Zimbabwe carry the day at Kwekwe

Zimbabwe have beaten Kenya by 47 runs in the second one-day international at Kwekwe. Put in to bat, Zimbabwe were indebted to Travis Friend and skipper Alistair Campbell for their respectable total of 273. It proved too much for Kenya, who were behind the required rate at 181 for six when bad light and rain intervened after 44 overs of their reply.

Zimbabwe's opening partnership did not last long: Mark Vermeulen tantalized with a couple of handsome cover drives, but had only eight to his name when a tame drive off Martin Suji yielded a low catch to mid-on. Friend came in at three as a pinch-hitter, but Campbell, short of runs recently, dug in and took no chances.

After the first 15 overs Zimbabwe were only 42 for one. Martin Suji bowled with such accuracy that Tikolo let him bowl his ten overs without a break, conceding only 17 runs for his wicket. Friend was the more aggressive batsman, especially off Tony Suji, whom he hit for a huge six over long-on, shortly after being dropped on 26. He reached his fifty off 62 balls, a few uppish shots evading the field, and shortly afterwards the hundred partnership came up.

The scoring rate steadily increased, but the partnership ended most unfortunately for Friend. Campbell drove to long-on to reach his fifty, but a startling direct hit from substitute fielder Jimmy Kamande found Friend just out of his ground going for the second run, out for 91. He hit 2 sixes and 9 fours and faced 81 balls.

With Andy Flower in and Campbell now fluent, the scoring rate continued to rise. Campbell finally fell for 71, driving a catch to mid-off off Odoyo; the final result vindicated his initial caution. Grant Flower made 14 before being caught on the square-leg boundary sweeping Tikolo, and Craig Wishart saw Andy through to another fifty and the end of the innings. Andy finished unbeaten on 58 and Wishart 22; the total was 273 for four.

Zimbabwe were a little over-enthusiastic with bouncers when Kenya batted, with both Friend and Henry Olonga being no-balled for exceeding their limit. Friend had Kennedy Obuya dropped by Campbell at slip when on 12, while Olonga kept the score moving by repeatedly over-stepping the crease, and including a long hop that Obuya deposited over the square-leg boundary. The tenth extra came in the seventh over, thanks to profligate bowling. Kenya conceded only nine in the entire Zimbabwe innings.

Zimbabwe had taken 15 overs to reach 42; Obuya and Ravindu Shah reached their fifty partnership in their ninth. But with the total on 55, Shah (8) was well caught low in the gully by Mark Vermeulen off Douglas Hondo, and Thomas Odoyo (1) soon followed, mistiming a pull off Friend to square leg.

This was the turning point. Obuya lost his fluency, reaching his fifty and then mistiming a sweep off Grant Flower to be well caught by Friend running in from long leg for 54. In the same over Steve Tikolo (20) unwisely attempted a quick single, was sent back and very well run out by Brian Murphy. Another double blow had reduced Kenya to 94 for four.

With spinners Flower and Murphy tying them down, Maurice Odumbe and Hitesh Modi put up a brief stand until Odumbe, strangely confused once or twice by Murphy, was adjudged lbw to him for 12. Modi scored 26 without really looking settled before being bowled by Doug Marillier, and at 146 for six Kenya had nothing left to play for but pride.

Brijesh Patel and Martin Suji enjoyed some batting practice against the spinners in fading light, until the return of Friend persuaded them to accept the offer of the light; they were well behind on Duckworth-Lewis anyway, so only the margin of victory was affected. Local player Friend was adjudged Man of the Match for his excellent innings of 91, if not for his wayward bowling.