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Impressive slow bowling and a captain's innings from Steve Tikolo helped Kenya to a seven-wicket win over Canada in the opening World Cup Group C match today.
The Africans reached their target in 43.2 overs having restricted fellow tournament outsiders Canada to 199 all out.
Tikolo, 35 and
playing in his fourth World Cup, struck a patient 72 not out including seven fours and a six to guide his side home with Maurice Ouma chipping in with 58.
Kenya, semi-finalists in 2003, won the toss and elected to bowl with captain Tikolo saying he expected moisture in a surprisingly bouncy pitch early on.
However, Canada made a quick start and opener Geoff Barnett smashed five fours off a wayward 14th over from Nehemiah Odhiambo.
Barnett perished the next over, however, when he tried to pull Peter Ongondo for six and was caught on the rope by Tanmay Mishra. He top-scored with 41 from 50 balls with nine fours.
Spinners Jimmy Kamande and Hiren Varaiya then put the brakes on, aided by Tikolo's slow-medium pace, and Canada's dangerman Ashish Bagai was dismissed in controversial fashion for 19.
The batsman came down the pitch to Varaiya, wicketkeeper Ouma failed to gather cleanly and when he eventually whipped off the bails Bagai's bat appeared to be in.
But third umpire replays showed the end of his bat was in the air and he was given out, to the sound of boos from the few Canadians in the crowd.
Tikolo bagged two for 34, Kamande finished with two for 25 and Varaiya picked up one for 19.
Canada suffered three comical run outs late in their innings with Umar Bhatti, Anderson Cummins and Henry Osinde, on the last ball of the 50 overs, all well out of their ground.
Canada paceman Cummins became only the second man to play in two World Cups for two different nations. He appeared for West Indies in the 1992 tournament and follows Kepler Wessels into the record books.
St Lucia's Beausejour stadium, which will host a semi-final, was a quarter full although many more are expected for New Zealand's match with England on Saturday morning (NZT).
SCOREBOARD
Canada
G Barnett c Mishra b Ongondo 41
A Samad c Tikolo b Odoyo 15
A Bagai st Ouma b Varaiya 19
I Billcliff c & b Tikolo 34
J Davison b Kamande 8
Q Ali b Kamande 6
A Mulla c Ongondo b Tikolo 25
S Dhaniram not out 34
U Bhatti run out 1
A Cummins run out 1
H Osinde run out 1
Extras (5lb, 6nb, 3w) 14
Total (all out, 50 overs) 199
Fall: 40, 73, 102, 115, 127, 146, 175, 185, 187, 199
Bowling: T Odoyo 8-1-32-1 (2nb), P Ongondo 10-0-51-1 (3nb, 2w), N Odhiambo 3-0-33-0 (1nb, 1w), H Varaiya 10-3-19-1, J Kamande 10-1-25-2, S Tikolo 9-0-34-2.
Kenya
M Ouma c Mulla b Dhaniram 58
D Obuya c Bagai b Cummins 4
R Shah lbw b Bhatti 6
S Tikolo not out 72
T Mishra not out 35
Extras (1b, 2lb, 2nb, 18w, pen 5) 28
Total (for 3 wkts, 43.2 overs) 203
Fall: 28, 52, 119
Bowling: U Bhatti 9-0-44-1 (4w), A Cummins 8-0-32-1 (2nb, 6w), H Osinde 5.2-0-31-0 (6w), J Davison 9-0-31-0, A Samad 3-0-23-0 (2w), S Dhaniram 9-1-34-1
Result: Kenya won by seven wickets
- REUTERS