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| February 25, 2003 | Tuesday | Zul Hijjah 23, 1423 |
Kenyan mystery man rattles Sri Lankans in huge upset
NAIROBI, Feb 24: Unknown leg-spinner Collins Obuya stole the limelight from Muttiah Muralitharan as Kenya pulled off one of the great World Cup shocks against Sri Lanka on Monday.
The 21-year-old Obuya took five for 24 in 10 overs, the ninth best bowling figures in tournament history, as Kenya won the Group ‘B’ encounter by 53 runs to give the home team a real chance of making the Super Six stage.
The Kenyan players leapt for joy and set off on a long victory lap when Maurice Odumbe ended the game by bowling tail-ender Dilhara Fernando at the end of the 45th over.
The victory rivalled Kenya’s shock win over West Indies in the 1996 World Cup.
Kenya captain Steve Tikolo said: “This was very excellent. I think he (Obuya) bowled the spell of his life.”
Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka’s stunned captain, responded: “We did not play like professionals. We looked like amateurs.
“I’m so disappointed with our batsmen. We should have got that total.”
Obuya made it a family affair after brother Kennedy Obuya had top-scored with 60 in Kenya’s 210 for nine.
The Sri Lankans, unbeaten in three games before Monday’s match, had looked well on course for victory after the first innings.
But Collins Obuya came on to rip out the heart of the innings after Sri Lanka, who won the toss, had cruised to 71 for two on a slowing pitch.
By the end, the Kenyans were rushing into a celebratory huddle as each wicket fell.
Collins Obuya had never taken more than two wickets in a one-dayer before. His previous nine wickets in 18 games had cost him 78.22 runs apiece.
He began his performance of a lifetime when Hashan Tillekeratne, having made 23, swept him and was caught at deep midwicket.
The score crept up to 87 to three before the last seven wickets fell for 70 runs.
Mahela Jayawardene, on five, tried to turn a full toss from Obuya and sent back a leading edge into the bowler’s hands.
Kumar Sangakkara, playing back to Obuya, edged up in the air off the shoulder of the bat and to his brother and wicket-keeper Kennedy, who dashed round and took a diving catch by his glove tips, the dismissal confirmed by the third umpire.
Obuya then took his prize wicket of Aravinda de Silva, who cut at a full-length ball too close to him and was caught behind.
Vaas was caught and bowled to complete Collins Obuya’s perfect day as the innings caved in.
Earlier Vaas, the top wicket-taker in the tournament, took three for 41 and off-spinner Muralitharan four for 28, his best World Cup figures.
Opener Kennedy Obuya was the only batsman to hit form for Kenya after they had been put in. When he fell for 60, the innings lost all impetus.
Kenya had fought back audaciously after Ravindu Shah’s early departure but Vaas struck again when Brijal Patel edged a drive behind to the diving Sangakkara to make it 46 for two in the seventh over.
Obuya hoisted Vaas over long on for six while Tikolo, after a cautious start, drove fast bowler Prabath Nissanka through extra cover for two fours to reach 1,500 One-day International runs.
The key blow, however, came when Muralitharan trapped Tikolo lbw on the back foot with his third delivery, the ball appearing to hit the pad just outside off stump.
Obuya, after hitting eight fours and two sixes, was caught in the leg-side deep, hitting out at de Silva’s off spin, to make it 112 for four.
Three wickets then fell for 11 runs, Muralitharan and Vaas combining to remove Hitesh Modi, Thomas Odoyo and Maurice Odumbe as Kenya slipped to 163 for seven.
Muralitharan also bowled Tony Suji but missed out on his first five-wicket return in a World Cup match when he dropped a return catch next ball.
Scoreboard
KENYA:
K.O. Obuya c Muralitharan b de Silva 60
R.H. Shah lbw b Vaas 0
B.J. Patel c Sangakkara b Vaas 12
S.O. Tikolo lbw b Muralitharan 10
H.S. Modi b Muralitharan 26
M.O. Odumbe c and b Muralitharan 26
T.M. Odoyo c Sangakkara b Vaas 6
C.O. Obuya not out 13
A.O. Suji b Muralitharan 6
P.J. Ongondo b Jayasuriya 20
M.A. Suji not out 3
EXTRAS (B-5, LB-11, W-10, NB-2) 28
TOTAL (for nine wkts, 50 overs) 210
FALL OF WKTS: 1-1, 2-46, 3-75, 4-112, 5-152, 6-163, 7-163, 8-173, 9-205.
BOWLING: Vaas 10-1-41-3; Nissanka 7-2-29-0; Fernando 7-0-33-0; Muralitharan 10-1-28-4; Jayasuriya 9-1-30-1; de Silva 5-1-23-1; Arnold 2-0-10-0.
SRI LANKA:
M.S. Atapattu b Odoyo 23
S.T. Jayasuriya c Patel b M. Suji 3
H.P. Tillekeratne c A. Suji b C. Obuya 23
P.A. de Silva c K. Obuya b C. Obuya 41
D.P.M. Jayawardena c and b C. Obuya 5
K.C. Sangakkara c K. Obuya b C. Obuya 5
R.P. Arnold not out 25
W.P.U.J.C. Vaas c and b C. Obuya 4
R.A.P. Nissanka c Odoyo b Tikolo 2
M. Muralitharan c A. Suji b Tikolo 10
C.R.D. Fernando b Odumbe 7
EXTRAS (B-2, W-6, NB-1) 9
TOTAL (all out, 45 overs) 157
FALL OF WKTS: 1-13, 2-39, 3-71, 4-87, 5-105, 6-112, 7-119, 8-131, 9-149.
BOWLING: M.A. Suji 8-1-24-1; Odoyo 7-0-33-1; C.O. Obuya 10-0-24-5; Ongondo 5-0-22-0; Odumbe 10-0-39-1; Tikolo 5-1-13-2.
RESULT: Kenya won by 53 runs.
UMPIRES: D.J. Harper (Australia) and R.B. Tiffin (Zimbabwe).
TV UMPIRE: A.V. Jayaprakash (India).
MATCH REFEREE: D.T. Lindsay (South Africa).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Collins Obuya.—Reuters
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