Kenya learn from Caribbean odyssey

If results were all that mattered then Kenya's participation in the Carib Beer Cup would be judged as a failure. They have hardly set the world alight - in fact, they have been on the receiving end of more than one drubbing - but their presence in the Caribbean is all about gaining experience of competitive cricket, and in that regard it has been a success.

Kenya's surprising showing in the 2003 World Cup led some to predict that they would be front-runners in the Caribbean's first-class tournament, but that never crossed the mind of Andy Moles, once of Warwickshire and now Kenya's coach. "We could have brought the side that was in the World Cup," he told the Barbados-based Nation newspaper. "But there was a 42-year-old, a couple of 37 and 38 year-olds, and they are past their best. They did well and got the side to the World Cup, but we're building for the future.

"At some stage, you have to look at your squad and say `the time is right'. We felt the time was right to bring a younger side here."

And Moles dismissed suggestions that Kenya had underperformed. "Everywhere we go, they are saying that we have been a bit disappointing. I'm not disappointed at all. We're building for the future and the pleasing thing for me is to give these players an opportunity to come and learn how to play against good players in new conditions."

If Kenya are serious about becoming Test cricket's 11th member, then they need exposure to the longer form of the game, and Moles said that was just what they were getting. "We're learning to concentrate for longer periods of time. The pleasing thing has been the way the batsmen have developed in stages, grasping the skills of the four-day game. The concentration levels are longer.

"If we're going to be lucky enough to play Test cricket, the guys need to continue to play the longer version of the game."