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Sports
Sunday, October 19, 2003
CRICKET
Kenya face Sri Lanka 'A' at Ruaraka
Correspondent
Sri Lanka 'A' play their opening match against Kenya at Ruaraka Sports Club today.
The team arrived on Friday from South Africa with their opening batsman Arvinda Gunawardane's right arm in a cast.
Gunawardane was injured during a four-day encounter with South Africa 'A' which ended in a draw. He is on transit back home.
His place has been taken by Gayan R.W. Mudiyanselage who was flown from Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka 'A' visited the country two years ago but the tour was marred by the disagreement between the national players and the Kenya Cricket Association. Some players were accused of boycotting matches in Mombasa while rain made Ruaraka ground un playable.
The main Sri Lanka team lost to Kenya by 53 runs during the International Cricket Council World Cup match played at Nairobi Gymkhana in February. Kenya, who were put in to bat, set a target of 210 all out and in reply Sri Lanka were 157 all out.
Collins Obuya was named man-of-the match for taking five wickets for 24.
Before the World Cup Kenya took part in the ICC champions trophy in Colombo, which prepared them well for the event.
The situation for Kenya team is completely different now. They will face a star-studded Sri Lanka 'A' without having played any meaningful tournaments save the local cricket league.
The Lankans will give Kenya a run for their money.
It will be interesting to see if Obuya will be able to scuttle Sri Lanka's wickets. His feat in the World Cup earned him a place in the Warwickshire County Club in England, where he performed well with both bat and ball before injuring his knee.
Obuya is now fit and will be in today's line-up.
Missing in action will be Tony Suji, whose contract was not renewed by KCA.
However, the biggest beneficiary of the tour will be the 15-year-old Hafeez Manji, who represented Kenya in the under-19 World Cup qualifying rounds in Namibia recently.
Manji is a student in South Africa but plans have been made for him to fly home and take part in what is going to be his ODI debut.
