Lou Vincent, who ended a run of noughts at the World Cup with 101 in New Zealand’s comfortable win over Canada, has thanked his wife for making the difference.Vincent rediscovered his touch with an entertaining century in New Zealand’s final league match at St Lucia. Asked what had changed on Thursday, Vincent replied: “My wife’s on tour.”Vincent, 28, had to survive a torrid first over from Anderson Cummins before getting off the mark in style, with a crisp six over cover. “It’s been an interesting start to the tour,” Vincent said. “I really haven’t enjoyed it too much. It’s been good to put my hand up today and get through a tough stage and then cash in with the boys scoring at the other end which made it easier to anchor an end.”Vincent’s innings was the centrepiece of a New Zealand score of 363 for 5 – their highest World Cup total. “Whenever you’ve missed out a few times, it’s natural to feel that you are not very good but the confidence from the boys around me and the season I’ve had so far, there’s a lot of confidence within my game at the moment so I just knew it would come right if I hung in there and batted some time. When I was about fifty or sixty I felt the pressure release a little bit.”Reflecting on a third convincing win, after a six-wicket victory over England was followed by a 148-run success against Kenya, New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said: “I couldn’t really have asked for much more. There’s no area where we have been found out, no area ticked that hasn’t been ticked off. We move away from here pretty comfortable but also pretty confident.”One concern for New Zealand, who rested the regular new-ball duo of Shane Bond and James Franklin, was the way in which Canada, despite a daunting target to chase, attacked Daryl Tuffey and Michael Mason to the extent that 43 runs came off the first four overs. The charge was led by the Canada captain John Davison, who scored the fastest World Cup hundred (off 67 balls) in the previous edition of the tournament against the West Indies. This time around he made 52 off 31 balls.Fleming added Davison was a hard man to contain. “He’s a very good hitter, we’ve seen John’s talents before. We could have been better, but we weren’t as accurate as we could have been. The positive out of today is we learned a couple of things, especially about those first two bowlers.”Fleming added that Tuffey had sustained an arm injury which prevented him bowling a second spell. He joined batsman Ross Taylor (calf) and seam bowler Mark Gillespie (shoulder) as fitness concerns for New Zealand heading into the Super Eights.
On the evening of the second Test Mohali was abuzz with speculation on the Indian team’s final composition and it emerged that India were certain to go into the Test match with five bowlers. This automatically meant that VVS Laxman and Mohammad Kaif would miss out, with Sreesanth, struggling with flu, also likely to sit out the game. The last time India played five bowlers in a Test match was in the drawn second Test against Pakistan at Faisalabad in January.While the Indian thinktank would not confirm or deny that they were set to go into the Test with five bowlers, it is understood that Irfan Pathan will have Anil Kumble, Munaf Patel, Harbhajan Singh and either RP Singh or Piyush Chawla for company. A final decision on whether Chawla or RP Singh will get the nod will be made on the morning of the game.Yuvraj Singh, who is fit to play will replace Kaif, who scored 91 in the first Test at Nagpur. Rahul Dravid, though not answering directly on the question of Kaif, admitted that it was tough for a captain to leave out someone who had done well. “It’s a tough one, to be honest,” he said, when asked what it was like to have to explain to someone why they were dropped even after performing well.”It’s not always easy but as captain, all you can do is be as honest as you can and explain the situation. You tell the player that while he continues to be in your scheme of things for the long term, for this particular match, it may not be able to fit him in, especially when a proven, experienced performer comes back in,” said Dravid. “You tell him that it’s not meant to be an indication of his performance. We will try and give him as many opportunities as possible over a period of time, you just tell him that he has to be patient and keep working hard.”At the same time Dravid admitted that it was good to be in a position where the team was spoiled for choice, rather than the other way round. “In a way, it’s a good situation to have because you have choices to make. It’s a good feeling to know that you can call up anyone in the squad and that everyone can perform.”Probable squad Rahul Dravid (capt), Virender Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Dhoni (wk), Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Rudra Pratap Singh, Piyush Chawla.
An impressive allround display from Tana Canning gave Auckland control of the State Championship at Eden Park in Auckland, as Wellington closed the third day holding a slender lead of 21 with six wickets remaining. Canning’s first major contribution was to carve out a vital century – and a sixth wicket partnership of 125 with Carl Cachopa – after Auckland and been stuttering at 173 for five late on the second day.Canning faced 274 balls before becoming one of Mark Gillespie’s six wickets, as the Wellington seamer ran through the tail – Auckland losing their last five wickets for 27 runs – to restrict them to a first-innings lead of 90. Carl Cachopa notched up his maiden first-class half-century and proved the perfect foil for Canning.Keith Walmsley claimed an early wicket as Wellington set about trying to erase the deficit, having Matthew Bell caught by Richard Jones. But Luke Woodward and Michael Parlane were edging Wellington closer to a lead, when Canning took centre stage again. He trapped Parlane lbw and then had Samuel Fairley caught behind, and a further strike by the legspinner Brooke Walker left Wellington with plenty of work to do to set a competitive target.
New South Wales 7 for 296 (Phelps 136, O’Brien 49*) beat South Australia 9 for 288 (Cameron 66, Lehmann 63) by 8 runs ScorecardDarren Lehmann, after having his customary nerve-settling cigarette in front of the Drummoyne Oval grandstand before going out to bat, kickstarted the most important week of his career today with a half-century for South Australia in the ING Cup match against NSW.Lehmann’s smooth 63 from as many balls wasn’t enough to give the Redbacks a win, though. With his team needing 12 runs from seven balls for victory in reply to NSW’s 7 for 296, and with four wickets in hand, Lehmann pulled a long hop from Stuart MacGill down the throat of Dominic Thornely on the square-leg fence to allow the Blues to sneak home by eight runs.”It was 50-50 at that stage,” said NSW captain Steve Waugh. “We only needed one wicket, really – Darren Lehmann was the key. It was the crucial ball of the match, it was either going to be six or out. That was really the turning point. We were going to win or lose it with Stuey because they were going to try to hit him for six. That was the gamble I took and it came off.”Australia’s Test squad to tour Sri Lanka will be named on Friday and Lehmann desperately needs a string of eye-catching scores this week in back-to-back games against the Blues to book a seat on the plane. Otherwise, his Test career is most likely over.He was furious with himself when he fell to MacGill at such a crucial moment. “If I’d hit that half-tracker for six, we win the game so it’s pretty disappointing,” said Lehmann, whose team had earlier needed only 27 runs from five overs to win. “It just spun and bounced a bit.”SA and the Blues start a Pura Cup game at the SCG on Tuesday, when national selectors will be keeping a close eye on Lehmann, who hasn’t played a Test since early October because of a left Achilles tendon injury. He’s undoubtedly in the twilight of his career but with Australia playing crucial Test series in spin-friendly Sri Lanka and India this year, Lehmann remains an invaluable commodity because, alongside Simon Katich, he’s still the best player of the turning ball in the country.Earlier today, the unheralded Matthew Phelps ended his run-scoring drought for the Blues, broke Greg Blewett’s finger and left Lehmann with a bruised foot to set up a bittersweet triumph. It was bitter because the Blues entered the game already out of the running for this year’s Cup final, which they won last year, but sweet because any win is a good win – especially with Steve and Mark Waugh counting down the days to their retirements.Queensland’s thumping of Western Australia last Friday night ended any chance the Blues had of making the final. A perennial fringe player, Phelps blasted 136 from 140 balls to be the only NSW batsman to register a half-century. Phil Jaques (43), Steve Waugh (14) and Mark Waugh (20) all made premature exits before youngster Aaron O’Brien smacked a late 49 not out from 55 balls.
A brilliant end of innings bowling performance saw South Africa win anexciting fifth and final Standard Bank One-Day International at Newlands by34 runs bowling Pakistan out for 231 runs in 47.4 overs and in so doingconvincingly winning the series four-one.With 15 overs to go Pakistan needed 99 runs with six wickets still in handand with Inzamam-ul-Haq (56) and Younis Khan (43) both well set at the crease, it seemed as if they had taken the initiative away from South Africa andwere playing Pakistan towards a win.Shaun Pollock came back into the attack and bowled two brilliant oversgiving away just six runs. The pressure was back on Pakistan when Jacques Kallisbowled a four run over including the wicket of Inzamam for 63 and Pakistanwere 189/5 in the fortieth over.Inzamam had batted extremely well, working the ball into gaps and acceptingthe odd boundaries. He had played the perfect supporting role to Khan butthe moment the run rate required jumped to seven he seemed to changetactics, and in doing so lost his wicket.Kallis, mixing his pace and keeping the ball full, had Razzaq caught behindbacking away from a slower ball and then the most bizarre moment of theseries saw Khan run out for 71.Khan had pulled Andrew Hall to deep mid-wicket where Robin Peterson did wellto get a hand to the ball and flicked it infield to Pollock who fired theball to the bowler’s end. Khan was halfway down the pitchcoming back for an impossible third run while Shahid Afridi, at thebowler’s end, had his back to Khan. Hall threw back to Mark Boucher whowhipped the bails off with Khan stranded in the middle of the pitch.Television replays showed that Boucher might have knocked the bails off before breaking the stumps with the ball, but by that time Khan had already left the field.Afridi was still at the wicket with Pakistan needing 62 runs off sevenovers. A six off Hall that flew over extra cover like a missile, nevergetting up higher than about two metres, showed what a dangerous batsman hecould be and Pakistan were still very much in the game.Makhaya Ntini returned and bowled an over of full paced yorkers, shatteringthe stumps of Waqar Younis. Pollock followed with another excellent overcosting only four runs when Pakistan needed much more.Kallis then finished the innings off by bowling both Afridi and Mohammad Samiwith full-pitched balls to end with five for 41.In the last 10 overs of the match Pakistan had lost six wickets for 53 runs,evidence of top quality end of innings bowling from the South Africans.”We did not get the start that we needed”, said Waqar after the game, “but Iam glad with the way the middle order batted, it puts us in a good positionfor the upcoming Test series. South Africa is an outstanding cricket team,who stick to the task and get the job done”.Pollock had won the toss and after taking one look at the pitch decided tobat first on what looked like a perfect batting strip.Herschelle Gibbs, Gary Kirsten and Kallis found the pitch lacking in bounceand pace leaving South Africa at 61/3 in the 16th over.In came Jonty Rhodes and “finding the pitch to his liking” nudged the ballaround with Boeta Dippenaar to add 134 runs in 27 overs. The partnership was built on some brilliant running between the wickets by two of the fastest men in the South African team.Rhodes, winning the man-of-the-match award, ended on 81 off 95 balls and ashe has done so many times before had put his team back on track. As manyaccolades as he might receive for his innings the anchor work had been doneby Dippenaar.With early wickets falling around him, Dippenaar had put his head down andplayed the anchor role to Rhodes. Then when he had a hundred in his grasp, he unselfishly lost his wicket for 91 in trying to increase the team total. He left the field to a standing ovation and surely a ticket to the World Cup.It was however Boucher that changed the outcome of the match, smashingAfridi for two sixes in the 47th over and then repeating it in the next overwhich cost Saqlain Mushtaq 22 runs. By the time he was caught behind Boucherhad hit 34 runs in 16 balls with South Africa ending on 265/8.Pakistan had a disastrous start losing two wickets in the first two overs.Some disciplined bowling and the loss of Kamran Akmal on 42 in the 13th overplaced much pressure on the remaining batsmen.Younis Youhana, the leading one-day international run scorer in 2002, clawedPakistan back into the game, but lost his wicket at 46 when the team needed him to bat through the innings.This brought Inzamam and Khan together and playing some intelligent cricketthey put together a 108 run partnership that nearly took Pakistan to victory.For South Africa this was another professional performance and must makethem near favourites for the World Cup being played on home soil. Winningthe three series against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan has highlightedmany positives, one of them the ability to come back when almost countedout.
With the aid of some rigid captaincy from Victoria’s Paul Reiffel, Michael Di Venuto (62*) and Scott Kremerskothen (41) have rescued Tasmania fromembarrassment on day two of their Pura Cup clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.A ninety-six run partnership between the pair has salvaged the Tigers after their first five wickets fell for just twenty runs.At stumps, the visitors are still 188 behind Victoria’s first innings total with Di Venuto and Sean Clingeleffer (7*) at the crease.Joined after Shaun Young’s (0) dismissal at seven minutes past two, the pair worked hard to rebuild the Tigers’ innings, staying together for three hours and nineteenminutes. Knowing another wicket could finish their innings well inside the hundred-run mark, the two left handers took their time and batted to stay in rather thancompile runs.Their slow and steady approach frustrated bowlers and spectators alike, with the morning’s strong crowd full of cheering schoolchildren giving way to just a handfulof purists by the end of the day. Their scoring rate of less than two runs an over – at one stage thirty-one deliveries went by without a single run – was tedious to saythe least. Still they soldiered on, with chants of “boring, boring” ringing in their ears.Victorian captain Paul Reiffel did not seem too interested in effecting a succession of bowling changes, retaining faith in Ian Harvey (1/25) and off-spinner JohnDavison () rather than introducing occasional bowlers such as Clinton Peake or Brad Hodge to perhaps break the Tasmanians’ concentration and add a bit of spiceto the proceedings.Although devoid of flair and excitement, the partnership did get the job done for the Tasmanians, who would have been happy to watch an alliance ticking intodouble figures, especially after they had lost three wickets for just one run at the head of their innings.Di Venuto was well rewarded for his patience with a half century which included four boundaries and took 176 balls. All-rounder Kremerskothen was not as lucky,falling lbw to Harvey for forty-one. His innings included four boundaries and lasted 141 deliveries.Harvey nearly claimed another wicket from the very next ball, with wicketkeeper-batsman Clingeleffer appearing fortunate to survive a strong lbw appeal.Having lost opener Dene Hills (0) in the fourth over of the day, the Tigers fell into a hole – four batsmen returning to the pavilion with ducks beside their names.Reiffel (2/22) and young left-armer Mathew Inness (3/19) were the main destroyers, with the pair taking all but one of the day’s wickets.Fresh from his Australia ‘A’ experience against the West Indies last week, the red-haired Inness was in fine form – bowling with typical accuracy and consistency.Reiffel, at the other end, did much the same and the pair had a stranglehold on the Tigers for their forty-one overs.After a rush of dismissals on either side of the lunch break, Victoria failed to drive home the advantage in the second half of the final session. However, given that itstill leads by 188 runs, the home team looks certain to capture first innings points tomorrow morning.Earlier today, the Victorian tail wagged to its heart’s content, with Davison (33) starring in a quickfire fifty-one run partnership with Reiffel (23). Althoughunimpressive with the ball, Davison shone with the bat, smashing four boundaries in his thirty-two minute innings.Controversially selected for this match over talented all-rounder Ben Oliver, Davison was eager to make an impact and ended up doing better than his moreestablished teammates such as Jason Arnberger (0) and Ian Harvey (15).An unbeaten eleven runs from fast bowler Mick Lewis also helped, taking Victoria from yesterday’s 6/250 to a healthy 322.
Jurgen Klopp will be aware that just around the corner could be one of the biggest crisis he will have to face during his time as Liverpool manager, as both Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah’s contracts are set to expire at the end of next season.
The signing of Luis Diaz from Porto in the January transfer window hinted that the Reds are looking to prepare for the future by signing younger forwards than the aforementioned duo, with enough talent to immediately come in and stake a claim for the first team.
However, this summer could see them lose their star men a year ahead of schedule if they prefer to earn a transfer fee, and with interest building in them, Liverpool look likely to bolster their attack at the end of this season.
What’s the news?
Last week, the Daily Mail reported that Liverpool, as well as Arsenal, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, were interested in acquiring Cody Gakpo from PSV this summer.
Since then, two unnamed Premier League teams have registered “concrete interest” as reported by Dutch news outlet Eindhovens Dagblad, and it’s believed that the Reds could be one of the clubs.
According to the Athletic, Gakpo has an understanding with PSV, that if a suitable offer is made, he can discuss terms with a new club.
Future replacement for Mane?
A goalscoring left-winger, Gakpo has scored the same amount of goals for club and country in all competitions this season as Mane (17), but also managing 14 assists – 11 more than the Senegalese star.
Averaging a 7.58 match rating in the Eredivisie, only Ajax duo Dusan Tadic (7.81) and Lisandro Martinez (7.61), as well as Feyenoord playmaker Orkun Kokcu (7.62), have managed a higher total in the league, while he is currently clear of the rest of his teammates.
Completing three dribbles, three key passes, three shots and 1.9 crosses per game, he has become a key figure in the PSV team, earning praise from the likes of former Netherlands international Theo Janssen in recent months.
“That boy has everything,” Janssen said. “Fine feeling for the ball, a good through ball, dribbles and is strong between the lines.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
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“I really enjoy watching him. He is going to be an important player for the Oranje squad. He is ready to be in the base of the Oranje squad.”
Rated at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, the 22-year-old would be a smart signing for Klopp and Liverpool, and his significant output in the final third could ensure he becomes a key player for the Reds too.
In other news: FSG must seal Liverpool deal for “scary” £41m star, he can be Klopp’s “game-winner”
The last time India toured Australia John Buchanan was irritated his team was distracted by “deal-making and sponsors” and slipped a harsh letter under each of the players’ doors. It might be time Tim Nielsen, the new coach, devised a similar ploy for his big-name batsmen who have been dug out twice by the fantastic performances of the low-key bowlers.Matthew Hayden, Andrew Symonds and Ricky Ponting are struggling and if it was not for the men at the bottom of the order the team would be at the foot of the tri-series instead of the top. The bowlers deserve buckets of praise and could be forgiven for writing to the batsmen asking them to lift their standards.A copy of Buchanan’s note was posted under the wrong door in 2003 and soon the world knew of Australia’s internal conversations, which ranged from “deal-making” and “sponsors” to “Tugga’s farewell to Adelaide”. Replace Steve Waugh’s nickname with Adam Gilchrist’s and not much has changed in more than four years. It’s not too hard to imagine how the same groups of issues could lead to clutter in the minds of Twenty20’s most wanted.The senior players on the Indian Premier League’s wish-list are contemplating a huge increase in their bank balances and not-so-secretly wishing next month’s Pakistan series is cancelled due to security issues. That way they could cash-in on Twenty20 instead of representing their country and fulfilling obligations that have been planned since before the birth of the game’s new format.Gilchrist’s emotional, country-wide farewell has added to the distractions, just like Waugh’s did, and the upshot is below-par batting and fielding. A century to Gilchrist and excellent returns from the back-up bowlers covered up the sloppiness in Perth on Friday, and James Hopes, Nathan Bracken and Mitchell Johnson did it again in Adelaide when they operated without the resting Brett Lee. Michael Clarke’s 79 also helped mask the severe problems as the team scrambled to 9 for 203, which was 50 too many for India.At the toss Ponting spoke of the need for the top batsmen to start contributing, but they flopped again. Ponting and Symonds have been heavily involved in finding reasons why the Australians should be allowed to join the IPL in April. While they have been looking to India their form has disappeared, and Hayden has joined the drought. In five games Symonds has 38 runs and Ponting 53; Hayden has fared slightly better with 84 in four.Even before the current issues Ponting was busy with the Harbhajan Singh trials and suffered with a lower-back injury at the conclusion of the Test series. If he wasn’t so interested in spending potential downtime in India he could justify having a mid-series rest. The most glaring example of Ponting’s lack of focus was an attempted slog-sweep off Munaf Patel, a shot he would never consider with a clear mind, and especially not when he was on 5.India bowled well but most of Australia’s batsmen let themselves down. Ponting cut straight to point, Hayden edged playing too close to his body, Symonds glided to gully and Michael Hussey was frustrated into driving at a wide outswinger. Only Clarke was able to harness the tunnel-vision and work through the troubles on a deceptive pitch.A similar strong attitude was carried by the bowlers, who are quite a few rungs down the celebrity pole than the run-makers. Hopes was incredibly tight and deserved his two wickets, Bracken was just as suffocating and Johnson and Brad Hogg collected important breakthroughs. They played with the love and excitement of people who would not swap their spots for any amount of US dollars.In the field Australia were below their best again, missing balls, giving away overthrows and failing to grasp another slips catch. The distractions are obvious but they managed to succeed in gaining another bonus point. They really operate as a team, covering the weaknesses amid all the disruptions, but the bowlers know they are owed. Letters for the batsmen may arrive from a couple of sources.
ScorecardNick Compton continued his fine form with a grafting 92 to hand England A a 99-run lead on the third day against Bangladesh A at Bogra.Saghir Hossain added a further 17 to his overnight 30 to become Stuart Broad’s fourth wicket while his partner, Enamul Haque jnr – with whom Hossain added 66 for the ninth wicket – fell for a gutsy 24.England’s reply started shakily, however, with Will Jefferson falling for 13, Michael Yardy run out for just a single before Michael Carberry was trapped leg-before by Nadif Chowdhury. Meanwhile, Compton was resolute and, with Matt Prior, began to build England’s lead with a fourth-wicket stand of 74. Shortly after Compton passed his 99-ball fifty, Prior was caught in the deep, but Steven Davies helped add a further 56 for the fifth wicket.Eyeing his hundred, and eyeing a reverse-sweep off Mehrab Hossain, he was bowled for 92 as England’s lead nudged up towards 100.”Scoring was difficult,” he told PA. “I think everyone found that. That [reverse sweep] is a shot you play when runs are needed. Like others you play in that position, there’s an element of risk, but it can be useful. Overall, I’ve got to be pleased with my own performance and all the batters [sic].”With Adil Rashid and Stuart Broad at the crease tomorrow morning, England still have time to build a substantial lead. But with the first day washed out, time is of the essence.”I think the players have done superbly to put themselves in a winning position in a Test match after four sessions of play having lost the first day completely,” Peter Moores, the England A coach, said. “This is not dissimilar to the position in the first Test and we’ll go about day four in the same positive fashion.”
Zimbabwe’s elevation to Full Member status inside the ICC in 1992 brought a second African country into mainstream international cricket, and their initial success raised hopes that more would join them. Kenya, who had been languishing in the twilight zone of the game when Zimbabwe first played a Test, gradually worked their way through the system, so much so that by the turn of the century they were widely being touted as the next most likely country to follow Bangladesh. That that never happened owes much to several years of internal bickering and mismanagement. But Kenya’s stagnation and ultimate downgrading in 2005 (when they lost their unique ODI member status) was not helped by the rapid decline in Zimbabwe’s fortunes from the early part of the decade.The two met 11 times in the 1990s, with Zimbabwe winning every time. That was only to be expected as Zimbabwe were at their zenith while Kenya were slowly building the side that was to reach the 2003 World Cup semi-finals. Their first official meeting (they had previously crossed paths in tournaments such as the ICC Trophy) came in the 1996 World Cup when Zimbabwe won by five wickets (Kenya’s moment of glory came two days later when they beat West Indies), and they again met in the 1999 tournament when the outcome was the same. In between Kenya took part in two triangular series involving Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, losing all seven games against the latter.In 2002-03 Zimbabwe hosted Kenya for the first time in a three-match series ahead of the World Cup, which Zimbabwe won 2-0 (the third match was washed out). The two sides met again in the 2003 World Cup after both had, remarkably – and aided by points awarded after countries refused to visit Nairobi or Harare on safety grounds – progressed to the Super Six stage. It was Kenya, at the 12th time of asking, who won the game by seven wickets with more than 23 overs to spare. But Zimbabwe were a side in crisis, with serious divisions following the Andy Flower/Henry Olonga black-armband protest earlier in the tournament.Zimbabwe won the most recent meeting between the two, a rather hastily-arranged tournament in Sharjah days after the World Cup finished. That time it was the Kenyans who were in disarray, only participating at the last minute after a dispute over money owed from the World Cup. That row was to eventually lead to an all-out strike in 2004.With Zimbabwe in Test isolation, Kenya were invited for a five-ODI tour in early 2006 and with little time to acclimitise, they were well beaten in the first ODI. Kenya bounced back to win the next two matches, Zimbabwe crashing to 69 all out chasing 134 in the third game, but the series was levelled thanks to a much-improved display from the hosts, setting up a decider which was rained off. The standard was not high, the media coverage almost non existent, and all that the series confirmed was that the two teams would struggle at the following year’s World Cup.Kenya continued to try to set up matches with Zimbabwe but, amid rumours that Zimbabwe Cricket were not prepared to risk losing to an Associate, their approaches were consistently stalled. The teams did not meet again until October 2008, two-and-a-half years later, when, in a rain-blighted triangular series, Kenya confirmed Zimbabwe’s fears by beating them in the only game which avoided the deluges.