Collins Obuya famously ran through Sri Lanka at the 2003 World Cup to hand Kenya a historic win. In 2024, he is still making international fifties.
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Collins Obuya made his ODI debut in 2001, and was part of the Kenyan squad during their famous run to the World Cup semi-finals in 2003 – till date the best result for an Associate Nation at a global tournament.
At the World Cup, Kenya got a walkover from New Zealand, who did not tour the nation on security grounds, and the South African team management miscalculated the Duckworth-Lewis numbers. But they also beat three Test-playing nations – Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe.
Sri Lanka – who lost the other semi-final at that World Cup – were the toughest of the three oppositions. Muttiah Muralidaran claimed 4-28 and Chaminda Vaas 3-41 that day at the Nairobi Gymkhana, but Kenya made 210-9 as Kennedy Otieno Obuya top-scored with 60.
At 71-2 in the 18th over, Sri Lanka seemed on course for a win when Collins Obuya, younger brother of Otieno, ran through them with 5-24. Sri Lanka collapsed to 157, and Obuya was named Player of the Match. He got a contract with Warwickshire that summer, becoming the first Kenyan international cricketer to play in the County Championship.
Over the years, Obuya bowled less and less and rose up the batting order. Kenya lost their ODI status, and Obuya finished with 2,044 runs and 35 wickets from 104 matches in the formats.
However, he continued to play T20Is. On March 19, 2024, a 42-year-old Obuya opened batting against a depleted South African side in an African Games match at Accra. His 47-ball 58 was the highest score of the match as Kenya made 141-6 and bowled out South Africa for 71.
Across the three formats, Obuya’s international career (22 years 216 days) is now the eighth-longest in men’s cricket, the longest for anyone from an Associate Nation, and the longest among cricketers who debuted in the 21st century.
