Chris Gayle...scored 119 against Kenya in 2003. - file

From Tony Becca, Contributing Editor

Warm-up matches are not the same as the real thing, and because of that, and except the home team lose, not many cricket fans will be too concerned about what happens at the brand new Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium today where the West Indies and Kenya begin their final tuning-up exercise in preparation for the World Cup which gets under way in eight days time.

If the West Indies, two-time winners of the Cup and number eight in the ICC's one-day rankings with 3956 points from 39 matches and a rating of 101, win today it will be no big thing. If, however, they lose to the non Test-playing country, to the team ranked number 11 on the ICC's list with zero points from nine matches and a zero rating, it will be considered by many, and definitely so by West Indians, a big disappointment.

For those who back them not only to get to the semi-finals, not only to get to the final, but also to win the Cup, it would be worse than that. It would be an embarrassment.

Big upset

In two previous matches against each other, however, the count stands at one-one with Kenya's one still numbered among the greatest upsets in the history of the Cup.

In 1996 in Pune, Kenya scored 166, and then to the amazement of the world, routed the West Indies for 93 to win by 73 runs.

In 2003, however, the West Indies enjoyed some revenge when, riding on Chris Gayle's 119, Shivnarine Chanderpaul's 66, the two left-handers opening partnership of 122, and on Vasbert Drakes' five for 33 off his 10 overs, when by then it did not matter, they won by 142 runs in Kimberley.

Went on to super sixes

Lest it be forgotten, in 2003, in the last World Cup, Kenya, after defeating Canada, after picking up points from New Zealand who refused to play in Nairobi, after defeating Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, finished second behind Sri Lanka and ahead of New Zealand in Group B, the West Indies, after losing to New Zealand and Sri Lanka and sharing the points with Bangladesh in a rain-ruined match, finished fourth, and with the West Indies going home, Kenya went on to the Super Sixes from where, after defeating Zimbabwe, they won a place into the semi-finals and lost to India.

Today's warm-up match really does not matter, but with the count as it is and the real thing only a few days away, the result could be important to both teams - especially so to the home team and more so to four players.

Although Gayleand Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, captain Brian Lara and Dwayne Bravo, wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin and pace bowlers Jerome Taylor and Ian Bradshaw are considered sure picks - at least for the first match, the West Indies may be still be looking at Dwayne Smith and Kieron Powell, Daren Powell and Corey Collymore before deciding which two to go for when they come to selecting the team for the opening match against Pakistan in the World Cup.

For some of the West Indies players, therefore, the match is more than a warm-up exercise. It could be make or break for one or two of them, and on top of that, the Windies, more than likely, would love to win - if for no other reason than to get into the winning habit early.

And the same goes for Kenya who recently won the World Cricket League.

Although they are without Kennedy Otieno and Hitesh Modi - two of their stalwarts from 2003, Kenya possess some experience in their 35-year-old captain Steve Tikolo who is good with bat and ball, their 34-year-old Ravi Shah - a stylish stroke player who many consider the best batsman outside of Test cricket, and the 30-year-old Peter Jimmy Carter Ongondo who, with his tight medium-pace delivered just short of a good length and his ability to swing the ball, is Kenya's number one bowler.

Some of the others to watch are Thomas Odoyo - a 28-year-old allrounder, Jimmy Kamande - a 28-year-old off-spinner who gets the ball to bounce appreciably and who, according to the reports, possesses a good, quicker delivery, David Obuya - the 27-year-old wicketkeeper brother of Kennedy Otieno and Collins Obuya, and Collins Obuya himself.

A 25-year-old former right-arm leg-spinner, Collins Obuya took five wickets for 24 runs in Kenya's victory over Sri Lanka in Nairobi in the last World Cup, played a season with Warwickshire, developed problems with his bowling, spent a long time trying to sort out the problem, and spent five weeks in Australia under the watchful eyes of Terry Jenner.

He never recovered his skill with the ball,however, he turned to batting and fielding, and the man who was Kenya's best bowler four years ago is now in the team as a specialist batsman and a brilliant fielder.

The babies of the team are Hiren Varaiya - a 22 year-old left-arm spin bowler who varies his flight well and bowls a good, slower delivery, and Tanmay Mishra - a 20-year-old stroke player who loves to attack.

According to the reports, this Kenyan team, even without the leg-spin of Collins Obuya, is as strong as that of 2003, it is capable of pocketing a few scalps, and playing in Group C, it should defeat Canada, and who to tell, probably even give England and New Zealand a run for their money.