New contract for Otieno denies B.A.T.Sports

Kenya's success in the recent cricket World Cup has back-fired on local Southern Electric Premier League club BAT Sports.

The Tobaccomen had lined up Kenya opener Kennedy Otieno to be their overseas player for the coming season.

But Kenya's late call up to replace South Africa in this week's Sharjah Trophy - and a fresh contract offered by the KCA - means that Otieno will not now be coming to Southern Gardens, as planned.

"It's obviously a great disappointment, particularly as Kennedy would have been a great attraction after his success in South Africa, where he got a couple of big scores against India and Sri Lanka" said Dave Banks, BAT's retiring skipper.

"But we suspected something might go wrong when Kenya did so well in the World Cup. After reaching the semi-finals, they were going to be in demand.

"When Kennedy played for us before three years ago, he was ordered home by Kenya with one-third of the season to go, and we were anxious to avoid a repetition of that."

BAT, who finished runners-up to Havant in the Premier League last summer, are not the only club to have lost out on their overseas star.

Second Division Lymington had prolific Natal B batsman Mark Sanders lined up to lead their promotion charge.

But Saunders, who scored heavily for Horsham in the Sussex Premier League last season, has joined Boland and been refused permission by the Cape province to play at Lymington this summer.