MICT Final: Kenya v Zimbabwe at Dhaka, 27 March 1999 Zahid Newaz in Dhaka - 27 March 1999 CricInfo report

With a blitzkrieg 140 runs by Grant Flower, Zimbabwe easily clinched the Meril International Cricket Tournament crushing Kenya by 202 runs in the final at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka on Saturday.

This is the second time Zimbabwe emerged champions of any one-day tournament. They tasted the first title in the tri-nation series also against Kenya in Nairobi in 1997, a series that also included Bangladesh.

Zimbabwean captain Alistair Campbell received 10,000 US dollars and the trophy from Forest and Environment Minister Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury while the losing Kenyan captain Asif Karim 5,000 dollars.

Grant Flower, who scored 140 runs, was adjudged man of the final to receive while his brother, Andy Flower, adjudged man of the tournament by Bangladesh Sports Journalist Association (BSJA).

Chasing the towering Zimbabwe total of 325 runs, Kenya were all out for a paltry 123 runs showing poor batting performance. Steve Tikolo, the key Kenyan batsman, did not bat because of a left-arm injury.

Number six batsman Thomas Odoyo made team highest 32 runs off 54 balls with three hits across the rope while Hitesh Modi scored 23 runs off 48 deliveries. Right-arm spinner Andrew Whittall picked up three wickets for 29 runs while leggy Paul Strang and pacer Neil Johnson took two wickets each for 29 and 39 runs respectively.

Earlier, a splendid knock of 140 runs by Grant Flower took Zimbabwe to huge 325 runs for six wickets in stipulated 50 overs, the highest total in the Dhaka ground. The previous top score was 316 runs by India against Pakistan in the Independence Cup.

Favourite Zimbabwe, the only test playing nation in the tournament, surpassed three hundred for the second time in the tournament today after making 310 in the league match against host Bangladesh.

Right-handed batsman Grant Flower struck 12 fours and two sixes to reach his career best ODI figure facing only 125 deliveries before being run out. His previous best was 112 against Sri Lanka. He played 82 balls to reach the third century of his ODI career with a boundary off left-arm spinner Mohammed Sheikh down to the third man in the 27th over.

He completed his first fifty facing 41 balls, steering a delivery of medium pacer Thomas Odoyo to the third man boundary. The attacking batsman hit two lusty sixes over the mid-wicket against Kenyan skipper Asif Karim's first over that netted 13 runs. Flower gave only one chance in an otherwise flawless innings when he was 66. Kenyan wicket keeper Kennedy Otieno failed to grip the ball in his gloves off the first ball of Odoyo's second over.

Zimbabwe lost their first wicket without scoring any run when Neil Johnson was caught behind off Martin Suji. But a 98-run partnership in the second wicket between Grant Flower and Murray Goodwin gave a solid foundation to the team.

Dashing batsman Goodwin, dropped twice, made 22 runs off 36 balls with one hit across the rope before caught at deep fine leg by Martin Suji off Odoyo in the 16th over.

A huge 129-runs in the fourth wicket stand between Flower and Guy Whittall enabled Zimbabwe to reach their huge total. Guy Whittall hammered 67 runs off 76 balls with five boundaries. He completed his 50 in 56 balls with a boundary against Asif Karim.

Lower-order batsmen Stuart Carlisle and Heath Streak also played fiery innings. Number six Carlisle scored 42 runs off 29 balls with three fours and a six against Mohammed Sheikh over the mid-on. Streak contributed 39 runs off 23 balls with three fours and a straight six off Ravindu Shah.

Martin Suji claimed two wickets for 31 runs in 10 overs while Thomas Odoyo also took two wickets giving away 69 runs in 10 overs. Asif Karim took one wicket for 64 runs in his eight-over spell.