• The partnership of 45 runs between Kennedy Obuya and Brijal Patel was the best for second wicket for Kenya against Sri Lanka bettering the previous best of only 10 runs between Dipak Chudasama and Ravindu Shah at Southampton in 1999.
• The partnership of 29 runs between Kennedy Obuya and Steve Tikolo was the best for third wicket for Kenya against Sri Lanka bettering the previous best of 23 runs between Ravindu Shah and Steve Tikolo at Southampton in 1999.
• Hitesh Modi, on 12, became the leading run-scorer for Kenya against Sri Lanka. At the end of this match, Modi has 145 runs from three games to his credit which surpasses Steve Tikolo’s run-aggregate of 130 from four matches.
• The partnership of 40 runs between Hitesh Modi and Maurice Odumbe was the best for fifth wicket for Kenya against Sri Lanka bettering the previous best of 34 runs between Modi and Sandeep Gupta at this same venue in 1996.
• The wicket of Thomas Odoyo was Chaminda Vaas’ 25th in World Cup. He became first Sri Lankan and the 18th bowler in World Cup history to reach this landmark.
• Muttiah Muralitharan’s 4-28 was the best performance by a Sri Lankan spinner in the World Cup bettering the previous best figures of 3-12 by Sanath Jayasuriya against India at Kolkata in 1996. Incidentally, Murali’s previous best performance in the World Cup was the 3-25 on two occasions - vs South Africa at Northampton in 1999 and vs Bangladesh at Pietermaritzburg on February 14 in this World Cup.
• The wicket of Atapattu was Thomas Odoyo’s 50th in 54 matches. He became the first Kenyan and the 139th bowler overall to reach this landmark. Incidentally he is the first bowler from a non-Test playing country to do so.
• Collins Obuya (5-24) recorded the best bowling figures for Kenya in ODIs obliterating the previous best of 5-33 by Aasif Karim against Bangladesh also at this venue in 1997. Incidentally the previous record of best bowling by a Kenyan bowler in the World Cup was held by Thomas Odoyo, who had the figures of 4-28 against Canada at Cape Town on February 15.
• Collins Obuya’s performance was the best by any spin bowler against Sri Lanka in ODIs. England’s Vic Marks had figures of 5-39 at Taunton in 1983, while Pakistani Abdul Qadir had taken 5-44 at Leeds in 1983.
• Obuya’s figures were also the best by any bowler against Sri Lanka in World Cup. New Zealand’s Richard Hadlee had figures of 5-25 at Bristol in the 1983.
• Obuya’s performance was the second best by a spinner in the World Cup. Zimbabwean Paul Strang, with figures of 5-21 against Kenya at Patna in 1996, still holds the top spot.
• Sri Lanka’s defeat provided the seventh instance of a Test playing country losing to a non-Test playing country in the World Cup. Sri Lanka beat India in 1979, Zimbabwe beat Australia in 1992, Zimbabwe beat England in 1992, Kenya beat West Indies in 1996, Bangladesh beat Pakistan in 1999, Canada beat Bangladesh in 2003 and Kenya beat Sri Lanka in 2003

(Article: Copyright © 2003 Rajneesh Gupta)