As the final match of the day has officially been completed, Malawi looked really strong throughout the afternoon and showed why they were a real surprise team. With this Malawi side knocking off Kenya by three runs, it was an easy victory, but something that was very well-managed, plus timed to help this side increase their hopes.
Now that they are officially ranked third in their Africa Qualifier group rankings, that last match against Namibia will mean a whole lot to them in terms of making it much further in the tournament. Captain Mozzam Baig showed a ton of improvement during this match and has really gained a likable personality to help their side always have an edge.
Meanwhile, Kenya’s story just continues to be more disheartening after every match they play in either the qualifiers or normal series. A side that was once competing with teams like India, New Zealand, and England, they have now no longer kept that same class and can no longer defeat lower-ranked sides like Malawi anymore either.
Having no urgency to fix it any time soon, either, they have already removed more than enough chances to make it to this World Cup, while now just riding on luck plus a must-win. Led by Dhiren Gondaria, he has been a very skillful player, but it’s clear that he seems very confused when leading this side, as they always seem to be very imbalanced.
Malawi: Opening Batsmen Were Able To Score But Once Again Couldn’t Do It Fast
For Malawi’s batting side, it was clear that their side was struggling to get runs on the board fast, and created issues later after several overs were finished. Opener Aaftab Limdawala did score 35 runs in this match, but he did it in 39 balls and was only able to score four boundaries during the first 11 overs.
Looking at him not being able to take bowlers deep or maneuvering his sweep shots to hit open gaps, it really caused some early problems to get runs in the powerplay for this unit. Sami Sohail tried doing his part on the other end by hitting at over a 100 strike rate, but even their opening 73-run partnership seemed like it was taking way too much longer than needed.
With Limdawala being the first wicket to go, it seemed like Sohail was progressing much faster than as he hit one four and six before helping Malawi reach 102/1 with a much stronger run rate. After he lost his wicket, though, Gift Kanoshko was another batsman who was batting under a 100 strike rate and couldn’t figure out how to go deep, with just a 95 strike rate.
Hitting two fours during his innings, it was very slow and caused Malawi to just have 120 runs heading into the final over. That was when Mike Chaomba took over as he finished his whole innings with 16 runs on just 13 balls, while doing all this without even having to hit a boundary and helping Malawi to a 130 score.
Kenya: Bowling Attack Was Very Controlled In This Match Despite A Lack Of Wickets
On Kenya, it was clear that their bowlers had a habit of allowing fewer runs despite not being able to get too many batsmen out. As Vraj Patel did have four great overs, he was not able to remove a single batsman, but still allowed just 19 runs as this unit’s main left-hand orthodox bowler.
Someone who is used to taking many wickets in his matches, it seemed like a key he was missing in this match, but not letting many batters take him on was an even bigger benefit. Lucas Olouch did have a wicket as their main left-handed pacer, but it was clear that when he was taking the risk of getting someone out, many players took advantage of his short ball and took him on for six.
Captain Dhiren Gondaria was once again fantastic in his four overs as the consistent piece had another great outing with just 20 runs allowed and getting a massive wicket in the middle too. Known for his medium pace, which has really given batsmen a nightmare to attack because of the way it turns, he was able to put together some key overs under pressure as well.
With Sachin Gill being really impactful too at just a 5.00 economy, he was a great option during the Gift Kankosho innings to help limit any type of extra damage he did. Rounding it out, Kenya’s limited time bowler in Francis Mutua, had one key over to keep the run rate of Malawi low.
Kenya: A Nightmare Innings More Than Puts Them Out Of The Tournament
Looking at how Kenya were batting today, it was one of the historical rough performances that really took any excitement for them out of this match. In a run chase where they had to score only 130 against Malawi, problems started from the top order as Dhiren Gondaria went for 7, making Kenya 8/1 within the first couple overs.
Seeing that Sukdeep Singh was trying to make a difference in this match, he was also removed for no score, and it was 8/2 early on with unlimited pressure on this group. With Rakep Patel and Neil Maguabe creating a nice 63-run partnership in the middle, they were able to finally help this side cross 70+ and look in full control as the match kept going on.
But, then, after Patel was caught for 46 after hitting three massive sixes, Maguabe was their only viable option from this point on. Finishing with a 36-run knock, which included three boundaries, he got them to a 100 runs before actual problems struck after he departed. Jasraj Kundi had only scored 9 runs and failed to make any partnership during his 8 balls, while Sachin Gill had been caught in a run-out to add extra drama.
With Sachin Bhudia not being able to create anything special either and looking really slow between the wickets, this side managed to lose 3 wickets in less than two overs and get bowled out for 127 runs at the end.
Malawi: Bowlers Had A Very Productive Afternoon That Helped Them Win This Match
Finally, Malawi’s bowling unit had one of the best performances that helped them defend a very low total and win their first match. With Kevin Tchuila, 2 wickets, being a primary aspect of this attack, his four overs only went for 19 runs as the key piece’s economy was well under 5.
Having Sami Sohail produce similar type of numbers, his pace was a massive factor in this match, and the way he was swinging it inside created a force that couldn’t be broken. Knowing that Daniel Jakiel also got two wickets, he was a little more expensive but still reliable, while Mozzam Baig bowled like a captain and took the final wickets to help this side come out on top.
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