Best wreaks havoc with Kenya

LUCAS STREET: Tino Best continued to bowl with purpose in the Carib Beer 2004 Cricket Series yesterday, but four interruptions for rain slowed his and the rest of the Barbados team’s press for victory against Kenya in their fifth round match at Windward Sports Club. In between four stoppages for rain that amounted to nearly four hours of time lost, Best captured five wickets for 38 runs from 20.4 overs as Kenya reached 129 for six in their second innings to lead by 79 runs with four wickets standing.

Steve Tikolo, the Kenyan captain, remained unflappable throughout the period of uncertainty to be undefeated on 43. He shared 78 for the third wicket with left-hander Hitesh Modi, whose 48 has so far been the top score. Best has carried his tally of wickets for the season to 34 and will be eyeing Guyanese leg spin bowler Mahendra Nagamootoo’s single season wicket record of 50 (set two years ago) before the end of the Championship. Modi batted for just over three hours, faced 128 balls and his only boundary was a six over backward square leg off Ryan Nurse the previous evening. He and Tikolo defied the Barbadians right throughout the morning period and endured the first stoppage for rain lasting 36 minutes. Because of the break for rain, lunch was taken early with Kenya 80 for two and play resumed ten minutes earlier than scheduled. By the time rain arrived 45 minutes later, the visitors had lost Modi caught at extra cover off Best essaying a drive.

Tikolo and Maurice Odumbe, Kenya’s two most celebrated batsmen, were at the wicket when the second stoppage for rain occurred. In between the resumption and the third stoppage about 40 minutes later, Kenya lost three more wickets — all to Best — in the space of 4.2 overs. Best first bowled Odumbe for eight and, four overs later, he gained LBW verdicts over Maurice Ouma and Rageb Aga within two balls of each other to send Kenya crashing to 113 for six. Soon after rain intervened to prompt an early tea break with the visitors on 117 for six. Play did not resume for another hour and, in the 20 minutes possible before the final shower, Best continued to bowl with pace, hostility and accuracy and sternly examined Collins Obuya’s technique and nerves. But the batsman and his captain remained steadfast and the inclement weather finally had its way.     

Summarised scores: KENYA 171 — Kennedy Otieno 52, Maurice Ouma 21, Pedro Collins 5/57, Tino Best 3/37, Antonio Mayers 2/20 and 129 for six —  Hitesh Modi 48, Steve Tikolo 43, Tino Best 5/38 vs BARBADOS 221 — Floyd Reifer 50, Courtney Browne 42, Ryan Hinds 35, Martin Nurse 32, Sherwin Campbell 31, Maurice Odumbe 6/64, Steve Tikolo 3/45.