By RICHARD MWANGI 

Kenya's under-19s cricket team, now in New Zealand for the youth World Cup have had their training hampered by bad weather.

Team manager, Tariq Iqbal, in an e-mail message to Nairobi said the team had not had decent training in readiness to the competition.

Iqbal told Nasoor Verjee, the Kenya Cricket Development Programme Director, that there was too much rain in Christchurch, since the team arrived there on Saturday. Their first practice match was cancelled as the wicket was un playable.

The team plays its second and last friendly game against Scotland today. 

On Sunday Kenya open their campaign for the under-19 World Cup trophy when they fight it out with Australia. Two days later Kenya will face Scotland again but this time round it will be on Cup serious business. 

The boys play their last preliminary match against West Indies on Thursday 24. The event has attracted 16 teams which are divided into four pools. The top two teams in each pool will advance into super league. The remaining ones will participate in the plate championship set to start on January 27. The event will run for four days.

Other African teams taking part are South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.