ICC Intercontinental Cup and Shield

ZIMBABWE XI v KENYA Kenya just about held the advantage at the end of the first day. Put in to bat, all their top order made starts, but then lost their wickets to a persistent Zimbabwean attack of which the leg spin and googly bowler Timycen Maruma was the pick, taking three of the nine wickets to fall. David and Collins Obuya put on 54 for the second wicket and, after both were dismissed in quick succession, Steve Tikolo and Maurice Ouma produced the best partnership of the day, 106 at a run a minute. Tikolo was especially fluent, hitting twelve boundaries in his 61. Alex Obanda held the tail together with a confident contribution of 51, containing seven fours. After he departed, Nehemiah Odhiambo took his side passed 300 and remained undefeated at the close. Zimbabwe gifted Kenya 46 extras, including 19 no-balls, 12 byes, the result of some inaccurate pace bowling, and five penalty points. Without these, the day would have been more evenly contested. Kenya added only six to their overnight score and then immediately gained the upper hand as most of Zimbabwe’s early batsmen succumbed to an impressive display of pace bowling by Tom Odoyo, Ragheb Aga and Odhiambo. The introduction of spin gave no respite as Hiren Varaiya removed the middle order to leave Zimbabwe on 178 for seven. The only resistance came from the captain, Vusi Sibanda, who was clearly in a class above his colleagues. Eventually he found support in Regis Chakabva. The pair batted without trouble through the evening session and by the close had put on 142, taking Zimbabwe to within 13 of Kenya’s total with three wickets remaining. When play ended for the day, Sibanda had been batting for more than six hours and had made his runs at a strike rate of 62.3, including 21 fours and one six. Yet Chakabva had made just over half the runs in their eighth-wicket partnership. On the third morning, Sibanda and Chakabva extended their partnership to 161, before Odoyo bowled Chakabva in the eighth over of the day. Sibanda was the last batsman out, but not before he had reached his double-century. His score of 209 came at a strike rate of 65.3 and included 26 fours and one six. The innings closed on 352, a lead of 19. The rest of the day belonged to Zimbabwe as Kenya struggled for runs and lost wickets regularly. When Maruma had Tikolo leg-before without scoring, Kenya were 68 for three. This soon became 76 for four before Ouma and Obanda gave a more assured performance, adding 81 for the fifth wicket. Both became victims of the off spin of John Nyumbu but there was more resistance to come in a partnership of 50 for the eighth wicket between Odoyo and Aga. Nevertheless, Kenya were all out for 254 by the end of the day’s play, leaving Zimbabwe to score 236 to win on the last day. Zimbabwe bowled a better line and gave away only 27 extras but there were again 12 byes. Ed Rainsford contributed 15 no-balls over the two innings. Zimbabwe changed their batting order in their second innings and, when both the new openers were out with only 24 runs on the board, Kenya were clearly in with a good chance of bowling the host side out. Sibanda, coming in at number four, quickly took charge and with Chamu Chibhabha put on 166 for the third wicket in 42 overs. The removal of Chibhabha, leg-before to Varaiya after he had made 64 at a strike rate of 52.8, produced a slight wobble as Chakabva and Maruma went cheaply. Even so, at 213 for five, Zimbabwe were close enough to the target and Forster Mutizwa accompanied Sibanda to ensure that there were no further mishaps. Zimbabwe were comfortable winners by five wickets but the difference between the two sides was largely that of Vusi Sibanda. For the second Intercontinental Cup game running, Zimbabwe had produced a double-centurion. 192 ICC Intercontinental Cup 2009-10