Rain the winner in Harare

An annoying light but steady afternoon rain caused the first one-day international between Zimbabwe and Kenya to be abandoned as a draw, depriving Zimbabwe of a probable victory as they were set a none too taxing target of 211 to win.

Kenya were no doubt pleased to win the toss and get the opportunity to bat first. On the other hand, they had lost their captain and top batsman, Steve Tikolo, who was suffering from bronchitis. Official vice-captain Thomas Odoyo Migai took over the reins. They suffered another early blow when they lost opener Ravindu Shah (0) to the fourth ball of the innings, edging a ball from Friend straight to Alistair Campbell in the slips.

Kennedy Odoyo and Brijal Patel proceeded with caution, until Obuya uppercut Henry Olonga for a spectacular six over backward point. However he became over-ambitious and when Douglas Hondo came on tried to force him off the back foot but hit a catch straight to Grant Flower at short extra cover; he departed for 18, and Kenya were 36 for two.

Maurice Odumbe (5) did not last long before he too departed to the impressive Friend, caught by Campbell at slip as Shah had been. Brijal Patel, the number three, looked an accomplished strokeplayer and drove Hondo for two cultured fours, followed by a cut to the boundary, all in the same over.

A useful partnership developed between Patel and the more experienced Hitesh Modi, and they added 54 before Patel (44) was beaten and bowled by a faster ball from Murphy that knocked the off stump out of the ground. The left-handed Modi grew in confidence, even playing the reverse sweep with aplomb, and Odoyo hit some powerful strokes, but they did not have the experience to raise the scoring rate much beyond four an over.

A sweep to the fine-leg boundary brought Modi his fifty, but then seemed to lose his fluency and in the end holed out to long-off off Doug Marillier for 55. Kenya were 165 for five in the 40th over and the sixth-wicket pair had added 70, a new record for Kenya against Zimbabwe.

Kenya now looked to Odoyo for a major innings but, backing up too far, he was taken by surprise by a direct hit from Campbell that caught him out of his crease. He made 37, and Kenya were 176 for six in the 42nd over. The tail did not wag, and it took the last pair to push the score past 200. Jimmy Kamande with 18 was the only later batsman to reach double figures.

Zimbabwe suffered a bad start when Alistair Campbell, following a poor series against Pakistan, ran himself out for 2; backing up too eagerly as non-striker, he was stranded by Modi's direct hit from mid-on.

The weather was now playing a part, and a flurry of rain drove the players off briefly after three overs; they resumed, but play lasted only another 13 balls before the rain returned, with Zimbabwe 18 for one. A light rain persisted for some time, leaving the outfield slippery, and soon after 3.30 local time the umpires called it a day.

There was little to make the match memorable for anybody, but if there had been a Man of the Match award for this abandoned game, perhaps the most deserving player would have been Travis Friend for one of his best opening spells; he gave Zimbabwe the early initiative which they never really lost.