Zimbabwe defeats Kenya by four wickets

Zimbabwe defeats Kenya by four wickets

NAIROBI, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe's national cricket team defeated Kenya by four wickets in their third One Day International played on Saturday in Nairobi to seal a series win in Nairobi.

A captain's performance by Prosper Utseya helped the visitors edge out the hosts in a tightly contested game where Kenya showed signs of rediscovering their poise and form.

Utseya scored 68 off just 65 balls as Zimbabwe reached the 235 target set by Kenya with 10 balls remaining. Kenya had won the toss and chose to bat scoring 234 all out in 49.3 overs.

Opener Peter Ongondo gave Kenya the perfect start picking two wickets to leave the victors at 51-2. Rajesh Bhudia, Nehemiah Odhiambo and Steve Tikolo then put Kenya in a great chance to win the match by claiming a wicket each to reduce the visitors to 103 for 5.

But Kenya's bete noire in the series Elton Chigumbura started the revival forging a partnership with Utseya and when he was caught leg before by Jimmy Kamande, Mutizwa provided Utseya with a foil as the visitors made certain of the series win.

Earlier, leg spinner Graeme Cremer claimed four wickets as Kenya were limited to 234 with their batsmen again failing to stand to the Zimbabwe attack.

Kenya got off to the worst possible start when Serene Waters was dismissed for golden duck after edging a Chris Mpofu delivery straight to the keeper.

Kenya's woes deepened 11 overs later when Kennedy Otieno was sent back to the pavilion by Ray Price. The home side continued to lose cheap wickets and was reduced to 95-5 before Collins Obuya steadied the ship with a useful 55.

Cremer struck at vital times throughout the innings, including a spell of three in six balls, beginning by removing Alex Obanda when he lofted to long on for a hard-fought 49.

Then in his next over he removed the key scalp of Steve Tikolo, who was beaten by one that skidded through. Two balls later and the shoddy side of Kenya's batting was again on display when Jimmy Kamande pulled lazily to midwicket.

Cremer was then soon making his mark and the series was rapidly slipping away from Kenya, but Obuya and Maurice Ouma stopped the slide with a stand of 79 in 14 overs.

Obuya went to his fifty off 59 balls before becoming Cremer's fourth wicket as Zimbabwe's fielders continued to hold their catches in the deep.