Pakistan set up the expected winner-takes-all Pool C clash with Asian rivals India on Sunday with a ruthless demolition of minnows Kenya in Birmingham.

Underlining their claims as possible tournament champions, Pakistan completed a speedy seven-wicket victory after dismissing Kenya for a lowly 94, the fifth lowest total in the brief history of the tournament.

Their comfortable win also maintained the sequence of one-sided matches during the early stages of this year's competition with two of the other lowest scores in its history also being recorded: USA's 65 against Australia and Bangladesh's 93 against South Africa.

World Cup semi-finalists only a year ago in South Africa but deprived of a competitive one-day international for the last 18 months, Kenya were always likely to struggle against a Pakistan line-up brimming with young talent which some observers think will see them as champions at The Oval on Saturday week.

But few in the sparse but loud crowd expected a collapse quite so spectacular with Kenya losing nine wickets for only 27 runs in 63 balls after reaching a comparatively competitive 67-1 having been put into bat.

Their innings got off to a bad start with opener Ravindra Shah smacking a long hop from Naved-ul-Hasan straight to cover from the eighth ball of the innings but Kenya frustrated Pakistan's hopes of more early success with a 65-run stand between veteran Kennedy Otieno and emerging batsman Maurice Ouma.

They were progressing nicely until a 20-minute break for a rain shower seemed to shatter their concentration and prompt Pakistan to improve their display because their stand was broken just two overs after the restart, Ouma edging behind trying to cut Shahid Afridi's fourth ball.

That dismissal started an alarming collapse with Afridi claiming career-best figures of 5-11 while off-spinner Shoaib Malik, working in tandem at the other end, finished with 3-15 to end Kenya's slim hopes of becoming the first minnow in the tournament to stage an upset.

Self-belief seemed to be sapped from Kenya's dressing room following the demise of the 24-year-old Ouma with Otieno falling for a determined 33 four balls later when he given leg before on the back foot to Malik, who claimed a second victim after a further four balls when captain Steve Tikolo was bowled pushing forward to a straight delivery.

Afridi then took over by taking four of the last six wickets to fall in the next nine overs, bowling Thomas Odoyo, Brijal Patel and Malhar Patel in a six-over spell.

Already doomed to their second successive defeat and early exit from the competition, any hopes of claiming a shock win depended on Kenya taking any early opportunities which were presented, only for captain Tikolo to miss a regulation slip catch from Yasir Hameed on 16.

It was a costly error as Hameed went on to dominate a 70-run opening stand with Imran Farhat before falling for 41 off 48 balls, edging seamer Martin Suji behind to wicketkeeper Otieno to spark Pakistan's mini-collapse of their own.

New batsman Shoaib Malik slapped a wide delivery from seamer Ragheb Aga straight to cover, and he claimed his second wicket in seven balls by bowling dangerous strokemaker Afridi in his next over with a slower ball.

It was not enough to distract Pakistan from completing their victory in only 18.4 overs to lift themselves above India on run-rate in Pool C and guaranteeing their progress to the September 22 semi-final at Southampton if Sunday's match is washed out.

15 Sep, 2004