The teams that did not make it – Part 7 – ICC World Cup 2011
Kenya’s morale had taken a hammering after three humiliating defeats in their opening three games of the group stage. The African side needed to win their remaining three matches if they wanted to have the slimmest of chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals.
The perfect opportunity to get some momentum going presented itself at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Kenya-c752 opted to bat first after having won the toss and looked to post a decent total for the first time
in their torrid campaign.
There was more of a flow to the Kenyan innings against a slightly lack-lustre Canadian bowling attack, a fact that helped both Thomas Odoyo and Tanmay Mishra to record a half century each. Kenya however lacked depth in their batting, as six batsmen failed
to reach double figures in their innings.
The lack of support for Odoyo and Mishra meant that Kenya could only manage an unsafe total of 198 runs in the allotted 50 overs. The pressure was now on the Kenyan bowlers who knew that their side’s entire ICC World Cup 2011 campaign rested on them.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Canada-c748 had everything to play for, as they needed a win to keep their own hopes for qualifying for the quarter-finals alive. The Kenyan squad seemed to lack the hunger to win, as Nehemiah Odhiambo’s two wicket haul was all the Kenyans had to cheer.
While the other defeats were crushing, the loss to Canada by a margin of five wickets was the most humiliating by far. Kenya’s hopes of having their names among the quarter-finalists was dead and buried and with two matches still to go it was a case of damage
control.
The loss against the Canadians had stirred something within the Kenyan side as they put in by far their best performance of the tournament when they faced the Australians at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.
Kenya lost the toss and suffered at the hands of Australia’s undeniably strong batting line-up. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Nehemiah-Odhiambo-c79044 was the star for his side in the bowling department when he took three crucial wickets and bowled his side’s only maiden over.
The target had been set at 325 runs for the Kenyans who gave it their all, but it was both too little and too late. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Collins-c51521 Obuya once again entertained the crowd with nine boundaries and three sixes on his way to a splendid 98-run knock.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Tanmay-Mishra-c92705 added another 72 runs to the scoreboard with his best performance of the tournament, as the Kenyans managed to survive the Australian onslaught and batted out the entire 50 overs. The Kenyans powered their way to 264 runs that did not win them
the match, but helped them regain some respect in the eyes of the cricketing world.
The last match for the Kenyans at Eden Gardens in Kolkata had an emotional side attached to it. It was Kenyan veteran Steve Tikolo’s last match before his retirement from the game. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Zimbabwe-c3045 was the opponents in what could easily be taken as a derby match
between the two teams from the African continent.
Kenya had put in a strong performance against the Australians and was looking to give one of their players a fitting farewell, as Zimbabwe went in to bat in the first innings.
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