South Africa coast to seven-wicket victory over Kenya

South Africa barely raised a sweat at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Sunday, coasting to a seven-wicket win over Kenya in the second match of the Standard Bank triangular one-day series.

With the Kenyans managing only to reach 159 for seven in their 50 overs, only an act of God seem likely to keep the South Africans from winning. With the weather perfect and the ground comfortably, but not completely filled, there was no divine intervention to save Kenya, and South Africa won with more than 16 overs to spare. In doing so, they earned themselves a bonus point for scoring 1.25 times faster than their opponents.

It might have been even worse for the Kenyans who lost a wicket to the first legal delivery of the match and never quite recovered. That they reached three figures was due almost entirely to Steve Tikolo, who was unbeaten on 68 when the innings closed.

As well as he played, though, the Kenyans were unable to get him on strike often enough, particularly in the closing overs. As a result, the usual flurry of late runs did not materialise. Only 15 were scored off the last five overs of the innings.

In this regard the Kenyans were out-thought by the vastly experienced South Africans, as Maurice Odumbe was willing to concede afterwards.

The South Africans bowled with characteristic discipline, giving the Kenyans very little to hit. Shaun Pollock was the pick, earning the Man of the Match award with figures of 10-1-19-2.

On Friday at the Wanderers, South Africa had been set 280 to win and got there with some balls to spare. By comparison, 160 was scarcely a challenge even though the home side lost both openers, Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs relatively cheaply, for 17 and 20 respectively.

But then Jacques Kallis and Neil McKenzie settled things down with an 88-run stand for the third wicket as Kenya were clinically batted out of the match. Kallis seemed a little taken aback by the leg break from Collins Obuya that kicked at him and took the outside edge for his dismissal after making 54, but McKenzie and Jonty Rhodes picked off the remaining runs with no further alarms.

McKenzie ended not out on 49, denied his half-century by another leg break that beat the wicketkeeper and scurried away for two byes to end the game.

South Africa and India are clearly a class above the Kenyans, but the East African side are in South Africa to learn ahead of the 2003 World Cup. And whatever their shortcomings in terms of international experience, they are cheerful and charming cricketers. If they do burgle a win against either of their opponents at some stage during this triangular, a lot of South Africans will be delighted for them.