Heavy rains washed out the opening day of the T20 World Cup Africa final qualifier in Kampala, Uganda, without a ball being bowled.
All the six competing teams were not even able to leave the hotel when the umpires of the respective three matches pitting Kenya against the hosts, Namibia against Botswana and Nigeria versus Ghana were called off.
Saturday night’s torrential rains left the playing surface at Lugano and Kyambogo inundated by the time the matches were to start.
The rain continued through the morning and into the early afternoon before the umpires were forced to call off the matches.
Showers are also forecast for the morning of the second day today, though the weather is expected to improve in the afternoon and for the remainder of the tournament.
When the tournament resumes, Kenya will play Nigeria at Kyambogo University ground.
The match will have a lot of memories for the Kenya who only last month saw the U19 side go down to Nigerian side in the U19 World Cup Qualifier in Namibia.
Their junior side has still supplied some talent, including spinner Sylvester Okpe and the obdurate Isaac Danladi and it will be interesting to see how this two players who delivered a maiden global ticket for Nigeria will come up against Kenya.
With net run rate set to come into consideration in determining the two qualifiers to the final T20 World Cup Qualifier in UAE later in the year, Kenya will give the match the due respect it deserves and its unlikely coach Maurice Odumbe will not go with his strong side.
Big hitters, Alex Obanda, Dhiren Gondaria, Rakep Patel and Irfan Karim are all expected to get a first place in the team.
