Cricket: Bahrain beat Kenya to take T20I series lead

CRICKET – BAHRAIN’S senior men’s cricket national team took the lead in the two-match T20I series against Kenya yesterday, securing a hard-fought 15-run victory at the Gymkhana Club Ground in Nairobi.

Bahrain holds 30th ranking in ICC T20I whereas Kenya hold 33rd as per the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) classification.

In a match that ebbed and flowed, a brilliant half-century from Fiaz Ahmed and a devastating spell from pacer Rizwan Butt proved to be the difference between the two sides.

Winning the toss and electing to bat first on a warm afternoon, Bahrain’s innings was anchored by a masterful 88 off just 49 balls from Ahmed. His innings, laced with eight fours and five towering sixes, provided the backbone of the Bahraini total.

After the early dismissal of captain Asif Ali for a duck, Ahmed stitched a crucial 75-run partnership with wicket keeper Prashant Kurup, who contributed a steady 33, to stabilise the innings.

A late cameo from Imran Anwar, who smashed a six off the only ball he faced, propelled Bahrain to a competitive total of 159/4 in their 20 overs.

For Kenya, the bowlers had moments of success. Lefty phenomenon Sachin Gill was the pick of the attack, claiming the key wickets of Ali and the dangerous Ahmed, finishing with figures of 2/20 from his four overs. Peter Langat also chipped in with a wicket, but the Kenyan bowlers were guilty of conceding seven wides, which proved costly in the final analysis.

In reply, Kenya’s chase got off to a positive start, but their innings was derailed by a sensational spell from Bahrain’s Rizwan Butt.

The right-armed fast bowler produced a game-changing burst, picking up the first four Kenyan wickets to fall, including the crucial scalps of Rushab Patel and Sachin Bhudia for golden ducks, to leave the hosts reeling at 42/3.

Despite the early collapse, captain Dhiren Gondaria fought a lone battle for Kenya, playing a resilient knock of 73 runs from 49 deliveries. He held the innings together, but found little support from the other end as wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals.

The chase ultimately fizzled out as Kenya finished on 144/8, falling short of the target by 15 runs. Butt was the undisputed star with the ball for Bahrain, returning exceptional figures of four wickets for just 17 runs in his four overs. Asif Shaikh provided valuable support, claiming two wickets to keep the pressure on the Kenyan middle order.

The victory gave Bahrain a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. The two sides will meet again for the second and final T20I today at the same venue, where Kenya will be looking to level the series and draw level.