Zimbabwe's World Cup ends with big win

Zimbabwe 308 for 6 (Ervine 66, Sibanda 61, Taibu 53, Otieno 2-61) beat Kenya 147 (Odhiambo 44, Price 2-20, Lamb 2-21) by 161 runs

Zimbabwe's spinners completed the job started by their batsmen, sharing seven wickets as Kenya crumbled for 147 in pursuit of 308. This match was the last in the tournament for both teams, and with little but pride to play for, Kenya captain Jimmy Kamande had urged his team to give Steve Tikolo, playing his final game for his country, a fitting send off. It was not to be, however, as half-centuries from Tatenda Taibu, Vusi Sibanda and Craig Ervine carried Zimbabwe past 300 and Kenya's chase never got off the ground.

Chris Mpofu, the solitary specialist seamer in Zimbabwe's side, started Kenya's troubles by removing opener David Obuya in the first over, and three overs later Collins Obuya's run-out brought Tikolo to the crease for the final time in internationals. He got going with a couple of firm flicks to the deep-midwicket boundary but then played back to Price and was struck in line with leg stump to be sent on his way. In a touching sign of respect to the retiring Tikolo, the Zimbabweans rushed in to shake his hand and he left the field, clearly emotional, to a standing ovation from both teams and the smattering of spectators around the ground.

Alex Obanda, who appeared to have adjusted to the conditions and had progressed easily into the 20s, lost partner Tanmay Mishra to a top-edged sweep and soon followed him back to the pavilion as an arm ball from Price struck pad before bat as he stretched forward to defend. It was spin that did for Thomas Odoyo too, Greg Lamb ripping one past his defences as he played back in defence, and a successful review by Zimbabwe secued the dismissal.

Kenya were in the dire position of 73 for 6 when Odoyo was removed, and slipped even further when Rakep Patel slog-swept straight to Regis Chakabva at deep midwicket for the seventh wicket. Their rapid slide was briefly halted by Nehemiah Odhiambo, who swung his way merrily to an unbeaten 44, but it was only a matter of time before the tail capitulated completely.

Zimbabwe's innings had been built around two fluent partnerships. Sibanda and Taibu added 110 for the third wicket to help their team recover from a shaky start and lay a solid platform before Ervine and Chigumbura put on a rollicking 105 to boost the score out of Kenya's reach.

The batsmen initially struggled to impose themselves - after Chigumbura's decision to bat -on a cracked, dry surface that got slower and lower as the afternoon wore on. Odhiambo, who impressed with his pace and bounce against Australia in Bangalore, was brought on in the ninth over and with his sixth delivery achieved the breakthrough, a length delivery on a perfect line kissing the edge of Chakabva's bat on the way through to wicketkeeper David Obuya. Taylor followed soon after, playing too early as the ball stopped on the wicket to spoon an easy catch to mid-on as Zimbabwe slipped to 36 for 2.

Taibu and Sibanda were generally cautious as they set about constructing a partnership after the early wickets, but while the batting surface was not conducive to stroke-making the outfield remained very fast and both batsmen were quick to seize on the bad ball. While Sibanda was more orthodox in his shots, Taibu was characteristically innovative, twice reverse-sweeping offspinner James Ngoche to the boundary.

Kenya wasted both their reviews to contested lbw decisions in an effort to break the stand, but both Sibanda and Taibu barely offered a chance to the bowlers in the course of their partnership and Sibanda, in particular, soon began to take the attack to the bowlers. He reached a 54-ball half-century in the 28th over with an elegant loft over long-on but could have been run out immediately afterwards due a late decision from Taibu to turn a quick single down.

There had been several occasions of uncertainty in the running during the partnership, and one over later atrocious running finally cost Sibanda his wicket. Taibu was the man at fault, initially setting off before opting against the run, and with both batsmen at one end Sibanda didn't even bother to attempt to make it back to safety.

Zimbabwe's momentum barely dipped despite the wicket, however, and two overs later Taibu brought up his own fifty - and passed 3,000 runs in one-day internationals - with a scything cut to backward point. He paid the price for one cheeky reverse-sweep too many, trapped leg before for 53, but his dismissal brought Ervine and Chigumbura together for the decisive stand of the innings.

Once both had settled, they began to ping the boundary with ease and Ervine rushed to his fifty from just 46 balls in the midst of a batting Powerplay that yielded 50 runs and the wicket of Chigumbura - caught at long-on for a rapid 38. With 300 in sight, Ervine chopped a drive onto his own stumps but Lamb and Utseya continued the charge in fine style.

Zimbabwe wanted more from their World Cup campaign, but their resounding wins over Canada and Kenya will at least lend credence to their claim that they're too good to be lumped with the Associates as they look forward to a return to Test cricket. The end of Kenya's trip to India also marks something of a new beginning for them, and without Tikolo in their middle order it is now up to a clutch of promising youngsters to rebuild for what is, hopefully, a brighter future.

Australia win easily but Kenya regain pride

Australia 324 for 6 (Clarke 93, Hussey 54) beat Kenya 264 for 6 (C Obuya 98*, Mishra 72) by 60 runs

	Michael Hussey was quickly up and running on his return from injury © Getty Images

Australia's World Cup campaign resumed with an ultimately comfortable 60-run victory against Kenya, although Collins Obuya's unbeaten 98 meant the Associate nation took pride out of the contest. An upset was never on the cards but Kenya put in their best performance of the tournament with the highlight being the 115-run stand between Obuya and Tanmay Mishra.

The imposing run chase had been set up by a 114-run partnership between Michael Clarke and the returning Michael Hussey in his first innings of the World Cup. It actually gave Australia some important breathing space, but Kenya had long-since given up any hope of chasing down 325 on the ground where Ireland shocked England earlier in the tournament.

The most tension came in the closing overs, when Obuya could have reached his maiden one-day century - and Kenya's first at a World Cup - but he failed to get the three runs he needed off the last two balls. However, Ricky Ponting will be acutely aware that his team were far from impressive especially in the field. The bowlers, except for Brett Lee, certainly looked rusty as Kenya posted their best World Cup total.

After an early strike each for Lee and Shaun Tait it appeared Kenya would fall in a heap. Maurice Ouma edged a good outswinger and Alex Obanda, after driving Tait over long-on with one of the shots of the tournament, missed an ugly heave at a quick full toss. When the Obuya brothers mislaid their sibling understanding, which resulted in David Obuya's run-out, there was an opportunity for a swift finish.

However, Collins refocused after the mix-up, and firstly provided solid support for Mishra in Kenya's sixth World Cup hundred stand before forming another strong partnership with the aggressive Thomas Odoyo, who struck the ball cleanly. Obuya, who became famous for his legspin heroics at the 2003 World Cup, passed his fifty with a wonderful lofted drive over long-off against Shane Watson, then took advantage of the batting Powerplay. He twice pulled Watson's medium pace for six but couldn't quite get the final boundary he needed for three figures.

In 24-year-old Mishra, Kenya also have someone who provides hope for the future. On a day where Tikolo, the grand old father of Kenyan cricket, was left out, Mishra showed he has a huge role to play if the game is to recover in the country. He showed some class with swift footwork against Steven Smith to firstly pull him over midwicket for six, then loft him through the off side and played a similar stroke against Jason Krejza.

Smart Stats Australia's 324 is their 14th 300-plus score in World Cupsand their 63rd in ODIs. They have won on all the occasions that they have scored over 300 in World Cups. Australia extended their unbeaten run in World Cups to 33 consecutive matches since their loss to Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup. Among captains who have led their teams in at least 75 ODIs, Ricky Ponting's win-loss ratio of 3.39 is second only to Clive Lloyd's win-loss ratio of 3.55. Michael Clarke scored his sixth half-century in World Cupstaking his average to 101.83. Overall, he has scored five centuries and 47 fifties in ODIs at an average of 44.54. Michael Hussey's 54 is his first fifty in World Cups. Surprisingly, he has only scored 141 runs in World Cup games at an average of 23.50. The 115-run stand between Tanmay Mishra and Collins Obuya is the third highest for the fourth wicket for Kenya in ODIs and their second best in World Cups. Mishra's 72 is his fifth half-century and highest score inODIs, surpassing his previous best of 66 against Scotland in 2006. Kenya's total of 264 is their highest total in World Cups, surpassing their previous best of 254 against Sri Lanka in the 1996 World Cup. Collins Obuya's 98 is the highest score by a Kenya batsman in World Cups, surpassing Steve Tikolo's 96 in the 1996 World Cup. This is only the sixth occasion that a team has crossed 250 in the second innings of a World Cup match against Australia. Only on one occasion has a team scored over 250 in a winning chase against Australia in World Cups.

His fifty came off 63 balls and he set a new career-best mark when he reached 67. This isn't the Australia attack of previous World Cups but it remains a handy unit. There was a chance for Mishra to convert his fifty into a notable century, but he was caught short by Clarke's dead-eye throw from backward point. He had already, however, ensured his team respectability.

The biggest bonus for Australia was the performance of Hussey, who replaced his brother David in the line-up, on his return from injury, having come into the squad for Doug Bollinger. At 143 for 4, Australia needed a solid partnership, and Hussey, getting off the mark with a first-ball boundary, formed a confident partnership with Clarke.

Hussey didn't drop below a run-a-ball during his stay and although he'll face far tougher tasks than this Kenya attack, it was a more valuable innings than any net session could provide. He was quick on his feet, gave the hamstring a good test with a few dives for the crease and his placement was as calculated as it always has been.

Clarke, meanwhile, ticked over with minimal fuss after feeling his way in against the spinners on a surface that offered turn to maintain his World Cup average of over 100. After Hussey departed Clarke began to open up during the batting Powerplay and collected four boundaries in quick succession including a six over midwicket. He'd equalled his highest score in World Cup matches when he couldn't quite clear long-on to give the deserving Nehemiah Odhiambo his third wicket.

The lack of time in the middle for the batsmen could well have played a part in Ponting's decision to bat and Watson was quickly out of the blocks until he top edged to the keeper. Australia then went through a period where seven overs brought 14 runs and Brad Haddin was having particular trouble forcing the pace as he kept hitting the field. He also had a couple of close calls: he was fortunate when an edge flew past slip on 16, while he could have been run out on 25 when his bat got stuck in the adjacent pitch.

Steadily, though, he increased the scoring rate and brought up his fifty off 63 balls with a deft glide to third man only to pick out long-on attempting his second six. That began a good period for Kenya as Obuya trapped Ponting lbw for a scratchy 36 after correctly opting to review the original not-out decision. Cameron White, who retained his place ahead of David Hussey, continued his lean run when he was beaten by a ripping delivery from Jimmy Kamande and both he and his captain will want a significant innings against Canada on Wednesday. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Canada coast to win in basement battle

Canada 199 for 5 (Hansra 70, Bagai 64*) beat Kenya 198 (Mishra 51, Odoyo 51, Osinde 4-26) by five wickets

	Jimmy Hansra slammed two sixes and seven fours in his 70© Getty Images

Canada won only their second World Cup match in four tournaments, beating Kenya in a low-profile, low-scoring scrap, and walked away from the Feroz Shah Kotlawith with bragging rights. Jimmy Hansra and Ashish Bagai put on 132 - Canada's fifth highest one-day partnership - to steer the chase on a slow subcontinent surface, in the fourth successive match in which a tough track was served up in a World Cup widely expected to be a runfest.

Quick bowler Henry Osinde was Canada's hero in the afternoon, as he ripped through the top order to leave Kenya gasping at 57 for 5 after 15 overs. Kenya, though, just about achieved their captain Jimmy Kamande's goal of playing out 50 overs; gutsy half-centuries from Tanmay Mishra and Thomas Odoyo acting as the bedrock of what was their best batting performance of the tournament.

Osinde was getting the ball to swerve a touch at the start, and that provided him with a wicket off the second delivery of the match, when Maurice Ouma was drawn towards the ball and edged it to slip as he belatedly tried to leave. Seren Waters, the promising opener, was next to go, playing down the wrong line to be bowled for 2. David Obuya became Osinde's third victim, nicking to the keeper as Kenya slid to 21 for 3.

There was more trouble for Kenya when a horrible swipe ended Collins Obuya's promising innings, and their most experienced player Steve Tikolo was adjudged lbw though replays suggested there was an inside-edge. Mishra and Kamande then put on the first of two reviving half-century stands. Just as the partnership started to gather momentum, legspinner Balaji Rao struck, getting Kamande caught behind for 22.

Mishra continued to grind it out, holding the innings together with a carefully constructed knock - 33 of his 51 runs were singles. His second significant stand was with Thomas Odoyo, who was far more aggressive, launching the ball through the off side or down the ground when it was pitched up.

Smart Stats Canada improved their record against Kenya to five wins from 16 matches. In their first nine meetings, they won just one game and lost eight. Since then, they have won four matches and lost none. Canada's win is only their second in World Cups after their 60-run win over Bangladesh in 2003. They have now won two and lost 14 of the 16 matches they've played. Kenya were dismissed for the 16th time for a score under 200 in World Cups. In 27 innings, they have scored over 200 on just 10 occasions. This is the first occasion that Kenya have passed 150 in the 2011 World Cup. Thomas Odoyo scored his first half-century in World Cups. He has scored 414 runs at an average of 24.35 in World Cup matches. He is Kenya's second-highest run getter in ODIs behind Steve Tikolo. Henry Osinde's 4 for 26 is his career-best performance in ODIs and the second-best bowling display by a Canada bowler in World Cups behind Austin Codrington's 5 for 27 in the 2003 World Cup. The 19 runs scored by Kenya in the last five overs is the lowest by any team in the batting Powerplay in the World Cup (min 20 balls faced). The 132-run partnership between Ashish Bagai and Jimmy Hansra is the highest fourth-wicket stand for Canada in World Cups and the second highest fourth-wicket stand for Canada in ODIs.

The pair added 57 before Mishra perished in the 43rd over; Kenya missing a trick by not choosing the batting Powerplay when the two were together. That meant there was no big flourish at the death, and Kenya were bowled out on the final delivery by an inch-perfect yorker from Harvir Baidwan.

The chase began with the promoted Rizwan Cheema giving another short exhibition of his everything-must-go batting philosophy. He survived a first-ball lbw decision, and then whacked two fours and a six before he was bowled attempting yet another agricultural swipe. Kenya kept it tight after that on a pitch where the ball was keeping low, before the game sparked to life.

First, Zubin Surkari was run out by a direct hit from Kamande in the 10th over, then Ruvindu Gunasekara crunched a couple of driven boundaries, before he was reprieved by Nehemiah Odhiambo, who shelled a hard caught-and-bowled chance. Gunasekara didn't build on that, though, as two balls later he was bizarrely stumped, after beginning to take a run when the ball was in the keeper's gloves. The new batsman Hansra popped a dolly to mid-on off the second ball he faced, but that too was dropped, by Waters. In a match that was littered with poor fielding, this was the poorest miss, and it proved to be a pivotal one. Hansra celebrated the let-off with two boundaries in the over.

Things became sedate again after that phase, with Hansra and Bagai mainly taking the singles on a surface which was helping the spinners. Hansra brought out the big hit occasionally but Bagai was very subdued, striking only one boundary in his first 64 deliveries. Kenya started to flag as the partnership blossomed, and though there were some half-chances, Canada picked off the many freebies offered to stay firmly on course for victory.

Bagai started to open up as the target neared and though Hansra was dismissed with the win 19 away, Canada got their with plenty to spare to maintain their recent dominance of Kenya. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Malinga cherishes first hat-trick more

Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga today said his hat-trick against South Africa in the 2007 World Cup was more satisfying than the one he claimed against Kenya here today.




In pic: (above) Four sure: Lasith Malinga celebrates getting four wickets in four balls vs SA in 2007 WC © Getty Images and Lasith Malinga finished off Kenya with four wickets in six balls including a hat-trick in 2011 WC © AFP

Malinga, playing his first match of the 2011 World Cup finished with a career best six for 38 as Sri Lanka crushed Kenya by nine wickets. "I cherish my performance against South Africa where I got four wickets in four balls more. They needed something like four runs with five wickets remaining in that game and I got four wickets without conceding a run and that's against a very good side," Malinga said referring to the Super Eight game in the 2007 World Cup in Guyana.

South Africa were cruising at 206 for five chasing a target of 210 when Malinga removed Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis and Makaya Ntini in four balls to bring Sri Lanka right back into the game. In the end, the Proteas had won by one wicket. Today, Malinga's victims were Tanmay Mishra, Peter Ongondo and Shem Ngoche with all three batsmen failing to deal with Malinga's toe-crushing yorkers. "This one is special in the sense I got my best bowling effort in this game including a hat-trick. I am happy with that. Against Australia on Saturday I have to start it all over again and I am looking forward for the challenge. "I watched a lot as of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis those days. How they bowled with the older ball to devastating effect. I liked their style and I wanted emulate them bowling fast. Today the wicket here was a bit slow and I thought rather than bowling fast to bowl a few yorkers and that worked really well," Malinga said.

Sri Lanka rested Malinga from their opening two games saying that they were concerned to risk him as he was recovering from a back strain. He said he could have played the last game against Pakistan, but opted out following medical advice. "The physios felt that I could risk an injury had I played any of the previous games. They felt that if I pick up an injury, I could be ruled out for a longer period of time. Now that I am fully recovered, I am looking forward to play all matches of the World Cup." Kenya were progressing nicely having reached 102 for two with the Obuya brothers, Collins and David, making half-centuries. But with the introduction of Malinga they collapsed.

Kenya captain Jimmy Kamande paid tribute to the way Malinga bowled. "We were looking for 230, but things did not work out. We were in a good position for 35 overs, but then the damage happened. If the Obuyas could have been there till the end, things could have been different. We have seen Malinga before, he's a world-class bowler," Kamande said. —PTI

Malinga's yorkers dismantle Kenya

Sri Lanka 146 for 1 (Tharanga 67*, Dilshan 44) beat Kenya 142 (C Obuya 52, D Obuya 51, Malinga 6-38) by nine wickets

In pic: Kenya had no answer to Lasith Malinga © AFP

Lasith Malinga announced his return to full fitness by storming his way to an unprecedented second World Cup hat-trick with an exhibition of yorker-on-demand bowling that proved too much for Kenya's tail at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The visitors imploded to 142 all out despite dogged half-centuries from the Obuya brothers, who enjoyed plenty of fortune in a determined 94-run stand that kept the varied threats of Sri Lanka's bowling at bay for nearly 30 overs. Sri Lanka's batsmen barely had to break a sweat in the chase, finishing it off in 18 overs.

The Obuyas weren't exactly convincing - testing every edge of their bat, surviving close lbw calls, regularly air-driving outside off and rarely reading the spinner's variations - but hung on obdurately to take Kenya into triple-digits. A solid platform was in place when they had hauled Kenya to 102 for 2, but Malinga's burst demolished the tail as the final eight wickets were blasted out for 40 runs. None of the other Kenyan batsmen made it past single-figures.

The Kenyan collapse was rapid: it took only 22 deliveries for them to go from 127 for 4 to being bowled out. Muttiah Muralitharan started it off by getting the set batsman David Obuya to slog-sweep to midwicket.

Then it was Malinga time. Jimmy Kamande barely found his bearings after being struck by a toe-crusher, and decided to go for a single when the ball was only a couple of metres away from him. Chamara Silva pounced from midwicket and did a passable imitation of Jonty Rhodes from 1992 to crash into the stumps and dismiss Kamande.

Tanmay Mishra was next, becoming the first victim of Malinga's hat-trick after missing a full delivery on leg stump to fall for a 13-ball duck. It was the final ball of the over, and Malinga gave Peter Ongondo the warmest welcome possible to the tournament in the first ball of his next - a yorker that uprooted middle. The staggered dismissals meant many in the crowd weren't aware that Malinga was on a hat-trick. He steamed in and middle stump was dismantled again next ball, the clueless batsman this time was Shem Ngoche.

Attention then shifted to whether Malinga could repeat his outrageous four-in-four from the 2007 World Cup, but he sprayed a wild delivery for five leg-side wides. Elijah Otieno defended the next ball, but that was followed by another unstoppable yorker from Malinga that thud into leg stump to end Kenya's innings. Malinga had taken four in five legal deliveries to finish with 6 for 38.

A tiresomely familiar tale seemed set to play out earlier in the afternoon when Kenya slid to 8 for 2 in the third over. Nuwan Kulasekara and Malinga removed the openers cheaply with their favourite weapons - Kulasekara getting Maurice Ouma with an inducker, and Malinga dislodging Seren Waters with an inswinging yorker that left the batsman on his knees.

The Obuyas ensured there wasn't a repeat of Kenya's house-of-cards performance against New Zealand. Kulasekara gave away only nine runs in a constricting six-over opening spell, but Kenya were more at ease against Angelo Mathews, who was taken for a couple of boundaries.

Sri Lanka brought on the spin of Ajantha Mendis in the 14th over to break the frustrating stand, but though the batsmen weren't sure which way the ball would turn, they survived his bag of tricks with some dour defence. Kumar Sangakkara then turned to Muttiah Muralitharan to get the wickets, but though there were leading edges and outside edges, Murali couldn't break through, with the batsmen negotiating him with a series of sweeps.

It was painfully slow progress from the Obuyas, and after more than two hours of defiance, it was that most deadly of weapons that separated them - a Malinga yorker. Some more of those left Sri Lanka chasing a tiny target in front of a raucous Colombo crowd.

The fans had even more to cheer when Sri Lanka batted, as Tillkaratne Dilshan provided a typically fast start with an array of punches through cover. He picked up a couple of boundaries in three successive overs to power Sri Lanka to 51 in the sixth over. Upul Tharanga, who started sedately, then joined the party with three fours in the next over. Dilshan fell short of a half-century, but Tharanga went on to make 67 with a string of lofted boundaries in the batting Powerplay to hasten the finish, and push Sri Lanka to the top of the table on net run-rate. —ESPNcricinfo

Kenya sink without trace in massive chase

Pakistan 317 for 7 (Umar 71, Misbah 65, Kamran 55, Odoyo 3-41) beat Kenya 112 (Obuya 47, Afridi 5-16, Gul 2-12) by 205 runs

	Misbah-ul-Haq was one of four batsmen to reach fifty as Pakistan flattened Kenya at Hambantota © Getty Images Enlarge

Kenya again appeared totally out of their depth and posed no challenge to Pakistan at Hambantota, Collins Obuya's death-or-glory 47 being the only highlight for them as Shahid Afridi helped himself to 5 for 16 in a massive 205-run win, Pakistan's biggest win in World Cups and the eighth largest overall.

Four of Pakistan's batsmen cashed in to raise half-centuries and set up a total of 317 for 7 after a brief wobble against the new ball and Kenya made little effort to mount a serious challenge in their pursuit, rather looking to a lay a solid platform in the hope of batting out their full quota of overs. That ultimately proved a futile effort, too, although their innings did at least last until the 34th over - longer than their entire match against New Zealand three days ago.

Kenya's slide began in earnest when Afridi brought himself on and, in his third over, tempted Steve Tikolo down the pitch only for the ball to rush straight on to rattle the stumps. Kenya were 73 for 3 in the 23rd over when Tikolo was dismissed, without any real hope of chasing more than 300 but at least looking steady enough to last the full 50 after the top order had showed at least a little grit. There was no such offering from the middle, however, as the remaining seven wickets fell for just 39 runs in just over ten overs.

Afridi was the chief wrecking ball, quickly ending a bustling innings from Tanmay Mishra and making short work of Rakep Patel, Jimmy Kamande and Thomas Odoyo as he unfurled a mixed bag of legbreaks, sliders and quicker ones as the ball began to bite and spit off the surface. Amid the carnage, Obuya opened up to smite through enormous sixes but was caught on the boundary attempting a fourth to give Afridi the best figures by a Pakistan bowler in a World Cup, beating Wasim Akram's 5 for 28 against Namibia in Kimberley at the 2003 tournament. Once he went, the end was mercifully quick in coming.

Ultimately they flattered to deceive, but against expectations Kenya had actually bossed the opening exchanges of the match, Thomas Odoyo and Elijah Otieno showing admirable control with the new ball. Otieno provided the first breakthrough when Hafeez tried to force a length delivery into the leg side but hit it uppishly and Seren Waters, at straight midwicket, leapt to his left and managed to cling onto a juggled catch mere inches from the turf. In the very next over Shehzad, who had scratched around for 17 balls that yielded just a single run, chipped a leading edge to give Jimmy Kamande a simple catch at mid-off and Pakistan were in some serious strife.

The pressure soon began to lift, however, Kamran Akmal and Younis Khan quickly settling and Nehemiah Odhiambo suffering a shambolic start to his spell as 16 runs came from a first over that included three no-balls. Kamran proved the more fluent of the two early in his innings but Younis provided sensible support and, as the spinners came on, plenty of ones and twos were taken to keep the score ticking over.

Smart Stats There were four fifty-plus scores in Pakistan's innings, which is the joint highest for the number of fifty-plus scores in a team innings in World Cups. Pakistan's 317 is their highest score in ODIs againstKenya, surpassing their previous best of 286 in Sharjah in 2003. It is also their fourth-highest total in World Cups. Kenya conceded 44 extras, which is the fifth-highest on the list of most extras conceded by a team in a World Cup match. Misbah-ul-Haq scored his fourth half-century in 11 innings since August 2009. In the same period, he has scored 428 runs at an average of 47.55, which is much higher than his career average of 40.48. Pakistan scored 112 runs in the last ten overs of their innings, including 70 runs in the batting powerplay. South Africa hold the record for most runs in the last ten overs in ODIs since 2000, with 146 runs against Pakistan at Centurion in 2007. The 205-run win is Pakistan's largest margin of victory in World Cup matches and also Kenya's worst defeat in World Cups. The 112 is Kenya's third-lowest score in World Cup matches. Their lowest is the 69 against New Zealand in the opening match of the 2011 World Cup.

Kamran eased past 50, from 62 balls, and looked set for plenty more before he charged down the wicket to left-arm spinner Shem Ngoche and was easily stumped. Kenya were buzzing once more with the breakthrough, but despite giving a far a far better account of themselves than they had against New Zealand at Chennai they lacked the necessary firepower to land the killer blow.

Misbah-ul-Haq opened his World Cup account with a massive six off Tikolo and rushed into the 20s at better than a-run-a-ball to complement the more circumspect Younis, who showed the value of steady accumulation before he was dismissed lbw for exactly 50 despite an optimistic review.

Misbah and Umar Akmal were barely troubled as they set about compiling a 118 runs for the fifth wicket, their partnership exploding into life as the Batting Powerplay was called for in the 44th over immediately after Misbah had reached fifty on his World Cup debut. Umar thrashed 20 off a weary Otieno's seventh over and soon sprinted to the fourth fifty of the innings as the score passed 250 in the 46th over. With Pakistan now swinging from the hip at just about everything, Kenya picked up regular wickets but threatened to unravel completely in the face of an all-out assault.

Odoyo removed Umar and Afridi from consecutive deliveries to find himself on a hat-trick in the 49th over but speared the next ball acres down the leg side and repeated the blunder later in the same over as battle fatigue set in. Extras, with 46, very nearly became the fifth half-century maker of the innings as Kenya had the ignominious honour of equalling the record for most wides in a one-day international, and there was a visible sense of relief as they finally completed their stint in the field.

Their efforts with the bat quickly put their failures with the ball in the shade, however, and Kenya will need a complete overhaul if they are to challenge anyone in this tournament. At the other end of the spectrum, Pakistan will be pleased with a generally slick and professional performance that has set their campaign off on an overwhelmingly positive note. —ESPNcricinfo