da winzada777： Kenya are eying a place in the Super Sixes after New Zealand’s refusal totravel to Nairobi gifted Steve Tikolo’s side four unexpected points
CricInfo23-Feb-2003Kenya are eying a place in the Super Sixes after New Zealand’s refusal totravel to Nairobi gifted Steve Tikolo’s side four unexpected points.Whilst most pundits are predicting a four-team fight for qualification inPool B, Kenya suddenly sense an opportunity and are approaching Monday’shome clash against Sri Lanka in a positive frame of mind.”The position we are in, we need to win two of our last three matches tomake it to the Super Six. After Sri Lanka we play Bangladesh and then theWest Indies,” said Tikolo, Kenya’s captain and middle order rock.Sri Lanka have won their first three games easily and will be virtuallyassured of a place in the second round should they claim maximum pointsagainst the Kenyans.Sandeep Patil, the Kenya coach, admitted that the odds were stacked againsthis side, describing Sri Lanka as a “giant in the one-day game”, but alsobelieves that his side has the talent to spring a surprise.”For us, it’s a very big game, but knowing one-day cricket, as you have seenin this tournament anything is possible. On any particular day the teamwhich has played better cricket has chances of winning,” Patil said.”We have Maurice Odumbe, Ravindu Shah, Thomas Odoyo, Collins Obuya. I don’twant to single out anybody, but this is a talented side which enjoys itscricket,” said Patil.Kenya sensationally defeated the West Indies at Poona in the 1996 World Cupand then upset India at Port Elizabeth in 2001.The Sri Lankans, meanwhile, have recognised that Kenya represents a fargreater threat than Bangladesh and Canada.”This game however will be a bit different because Kenya is a better side.You can’t underestimate them. Also, we are playing in their home conditions.We have to be positive and finish off on the right note,” said SanathJayasuriya.Sri Lanka’s greatest concern is the middle order and the lack of time theyhave spent in the middle. Despite this Jayasuriya has ruled out majorchanges.”The middle-order batting remains a big question at the moment. There is alot of frustration for the middle-order batsmen. But at the moment, the waythings are going we can’t do a thing about it. The other teams in the groupare also going through a similar phase.”We need to keep the net run rate up because we don’t know what kind ofsituation we will be faced with qualifying for the Super Sixes. We have tobe prepared for all eventualities because net run rate is playing a big rolein qualifying for the next stage of the competition,” he said.Fast bowler Pulasthi Gunaratne underwent his first fitness test on hisinjured right finger on Sunday, bowling flat out for about ten minutes atthe nets, but Prabath Nissanka will retain his place after four wicketsagainst Canada.”Pulasthi is still in a little bit of pain, but we are working on him andsee how it goes. He is getting and better by the day. But it all depends onhow he feels,” said Jayasuriya.SRI LANKA (from):Sanath Jayasuriya (c), Marvan Atapattu, Hashan Tillakaratne, KumarSangakkara, Aravinda de Silva, Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, ChamindaVaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando, Prabath Nissanka, BuddhikaFernando, Jehan Mubarak.KENYA (from):Steve Tikolo (c), Kennedy Otieno, Ravindu Shah, Hitesh Modi, Maurice Odumbe,Thomas Odoyo, Peter Ongondo, David Obuya, Collins Obuya, Martin Suji, TonySuji, Aasif Karim, Brijal Patel.