ICC MEDIA RELEASE
Dubai, 4 February 2008
Kenya all-rounder Thomas Odoyo showed no ill-effects of an injury he sustained in last week’s match against Namibia as he scored an unbeaten 79 on day one of his team’s ICC Intercontinental Cup match against the United Arab Emirates at Sharjah Stadium on Monday.
Odoyo, who is the reigning ICC Associate ODI Player of the Year, had been a doubt coming into this game with a foot injury but it did not hamper his progress. The 29-year-old came in when his side needed a little solidity in the middle order and along with Jimmy Kamande, he managed to turn 126-5 to 255-6 at the close.
With the previous batsmen scoring freely early in the day, Odoyo and Kamande recognised the need for a little circumspection and constructed rather than blasted their contributions. Kamande fell for 43 just before the close to give the UAE hope but Odoyo is still there, just 21 runs short of his second first-class century.
Earlier, captain Steve Tikolo had played with his usual fluency, hitting 13 fours on his way to a 75-ball 63. He was well supported by Maurice Ouma (18) and Alex Obanda (39) along the way.
The UAE bowlers stuck well to their task during the day on a Sharjah pitch that looked pretty true with little or no sideways movement. Arshad Ali bowled 22 overs and finished with figures of 2-27 while seamer Fahad al Hashmi (2-35) also played his part, removing both of Kenya’s openers.
Kenya is still reeling after falling to a 101-run defeat to Namibia, also at Sharjah, last week and it has the look of a team not willing to let lightning strike twice in the same place.
The match is being umpired by Russell Tiffin of the Emirates International Panel of ICC Umpires and Paul Baldwin of the ICC Associates and Affiliates Umpires’ Panel. Play resumes on Tuesday at 0930 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
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 Dubai.
Dubai, 4 February 2008
Kenya all-rounder Thomas Odoyo showed no ill-effects of an injury he sustained in last week’s match against Namibia as he scored an unbeaten 79 on day one of his team’s ICC Intercontinental Cup match against the United Arab Emirates at Sharjah Stadium on Monday.
Odoyo, who is the reigning ICC Associate ODI Player of the Year, had been a doubt coming into this game with a foot injury but it did not hamper his progress. The 29-year-old came in when his side needed a little solidity in the middle order and along with Jimmy Kamande, he managed to turn 126-5 to 255-6 at the close.
With the previous batsmen scoring freely early in the day, Odoyo and Kamande recognised the need for a little circumspection and constructed rather than blasted their contributions. Kamande fell for 43 just before the close to give the UAE hope but Odoyo is still there, just 21 runs short of his second first-class century.
Earlier, captain Steve Tikolo had played with his usual fluency, hitting 13 fours on his way to a 75-ball 63. He was well supported by Maurice Ouma (18) and Alex Obanda (39) along the way.
The UAE bowlers stuck well to their task during the day on a Sharjah pitch that looked pretty true with little or no sideways movement. Arshad Ali bowled 22 overs and finished with figures of 2-27 while seamer Fahad al Hashmi (2-35) also played his part, removing both of Kenya’s openers.
Kenya is still reeling after falling to a 101-run defeat to Namibia, also at Sharjah, last week and it has the look of a team not willing to let lightning strike twice in the same place.
The match is being umpired by Russell Tiffin of the Emirates International Panel of ICC Umpires and Paul Baldwin of the ICC Associates and Affiliates Umpires’ Panel. Play resumes on Tuesday at 0930 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
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 Dubai.