5 Top Associate Cricketing Nations Of All Time

#4 Kenya

Kenya surprised by reaching the semis in the 2003 World Cup

Although Kenya has fallen out of the radar, one couldn't deny the misery they had inflicted on the full member nations and that they were once the most formidable Associate nation. Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda had combined to form the East Africa cricket team, which became an associate member of ICC in 1966. In 1981, Kenya broke away and became an individual Associate member.

Steve Tikolo had been at the heart of a short-lived dominance of Kenya along with Maurice Odumbe and Thomas Odoyo. Steve Tikolo, till date, has the most wickets and scored the most runs for Kenya. In a group game in the 1996 World Cup, Kenya pulled off one of the greatest upsets by defeating West Indies by 93 runs, defending a mere 166.

In a span of five years, Kenya had under their belt, two victories in One-day Internationals against India. The first victory came in 1998 in a triangular series and the second victory came in a similar competition but in 2001. In the 2003 World Cup, Kenya cricket team touched a new high by beating Sri Lanka in a group game, owing to a 5-wicket burst by Collins Obuya. Eventually, they lost to India in the semi-final match.

In the subsequent years, Kenya cricket failed to capitalize on their World Cup success. The off-field setbacks also took place like Maurice Odumbe being banned for match-fixing in 2004 and a series of strikes by players. By 2005, Kenyan cricket had run out of sponsors and were on the verge of being quarantined. Kenya was last seen in the World Cup in 2011.