Report

Stephan Baard 97 sinks Kenya

A round-up of the World Cricket League Division Two matches on January 17, 2015

File photo: Wesley Barresi hit nine fours and a six during his 83 off 61  •  ICC

File photo: Wesley Barresi hit nine fours and a six during his 83 off 61  •  ICC

A 96-ball 97 from the Namibia opener Stephan Baard powered the team to a five-wicket victory against Kenya in Windhoek. Set 192 for the win, Baard put up 50-plus partnerships with Gerrie Snyman and Raymond van Schoor to ensure Namibia were home inside 40 overs. After Baard and Snyman had put up an opening partnership of 56, quick wickets from Kenya pegged Namibia back to 79 for 3. However, Baard and Van Schoor (33) shared a fourth-wicket association which yielded 85 runs to take the team the brink of victory. Baard stroked nine fours and a six, but fell three runs short of a maiden List-A ton as he was dismissed by Nelson Odhiambo in the 36th over.
Earlier, a three-wicket burst from Sarel Burger (3 for 40) restricted Kenya to 191 for 8. Burger removed S Auma, Irfan Karim and Narendra Patel inside seven overs, as Kenya soon found themselves floundering at 79 for 5. A 78-run stand between Odhiambo (54) and Rakep Patel stopped the slide and took the team close to the 200-run mark, but it proved not to be nearly enough. Craig Williams and Snyman picked up two wickets apiece.
Fifties from Ben Cooper and Wesley Barresi, followed by a four-wicket haul from Vivian Kingma helped Netherlands crush Canada by 67 runs. Netherlands, having been inserted, made 251 for 7. Cooper built the platform, scoring a patient 57 and putting up 86 for the second wicket with Eric Szwarczynski. Canada fought their way back with quick wickets, but Barresi slammed nine fours and a six during an unbeaten 61-ball 83 to give his team a late surge. Canada never really got going in their chase, as Kingma's (4 for 32) early burst soon had the team struggling at 110 for 7. Hamza Tariq and Satsimranjit Dhindsa added 56 for the eighth wicket, but that stand only reduced the margin of defeat, as Canada folded for 184 in 46 overs. Apart from Kingma, Michael Rippon chipped in with figures of 3 for 22.
Nepal's Basant Regmi was unable to get the three runs needed for victory off the final ball, as Uganda hung on for a two-run win. Set 147 for the win, Nepal began the final over requiring 10 runs. KC Karan hit Jonathan Sebanja for four first ball, but Nepal could manage only singles off the next two balls. Sebanja followed this up with a dot off the fourth delivery, and a leg-bye off the fifth. It meant Regmi had to score a boundary or run three off the final ball for the win. However, he was caught by Brian Masaba, giving Uganda two points.
Uganda, choosing to bat, had earlier stumbled to 53 for 4 inside 24 overs, but a fifth-wicket 65-run stand between Masaba (43) and Davis Karashani lifted the team. However, both batsmen fell in the 43rd over, triggering a collapse as Uganda lost their last six wickets for just 28 runs. Paras Khadka was the pick of Nepal's bowlers, fetching returns of 3 for 14, while Sompal Kami and Regmi snared two scalps apiece.
Subash Khakurel (32) and Gyanendra Malla (34) powered Nepal's chase with handy thirties, but Uganda hit back with quick wickets from Frank Nsubuga, Karashani and Henry Ssenyondo (3 for 21), as the middle order floundered. With the game seemingly going out of reach, Shakti Gauchan jolted Uganda with two sixes in the 48th over, but fell in the very next over for 19. It meant that Nepal would eventually fall just short.