Kanbis spinner Pushpak Kerai claimed three balls in just four balls to set up Kenya’s second win of the ICC T20 World Cup Africa Region Final over Ghana at Kyambogo Cricket Ground in Kampala, Uganda yesterday.
Kerai’s 3 for 15 helped restrict the West African country to 88 for 9 in pursuit for Kenya’s 141 for 5. Rakep Patel who hit 55 from 27 balls and Collins Obuya with 34 from 43 balls, took Kenya to the finals total.
Kenya seemed to be in trouble at 12 in the second over when openers Dhiren Gondaria and Alex Obanda fell in quick succession but Obuya and Irfan Karim put on 44 for the third wicket to revive Kenya’s inning.
Obuya then pushed the scores to 102 with Patel to ensure Kenya had set a platform of a big score into the last overs of the first inning.
Patel smashed five fours and four sixes to ensure that Kenya had set up a defendable target. But it was the 21-year-old Kerai who set up the victory with his triple strike in the 14th over that saw Ghana stagnate at 70 for 7 from a comfort score of 70 for 5 with 6.3 overs to play. He bagged his first wicket with the third ball of his third over before adding a second with the next ball.
He got his third with the last ball of the over. Shem Ngoche and Lucas Oluoch had two scalps each. Kenya had opened their campaign with an eight wicket win over Nigeria. Today, they play Uganda at Lugogo Oval.
