Kenyans crumble

Uganda capitalised on Kenya’s poor shots selection and panic to register a 69-run win in as the ICC Africa Under-19s World Cup qualifiers entered the third day at Nairobi Jaffery’s yesterday.

Chasing their highest score of the event—231, Kenya were all out for 162 mainly due to a major middle order collapse. Sitting comfortable at 128 for 5, Kenya lost five wickets for 34 runs to lose their first match of the tournament. After a poor start that saw the home team reduced to 26 for 4, Sachin Bhudia and Tom K’Ochieng put on what seemed to be a match-winning stand with 102 runs for the fifth wicket.

The two seemed to struggle in the beginning, wasting many balls but when they got the momentum, they got the scores ticking in 24 overs. But immediately after getting on the century stand, Bhudia was caught and bowled on 50 with 103 runs required. Ankeet Hirani fell soon with the board on 138. At this point, Kenya put their hopes of a win on K’Ochieng but his long stay, was brought to an end when he was easily run out to leave Kenya on 143 for 7 after 39.3 overs.

Jasraj Kundi and Abishekh Chidambaran struggled to get into the required run-rate and seemed to be going through the momentum before Kundi was bowled.

Mwendwa too found the going tough and was run out for a duck. Yarksh Patel was the last wicket to fall when he was stumped.

Earlier on in the inning, Kenya lost their first four wickets easily, thanks to a fierce opening spell from Trevor Bukenya and Kenneth Waiswa.

Bukenya was the most effective of the two, claiming onform Aman Gandhi, whom he trapped for 19 in the seventh over with the board at 24.

Bukenya had easily dismissed Dennis Musyoka for a duck. Sonnu Singh was the third casualty for Bukenya.

Uganda had a brisk start scoring at rate of eight runs an over in the first seven overs. The openers Zephaniah Arinaitwe (43) and Ronald Opio did the damage at the top with an opening stand of 57 in 7.5 overs before Steven Wabwose (44) got them to 76 before Mwendwa got his second.

Uganda were three down after 13 overs for 85 when Eddy Agaba was trapped lbw. Howeve, Wabwose and top-scorer Waiswa (60) build up the inning with a brief stand of 37 runs for the fourth wicket.

Uganda were again in danger at 128 for 5 after 28.2 overs and then 141 for 6, 14 balls later before Siraje Nsubuga and Waiswa Singh lifted them with a seventh wicket stand of 67 runs. From here, Kenya bowlers raided Ugandan lower order with wickets falling at regular intervals to bowl them out for 231 with 11 balls to play.