CWC - Kenya needs some madness

Wednesday, March 21st, 2007 at 11:48 AM

It is not losing to New Zealand that is hard to take, they are a top side, it is the manner in which we lost. To lose by 148 runs is hard to take. We bowled adequately but there was no real threat there and we looked half hearted in the field. You can’t give away 29 extras including 21 wides when you are playing a better team and expect to remain competitive.

After winning the World Cricket League Division 1 championship in Nairobi last month, the Kenyan cricketers were quoted saying they had won “their world cup” implying that the real world cup is just gravy. Perhaps this subconsciously affected their play. There was a lack of intensity amongst our play. Intensity in sport is learnt. It comes from playing regular and competitive 1st class games.

The ICC need to get their act together and schedule more regular matches between the test nations and association nations. The current format of meeting every two years in a tournament is bogus for the development of the game.

Talking with some friends on Saturday we were debating what tactics Kenya should employ if they found themselves having to chase 300+ runs for a win. We all agreed; forget batting “within yourselves” and taking the chances that fall your way. You need madness and in cricket that means you need to get into Twenty20 mode from the get go. The purists of the game will probably choke on that, but you watch the South African domestic Twenty20 cricket championship and it quickly becomes clear how they were able to chase down Australia in March last year in the greatest One Day International ever played. Australia made 434 the highest score ever made in a one day international by a distance. Then the South African batsmen came to the crease with a Twenty20 on steroids attitude and chased down the total making 439. That’s what Kenya should have done. It you’re going down, go down in blaze of glory! Kidogo madness!

I still think we can beat England with or without their redemption song flowing in their ears. If they bat first and post a huge total, I hope our batsmen come out looking like madmen on a mission! If the rain comes we are screwed, that 148 runs loss has messed up our run average. On the bright side though, winning the World Cricket League Division 1 championship meant we qualified for the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup to be held in South Africa later this year, we’ll be sure to pick up some tricks!

[MsK stop watching cricket – you see what you did!]

Tags: cricket | cricket world cup | cwc2007

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