New Zealand thrash hapless Kenya

11-24 September 2007

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ICC World Twenty20 Group C, Durban: New Zealand 74-1 (7.4 overs) beat Kenya 73 (16.5 overs) by nine wickets

New Zealand eased themselves into the ICC World Twenty20 with a nine-wicket thrashing of Kenya in Durban.

The African side never recovered from being reduced to 1-4 at the start of their innings and six of their batsmen failed to score.

Mark Gillespie took 4-7 as they were all out for 73, the lowest score in a Twenty20 international.

The Kiwis then took just 7.4 overs to reach the target as Peter Fulton ended the game with two successive sixes.

A greenish pitch and a gusting cross-wind meant that New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettoti had no hesitation in asking Kenya to bat after winning the toss.

It proved a shrewd decision as the Kenyan top order simply could not cope with the pace and movement of Shane Bond, who removed Maurice Ouma and Tanmay Mishra in the opening over, and Gillespie.

Things went from bad to worse when David Obuya trod on his stumps as Gillespie forced him onto the back foot and captain Steve Tikolo fell lbw when he was struck on the boot by a full length delivery.

Thomas Odoyo and Collins Obuya added 36 for the fifth wicket, both making 18, before the introduction of Chris Martin and Vettori prompted another slump from 37-4 to 46-8.

Rajesh Bhudia sliced Martin over cover point for six but the end of the innings was swift as Gillespie knocked out Jimmy Kanade's middle stump with a full toss and two balls later bowled last man Peter Ongondo.

New Zealand were in no mood to hang about at the start of their reply, with Lou Vincent lofting Odoyo over long-on for a boundary in the opening over.

He pulled the last ball of Odoyo's next over over mid-wicket for six after being dropped off a no-ball by Nehemiah Odhiambo but the bowler had his revenge when David Obuya dived forward at mid-off to take a low catch and send Vincent on his way for 27.

There was no let-up in the scoring rate, however, and Fulton wrapped things up in style as he drove Bhudia over long-off for four and then despatched the next two deliveries into the crowd at mid-wicket to finish on 21 not out.

Kenya captain Steve Tikolo:
"Obviously losing our top four batsman for ducks was a massive body blow and it was something we never recovered from.

"I wouldn't say we were shellshocked by the occasion - we knew what to expect and we came here fully prepared, we just couldn't execute our plans.

"We will have to learn how to build and set scores quickly because obviously now our next game is a must-win."

Source: BBC Sport