WORLD CUP MOMENTS - No.39: Kenya reach semi-finals in 2003

The story of the first non-Test playing nation to progress to the last four is tinged with controversy, delight and sadness

When sporting shocks of the 21st century are considered and ranked, they so very rarely include Kenya's run to the World Cup semi-finals in 2003.

It might just be that in an era in which sport deals in clinical absolutes, that failure to actually win the tournament consigns their efforts to the scrapheap.

Or that the political subtext to their progress to the last four meant their success was partly born out of good fortune.

Prior to the tournament, Kenya had won one of their previous 10 World Cup matches, against the West Indies in February 1996. They were moderately competitive three years later in England but went home with five straight losses.

Entered as one of four associate nations in the 2003 event, Kenya qualified automatically thanks to having been given full one-day international status several years earlier.

Additionally, they were permitted to play two of their group stage games in Nairobi - though it was that decision where the problems began.

^{Even Sachin Tendulkar was tamed}

It appeared home advantage would be rather irrelevant when they were bowled out for 140 and beaten by 10 wickets by hosts South Africa in their opening game, with Herchelle Gibbs hitting 87 not out.

But Kenya rallied and claimed just the ninth win in their ODI history against Canada. Thomas Odoyo took 4-28 to restrict the north American side to use 197 and nine balls remained when David Obuya hit the winning runs.

Safety fears regarding matches taking place in Zimbabwe had already dominated the agenda, with England refusing to fulfil their game in Harare in what sparked a full-blown political crisis.

New Zealand would follow-suit, confirming before the tournament they would skip their scheduled match in Nairobi due to a "tangible terrorist threat". Kenya would claim maximum points due to the walkover, a key moment during side's respective campaigns.

GLOBAL GAME

Kenya did go about attempting to earning their place in the Super Six by right with wins over Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Collins Obuya took 5-24 in the 57-run win over the 1996 winners, while Bangladesh were taken out thanks to a half-century from Maurice Odumbe.

Their capacity for the unknown was highlighted when West Indies thumped them by 142 runs in their final group game, but by then their progress was secure.

Taking their points forward from the first round of matches - the result of an ICC brainstorm to ensure we did not require repeat fixtures - Kenya only needed one win in the Super Six to keep the party going.

India and Australia were victors either side of a seven-wicket humbling over Zimbabwe. Odoyo starred again with the bat, with a 43 helping to chase down the 134 target with 24 overs remaining.

That would be the last hurrah however. One step before the final would prove one stage too far for the first non-Test playing nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals. In Durban, India made 270 for 4 from their full allocation, and they bowled Kenya out for just 179, despite Steve Tikolo's 56.

^{Kenya filled the tournament with colour and vitality}

To say that Kenyan cricket has struggled to reach those heights since those heroics would be something of an understatement. They did qualify for the 2007 and 2011 events but won just one match in all.

Despite a host of reforms following the disastrous tournament in India, which included the awarding of a flurry of central contracts, failure to qualify for the 2015 showcase saw their ODI status revoked in 2014.

With associate nations sidelined from world cricket's top table like never before, stories such as these are more important than ever. But the landscape of the sport makes it a sobering one. 

Will it be possible for a team of Kenya's calibre to make a run to the latter stages again? The main problem is, we already know the answer.