(REUTERS)-Steve Tikolo signed off his 15-year Kenya international career the same way he spent most of it, struggling in another losing cause, this time against Zimbabwe in their final World Cup match.
The grand old man of Kenyan cricket, enjoying his fifth World Cup after making his debut in 1996, was made captain for the day in the absence of Jimmy Kamande but from there on his team’s innocuous bowling and frail batting ruined his big day.
The 39-year-old eventually took his leave on the wrong end of a 161-run defeat after his team surrendered meekly in just 36 overs after being set a 309-run target for victory at Eden Gardens. It left Kenya without a win in six World Cup matches.
In his 134th match, Tikolo was trapped lbw for 10 by Ray Price.
“This was our last game in the tournament and we wanted to put up a good performance,” Tikolo, considered the best batsman never to have played test cricket, said ruefully afterwards.
“I know we didn’t do that, especially with the ball up front and then batting-wise we lost wickets at regular intervals.” Tikolo, who first emerged in the showpiece event of 1996 against India, continued.
He reflected on a career which had seen its fair share of setbacks and the highlight being their shock run to the 2003 semi-finals.
“There have been ups and downs but I have enjoyed every moment. I have represented my country with lot of pride,” he said.
This match had in any case been largely for bragging rights between the two sides as neither had qualified for the quarter-finals next week from a group including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand.
The Zimbabwe spin battery of Price, Prosper Utseya, Greg Lamb and Graeme Cremer did most of the damage, skittling Kenya for just 147 on a pitch which actually favoured the batsman.
“The wickets have spun a little bit for us. So it has been fantastic. If only we could take some of these wickets home with us. That would be brilliant,” 34-year-old Price said after the match.
The Zimbabwean spinners shared seven wickets between them, with two run-outs and paceman Chris Mpofu completed the tally.
Zimbabwe were expected to beat Canada and Kenya in their group matches and they did that handsomely. The Africans defeated Canada by 175 runs.
Bowling or rather spin bowling is their obvious strength but on the days when their batting contributes, they look a far better and balanced side.
Yesterday, the Zimbabwe batsmen made merry against an insipid bowling performance as Tatenda Taibu (53), Vusi Sibanda (61) and Craig Ervine (66) notched half-centuries to take their team to 308 for six after opting to bat first.
Taibu and Sibanda laid the foundations for Zimbabwe with a 110-run partnership for the third wicket after they had lost both their openers inside the first 10 overs.
Ervine then added 105 runs for the fifth wicket with skipper Elton Chigumbura to take Zimbabwe towards a solid total.
Lamb and Utseya finished the innings in style, adding 32 runs off the last two overs to take the total past 300.

ZIMBABWE (maximum 50 overs)
B. Taylor c Ngoche b Otieno 26
R. Chakabva c wkpr D. Obuya b Odhiambo 9
+T. Taibu lbw b Ngoche 53
V. Sibanda run out 61
C. Ervine b Otieno 66
*E. Chigumbura c Mishra b Ongondo 38
G. Lamb not out 17
P. Utseya not out 19
Extras (b2, lb3, w14) 19
TOTAL (6 wkts, 50 overs) 308
A. Cremer, R. Price, C. Mpofu did not bat
Fall of wickets: 1-32, 2-36, 3-146, 4-165, 5-270, 6-276
Bowling: Ongondo 10-0-53-1 (w3); Otieno 10-0-61-2; Odhiambo 10-1-58-1 (w3); Ngoche 10-0-68-1 (w5); C. Obuya 3-0-14-0; *Tikolo 7-0-49-0 (w3)

KENYA (target: 309 off 50 overs)
A. Obanda lbw b Price 23
+D. Obuya lbw b Mpofu 0
C. Obuya run out 1
*S. Tikolo lbw b Price 10
T. Mishra c Cremer b Utseya 4
T. Odoyo lbw b Lamb 14
R. Patel c Chakabva b Lamb 24
N. Odhiambo not out 44
P. Ongondo lbw b Cremer 6
E. Otieno run out 5
J. Ngoche c Mpofu b Cremer 9
Extras (lb4, w3) 7
TOTAL (all out, 36 overs) 147
Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-10, 3-27, 4-44, 5-44, 6-73, 7-95, 8-101, 9-124
Bowling: Mpofu 6-0-27-1 (w2); Price 7-1-20-2; Utseya 9-0-47-1; Lamb 7-0-21-2; Cremer 7-0-28-2 (w1)
Points: Zimbabwe 2, Kenya 0