India crush brave Kenya

DURBAN: Captain Saurav Ganguly struck his third hundred of the World Cup yesterday to spur India to a 91-run semi-final win over Kenya. Chasing India’s imposing 270 for four, Kenya never looked likely to threaten an upset and eventually succumbed for 179 in a desperately one-sided match.

The 1983 champions now play defending champions and favourites Australia. Twice in the same over Ganguly slog swept leg-spinner Collins Obuya for towering sixes over midwicket and he continued to improvise throughout his innings, several times charging down the wicket to the Kenyan medium pacers as the overs ran out. Kenya’s highest successful run chase in a one-day international is the 214 they chased to beat Bangladesh by eight wickets in Dhaka in 1998, so the odds were always heavily stacked against the east Africans. A good start was always going to be essential for Kenya to mount a genuine challenge, but India’s much improved pace attack ensured not even the faintest sniff of an upset.

Zaheer Khan, Javagal Srinath and Ashish Nehra picked up a wicket each as Kenya slumped to 30 for three and rapidly out of contention. Ravindu Shah (one) was plumb in front to Zaheer, Peter Ongondo (duck) looked totally out of his depth at number three before offering a catch to mid on off Nehra and Srinath continued his good tournament with a fine delivery Kennedy Otieno (15) could only edge to wicketkeeper Rahul Dravid. Nehra grabbed his second shortly afterwards when Virender Sehwag did well to hold on to a steepling catch at fine leg to dismiss Thomas Odoyo for seven. Ganguly looked to profit from the good start and brought on his slow bowlers early in a bid to reach the 25 overs needed for a result in case of rain as quickly as possible. In the process he captured the wicket of Maurice Odumbe (19), caught in the deep off Yuvraj Singh. With a result assured, Zaheer returned to remove Hitesh Modi (nine) leaving only Tikolo (56 from 83 balls) to battle for some personal pride against the part-time spin of Sachin Tendulkar and Sehwag as the crowd thinned dramatically and Kenya slipped meekly from the World Cup.