Mike Andree reporting form Nairobi, Kenya
India cruised to an eight victory over hosts Kenya, in the ICC Knock out Championship launcher, at the Gymkhana Club grounds here yesterday.

It was indeed a bad day here in Nairobi for the Media who were left gritting their teeth due to constant communications breakdowns and power cuts.

Set 209 to win, India found no problems from the Kenyan bowlers and got home with 7.3 overs to spare when Rahul Dravid cracked Onyango for a boundary.

Openers Saurav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar put on 47 before the latter went in the 11th over. Ganguly, who put on 88 with Rahul Dravid for the second wicket, went in the 30th over stumped Otieno off skipper Odumbe for 66 including two sixes and seven fours in 101 balls.

Dravid and Vinod Kambli took India to victory with a 64 run alliance in 12.3 overs. Dravid had seven fours in 68 off 87 balls while Kambli hit 39 in only 32 balls with seven fours.

The Kenyans tried eight bowlers but could do nothing to stop India winning.

Earlier, Kenya aided by a superb 81 run fourth wicket stand between opener Ravindu Shah and skipper Maurice Odumbe rattled up 208 for nine in their 50 overs. Shah clobbered a superb six off Prasad and six fours in his 93 ball knock of 60, while Odumbe faced 87 balls for 54 with three boundaries. Both batsmen fell to Prasad. Shah was caught behind by Dahiya and Odumbe was trapped leg before.

Thomas Odoyo, coming in at number six, stood his ground to the end to be unbeaten on 35 with three fours.

Kenya lost their first wicket early, that of Kennedy Otieno for six at sixteen, but Shah and Jimmy Kamande steadied them with a second wicket stand of 38 before the latter, who was shaping well, edged one off Agarkar for Dravid to hold onto at first slip.

SCORECARD

Kenya

K.Otieno c Ganguly b Agarkar 6

R.Shah c Dahiya b Prasad 60

J.Kamande c Dravid b Kumble 18

S.Tikolo lbw Kumble 5

M.Odumbe lbw Prasad 51

T.Odoyo not out 35

M.Sheikh b Khan 0

H.Modi b Khan 0

T.Suji c Dahiya b Agakar 2

M.Suji c Ganguly b Khan 14

L.Onyango not out 0

Extras (lb-10 w-4 nb-3) 17

Total (for nine wickets, 50 overs) 208

Fall of wickets: 1-16 2-54 3-64 4-145 5-158 6-159 7-159

8-174 9-206

Bowling: Z.Khan 10-0-48-3, A.Agarkar 10-1-40-2, V.Prasad 10-0-47-2, A.Kumble 10-1-22-2, S.Tendulkar 6-0-25-0, Y.Singh 4-1-16-0.

India

S. Ganguly st. Otieno b Odumbe 66

S. Tendulkar lbw. T. Suji 25

R. Dravid not out 68

V. Kambli not out 39

Extras: (nb-1, W-7, lb-2, b-1). 11

Total: for 2 wickets in 42.3 overs 209.

Fall: 47 (Tendulkar) 135 (Ganguly).

Bowling: - M. Suji 10-2-30-0, T. Odoyo 6-1-18-0, T. Suji 10-0-56-1, L. Onyango 4.3-0-34-0, M. Sheikh 4-0-27-0, S. Tikolo 2-0-13-0, M. Odumbe 4-0-18-1, R. Shah 2-0-10-0.

Man of the Match - Anil Kumble.