Kenya beats UAE by 66 runs in Intercontinental Cup

Tanmay Mishra and debutant Rajesh Varsani made half-centuries in Kenya’s 66-run win over United Arab Emirates in a rain-affected ICC Intercontinental Cup one-day game on Monday.

By (AP)

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Published: Mon 25 Jul 2011, 9:37 PM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 6:32 PM

Mishra (66) and Varsani (57) combined for a 133-run partnership to rescue a new-look Kenya team from 21-3 and help it to 210 all out at the Gymkhana Club Ground.

UAE was 119-8 after 35 overs when the rain came, giving Kenya victory on the Duckworth-Lewis method in both teams’ opening match of a competition that runs through to 2013.

Seamer Rajesh Bhudia took 5-21 in a winning start for new Kenya coach Mike Hesson in the top tournament for non-test countries.

Kenya will play UAE in a second 50-over game on Tuesday, followed by a four-day match starting on Thursday. Scotland and Ireland share the early lead in the Intercontinental Cup one-day standings.

Kenya gave debuts to five players in Hesson’s first game in charge, with new captain Collins Obuya and Mishra the only survivors from a dismal World Cup campaign.

Obuya was one of three early wickets to fall, leaving the Kenyans struggling in the 10^th over in Nairobi.

But Mishra and Varsani rebuilt the innings before they fell within three balls of each other. Ramesh Mepani, another player on debut, hit 22 from 26 balls at No. 6 to help lift the home team past 200.

Fast bowler Shoaib Sarwar took a career-best 5-23 for UAE.

Bakthiyar Palekar was out on the second ball of UAE’s innings after being trapped lbw by Bhudia, who went on to dismiss four of the top five batsmen in his best international bowling return.

UAE slid to 11-4 and, despite fightbacks from wicketkeeper Amjad Ali (30) and tailender Nasir Aziz (28 not out), was well short when rain ended the contest early.

The sixth version of the Intercontinental Cup involves Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands, Namibia, Afghanistan, Canada Kenya and UAE. Cricket’s second-tier countries compete in separate leagues for one-day and four-day matches.