Cricket World Cup: Group C: England v Kenya

Afternoon then everyone. There are very few things that could have made me skip bright-eyed out of bed this morning, not after last night, but, lying headaching and belly grumbling under my duvet this morning, the thought of the cricket we have coming up today was the best possible tonic. Apart, maybe, from a fry-up a paracetamol. England are more than capable of losing to Kenya, and a bad day today could ruin the creaky Fletcher/Vaughan regime for good.

It is raining in St Lucia which would normally be a good reason to be smug. The England game will be a late start, that much is clear. Thankfully we have another incredible game to turn our attention to - over in St Kitts Australia and South Africa will be seeing who can piss higher up the wall and take the psychological advantage, as well as the favourite's tag and two crucial points into the Super 8s.

For coverage of the first 20 overs of Australia v South Africa including Matthew Hayden's record-breaking century click here



So here's the thing - we've got to bring you England v Kenya now. Sorry to all you Aussies and South Africans out there (though maybe you'd prefer not to look). Kenya have won the toss and decided to bat. The game will be just 43 overs per side, and with a skimpy 20-minute interval it looks like I'm settling in for a grueliing shift. The good news is this: we have two TVs up and running (bloody hell it's futuristic round these parts) and all Guardian journalists are trained to be able to look at two different things with each eye - much like jet fighter pilots - so I'll be keeping you posted on exactly how many runs the Aussies are going to batter off the South African attack.


A disturbing insight into the life of Andrew Morgan: The key question isn't "Can I be arsed to go to the shops?" but rather "Do I want to get anything done today?". If the answer is no, just force yourself to eat something - anything - for stomach lining and you're ready to go back on the booze. Of course, if you don't have any alcohol then you still have to go to the shops. It's a tough life." In my worse moments getting drunk counts as geetting something done, Andrew.


Why bother cloning Geoff Boycott when Chris Tavare is available? asks Jack Lee.

So no Dalrymple and no Plunkett for England. Does Bopara really improve the side? I'd say not, but lets give the chap a chance. Mahmood, on the othere hand, could well fire against some weaker batsmen. Mind you, he could equally have a shocker and be smacked to all parts. "He's been brilliant in the nets" says Vaughan, as though I could excuse a shocking OBO by saying "it sounded fantastic in my head". We'll see what happens shortly enough...


1st over: Kenya 1-0 (Shah 0 Ouma 1)
Anderson opens with a beauty of a ball. Sharpish in pace and nipping away off the pitch, Ouma plays just inside the line. Over in St Kitts ?Australia are 180-2 and Shaun Pollock is returning to the attack. "Wouldn't following OBO also constitute 'getting something done'?" asks Lou Roper, before catching himself: "Or would that be pushing the definition of 'something'?" Getting drunk by yourself and reading OBO eh? Whatever gets you through the afternoon I suppose. Kenya get one run, dabbed down to fine leg from Anderson's sixth ball.


2nd over: Kenya 2-0 (Shah 0 Ouma 1)
Saj Mahmood, who owns some very ugly numbers (21 wickets at 41 runs each and an economy rate of six per over) opens at the other end. His second ball is a leg-stump half-volley no-ball. A no ball by some five inches too: "nice Saj" says Paul Nixon, rather half-heartedly. "You said "all Guardian journalists are trained to be able to look at two different things with each eye". So that means you can look at 4 things - so what are the other two things you're going to be watching? I, thankfully, have food *and* beer in. No need to go out in the rain...." a suitably smug Matt in Nottingham has caught me out there: of course I meant two things with each eye: I'm watching the the football as well, and um, reading an old copy of the Evening Standard that someone left across the office ("Never again vows Flintoff").

3rd over: Kenya 3-0 (Shah 1 Ouma 1)
Shah faces for the first time. We've had so much going on today we've not even digested the incredible fact that India got knocked out yesterday... there's not time now either as Anderson bowls a jaffa that draws Shah forward and leaves him stranded as the ball swings away. The next ball is closer to leg stump and knocked away for one. Australia are 200-2 in the 30th over with Ponting (39) and Clarke (12) together in the middle.


4th over: Kenya 9-0 (Shah 2 Ouma 4)
A big wide from Mahmood to start. His second is straighter, but is still played away to third man for one. As is his third. His fourth is a no ball. For the second time in two overs Matt in Nottingham has caught me out: "Make that "Matt Nottingham in Worcester" not "Matt in Nottingham"!" A pretty poor over all round then, not least for myself and Saj. He at least managed an unconvincing lbw appeal, which is more than I've done.


WICKET! Shah 2 b Anderson 5th over: Kenya 10-1 (Ouma 5 Suji 0)
Anderson is swinging the ball a lot, but most of his balls are just too good for the Kenyan batsman to get their willow onto the leather. He tries an inswinger in an effort to remedy all the playing and missing, but it's just a tad wide and Ouma tucks it away for one. The next ball is spot on though, and slips past Shah's defensive stroke to hit off-stump and scatter the bails. The ball squatted low offf the pitch which doesn't bode well for any batsmen - though you'd hope some of them would know enough not to play such a ball off the back foot.


6th over: Kenya 15-1 (Ouma 5 Suji 0)
Mahmood is hauled off and replaced by Freddie Flintoff. Just two overs fro Saj then, and what happened to all that "brilliant form in the nets"? "Would getting your email into the OBO count as getting something done today? Afterall, I'm forever hearing that it is the little things that mean so much." Yes, Marie Meyer, I think it would. I'd just put your feet up or go back to bed now. Maybe Freddie is thinking the same: he's served up two no-balls and England have gifted seven in extras so far. Out of a total of 15.


7th over: Kenya 24-1 (Ouma 10 Suji 0)
Anderson is really making the ball sing. For all that his inswinger remains a little wayward, sliding off the batsman's pads and down to third man for four leg-byes. Ouma has carved the next one away for four runs through square-leg and taken a single through point off the next.


8th over: Kenya 26-1 (Ouma 12 Suji 0)
As Nasser has just pointed out, England must surely be regretting leaving out Plunkett now given how much he swings the ball. Pretty poor selection really. Over in St Kitts Ricky Ponting has just scored his fifty, at just shy of a run-a-ball. Australia are 239-2 with 15 overs to bat. Ouma meanwhile just pushes two runs down the ground.


9th over: Kenya 28-1 (Ouma 12 Suji 1)
You know I wouldn't print Gary Naylor nearly so much if he didn't make such good points: "Watching highlights from old World Cups (yes, I should get out more) really undelines how batting is now a front foot game - Australians come forward to every ball, if occasionally rocking back if the ball is short. The game is aesthetically much less pleasing as a result. Time to give the bouncer back to the fast men and re-introduce authentic back foot play." And I'd have to say I agree, not least because I'm out of time in this over.


10th over: Kenya 35-1 (Ouma 13 Suji 6)
"Thanks for the "Guardian journo as fighter pilot" image. All I can think of now is Rob Smyth and Lawrence Booth doing the volley ball scene from Top Gun. Thanks for nothing." For nothing or for everything Anton Lawrence? Smyth and Booth are always at the volleyball I tell you - we have a kind of sandpit with rings of seats around it. Seven from the over, four of them from a boundary through third man by Suji.


WICKET! Ouma 13 c Collingwood b Anderson: 11th over: Kenya 43-2 (Suji 6 Tikolo 8)
Ouma is tamely out, chipping the ball straight to Colly at mid-off. Steve Tikolo, said by many to be the best cricketer from a non-Test nation (though John Davison pushses him hard for the title) comes in. Over in St Kitts Australia have started to hammer Pollock around again and have moved on to 266-2 from 38 overs both Clarke (53) and Ponting (63) have taken sixes off Pollock's latest over. Tikolo plays the shot the innings so far with balletic looking sqaure drive. That gives him four. He quickly doubles it with an edge through third man. Anderson isn't happy here, he's doubled up and red in the face, either with embarrasment or exhaustion.


12th over: Kenya 46-2 (Suji 6 Tikolo 8)
Robert James, you've missed the point: "Yes, yes but where do you find the girls in bikinis to play volleyball in this sandpit. That surely is the more interesting question? And image..." We don't, Smyth and Booth wear wigs. They're hoping to qualify for the 2012 beach volleyball team. Poor old Shuan Pollock has added five wides to his already horrendous stats (10 overs for 83! Ridiculous! Normally he wouldn't give up 83 runs in three matches. let alone one: Australia have ruthlessly taken his bowling apart, and to do that you have to be a brilliant player).


13th over: Kenya 53-2 (Suji 6 Tikolo 12)
On comes Ravi Bopara. Jeez, Andrew Dragonetti, we've only had one fatuous over and you're already grumbling: wait till I've brought you all the 200 overs of cricket that i'm repoting today before yopu start getting sniffy eh? But how long will we wait for Ravi? He bowls a no-ball that Tikolo flays straight down the pitch for four. The wind then whips off umpire Parker's hat and much mild-mannered hilarity ensues. A poor start by Bopara - too short and too simple to play.


14th over: Kenya 59-2 (Suji 11 Tikolo 15)
Mahmood has returned, beating me back to my desk from a quick break. I sit down just in time to see the ball running away to the third man boundary for four. Over in St Kitts Herschelle Gibbs has dropped a sitter at point off Michael Clarke and Australia are 309-2



15th over: Kenya 62-2 (Suji 11 Tikolo 18)
So Vaughan didn't wait long on Bopara. Collingwood has come on - which is England's sixth bowling change so far, a situation that smacks slightly of poor bowling. Only Anderson has really turned up so far. Tikolo slides two runs wide of backward point, a thoroughly classy shot. Colly at least offers consistency of line and length.


16th over: Kenya 64-2 (Suji 11 Tikolo 19)
The final power play for England then, and it is just two overs long because of the shortened game. I think Andrew Gerrard has got the wrong end of the stick: "I think you are being a bit harsh on Bopara. He might be vertically challenged and not exactly the sharpest tool in the box but surely your comment at the end of the 13th over was uncalled for." I was talking about his bowling, though I can see the double-meaning now you point it out. Mahmood is looking better, including a crafty slower ball and a wicked bouncer amongst his six balls.


17th over: Kenya 68-2 (Suji 13 Tikolo 19)
Over in St Kitts Australia have shattered any ideas about this South African side having the bowling to take them all the way to the title. They are 322-2 with five overs to bat. Of course the South Africans may still have the batting to overhaul this mammoth total. And now Ponting has gone, hitting the ball straight to long-off where de Villiers takes an easy catch. He's out for 91 then, and Andrew Symonds has come in for his first innings in quite a while.


WICKET! Suji 14 c Vaughan b Mahmood 18th over: Kenya 73-3 (Tikolo 26 Mishra 0)
Tikolo picks Mahmood's slower ball and drives it through the air over mid-off's head. He's a little late on a pull from the next ball. That puts Suji on strike, and he promptly falls for a trap set by Vaughan. He'd just brought himself into short extra cover and Suji obliged him by providing a simple catch. 20-year-old Tanmay Mishra is in and is forced to sway away to leg as Mahmood sends down a bouncer.


WICKET! Mishra 0 b Collingwood 19th over: Kenya 74-4 (Tikolo 27 Obuya 0)
Collingwood picks up a cheap wicket as Mishra gets in an awful muddle trying to late cut a ball that is too straight, and too low, for the shot to ever come off. The ball takes an inside edge and cannons into his stumps. Colins Obuya, who has now given up the leg spin that made him famous in the 2003 Cup, comes in in his place. In St Kitts Symonds is clearly unfussed by any possible doubt about his fitness as he scythes a cut to backward point and gets four runs. But Michael Clarke has been run out for 92, off just 75 balls, and Australia are now 347-4



20th over: Kenya 77-4 (Tikolo 29 Obuya 1)
I'm flagging, though not so badly as Kenya. Tikolo pulls a run round the corner, Obuya edges just short of Nixon's gloves. Mahmood and Collingwood have both been bolwing excellently in recent overs. Michael Hussey's terrible tournament continues as he hits Andrew Hall straight to Jaques Kallis at deep cover and is out for just five.


21st over: Kenya 84-4 (Tikolo 34 Obuya 2)
Tikolo drives the ball viciously back at Colly's head. Even England's best fielder doesn't fancy the catch, though he makes an effort and gets a bruised finger for his troubles as the ball whistles away to the ropes. The physio Dean Conway has come on to treat Paul Nixon. Yes the indomitable, indestructable Nixon is unhappy with something - a tweak in his calf or ankle maybe?


22nd over: Kenya 90-4 (Tikolo 39 Obuya 2)
If Nixon is injured England will be stuck without a 'keeper - not having a reserve in the squad. I'd expect Ed Joyce would be covering for him if needs be, though to be honest I imagine Nixon is a lot like the Knight in the Holy Grail - you could probably put his severed head (Nixon, like a cockroach, would be quite capable of staying alive with a severeed head) on a spike and stick a glove in his mouth and he'd be happy to play. More runs for Tikolo here, four of them to third man - probably time to spell Saj I'd suggest.


Australia 377-6 (Watson 14)
Symonds is bowled for 18 off the last ball of the day, but Australia have still racked up the third highest total in World Cup history. South Africa's bowling has been totally exposed, but thtn maybe, just maybe, the same thing is about to happen to Australia....?


WICKET! Obuya 10 run out Bopara/Panesar 24th over: Kenya 103-5 (Tikolo 45 Odoyo 0)
So Monty comes on for his first bowl of the day. While I was away in St Kitts Oboya sparked into life with a pair of fours off Collingwood - one straight down the ground, and one picked up and sent away over mid-wicket. Ah what a calamity in the middle! Obuya is furious with his captain after he just stood stock still, stuck out his hand and sent his colleague back down the pitch, where he was gleefully run-out by several yards by Monty. Tikolo tries to make amends by battering a four away to the fence as Monty serves up a rare poor ball.


25th over: Kenya 107-5 (Tikolo 47 Odoyo 2)
"Assuming England have enough to aim at, could Vaughan go for the slowest World Cup hundred?"quips John Starbuck. He'll have some stiff competition from Joyce and Bell mind. Freddie Flintoff has come on to try and break through to the tail proper. Tikolo pulls him away for one. A very good player Odoyo, reasonably high in the world all-rounder rankings and a punishing hitter of the ball.


WICKET! Odoyo 4 27th over: Kenya 112-6 (Tikolo 48 Kamande 0)
And an erudite response comes in from Paul Woodhouse to Mr Naylor's comments about the quality of batsmanship we're seeing in this World Cup: "It might be an idea to explain to Mr. Naylor that it's infinitely harder to swing railway sleepers horizontally than it is through the line. Whilst the bouncer quota per over may have been reduced, I don't recall the shorter length ball being outlawed. It's also always been the case that your taller fellas will play off the front foot and your average dwarf off the back. We're just seeing taller, beefier fellas with larger bats. All they have to do is get in line and steer stuff behind point or punch little half-drives for four. God forbid we should ever see four quicks hurling six bouncers an over down - now that was dull." England are looking short of wicket-takers here, and to be honest, Flintoff's response to the scandals of the past week, and all those promises about making amends, haven't really amounted to the inspired performance I was hoping he'd produce. Bloody hell, I don't believe this. Flintoff has now taken a wicket, though he barely appealed for it: wide on the crease Freddy angled the ball in and breaks out into a grin as the umpire's finger goes up to give Odoyo out lbw. He almost has Kamande first ball too, but the batsman gets a very generous benefit of doubt.


28th over: Kenya 115-6 (Tikolo 50 Kamande 0)
Tikolo brings up his fifty with a single: a fine innings undermined by that run out. Over in St Kitts the teams have returned to the field and Nathan Bracken is opening the bowling.


29th over: Kenya 117-6 (Tikolo 51 Kamande 0)
Dropped him! Joyce scrambles across at mid-off and wraps his hands round a dolly of a catch after Tikolo chipped the ball lamely up in the air. And then.... the ball pops out of his grasp. Flintoff is pretty angry with that - that was the one wicket that could have all but ended this match. South Africa have taken ten from Bracken's first over - here we go... de Villiers takes four through the off side and then lofts a six away over the covers.


31st over: Kenya 124-6 (Tikolo 58 Kamande 2)
Well I've had to cut out all the Australian commentary to stop our creaky writing program from crashing altogether. Don't worry, all those words will reappear in an OBO story of their own soon enough. So, Anderson has returned to see if he can mop up this innings. South Africa are 18-0 after two, with Shaun Tait sending down two wides in his first over - Ricky Ponting's brow is starting to furrow. Tikolo collects two more runs with a tidy push into the covers, hitting the ball high on its upward bounce. A leg bye allows him to keep the strike.


32nd over: Kenya 130-6 (Tikolo 61 Kamande 3)
"Look at Fred go.." sighs Lynn Bashforth "not ideal circumstances but I've thought since the Ashes that he shouldn't be burdened with any captaincy roles but just left alone to get on with batting, bowling, slip fielding and all-round heroics. Here's his big chance." Quite, and though I knocked him earlier, he is ctually hauling England through the middle of this innings almost single-handed. Tikolo takes four off the second ball of Monty's otherwise tidy over.


33rd over: Kenya 132-6 (Tikolo 62 Kamande 5)
Poor fielding from Ebgland costs them a run out: Bell fields at cover, umms, ahs, and decides to throw to Anderson, who drops the ball as he attempts to take off the bails. Sloppy stuff. Vaughan pats the back of his hand in encouragement - a proper back handed compliment at the fielding. But then he misses the stumps with a throw of his own off the next ball and Kenya are spared yet another wicket from a run out.


34th over: Kenya 138-6 (Tikolo 62 Kamande 11)
In St Kitts there is another big wide from Tait, and South Africa are 34-0 And that is a four of extreme violence from Smith! Skimming head-high all the way to long-off and bouncing once before crossing the ropes. Back in St Lucia Kamande leans well forward and sweeps Monty fine around the corner and down to the fence. He repeats the shot, albeit slightly squarer, for two more runs.


35th over: Kenya 144-6 (Tikolo 63 Kamande 16)
Smith just loves these games you know, grinning away malevolently from under huis helmet as he smites four more to the striaght boundary. Like two old men in the corner of a country pub, Gary Naylor has chewed his lips and responded to Pual Woodhouse like this: "Mr Woodhouse's point is a good one, but I beg to differ. I thought that the whole point of these thick bats was that they were not heavy, thereby offering opportunities for tremendous bat speed (Gilchrist, Jayasuriya, KP for example). Ponting is no giant, but he comes forward to EVERYTHING. He knows he is very unlikely to get an authentic bouncer (no ball if over the shoulder, I think) and that he has effective protective equipment if he gets hit. I don't recall four quicks bowling six bouncers per over, but they bowled a few, and it was a better game for it." Aaah, is that last line quite true Gary? Certainly teh Windies were prone to a bit of the old four bouncers per over stuff in the 80s. Certainly not going to get that from Collingwood though: instead Kamande slaps a gentle slower ball around the corner for four.


36th over: Kenya 148-6 (Tikolo 65 Kamande 17)
Tikolo sweeps two runs. And in St Kitts Glenn McGrath has come on to try and stifle South Africa's express progress - 52-0 off six overs, but de Villiers has hit him for three consecutive fours, which hardly slows things down.


WICKET! Kamande 17 b Collingwood: 37th over: Kenya 151-7 (Tikolo 69 Onyango 0)
Kenya's 150 comes up, and moments later Jimmy Kamande plays one of the worst shots of the Woprld Cup so far, swinging wildly across the line while down on one knee. Colly had simply bowled a slower ball which picthed on off and went straight on past Kamande's absurd swish to hit the stumps. Email of the day? Andrew Gerrard has quite possibly cracked it: "Is it me or is Gary Naylor trying to sound like an intellectual Geoff Boycott? What does he want, Ponting standing there in just his underpants fending off Fiery Fred with a stale baguette?"

38th over: Kenya 154-7 (Tikolo 71 Onyango 1)
Tikolo has a swing and a miss, drawing a loud intake of breath from Nixon.


39th over: Kenya 157-7 (Tikolo 72 Onyango 2)
Anderson comes on for his last over. Over in St Kitts Shane Watson has come on, a crucial moment for the Aussies, as their support bowling is going to get a thorough examination now, and I'm not that confident on its behalf. Tikolo plays a cheeky chip around the corner to leg from outside off stump: a deft and clever shot that couldn't be more different to the four that Graeme Smith has just clubbed off of Watson. Anderson finished his nine over spell with a decent two for 27.

40th over: Kenya 164-7 (Tikolo 76 Onyango 5)
Mahmood at the other end, demonstrating the fine art of failing to finish off an innings. In St Kitts de Villiers swivel-pulls four runs off McGrath and takes South Africa to 73-0 at the end of the tenth over with Smith on 28 and de Villiers on 41.


WICKET! Tikolo 76 b Flintoff 41st over: Kenya 168-8 (Onyango 5 Ongondo 2)
Yet another bowling change then, as Flintoff returns for a third spell. Ben Day writes: "In response to Andrew Gerrard: Yes, I would defintely pay to see that. Preferably in the final. Could the ball be on fire as well?" Would you pay to see this though Ben? Flintoff has got the vital wicket of Tikolo, he bowled him a yorker which was too quick and too accurate even for a man on 76. Tikolo gets a pat on the back from Flintoff in recognition of what has been a very good innings: full of time, wit and invention as well as classic back-foot stroke play.


WICKET! Ongondo 4 run out Vaughan: 42nd over: Kenya 173-9 (Onyango 9 Varaiya 1)
An inspired piece of fielding by Collingwood saves two runs: Ongondo lofted the ball high into mid-wicket, Colly runs around from long-on, keeping his eye on the ball in the air and then jumps and kicks it back infield on the half-volley as he crosses the ropes. Next ball Vaughan produces an altogether more sedate piece of fielding to run out Ongondo. Just a terrible call from the batsmen, and Vaughan, seeing he has plenty of time and just underams the ball into the stumps as though he were playing pub skittles.


WICKET Onyango 10 run out Nixon 43rd over: Kenya 177 all out (Varaiya 1)
Watson is being undone in St Kitts: he's gone for 25 off his three overs so far. The South Africans are 93-0 and are actually ahead, by two runs, of Australia's mark at this point. De Villiers is 49 off 46 balls while Smith is 40 off 30. I think I might have to switch games before too long - I can't imagine England are going to struggle in pursuit of 177, while South Africa could be on their way to shattering all that Aussie confidence. In St Lucia Nixon has run out Onyango off the last ball with a fine throw from behind the stumps.


Ok England were pretty mediocre there. South Africa have are 101-0 off 14 overs. After five-and-half hours of continuous OBO-ing I now have a ten munite break before I'm back here to bring you the rest of all the day's play. Shocker.