Kenya top at T20 Africa contest in Rwanda
Kenya's batsman Rakep Patel plays a delivery against Nepal's wicket-keeper Aarif Sheikh during the second match of their five-match T20 series on August 26, 2022 at Nairobi Gymkhana.
What you need to know:
- Coach David Obuya’s men defeated Seychelles by seven wickets (DLS) in their final match of the competition held Friday at Gahanga International Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda
- The win over the Islanders saw Kenya finish the eight-team competition unbeaten, triumphing in five straight matches, and sharing spoils in two after they were abandoned due to rain
- By virtue of finishing top, Kenya progressed to the final round of the World Cup qualifiers (World Cup Africa regional qualifiers) alongside runners-up Rwanda who garnered 11 points
The curtains Friday came down on the 2024 International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Twenty20 (T20) World Cup Sub-Regional Africa “A” qualifiers with Kenya finishing top on 12 points.
Coach David Obuya’s men defeated Seychelles by seven wickets (DLS) in their final match of the competition held Friday at Gahanga International Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda.
The win over the Islanders saw Kenya finish the eight-team competition unbeaten, triumphing in five straight matches, and sharing spoils in two after they were abandoned due to rain.
By virtue of finishing top, Kenya progressed to the final round of the World Cup qualifiers (World Cup Africa regional qualifiers) alongside runners-up Rwanda who garnered 11 points.
Rwanda’s final match against Lesotho Friday was abandoned due to rain.
Malawi, Botswana, Saint Helena, Lesotho, Seychelles and Mali which are the other teams that featured in the competition garnered 10, seven, six, four, three and two points respectively.
Namibia, Uganda and Zimbabwe are the teams that Kenya and Rwanda joined at the World Cup Africa regional qualifiers to be held sometime next year.
Namibia will host the competition which will include the top two teams in the Sub-Regional Africa “B” qualifiers. The Sub-Regional Africa “B" qualifiers will also be held in Rwanda from December 1 to 9.
Against Seychelles, Kenya was expected to stroll to victory as they headed into the clash on the back of four impressive wins.
The Islanders were yet to taste a victory in their qualifiers thus complicating their chances of upsetting East Africa’s powerhouse.
Seychelles who opted to bat first after winning the toss posted 94 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs of their innings.
The match was stopped in the fifth over of Kenya’s innings owing to the light showers in Kigali and it resumed about 30 minutes later.
The rain forced the match to be abandoned in the 13.5 of 17 overs of Kenya’s innings, with Obuya’s men posting 82 runs for the loss of three wickets. Kenya’s Irfan Karim extinguished opener Mazharul Islam’s hopes of not being out in the contest when he run him out in the 18th over.
Islam hit half a century from 48 deliveries with six fours. Peter Langat took the most wickets for Kenya at three.
Opener Pushkar Sharma, who was dismissed in the seventh over top scored for Kenya with 33 runs off 23 balls with five fours and a six.
In their first two matches of the competition, Kenya shared spoils with Malawi and St Helena after rains interrupted the matches that were staged at the Gahanga International Cricket Stadium.
Obuya’s men won their next four matches, defeating Mali, Rwanda, Lesotho and Botswana by 10 wickets, nine wickets, 167 runs and eight wickets respectively.
