Kenya have no cause for Cape Town complacency

If confidence means anything in cricket - and the evidence in favour of that assertion has been pretty compelling over the years - Canada must be favourites to rewrite the form book for the second time in a week when they meet Kenya in tomorrow's Group B day-night match in Cape Town.

Canada began their campaign virtually unnoticed, so intent was the cricket world on the Shane Warne drugs case, the Zimbabwe affair, and a far more fashionable encounter between Australia and Pakistan which began earlier the same day. But by the end of it Canada's was the most romantic story of all.

Although their batting again looked suspect as they were bowled out for 180, Canada's attack ruthlessly exposed Bangladesh's current lack of self-confidence, Austin Codrington, a name few would have been able to place a week ago, took five wickets in his maiden one-day international, and Bangladesh were left wondering where their first World Cup win would come from.

Since then, Kenya have wilted tamely in their first outing, admittedly against far more robust opposition. Given Bangladesh's current form, the caterers at Bloemfontein for their game against South Africa tomorrow week must be wondering whether lunch is a practical consideration.

Looking at tomorrow's encounter more prosaically, it is Kenya who have the greater experience to call upon. Steve Tikolo is as good a batsman as you will find outside the Test sphere. He and medium pacer Martin Suji are due a good game, and Kenya will certainly be more familiar with the conditions.

Of the two, Tikolo is the more likely to benefit, given the batsman-friendly nature of the Newlands surface. But Suji has played in the Western Cape before, taking more than 50 wickets in the 1992-93 season.

Suji went for 21 from four overs against South Africa, but impressed in the warm-up match against Border at Buffalo Park, where he took four for 11 in 10 overs. Ravindu Shah, who made 60 against the South Africans, will be another key man for Kenya.

That's what it says in the form book. But this tournament has so far shown an uncanny capacity not to stick with the script.

Canada and Kenya have met several times over the years in the ICC Trophy, most recently in 1997. The Kenyan team defeated Canada heavily on that occasion, Steve Tikolo making 93, and Maurice Odumbe a spectacular unbeaten 148. Barry Seebaran is the only current Canadian player who played in that match.