Kenya's under-exposed cricketers are unlikely to extend a fired-up South Africa when they meet in Potchefstroom tonight.
The South Africans are still smarting from a stunning three-run defeat at the hands of the West Indies in the tournament opener in Cape Town on Sunday.
Kenyan manager Mehmood Quraishy admitted it shaped up
as an unequal contest: "We are handicapped because we do not get enough international cricket."
Since being granted one-day international status after the 1996 World Cup, when they caused one of the tournament's great upsets by defeating the West Indies, the Kenyans have played only 51 matches.
In the year leading up to the World Cup, Kenya have played nine matches, losing eight and having one no-result against Zimbabwe.
Calming nerves
India go into their opener against minnows the Netherlands tonight confident that Sachin Tendulkar and psychologist Sandy Gordon have helped them to get over pre-tournament jitters.
The Indians begin their campaign against the backdrop of an embarrassing tour of New Zealand where the famed batting line-up could not pass 122 in four of the seven one-day internationals.
It convinced World Cup rivals that the Indians were sitting ducks against fast bowling, forcing coach John Wright and skipper Sourav Ganguly to take immediate remedial measures.
The first was to install Tendulkar, one-day cricket's leading batsman, at the pivotal No 3 position. Second, they organised a team session with psychologist Gordon to enable them to restore their confidence.
Row drags on . . . and on
The squabble over whether England will boycott their World Cup opener against Zimbabwe in Harare tomorrow is set to rumble on after a frustrating day of claim and counter-claim over the fixture.
The crux of the matter is a death threat against the English players and which organisation - the International Cricket Council or the England and Wales Cricket Board - should make the final decision on the matter.
The ICC had the last say yesterday, a barbed directive at the English to stop dithering.
The English players and their board believe the death threat to be genuine, while the ICC's security advisers say it's not.
Lefties dominate
Two days in, and the cup is looking disturbingly left-handed.
Brian Lara started the trend, with a match-winning century in the opening game against South Africa.
There was more of the same yesterday, from Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya in Bloemfontein.
And the cack-handed Andy Flower of Zimbabwe did not make many runs but he made big waves in Harare with his protest against the nation's regime.
World Cup schedule
Points table
Kenya's under-exposed cricketers are unlikely to extend a fired-up South Africa when they meet in Potchefstroom tonight.
The South Africans are still smarting from a stunning three-run defeat at the hands of the West Indies in the tournament opener in Cape Town on Sunday.
Kenyan manager Mehmood Quraishy admitted it shaped up
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