Kenya’s T20 hopes alive after win over Singapore

Kenya's Rakep Patel bowls under umpire David Odhiambo during a past match. PHOTO | FILE |

What you need to know:

  • Singapore won the toss and elected to bat, setting a target of 157 for the loss of nine wickets as Kenya cleared the arrears in 18.5 overs for the loss of three wickets.
  • Karim (70) and Rakeb Patel (7) would stand together to propel Kenya to their second victory, coming two days after they beat Bermuda by 45 runs.

Kenya revived their hopes of qualifying for the 2020 ICC T20 Cricket World Cup when they beat Singapore by seven wickets with seven balls to spare in Dubai on Wednesday.

Singapore won the toss and elected to bat, setting a target of 157 for the loss of nine wickets as Kenya cleared the arrears in 18.5 overs for the loss of three wickets.

Opener Irfan Karim smacked an unbeaten 70 runs off 50 deliveries while Aman Gandhi struck 50 off 46 balls for the loss of the first wicket at 14.1 overs.

Karim and Gandhi had a partnership of 110 before Amjad Mahboob bowled out Gandhi.

Dhiren Gondaria was run out for the loss of the second wicket after only 12 runs with Collins Obuya going out of the third wicket with 16 runs as Kenya reached 149/3 in 17.5 overs.

SECOND WIN

Karim (70) and Rakep Patel (7) would stand together to propel Kenya to their second victory, coming two days after they beat Bermuda by 45 runs.

Elijah Otieno and Lucas Olouch claimed three wickets each with skipper Shem Ngoche going for two.

Kenya must now beat Namibia and Friday and Papua New Guinea on Sunday if they hope to win the group hoping that the Netherlands and Papua New Guinea and Scotland falter in their other matches.

ICC T20 WORLD CUP

Kenya lost to the Netherlands by 30 runs and Scotland by 31 runs in their previous outings.

The victory saw Kenya climb two places in Group “A” to fourth with four points from two wins and two loses.

The Netherlands top with six points from three wins followed by Papua New Guinea and Scotland with four points each from two wins and a loss each.

Canada are perched at the top of Group ‘B’ that also has seven teams with six points from three outings.

The qualifier aims to qualify six teams for next year’s ICC T20 World Cup in Australia.

The top team in each group after the round matches in the Dubai qualifier will qualify director to the World Cup while the next two teams in each group will engaged in another play-off.

Two top placed teams in the playoff will join the other two teams that will have already qualified.

The two losing teams in the playoff will then join those who will have been placed fourth, fifth and sixth in another playoff.

The two top placed teams will complete the number of qualifiers.

Kenya last qualified for the World Cup of the abridged, 20 overs competition 2007.