ICC MEDIA RELEASE
Dubai , 7 February 2008
Dubai , 7 February 2008
Kenya returned to the top of the ICC Intercontinental Cup table after comprehensively defeating the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by 81 runs on the fourth and last day at Sharjah Stadium on Thursday.
Fast bowler Peter Ongondo was the star for Kenya grabbing five for 30 as the UAE was bowled out for 192 while chasing 274 for victory.
The victory earned Kenya a maximum of 20 points, enough to put it on top of the table with 66 points from four matches. Namibia is second on 48 points while the Netherlands is on 34 points but both have played one less game.
Defending champion Ireland is fourth on 29 points from two matches and Scotland and Canada share fifth place on 26 points. The UAE is seventh on 23 points from five matches and Bermuda is at the bottom of the table with six points from four matches.
The home team had resumed this morning at 17-1 and looked dead and buried when it was reduced to 75-5. However, Nigel Fernandes and Shoaib Sarwar struck half centuries of contrasting styles to save the UAE from complete embarrassment.
Fernandes struck eight boundaries in his 116-ball 63 before being the ninth batsman out while Sarwar belted five fours and two sixes in his 87-ball 61. The two batsmen put on 109 runs for the eighth wicket.
Nevertheless, the day belonged to Ongondo who recorded his career-best figures on way to registering figures of 12-2-30-5. It was his third five-wicket haul in 32 matches.
After remaining wicketless in the first innings, Ongonda had provided Kenya the breakthrough on the third evening when he had accounted for experienced Arshad Ali. He made a sensational start to the final day when he had Ahmed Raza caught by Steve Tikolo with the first delivery of the morning.
Ongondo then had captain Saqib Ali (26), Khurram Khan (0) and Azhar Gul (0) in a space of six deliveries as the UAE kissed goodbye to its chances of recording a come-from-behind victory.
Thomas Odoyo and Elijah Otieno shared four wickets between them while 23-year-old Hiren Variaya, who took 5-50 in the first innings, grabbed the last wicket to complete a comfortable Kenya victory.
The match was umpired by Russell Tiffin of the Emirates International Panel of ICC Umpires and Paul Baldwin of the ICC Associates and Affiliates Umpires’ Panel.
The ICC Intercontinental Cup has quickly grown in stature and profile since its inception three years ago and now the ICC’s premier first-class tournament is an integral part of the Associate Members’ cricket schedule.
Having previously been designed around a two-group, three-day format, the event has evolved into an eight-team, round-robin and truly global tournament featuring four-day cricket which gives those teams who do not play Test cricket the chance to experience the longer form of the game.
Scotland won the first ICC Intercontinental Cup in 2004, beating Canada in the final, while Ireland has been victorious in both events since then, beating Kenya in the 2005 decider and Canada earlier this year in the 2006-07 event.
The final of the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2007-08 will take place in November 2008 in the UAE.
Fast bowler Peter Ongondo was the star for Kenya grabbing five for 30 as the UAE was bowled out for 192 while chasing 274 for victory.
The victory earned Kenya a maximum of 20 points, enough to put it on top of the table with 66 points from four matches. Namibia is second on 48 points while the Netherlands is on 34 points but both have played one less game.
Defending champion Ireland is fourth on 29 points from two matches and Scotland and Canada share fifth place on 26 points. The UAE is seventh on 23 points from five matches and Bermuda is at the bottom of the table with six points from four matches.
The home team had resumed this morning at 17-1 and looked dead and buried when it was reduced to 75-5. However, Nigel Fernandes and Shoaib Sarwar struck half centuries of contrasting styles to save the UAE from complete embarrassment.
Fernandes struck eight boundaries in his 116-ball 63 before being the ninth batsman out while Sarwar belted five fours and two sixes in his 87-ball 61. The two batsmen put on 109 runs for the eighth wicket.
Nevertheless, the day belonged to Ongondo who recorded his career-best figures on way to registering figures of 12-2-30-5. It was his third five-wicket haul in 32 matches.
After remaining wicketless in the first innings, Ongonda had provided Kenya the breakthrough on the third evening when he had accounted for experienced Arshad Ali. He made a sensational start to the final day when he had Ahmed Raza caught by Steve Tikolo with the first delivery of the morning.
Ongondo then had captain Saqib Ali (26), Khurram Khan (0) and Azhar Gul (0) in a space of six deliveries as the UAE kissed goodbye to its chances of recording a come-from-behind victory.
Thomas Odoyo and Elijah Otieno shared four wickets between them while 23-year-old Hiren Variaya, who took 5-50 in the first innings, grabbed the last wicket to complete a comfortable Kenya victory.
The match was umpired by Russell Tiffin of the Emirates International Panel of ICC Umpires and Paul Baldwin of the ICC Associates and Affiliates Umpires’ Panel.
The ICC Intercontinental Cup has quickly grown in stature and profile since its inception three years ago and now the ICC’s premier first-class tournament is an integral part of the Associate Members’ cricket schedule.
Having previously been designed around a two-group, three-day format, the event has evolved into an eight-team, round-robin and truly global tournament featuring four-day cricket which gives those teams who do not play Test cricket the chance to experience the longer form of the game.
Scotland won the first ICC Intercontinental Cup in 2004, beating Canada in the final, while Ireland has been victorious in both events since then, beating Kenya in the 2005 decider and Canada earlier this year in the 2006-07 event.
The final of the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2007-08 will take place in November 2008 in the UAE.