VICTORY!!!!!

I never want to have to sit through that agony again. 30 minutes of sitting at the keyboard hammering at the F5 key to refresh the scores on the live updates, praying to see another wicket or tight over completed. Amazing defence by Kenya to hold off Scotland despite the platform set by their top order. There was no telling who was going to win right until the end.

Steve Tikolo bowled fantastically well to take career best figures of 4/41 off 10 overs including a crucial maiden. You beauty.

Heart stopping stuff that went right down to the final ball with Kenya's experience and miserly spin making the difference at the end.

Kenya maintain their unbeaten record against the other Associates in ODIs, but boy did we have to work for it today. Credit to the Scots for a great match.

Huge congratulations to the two veterans, Shah and Tikolo for their personal bests today. If someone in the team continues to set a personal best each time we play, it is likely that we can keep on winning.

Well, I'm off to bed and sweet dreams about a great match. I will write a full match report from the Kenyan angle on Cricketeurope tomorrow.

Lala salaama wote!

Come in spinner (Scotland innings 40th over)

It is still anyone's game.
Kenya have struck back with 2 more wickets through Kamande who removed the dangerous Ryan Watson for 31 and Hiren Varaiya who took a catch off his own bowling to take Fraser Watts out of the equation for Scotland, though not before the opener had made a well crafted 59 as foil to Watson's belligerence.
Scotland go into the last 10 overs needing 75 runs off 60 balls. They have wickets in hand, so would consider themselves a good chance from here.
Kenya need to keep it tight, up the pressure and if possible grab another wicket or two to make things difficult.
Thrilling stuff!

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Squeeeeze - Scotland innings 30 overs

Well the good news is that Kenya have broken through with the vital wicket. Haq was bowled by Jimmy Kamande in his first over for 59.
The bad news is that this brought dangerman Ryan Watson to the crease and he has immediately made his intentions clear with 20 off 16.
Tikolo has brought back Odoyo and Odhiambo, not sure why when the spinners were doing such a great job and Odhiambo especially has been expensive.
Kamande was brought back for the 30th over so possibly the last of Odhiambo this match.
Scotland 1/132 after 30.

Kenya search for the elusive wicket (Scotland 20 overs)

Despite bringing on the spin bowlers and squeezing down the run rate, Kenya are still searching for their first wicket after 20 overs.
Odoyo has so far bowled 4 overs for 19
Ongondo 7 overs for 22
Odhiambo has been the expensive one at 3 overs for 25.
Spinners Tikolo and Varaiya so far are 3 overs each for 10 runs (Tikolo) and 9 (Varaiya).
The worry for Kenya is that despite the required run rate creeping towards 6 an over, Scotland are still to lose a wicket.
Scotland 0/86 after 20 overs.

Solid Start for Scotland (1st 10 overs)

This game is developing into a real tussle.
Odoyo opened the bowling, but for some reason didn't bowl the third over which was taken by Nehemiah Odhiambo to the cost of 12 runs. Not a good start by Kenya to allow the visitors off the hook so early.
Odoyo then came back to bowl in tandem with Ongondo and have managed to pin back the scoring a bit from the initial bleed.
After 10 overs, Scotland are 0/47, behind the required run rate slightly, but crucially, the new ball - normally good to Kenya, has failed to take a wicket.
An even game, but Kenya will be looking for that breakthrough to put the pressure back on.

Kenya finish on 259

Largely on the back of Ravindu Shah's 113, Kenya ended their 50 overs on 9/259.
A decent effort from the hosts to recover from the batting collapse in the second ten overs of the match when we lost 4 wickets for 9 runs.

Kenya's bowlers now need to apply themselves to restrict the Scots and keep the pressure on right from the start.

Congratulations Ravindu

Ravindu Shah has just brought up his maiden ODI Century in the 46th over.
He has played with great determination, only hitting 8 fours and 2 sixes and yet scoring at only just under a run a ball. What a way to back up the half century that marked his return to ODIs.
Congratulations Ravindu, welcome back!

Time to launch (kenya innings, 40 overs)

Ravindu and Thomas have achieved just what was needed taking Kenya to a total of 5/191 by the 40th over.
Shah brought up his fifty and has begun to up the pace a little to tkae his personal total to 72 off 90, including his first 6 of the innings.
Odoyo has also shown signs that he is keen to up the ante, moving on to 37 off 62.
The pair have just brought up their 100 run partnership and can now really begin to step on the accellerator pedal. Kamande, Ongondo and Odhiambo are all to come and can all help out with quick runs at the end of the innings should they be needed.
Hopefully, Kenya will be able to take advantage of this consolidation to post a defendable target in the last 10 overs. Fingers crossed Ravindu can go on to make a century and Thomas his fifty.

A steadying of the ship

After the last post, I was a bit concerned that my next one might be the inning's wrap up.
Thankfully the experience of Ravindu Shah and Thomas Odoyo has steadied the ship somewhat for Kenya. Shah is now nearing his fifty with a well crafted 42 off 48 fingers crossed for him that he makes it and goes on.
Odoyo is playing a completely different, but no less important innings than his blitz against the Scots in the last match. Instead of teeing off (46 off 26 was his last effort), he has so far played a mostly conservative innings to reach 17 off 37.
Good to see that the vice captain is capable of this building role as well as the quick scoring.
It is now up to Shah and Odoyo to build on this partnership and ensure that there are wickets still in hand for a final dig in the last 10 overs. hopefully both will still be in at that stage.

Scotland strike back (Kenya innings, 20 overs)

If the first 10 overs belonged to Kenya, there can be no doubt that the pendulum has well and truly swung the other way after the second 10.
First Ouma was run out on the score at 67, then David Obuya followed lbw with the score on 72.
Steve Tikolo had his second failure in the series, also LBW - Kenya 3/73.
Tanmay Mishra joined him back in the pavillion, also lbw for a duck.
Finally, Collins Obuya is the 5th man out for Kenya at the end of the 19th over to see the hosts collapse from 0/67 to 5/90.
A great come back from Scotland, especially Dougi Brown, but an appalling collapse from Kenya.
Ravindu Shah is still at the crease on 18 off 26 and Kenya need him to play the innings of his life to steer the tail through to a defendable target.
Hopefully the pendulum will swing back Kenya's way in the next 10 overs!

Kenya vs Scotland: first innings - Kenya

Well a relief that this game is going ahead after the debacle yesterday with Canada forfeiting.

Steve Tikolo once again wins the toss and has chosen to bat.
A bizarre start to the innings saw Scotland concede 12 runs off the first 2 overs of which only 1 came off the bat of Maurice Ouma. This lack of pressure has enabled the Kenyan opening pair to get settled in and after 10 overs the score sits at 67 for no loss. Again a great start for the hosts, especially David Obuya who is the main aggressor so far with 36 off 40 including 6 fours.
Ouma has faced fewer balls, but is still there and rotating the strike which is important. He is on 14 off 21.
6.7 is a great run rate for this opening pair which had their difficulties last year. Hopefully they can continue to lay the platform for what could be a big score.