NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 13 – Kenya coach Joseph Angara has maintained that his charges are learning a lot by playing Nigeria.
The former national team seamer said, any match that his team players will not give his players playing time but will help his side rebuild.
Angara said this after Rushab Patel and Peter Koech starred with the ball and bat respectively to help Kenya beat Nigeria by four wickets in the second match of the Kenya-Nigeria T20 series at the Sikh Union club yesterday evening.
“It’s true that Nigeria are ranked lower than us but that is not important to us. What we are looking at is giving the players a lot of exposure that can only happen if we take this kind of matches,” Angara said.
Winning the toss, Nigeria posted 136 for 8 thanks to 3 for 32 from Koech. Later on Rushab was the thorn in the Nigerian bowling line up with 66 not out with 10 balls to spare.
Angara added; Despite winning the two matches, I think Nigeria have shown a lot of character and a lot fighting spirit which we us a team need to see. Chasing 136 in 18.2 overs is a prove that they are not pushovers.
There was better display with the bat from Nigerian top order with their top three batsmen getting to double digits.
Nigeria lost only one wicket in the power play-losing Sulaimon Runsewe on 15 in the fifth over with board on 18. Selim Salau (21) and Elijah Olaleye added on 41 for the second wicket before skipper Rakep Patel bowled Salau on 21.
Olaleye whose highest score into the match was 16 against Kenya in Entebbe three years ago, went on to post the team’s highest with 37 from 37 balls.
From there on, Olaleye watched as the middle order crumbled with wickets falling at regular intervals. From 59 for 1 half way through the inning, Steve Tikolo charges lost five wickets for 36 runs to stand at 98 for 6 with three overs to play.
It took a late 19 from Mohammed Taiwo to get the West African team to 136 for 8.
Peter Koech was the pick of Kenyan bowlers with 3 for 32 with Rakep picking 2 for 19.
Kenya stuck with the opening pair of Rushab and Neil Mugabe which yielded 35 runs after six overs.
Pushpak Sharma made a return into team but he only lasted seven balls scoring 10 thanks to a brilliant one handed catch at square leg.
Apart from Rushab sticking in the middle, Kenya other batsmen failed to build up an inning with only the skipper scoring 14 off 12 balls.
Usemi Prosper (2 for 9) was once again the star bowler for the visitor.
The series takes a break on Sunday and will resume on Monday with the third T20 at the same venue.
