ICC Intercontinental Cup and Shield

BERMUDA v KENYA Bermuda found conditions tough after allowing only three days to acclimatise following a 33-hour journey which included a 15-hour stop-over in London. The weather was extremely hot with temperatures rising to 29.5° C on the first day and 27.2 and 26.3 on subsequent days. Combined with the altitude of some 1,700 metres, the players soon became tired and suffered from breathlessness. On the day before the match, two of the squad, Kevin Tucker and Kevin Hurdle, went down with a virus and Bermuda were forced to select their only eleven fit players. Kenya, in contrast, were more used to the heat and altitude, were at full strength and had just spent two weeks in Harare playing against Zimbabwe A. Steve Tikolo chose to bat on winning the toss and, on a batsman-friendly pitch, Bermuda started well, taking the first two wickets for 32 runs. Soon after his arrival at the crease, Tikolo survived a confident appeal for leg-before from Ryan Steede but thereafter he took command of the proceedings. Scoring at a strike rate of 94.4 he made his maiden first-class double century and the first recorded in the Intercontinental Cup. Over half of his runs came in boundaries. Kennedy Otieno, in a partnership of 97, and then Hitesh Modi played the anchor role, the latter in a fourth-wicket partnership of 241 runs. Bermuda used eight bowlers but none was able to prevent the flow of runs and their efforts were not aided by three dropped catches in the first 40 overs. Nevertheless, Bermuda did not wilt and their captain, Clay Smith, and coach, Gus Logie, both felt that their side did well not to concede even more runs. Once the 400 had been passed and since, with one ball of the maximum 90 overs allowed for the first innings remaining, it was clear that Modi, off-strike, would not reach his hundred, Tikolo declared. Bermuda survived the final hour of the day, losing only one wicket, and scoring at one run per over as Martin Suji and Thomas Odoyo bowled with aggression. The second day witnessed another fine captain’s performance, this time from Smith as he led the fightback after Kwame Tucker was bowled by Odoyo with only six runs added to the total. Hard as they tried though, Bermuda could not quite replicate Kenya’s efforts of the first day, even though the weather was cloudier and the Kenyan bowling rather uninspired. Smith received support from Saleem Mukuddem, Janeiro Tucker, Dean Minors and Hassan Durham but all got out when looking well set so that none of the partnerships lasted long enough to be really productive. In contrast to the Kenyan innings it was the captain who provided the anchor whilst Tucker and Minors had strike rates of 103.4 and 96.2 respectively. Five of the wickets went to leg-before decisions, that of Minors being controversial since he had taken a substantial step down the pitch. This was another contrast to day one when all leg-before appeals had been rejected. For most of the day, a total of 400 looked a possibility, but Tikolo’s off spin turned the match in Kenya’s favour when he accounted for Lionel Cann first ball. Instead of pursuing his normal aggressive approach, Cann decided to push the ball for a single, got a top edge and offered an easy caught-and-bowled. Durham survived the hat-trick ball. At the end of 90 overs, Bermuda were still 57 runs in arrears. Kenya began their second innings with 26 overs left in the day’s play. Otieno was fortunate in the fifth over when his shot off Mukuddem just failed to carry to Kwame Tucker at mid wicket. It was his partner, Maurice Ouma, who fell before the close, caught behind off Cann. Nevertheless, Kenya were in the stronger position with a lead of 142 runs. On the final day, Bermuda needed quick wickets to dismiss Kenya for a small total if they were to have any chance of winning, whereas all Kenya needed to do was to play for a draw and acquire more batting points. Otieno and Tony Suji began patiently and took the score to 145 when Steede had him caught by Curtis Jackson and then had Tikolo brilliantly caught by Smith first ball. With Modi then falling to Dwayne Leverock, Kenya were now 148 for four and in danger of allowing Bermuda back into the match. Odoyo and Tony Suji ensured that the alarm passed with two hours of very defensive cricket in which no boundaries were scored in 20 overs after lunch. At tea, both captains agreed to settle for a draw but to play on until Suji was either dismissed or reached his century. Six overs and two balls later, the proceedings ended, Kenya progressing to the final on bonus points. Steve Tikolo was a deserved winner of the Man-of-the-Match award. Leverock was the unsung hero, however, for sending down 74 overs in the heat for only 195 runs; his reward was a mere two wickets. 74 ICC Intercontinental Cup 2005