Kenya continue to climb in ICC World Cricket League Championship

Kenya cruises past Canada in a ICC World Cricket League Championship match in Dubai and inches closer to UAE in the standings, writes Paul Radley.

Kenya's Irfan Karim, left, looks in during a ICC World Cricket League Championship match against Canada on Monday in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National

DUBAI // The UAE may face a significant challenge in their series against Ireland over the next week but they need not lose too much sleep over their next assignment in the World Cricket League on Monday's evidence.

The national team have four home matches left in a competition which offers qualifying places for the next World Cup for the top two teams, with a series against Namibia planned for later in the year.

Their one away tour is to a Canada side firmly rooted to the bottom of the table and who were comfortably beaten by Kenya at the Global Cricket Academy on Monday.

Despite having a secure platform laid by Ruvindu Gunasekara's half-century, Canada only stuttered to 227 for nine on a true wicket in Sports City.

The Kenyans were so comfortable in pursuit of their target that Robin Brown, their coach, later expressed disappointment that they did not complete the job in 40 overs.

They eventually secured the win with 14 balls and six wickets in hand, a result which moved the African side to within two points of the fifth-placed UAE, who have played a game less.

If they can repeat the result against the same opposition tomorrow, the Kenyans will be one point off the automatic qualifying places.

"I don't think we are out of it," said Brown, a former Zimbabwe limited-overs international player.

"If we win our next game there will only be one point between three sides, so you can't count us out."

Since the heights of 1999, when Kenya reached the semi-finals of the World Cup, the country have been unable to arrest a slide beneath the likes of Afghanistan and Ireland at this level of the game.

However, Brown is optimistic his side are on the verge of a revival.

"Looking at this squad we have here, if you give us a couple of years we will be right back up there," the coach said.

"I have told the guys we have got to get on the bus, take a journey together and I reckon we can make it to the World Cup."

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