Feature

Oram's apology, and Kenya's UDRS blues

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the World Cup Group A match between Kenya and New Zealand in Chennai

Steve Tikolo wouldn't want to have a look at the replay  •  AFP

Steve Tikolo wouldn't want to have a look at the replay  •  AFP

The apology of the day
It came from Jacob Oram after he removed Elijah Otieno to bowl out Kenya. He immediately turned, put his hand up and grinned sheepishly at Tim Southee, who smiled. Southee had just taken two wickets in two balls at the end of the previous over. Oram's wicket had denied him a crack at bagging a hat-trick.
The disappointment of the day
This is the last World Cup for the Kenyan veteran Steve Tikolo and he was the most popular and recognisable face from his team. Alas, he didn't last long. A fast Hamish Bennett yorker ruthlessly re-arranged his furniture. Tikolo was out for just 2. Thankfully, he will have few more games to provide some joy to his fans.
The bad decisions of the day
Collins Obuya went for the UDRS but he shouldn't have, for he was trapped plumb in front. Alex Obanda and Maurice Ouma didn't go for the UDRS but they should have. The ball that got Obanda would have sailed over the stumps and Ouma was struck outside the line of off stump.
The ball of the day
It was the one that did in Tikolo. It was full, fast, and straight. The ball shot under the desperate waft and clattered into the stumps. The middle and the off stump went flying. Bennett slowly came to a halt and smiled gently after his team-mates mobbed him. It was also the beginning of the end for Kenya.
The shot of the day
Martin Guptill might not be as famous as a Brendon McCullum or Ross Taylor but there aren't many batsmen in the world who can loft the ball to the straight boundary cleaner than him. He set himself perfectly in the fifth over to launch an Odoyo delivery behind the sightscreen.

Sriram Veera is a staff writer at ESPNcricinfo