Cricket: Kenya upset Sri Lanka, cause headaches for NZ

KIMBERLEY - Kenya may have exacted the ultimate revenge over New Zealand today with their shock win over Sri Lanka potentially finishing the Black Caps' World Cup campaign.


The 38degC heat in Kimberley wasn't the only thing causing mopped brows among the New Zealand camp as they watched their televisions in disbelief as a fired-up Kenya toppled Sri Lanka by 53 runs in Nairobi.


It meant New Zealand's refusal to play their scheduled match against Kenya in Nairobi last Friday because of security fears could come back to haunt them, and left their destiny in the hands of other sides.


The group B scenarios have been complicated further, but Kenya's third win rocketed them to the top of the ladder and left five teams in contention for three Super Six spots.


New Zealand coach Denis Aberhart admitted "it wasn't a good result for us", especially if Kenya also beat Bangladesh on Sunday which would give them 16 points.


The Black Caps, currently on eight points, now need to pray for fine weather and handsomely beat Bangladesh here on Wednesday and Canada in Benoni on Monday, thereby boosting their net run rate.


New Zealand's best outcome is if Sri Lanka lose both their remaining matches to West Indies and South Africa, thereby eliminating Sri Lanka and leaving South Africa, New Zealand and Kenya tied for second behind West Indies and needing to be split on net run rate.


That would favour New Zealand, whose run rate would climb with expected easy wins over the two minnows, and would probably see Kenya miss out, which would also mean New Zealand take 10 competition points through to the Super Six.


All winning points against fellow qualifiers are carried through, plus one point for each win against a non-qualifier, and New Zealand beat West Indies and South Africa in the preliminary rounds.


Another good scenario for New Zealand is if Sri Lanka beat both West Indies and South Africa, eliminating both sides and meaning the three qualifying teams would be Sri Lanka, Kenya and New Zealand.


That would however see New Zealand take just two points through to the Super Six because they lost to both Sri Lanka and Kenya.


A horror third scenario was if Sri Lanka lost to West Indies and beat South Africa, meaning New Zealand would miss out because tied teams are separated first on who beat the other -- and the losses to Sri Lanka and Kenya would again be crucial.


Despite all the confusing number-crunching, New Zealand remained upbeat today as they have for their eight idle days on the sidelines since their win over South Africa.


"The most important thing is, we can't control it," Aberhart said.


"We have to focus on playing these two games extra well and it's more difficult to give everyone a game now."


Aberhart admitted that meant a rethink over team selection, which would leave no room for experimentation and probably suggest an unchanged side from the one which beat South Africa.


The original plan was to rest key batsman Nathan Astle who is carrying a hernia and chronic tendinitis in his left knee, but with the situation becoming increasingly desperate he may be required.


"Every game is vital now, every run we score and every wicket we take."


Aberhart also insisted there were no lingering doubts over the decision to boycott Nairobi and concede four vital competition points.


Although there may be mixed feelings in the New Zealand camp if that leads to them missing out, Aberhart said it wasn't worth revisiting.


"That's well gone. We supported New Zealand Cricket's decision and we have played accordingly."


Unknown leg spinner Collins Obuya stole the limelight from Muttiah Muralitharan as Kenya pulled off one of the great World Cup shocks against Sri Lanka.

The 21-year-old Obuya took five for 24 in 10 overs, the ninth best bowling figures in tournament history, as Kenya won the Group B encounter by 53 runs to give the home team a real chance of making the Super Six stage.

The Kenyan players, who had made a less-than-convincing 210 for nine after being asked to bat, leapt for joy and set off on a long victory lap when Maurice Odumbe bowled tail-ender Dilhara Fernando at the end of the 45th over.

The victory rivalled Kenya's shock triumph over West Indies in the 1996 World Cup.

Kenya captain Steve Tikolo said: "This was very excellent. I think he (Obuya) bowled the spell of his life."

Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka's stunned captain, responded: "We did not play like professionals. We looked like amateurs.

"I'm so disappointed with our batsmen. We should have got that total."

Kenya, who benefited from a forfeit when New Zealand refused to play in Nairobi on security grounds, joined Sri Lanka on 12 points at the top of Group B. West Indies are on 10 and South Africa and the New Zealanders on eight.

Kenya's last two games are against Bangladesh and West Indies.

Obuya made it a family affair after brother Kennedy Otieno had top-scored with 60 in Kenya's innings.

Earlier Chaminda Vaas, the top wicket-taker in the tournament, took three for 41 and off spinner Muralitharan, one of the world's leading spinners, four for 28, his best World Cup figures.

The Sri Lankans, unbeaten in three games before Monday's match, had looked well on course for victory after the first innings.

But Obuya came on to rip out the heart of the innings after Sri Lanka, who won the toss, had cruised to 71 for two on a slowing pitch.

By the end, the Kenyans were rushing into a celebratory huddle as each wicket fell.

Obuya had never taken more than two wickets in a one-dayer before. His previous nine wickets in 18 games had cost him 78.22 runs apiece.

Extracting good bounce, he began his extraordinary performance by removing Hashan Tillakaratne who, having made 23, swept him and was caught at deep midwicket.

The score crept up to 87 to three before the last seven wickets fell for 70 runs.

Mahela Jayawardene, on five, tried to turn a full toss from Obuya and sent back a leading edge into the bowler's hands.

Kumar Sangakkara, playing back to Obuya, edged up in the air off the shoulder of the bat and wicketkeeper Otieno, Obuya's brother, dashed round and took a diving catch by his glove tips, the dismissal confirmed by the third umpire.

Obuya then took his prize wicket of Aravinda de Silva, who cut at a full-length ball too close to him and was caught behind.

Vaas was caught and bowled to complete Obuya's perfect day as the innings caved in.

Sri Lanka had beaten Kenya in the previous two World Cups, scoring a tournament record of 398 for five against them in 1996.

- NZPA, REUTERS

KENYA V SRI LANKA SCOREBOARD:


Kenya:


K Otieno c Muralitharan b de Silva 60


R Shah lbw b Vaas 0


B Patel c Sangakkara b Vaas 12


S Tikolo lbw b Muralitharan 10


H Modi b Muralitharan 26


M Odumbe c & b Muralitharan 26


T Odoyo c Sangakkara b Vaas 6


C Obuya not out 13


T Suji b Muralitharan 6


P Ongondo b Jayasuriya 20


M Suji not out 3


Extras (b-5 lb-11 w-10-nb-2) 28


Total (for nine wickets, 50 overs) 210


Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-46, 3-75, 4-112, 5-152, 6-163, 7-163,


8-173, 9-205


Bowling: Vaas 10-1-41-3, Nissanka 7-2-29-0, Fernando 7-0-33-0, Muralitharan 10-1-28-4, Jayasuriya 9-1-30-1, de Silva 5-1-23-1, Arnold 2-0-10-0

Sri Lanka


M Atapattu b Odoyo 23


S Jayasuriya c Patel b M Suji 3


H Tillakaratne c T Suji b Obuya 23


A de Silva c Otieno b Obuya 41


M Jayawardene c & b Obuya 5


K Sangakkara c Otieno b Obuya 5


R Arnold not out 25


C Vaas c & b Obuya 4


P Nissanka c Odoyo b Tikolo 2


M Muralitharan c T Suji b Tikolo 10


D Fernando b Odumbe 7


Extras 9


Total (all out, 45 overs) 157


Fall of wickets: 1-13 2-39, 3-71, 4-87, 5-105, 6-112, 7-119,8-131, 9-149


Bowling: M.Suji 8-1-24-1, Odoyo 7-0-33-1, Obuya 10-0-24-5,Ongondo 5-0-22-0, Odumbe 10-0-39-1, Tikolo 5-1-13-2


Result: Kenya won by 53 runs

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