New Zealand exorcised some of its pre-World Cup demons with a ten-wicket thumping of Kenya at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, here on Sunday.
Days after ICC chief executive Haroon Lograt announced that the 2015 edition would see the participation of just 10 teams, Kenya did the minnows' case no favour by slumping to the fifth lowest total in World Cup history, getting bowled out for 69 in 23.5 overs.
Expectedly, New Zealand chased the target down in eight overs without much fuss.
The pitch's reputation for turn might have tempted Daniel Vettori to play Nathan McCullum, who was deemed ‘doubtful' on the eve of the contest, but it was the Kiwi pace unit that did all the damage. Hamish Bennett (four for 16), Tim Southee (three for 13) and Jacob Oram (three for two) scythed through Kenya's batting line-up, which was given little opportunity to ‘express itself,' as skipper Jimmy Kamande had promised they would before the match.
Sluggish start
Electing to bat, Kenya's sluggish start was hardly portentous of the disaster that awaited it. Tim Southee got rid of Alex Obanda, but Seren Waters and Collins Obuya stalled and scampered to get Kenya to 40 for one when Hamish Bennett struck. Nathan McCullum, who opened the bowling in a throw back to '92 Australia, had made way for the paceman who was drafted in to cover for the injured Kyle Mills.
Bennett immediately troubled the batsmen with his pace and angle, coming from slightly wide of the wicket. The Kenyan's chronic tendency to play across the line soon caught up with them as Waters, Steve Tikolo, Collins Obuya and Morris Ouma all fell to Bennett via fullish deliveries which were headed straight for the stumps.
By then, the modus operandi was clear, and with the wicket playing ‘a bit up and down' as both captains described it later, it was a tactic that paid off handsomely. Seven of the ten wickets that fell, were either leg before or bowled and seven of the Kenyan batsmen failed to get past a score of three.
Southee came back for his second spell and picked up two in two to hasten the end. Jacob Oram, however, denied Southee the hat-trick, having the last batsman Elijah Otieno picked up at mid-wicket and immediately put his hands up in apology to his teammate.
Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum entertained the sparse Sunday crowd that had turned up, overhauling the nominal target in under ten overs to bring the contest to its conclusion in one third of the allotted match overs.
Vettori acknowledged that the lines and lengths employed by his pacemen were in keeping with the strategy for the tournament. “Keeping it full and straight is the way to go in the sub-continent,” he said, during the post-match interaction.
It proved to be an exercise in forgetting for both teams as New Zealand consigned the memories of its poor run-in to the bin, while for Kenya, as captain Kamande said it was ‘good to get it (the big loss) out of the way.'
A firmer test awaits New Zealand next in the form of Australia, while Kenya is slated to play Pakistan.
