager – ICC Africa to make the East Africa umpires Successful:
1. All present felt that with the blessings of the Regional Development Manager for Africa, we should from a panel of East African Umpires.
2. Need for more seminars of this magnitude.
3. All the respective countries should support each other and not work against each other. We must have African unity.
4. Umpires must be motivated by more opportunities.
5. Like Kenya – Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda delegates felt there is an urgent need to have their own umpires and scorers association. These independent associations will take care of the welfare of their own umpiring and scorers and some financial assistance be given. As the game is growing in Africa, we need more quality umpires and scorers. Welfare of the umpires and scorers will be taken seriously by formation of independent umpiring and scorers association in Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda and their neighbouring countries.
6. Contact of the Regional Development Manager
7. Request for the following materials:
- Umpiring literature
- Books on laws
- Updates of laws
- Reference copies of reports filed by umpires on indiscipline grounds etc.
- Videos and CDs
- Questionnaires
- Exams and trials
- Refresher courses
- Assessment reports
- More first class matches
- Relationship between associations
- Website for African region.
By Cricket Kenya Umpires and Scorers Association – Coast Branch
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Subhash Modi in his final remarks said that he was honoured and delighted to be the seminar co-coordinator / conductor and he thoroughly enjoyed his experience and involvement. Modi was pleased to share his knowledge which he gained from the past two ICC Seminars in Malaysia and Dubai. He was grateful to Hoosain Ayob and Ruweida Kandan for their guidance and also thanked them for their ever willing support and assistance.
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Modi personally thanked Cricket Kenya, in particular Tom Tikolo for his great help in organizing the seminar and also Samir Inmander for his continued support. He also expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to the following:
- Nairobi club for the use of their facilities and especially Charles (Asst. Food and Beverage Manager)
- ICC office, especially Chris Briers, Dough Cowie and Darrell Hair for all the seminar presentations on PowerPoint and timely assistance for the seminar.
- Alan Tuffery (Ireland Umpire) for the use of his book on umpiring.
- Local media & Nick Deverell(Australia)
- Nairobi Gymkhana for the use of the club’s facilities.
- Ogilvy Group for the use of laptop and LCD projector.
- All facilitators – Ms Aliya Baurer, Messrs Tom Tikolo, Samir Inamdar, Abdul Sattar, Aasif Karim, David Odhiambo for excellent and wonderful presentations, all delegates from Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya for their excellent participation and valuable contribution. We would not achieved success without the input from the concerned and the team work.
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All delegates enjoyed the umpires seminar and wonderful hospitality with thanks to Hoosain Ayob, ICC, Cricket Kenya, Samir Inamdar, Tom Tikolo and Subhash Modi – A great feeling indeed!

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Tom Tikolo in his closing remarks thanked ICC, Hoosain Ayob, Samir Inamdar, all the facilitators delegates and the conductor, Subhash Modi for conducting the Seminar successfully for the benefit of the regional delegates who are expected to share the knowledge gained to their fellow colleagues in the respective countries. “Work hard and achieve your goals and dreams” and wished them a safe journey back home.
The Seminar ended with a word of prayers.

MSC Win Coast 6-a-Side

Eight teams took part in the CCA curtain raising event on Sunday, but only 5 clubs were represented as MSC put in 3 teams and Coast Gymkhana 2. Played in a knockout format, the first round saw Coast Gymkhana 'A' take on Shree Cutchi Lewa Patel Sports Club, Coast Gymkhana 'B' vs. MSC 'B', MSC 'C' vs. Simba Union Msa and Burhani S.C vs. MSC 'A'.

All three MSC teams went through to the next round along with Gymkhana 'A'. In the first Semi final, Gymkhana accounted for MSC 'B' while MSC 'A' easily disposed of their 'C' team.

A close final saw MSC 'A' earn their first trophy of the season, pipping Gymkhana by just 7 runs. As well as the winner and runner up, trophies were awarded to:

Best Batsman: Stewart Kayne - Coast Gymkhana A.

Best Bowler - Arjun Bhatia - Mombasa Sports Club B

Best Youngster - Adrash Sawjani - Coast Gymkhana.

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Results:

Coast Gymkhana 'A' vs. Shree Cutchi Lewa Patel Sports Club:
SCLPS batted first scoring 3/35 in 5 Overs
Suresh 15 (Ret), Shanti Pindoria 9. Stewart Kayne - 2 wickets.
Batting Second CG A Scored 3/36 3.5 Overs
Kayne 8, Pradeep 5 - Bipin - 2 Wickets.

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Coast Gymkhana B vs. Mombasa Sports Club B:
CG B Batted first and Scored 3/30 5 Overs
Kamal 14*, Rajesh 5 Sandeep 5. Arjun Bhatia - 2 Wickets.
Batting Second MSC B Scored 0/32 in 3.3 Overs
Sager 15 (Ret), Jay 11 (Not Out).
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Mombasa Sports Club C vs. Simba Union - Mombasa:
MSC C batted first and Scored 4/46 in 5 Overs
Yuvraj 8, Taha 13, Ebrahim - 1 wkt, Naushad - 1 wkt, Khan - 1 wkt
Batting Second Simba Scored 3/38 in 5 Overs
Khan 15 (Ret), Essak 7. Bhavya - 1 wkt, Taha - 1 wkt, Yuvraj - 1 wkt
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Burhani Sports Club vs. Mombasa Sports Club A:
MSC A Scored 3/65 in 5 Overs
Nikhil 15 (Ret), Latif 14, Neal 13*, Bij 12*. Virji - 2 wickets
Batting Second BSC Scored 41 Runs All Out in 4.3 Overs
Taha 15 (Ret), Virji 9. Neal - 2 wkts, Karia - 2 wkts
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SF1: Coast Gymkhana A vs. Mombasa Sports Club B:
MSC B Scored 3/41 in 5 Overs
Moh'd A Harazi 15 (Ret), Ali Akbar 13*, Neel 13* Bij 12* Harish - 1 wkt, Paresh - 1 wkt
Batting Second CG A Scored 0/42 in 4.4 Overs
Kayne 15 (Ret), Pradeep 8*
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SF 2: Mombasa Sports Club A vs. Mombasa Sports Club C:
MSC C 2/38 Runs in 5 Overs
Priten 15 (Ret), Niley 15*. Z. Abbas - 2 wickets
MSC A Scored 0/39 in 4 Overs
Z. Abbas 15 (Ret), Nikhil 7*
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FINAL: Mombasa Sports Club A vs. Coast Gymkhana A:
MSC A batted first and Scored 44 Runs/2 in 5 Overs
Thabith 15 (Ret), Z Abbas 10*, Pradip - 1 wkt, Piyush - 1 wkt
Batting Second CG A Scored 37 Runs/ in 5 Overs
Paresh 11, Kayne 12 - Neal - 1 wkt, Amit - 1 wkt

Akshar League Standings After 19 Matches

TEAM..........Played.....Won.....Lost.....Bat.....Bowl.....Win.....Total

KERICHO..........6...........5...........1........14.........23........60........97
ELDORET.........6...........4...........2.........7..........16........48........71
AKSHAR..A......5............3...........2........14.........20.......36........70
AKSHAR..B.......6...........3...........3........15.........12........36........63
NAIVASHA.......5...........2...........3.........2..........15........24.......41
VOC...................6...........1............5.........5..........15........12........32
DIAMOND........4...........1............3.........6..........13........12........31

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The two matches remaining are Akshar A vs. Diamond and Naivasha vs. Diamond.

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Kericho are safe in first place, but unless something drastic happens Eldoret will almost certainly lose therr place in the final to Akshar A. At the other end of the table, Diamond will almost certainly overtake V.O.C to avoid the wooden spoon, but it will be an interesting match between them and Naivasha to see who finishes 5th.

Rain Helps Akshar B Past Naivasha

Due to heavy overnight rain, yesterday's Akshar League game started at around 11am to allow some of the damp to evaporate. Akshar B won the toss and decided to bat. Most of the batsmen made starts and at one stage it looked that they might cross the 245 mark. None of them could capitalise to make a big score however and Naivasha did well to curtail the progress in the end.

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Naivasha's reply saw the Akshar B bowlers starting well, but the wicket keeper dropped Amardeep when he was on nought, and then again when he was on 20 which he capitalised on to make a fine 46 not out. A couple of wickets at the other end kept the run rate down and when Naivasha's captain, Dharam, came to the crease it looked like rain was imminent with the match only just tilted in Akshar's favour. He immediately set about trying to raise the rate by hoisting Ramesh over the midwicket fence, but the heavens opened and the match had to be abandoned. Akshar B take the win on run rate, a tough result for Naivasha who may have felt they were in with a sniff otherwise.
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Askhar B Innings:
Trushit………….Ct Indraj…………..Amardeep……19
Viral……………..Bowled………..…...Amardeep……23
Ravi……………Ct..Amardeep……...Shahbaz……..26
Jaimin…………..Bowled…………….Dharam….……18
Rakesh………..Ct..Himanshu……..Dharam………16
Sunil…………...Ct..Shahbaz………Amardeep…….04
Kalpesh……….Ct..Daram………….Shahbaz……...38
Samrat………...Ct..Nishit………….Shahbaz……...05
Raju……………Run..Out……………………….....…….05
Shailesh……….Ct..&..B…………….Joseph….……..00
Ramesh………..NOT..OUT………………...………….03
Extras…………………………………………….......……..38
Total…All..Out…………………………………....……..195
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Naivasha Innings:
Amardeep……NOT..OUT………………………..……46
Kulveer………Ct..Samrat…………….Sunil………...14
Himanshu……Bowled…………………Ravi………...00
Indraj…………Bowled………………..Shailesh……..04
Dharam………NOT..OUT…………………...…………07
Extras…………………………………………….......……..25
Total…For..3..Wkts……………………………...……...96
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Points:
Naivasha: Bowling - 4, Total - 4.
Akshar B: Bowling - 1, Batting - 4, Win - 12, Total - 17.

Eldoret Defeat V.O.C in Akshar League

V.O.C won the toss and decided to bat against Eldoret last weekend in both team's final match of the competition. Snehal and Rakesh were in fine form for Eldoret and caused all sorts of trouble for V.O.C's top order. Kirti provided some resistance with his 23, but it was only the extras and a late flourish by Setul (22*) that enabled V.O.C to take the total to 135 before they were all out.

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Eldoret's reply stuttered with the top three batsmen all going cheaply and keeping V.O.C in the hunt. Vishal however had other ideas and recorded his top score for the tournament with an unbeaten half century. Snehal (21) and Rakesh (16*) provided the support needed, and Eldoret cruised to victory by an easy 5 wickets.
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V.O.C Innings:
Naren…………Bowled…………..Snehal…....…00
Jayesh………..Bowled…………..Snehal…...…02
Batuk…………Ct..&..B…………..Rakesh….....02
Kirti……………Bowled…………..Snehal…...…23
Minesh……….Ct..&..B…………..Rakesh….….10
Ketan…………Ct Vishal…………Rakesh…..….10
Jayesh.Z……..Bowled…………..Bhavin……...13
Shanti…………Bowled…………..Vishal……...07
Setul………….NOT..OUT…………………..…...22
Ramesh………Ct..&..B…………..Chirag….….06
Dipak………….LBW………………Bharat….…02
Extras…………………………………......……….…38
Total…..All..Out………………………..………...135
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Eldorets Innings:
Bharat………..…Bowled…………Batuk…….…07
Ritesh……….….Bowled…………Shanti…….…12
Swapnesh………Bowled…………Kirti…………03
Vishal…………..NOT..OUT……………………...50
Snehal………….Bowled…………Jayesh…….…21
Rakesh…………NOT..OUT……………………....16
Extras…………………………………………….....…27
Total…..For..4..Wickets………………….......136
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Eldoret won by 6 wickets
Points:
Eldoret: Bowling - 4, Batting - 2, Win - 12, Total - 18
V.O.C: Bowling - 1, Batting - 2, Total - 3.

Tikolo and Variaya Put Canada In A Spin

Kenya once again showed their superiority to Canada in the One Day form of the game as they defeated them by 5 wickets in the second ODI in Toronto to take the two match series 2-0.

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Canada won the toss, but once again Peter Ongondo struck early to remove Davidson (0) with the score on 2 and give Kenya the upper hand. Barnett and Bagai looked for a while as though they might get Canada to a decent total putting on a valuable, if slow 63 for the second wicket, but then Kenya's spinners started to work their magic. Barnett (35) was given run out by Kennedy Obuya, but it was off Variaya's bowling. Not to be put off by not being credited with the wicket, the 22-year old struck immediately after to remove Ifil for a duck. Canada suddenly looked shaky at 3-65. Six runs later, Kenya's other spinner, Steve Tikolo clean bowled Chumney (26) and followed it up by removing Qaiser Ali caught and bowled the next ball. He did not get his hat-trick, but did get a third not long after when he trapped Codrington (4) to have Canada in all sorts of trouble at 6-86. Dhaniram's run out took the score to 7-93, then it was Variaya's turn again. He mopped up the last three wickets for only 1 more run first removing Maxwell (caught Tikolo) for a duck, then a run later, Bagai (16) caught and bowled and finished off by doing the same to Osinde first ball. This leaves him sitting on a hat-trick when he faces Bangladesh in Nairobi next week. Tikolo finished with figures of 9 overs, 3/14, Variaya with 9.2 overs, 1 maiden, 4/25. He has now taken 7 wickets from his first two ODIs. A great start for the young man and one that should give him great confidence going in to the real test against Bangladesh in Nairobi.

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Kenya's reply started remarkably well in that both openers got a start. Kennedy Obuya (19) was first to go adjudged LBW to Dhaniram with the Kenya score almost at the half way mark. Brijal Patel (23) was then out without adding further to the score, a mistake that saw two new batsmen left at the crease. Not a good way to defend a position that by rights should have been given to someone else this match anyway. Two further quick wickets fell in the over as both Kamande and Modi fell for ducks. Kenya had slipped from 0/46 to 4/47 and Canada would have thought they were in with a sniff. That hope would soon be quashed by Steve Tikolo and Collins Obuya. Though the latter only added 19 before being bowled by Dhaniram to become Canada's 5th wicket with the score on 69, his presence with Tikolo (29*) was enough to steady the ship, and the captain and Mishra (6*) steered Kenya home with 17 overs remaining. It was not the most convincing of batting performances by Kenya, at one point, we looked like we were going to try to beat Canada's total of 5 ducks, but the important factor was that we won with both time and wickets to spare.

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Kenya can be very proud of the way they came back to beat Canada so convincingly in the ODIs. Especially as there were several players whose efforts proved the difference and we did not just rely on one or two individuals. Bangladesh will be a far different proposition, but we are playing them on our own turf, and this may make a difference. Kenya will still go into the next series as underdogs, but with the performances of this weekend fresh in the memory, we should at least go in with the confidence that we have rediscovered what it means to win matches. Several players are in good form, and with a little tweaking here and there from the selectors, an upset or two against the Tigers is perhaps not so far away. Congratulations to the team, and a safe trip home. To all those in Kenya, get down to the ground to support the team this coming weekend, the crowd could really help lift the team and they will need it if they are to keep up their winning ways.

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Kenya vs. Canada 2nd ODI 06/08/06

A Great Team Effort

Yesterday Kenya exacted some revenge on Canada by trouncing them in the first of two Ond Day Internationals. Captain Steve Tikolo won the toss and elected to bat, a brave move considering the tribulations of the opening pair up until now. True to form, it took Brijal Patel a painful 17 deliveries to make only 6 runs before falling to Osinde, caught Davison. Luckily his opening partner, Kennedy Obuya, was able to do better and put on a further 55 runs with Jimmy Kamande before he too made his way back to the pavilion. Though a great improvement from his pair in the Intercontinental Cup, Obuya still has a way to go to prove he is still the man for the job. Hopefully his time in the middle will have helped play him back into form and he will do even better tonight. Obuya's dismissal brought Steve Tikolo to the crease and assisted by Kamande, Kenya added a further 73 runs before the latter was caught.

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Jimmy Kamande (68) can really stand tall after his effort with the bat. Replacing Tony Suji at 3, he not only top scored in the Kenyan innings, but achieved a personal milestone by notching up his first ever ODI half century. His innings also spanned the two biggest partnerships for Kenya and was instrumental in setting the platform for the rest of the batsmen. His strike rate of 64% was not lightning quick, but under the circumstances, Kenya will not mind that. In the second partnership with Tikolo, Kenya were able to up the run rate thanks to the skipper's almost run-a-ball fifty: his second in consecutive innings for Kenya.

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Collins Obuya came in at five, but was unable to continue his form from the Intercontinental Cup and was out for 19 off 24. The next batsman in, Tanmay Mishra again showed why we should play him further up the batting order where he can be more effective. Coming in with only 10 overs to go he lasted until the very last over before becoming Thuraisingam's third victim, but not before he had crafted a brilliant 38 off 27 balls. It should be noted here that he did not need to take the agricultural approach and only 12 of his runs came off boundaries. While Kamande's innings set the platform for the innings, it was Mishra's efforts that took advantage of it. Who knows what he could score if he came in a little earlier on.

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Canada finished their fielding effort with a burst of cheap wickets at the death as Kenya's tail tried to go for quick runs. In the end however it didn't matter - what the Kenyan bowlers lacked with the bat, they more than made up for with the ball. Like the batting effort, there were several good performances rather than one standout, and this is fantastic to see from the team's perspective. Peter Ongondo kept intact his record of taking a wicket every game he has played for Kenya this year by taking the first two and should be more than satisfied with his 2/24 off 7. Thomas Odoyo has perhaps surprisingly been the least effective of Kenya's faster bowlers this tour, but removing Barnett, who had made the century in the Intercontinental Cup, was an important wicket. He finished with 1/33 off 6. Nehemiah Odhiambo continued his run of form taking the first ODI wicket of his career. He also finished with good figures: 1/19 off 5 including a maiden. Kenya's spin attack was a combination of our most experienced player and our newest cap and both performed admirally. Steve Tikolo backed up his 50 with the bat by taking 2/14 at an economy rate of 2.62, but it was debutante Hiren Variaya who was the pick of the bowlers with 3/24 off 9 overs. Real credit to him this tour as he has really stepped up and delivered.

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Thanks to the bowlers, Canada never really looked in the hunt after about the third wicket, and Kenya were able to close out the match with 12 overs still left to play. Not only did we get some of our own back, but did it emphatically too, winning by 108 runs. We may be out of contention for the Intercontinental Cup, but out ODI position is still safe for the moment. Today Canada will have another crack at us and we need to make sure that we beat them again. We have a really tough series at home against Bangladesh coming up, and need to go into that with two wins from two matches against the weaker opposition.

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I would expect a largely unchanged line up for the second match today with the one exception being Timothy Muange coming in for Brijal Patel. He was taken as a stand in opener, and it seems a waste not to use him when the position still needs someone to make it theirs. He can hardly do worse than Patel this tour, and who knows, it could be the catalyst he needs to make the step up. Maybe Mishra could come in higher up as well, though I hesitate at suggesting too many changes to what ended up as a winning combination. I would really love to see him get a fifty (or more) and he has a greater chance of doing this when he is not under pressure at the end of an innings.

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Congratulations again to the team for yesterday's win and let's hope they can give us more of the same today.

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Kenya vs. Canada 1st ODI 05/08/06 Full Scorecard (cricinfo)

Kenya vs. Canada 1st ODI: Canadian Reply

UPDATE 8 - 37.4 Overs

VICTORY!

Kenya have taken the last two Canadian wickets to bowl them out for 129. This is the closing that we need to see and caps off a great come back for Kenya on this tour. Not only have we won today's game, but done so with ease: More than 12 overs left in the game and a winning margin of 108 runs. All credit to the Kenyan bowlers for a great effort in keeping the pressure on with regular wickets. It has been a while, but Kenyan cricket fans can now afford a smile. However, despite it being a win, the job is only half done. We need to do it all again on Sunday and confirm our superiority in the One Day arena. For now though, Congratulations to Steve Tikolo and the team - I'm off to bed!

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UPDATE 7: 36 Overs:

Canada seem to have shut up shop here - only 11 runs off the last 6 overs, they seem to be trying to bat out the overs. Kenya need to step up the attack and bowl them out. Not only will it be a big psychological boost before tomorrow's game, but is also good practice for the Intercontinental Cup.

Canada 8/121. Required run rate: 8.36.

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UPDATE 6: - 30 Overs:

Canada still hanging on at 8/110. This is what I was talking about - Kenya must learn to finish off opponents. Still, Canada's run rate has now slipped to 3.66 and the required run rate is up to 6.4. There should be no doubt that Kenya will win from here, but we need to make sure all the same.

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UPDATE 5: - 26 Overs:

Kenya inching ever closer. Another wicket down, only two more to go for a well overdue win. Canada have nursed the score along to 97, but their run rate is now only 3.73 and with only 2 wickets in hand, they need another 141 runs at 5.88. Nearly a run-a-ball, and only 2 wickets to play with should leave Kenya with an easy win from here. This is where we need to be ruthless and shut out any further resistance. We are into the tail and need to enforce the victory by taking the next two wickets.

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UPDATE 4: - 20 Overs:

Kenya closing in on victory. Another 2 wickets down to leave Canada in real trouble at 7/80. Their run rate has dropped to 4 and for the first time, the required run rate rises above 5 to 5.26. Great stuff from Kenya - just what we needed after the loss in the Intercontinental Cup. Now we just need the next three wickets to finish it off. KENYA JUUUUUUUU!!!!

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UPDATE 3 - 16 Overs:

A HUGE two overs from Kenya. Canada get another 9 runs, but at the expense of 2 more wickets. 5/72 and things beginning to look up for Kenya. Canada's run rate is exactly 4.5, they need a further 166 at 4.88, but the important factor is those wickets. We should now really be able to stifle the runs and put the pressure on as they cannot afford to lose any more wickets, or we are into the tail. Hopefully, we can continue the procession back to the pavilion.

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UPDATE 2 - 14 overs.

4 good overs from Canada. They scored 19 runs at 4.75 - pretty much on the money in terms of run rate required. No more wickets for Kenya, so they are at 3/63. Still a very evenly balanced match. Kenya need to either get another wicket or two or really put the brakes on the run scoring. Preferably both.

Current run rate:4.5. Required run rate: 4.86 Wickets in hand: 7

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UPDATE 1 - 10 Overs:

Canada's run rate is still a fairly healthy 4.4 an over, but the good news continues for Kenya's bowlers who now have 3 wickets. This will definitely be putting the pressure on Canada, especially with Tikolo's miserly bowling still to come. Canada 3/44. Required run rate: 4.85. This is still creeping in the right direction for Kenya. Keep them wickets tumbling lads!

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After 6 overs, Canada are about on target with 28 runs on the board, at a run rate of 4.67. Good news for Kenya is that we have taken the early wicket we needed. Fingers crossed for another one soon.
Required run rate: 4.77

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Once again, updates are courtesy of Jonathan at Canadian Cricket. I'm filling in the gaps and putting in my two bits worth.

Canada come out after lunch needing 238 to win at 4.76. Kenya need a couple of early wickets to slow things down and put the pressure on.

Kenya vs. Canada 1st ODI: Kenyan Scorecard

No fine detail yet, but Kenya's scorecard from this morning:
K.Obuya.......................36.
B.Patel............................6.
J.Kamande..................68.
S.Tikolo.......................50.
C.Obuya.......................19.
T.Mishra.....................38.
T.Odoyo.........................2.
N.Odhiambo.................4.
P.Ondongo....................2.
H.Modi..........................1*
H.Varaiya..............DNB.
Extras..........................11.
Total..for.9..wkts......237
Run Rate:.................4.74.
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Bowling:
H.Osinde.........................9 overs 3/46.
U.Bhatti..........................10 overs 0.44.
S.Thuraisingam.............9 overs 4/35
J.Davison........................10 overs 1/39
K.Sandher.......................5 overs 0/31
G.Codrington..................5 overs 1/25
Q.Ali................................2 overs 0/12

Kenya Bat First

UPDATE 11: Close Of innings.

Well, we certainly threw our bats in the last four overs, but with mixed results. Canada picked up another 4 wickets to leave us with 9 lost for the innings, but in return, we managed to push the score along to 237. While it leaves Canada only requiring 4.76 an over to win, it is certainly a defendable total and gives our bowlers something to aim at. All in all a mixed bag for Kenya before lunch, but at least we can go on to win from here. Much will depend on whether we can take a couple of early wickets and restrict the run rate in the first ten overs. If we can, the pressure will be on and we have the experience to tighten the screws.

I will post more on the batting effort when I see the scorecard, but for now a quick 40 winks before the Canadian reply.

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UPDATE 10:

A wicket off the first ball of the 47th. Not what we needed at all, 5/207. Still time to put on the runs though. Wickets are annoying as they are dot balls and slow the rate down. Hopefully someone can get hold of a few and belt them over the fence.

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UPDATE 9 - 46 Overs:

4 overs left. Kenya have gone at 7 an over the last 5 to reach the 200 mark. We are now at 4/206 with 4 to go. We really need to swing the bat in these last few overs to see if we can score at around 10 an over or so. Wickets are in hand, so really time to launch now.

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UPDATE 8 - 41 Overs.

Not good - we have the wobbles. 2 runs from the over and a wicket. Kenya now 4/172. Hopefully it was the new batsman out, not the settled one!

We need to get those runs on the board without losing too many more wickets in the last 9 overs. Good fightback by the Canadian bowlers unfortunately.

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UPDATE 7 - 40 overs.

Kenya now 170, but we have lost a third wicket - I just hope it wasn't Tikolo. Going into the last 10 overs, we can still post a respectable target if the remaining batsmen play for the team and go after the bowling.

Current run rate: 4.25 would give us 212 runs

5 an over: 220

6 an over: 230

7 an over: 240

8 an over: 250

etc.

C'arn the boys!!

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UPDATE 6 - The Vortex Goat seems to have struck again. It has head butted J.W - no updates for a while. It is 2:30 am here, 'V' energy drink has run out. Brewing Chai will wake up the wife. Don't know the score. Don't Canadians know about Nyama Choma? Kill the goat - wapi chilli-sauce?

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UPDATE 5 - 32 Overs:

Another 23 runs from 4 overs (exactly the same as the last 4) takes Kenya to 2/132. 6 an over from here would give us 240, but if we can up the tempo a bit more, and we should be able to with wickets in hand, we could post 250 plus. Possible totals:

current run rate (4.1): 206

5 an over: 222

6 an over: 240

7 an over: 258

8 an over: 276

9 an over: 294

Let's hope is is one of the latter scores...

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UPDATE 4 - 28 overs.

A better couple of overs for Kenya now Tikolo is at the crease. 23 runs takes us past the 100 mark to 2/109, a run rate of 3.9. This is beginning to creep upwards, but a big couple of overs would really help. Still, the positive is that we still have wickets in hand, and there are the batsmen to come who are good at picking up the scoring rate in the final overs so long as they have a platform to build on. We really need a big score from one of the two in to act as anchor for the assault.

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UPDATE 3, 24 Overs:

Kenya have lost their second wicket with 86 runs on the board. Again, the run rate has slowed, though this is hardly a surprise when a wicket has fallen. This next partnership will be crucial for Kenya as it should bring Tikolo to the crease. He certainly has the ability to up the run rate, and Kenya need someone to do just that. 3.6 an over is just not going to cut it. News on the batsmen out is af follows: It seems the opening pair of Kennedy Obuya and Brijal Patel was retained, which may explain the slow run rate. Brijal Patel was first to go, caught Davison bowled Osinde for 6. Surely, Muange must be given his chance ahead of Patel next match. He can't do much worse, and may even do better. Kamande was the batsman in at 3, as expected replacing Tony Suji. I'm not sure of the last wicket, but at the 19 over mark, Kennedy was on 32, Jimmy on 25. Whoever is still in needs to work with Tikolo to get that scoreboard ticking over.

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UPDATE 2, 19 overs:

The good news is that 20 runs have come off the last 4 overs leaving Kenya at 1/68. This raises the run rate to 3.6 an over - still too low, but if they can continue to pick it up, we could be looking at a half decent score. 6 an over from here in would give us around 250 which would be defendable. It is really disappointing that neither cricinfo nor cricket Europe are covering this game live. After all, it is a full ODI, and going by the Intercontinental cup match could be a cracker of a game. Shame on them, and all credit to Jonathan for his efforts to keep us informed.

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UPDATE 1:
15 overs down now, and at least Kenya have lost no further wickets. Run rate has crept up to 3.2 per over with the score on 1/48. This is a very slow start from us and we are going to have to find the boundary a bit more if we are going to post a defendable total. Still not sure who the Kenyan batsmen are.

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Kenya won the toss and are batting first against Canada in the first One Day International currently underway in Toronto. So far, the only place with any scores seems to be Jonathan's Canadian Cricket blog which has Kenya starting safely (a great surprise) at 0/24 after 5 overs. We have however lost the first wicket to be 1/31 after 9 so the run rate has slowed a bit as well. 3 overslater he has us at 1/37, so slow progress being made, but at least no further wickets. No word on the batsmen in.

12 overs: Run rate 3.08.