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Steve Tikolo still remembers it well. After Kenyas defeat in the semi-final of the 2003 World Cup, Michael Holding told me that the ICC had earmarked Kenya to be the next Test-playing country, he said recently. It would have been a glorious reward for Kenyas golden generation, a side that announced themselves to the world when they bundled out West Indies for 93 in the 1996 World Cup, and beat India in two ODIs before the glories of 2003.It never happened. Instead, Kenya were doomed to be the Icarus of Associate cricket, flying closer than anyone else to the sun and then falling to oblivion.Just when they needed help most, they were shunned by the myopia of the Full Members: Kenya played only five ODIs against Test nations from the 2003 World Cup to the end of 2005. Yet theirs was a self-imposed demise too.Our cricket management let us down big time, Tikolo reflected, calling corruption an open secret. The malaise extended to the team: Maurice Odumbe was banned for five years after being found guilty of associating with a known bookmaker.With a tiny playing base, and a poorly run team, Kenya collapsed. They made little impact at the 2007 and 2011 World Cups, and by 2013 they were forced to summon Tikolo, their one-time batting titan, out of retirement at the age of 42. Damningly, he was still among Kenyas best players when they lost ODI status in early 2014. Failure to qualify for the current edition of the Intercontinental Cup, the ICCs first-class competition for the top eight Associates, soon followed. Years of High Performance Programme seemed to have left no legacy at all - either on the team or the infrastructure in Kenya.Now, though, there is a little hope. On Friday the Nairobi Gymkhana ground hosts Kenyas opening match against Hong Kong in the World Cricket League Championship. It will be Kenyas first home game in an ICC-run tournament for four years and, it is hoped, a seminal point in the nations cricketing recovery.There is palpable excitement with cricket returning, says Rakep Patel, the skipper. He sees the matches as an opportunity to change the narrative around Kenyan cricket. Its been all doom and gloom in recent times with stories that Kenya cricket is dead.Much has been said about how Pakistan have been impeded by not being able to play a home Test since 2009, but consider the magnitude of Kenyas challenge: trying to grow a niche sport in the country without being able to play at home. That is why Cricket Kenya has worked with the government and security forces to bring international cricket back to the country. Perhaps the governments commitment represents renewed interest in helping what was once the nations most successful sports team.The return home comes at a time when there are tentative signs of the team improving too. They are definitely a team and country on the up, says Andy Hobbs, the ICCs acting Head of Global Development.Kenya performed respectably in the World T20 qualifiers last year, winning three of their five completed games. In the World Cricket League Championship, they have won three of their six games, including beating Namibia away twice last year. No one would pretend these results are remotely spectacular, but at least there is the sense that Kenya have halted their descent. And these results have been achieved with a team far younger than the one that lost ODI status two years ago.Irfan Karim, the teams leading batsman, who had a successful stint for Leicestershire 2nd XI last year, says that the team must improve their mental strength and game awareness.There are glimpses that youth development has improved, as Cricket Kenya has piloted programmes to grow the sport beyond its heartlands in Mombasa and Nairobi. The board is working on improving the education of coaches. In December, a new Under-19 tournament will launch, putting the most talented youngsters into three teams. According to the ICC census, there are now 3495 junior players in the country, up from 1100 in 2009.But, as ever with ICC census figures, some are sceptical. Three thousand five hundred youngsters? Its a joke, says Aasif Karim. If we had 5% of those figures, I would be happy. Those figures are totally fabricated.His son Irfan is rather more diplomatic. Better facilities, academies and higher-qualified coaches need to be put in place for there to be progress, he says. Increasing participation levels is not as easy as it sounds. Poverty is a problem in Kenya and some families are more focused on where their next meal is coming from. Without the basic needs fulfilled, cricket or sport becomes a non-existent thought. This is where the government needs to intervene and provide support in whatever way possible.Cricket Kenya also urgently needs to improve the domestic structure. Kenyas golden team learned the game playing alongside the likes of Sanjay Manjrekar, Kiran More, Sandeep Patil and Mark Ramprakash for clubs in Nairobi. Now, club cricket standards are very low, laments Aasif Karim. There may be only five quality matches a year. At times, club teams even fail to raise 11 players.On the bright side, Cricket Kenya is now run far better than in the years after 2003. Ten years ago their focus was very much on the national team, whereas now theres a very strong focus on the whole cricket system - on education, domestic leagues, grassroots, development and womens cricket, Hobbs reflects. Theyve got some really good people in there, and theres not been the underlying challenges there have been in the past.Jackie Janmohamed, the chairperson of Cricket Kenya and an eminent lawyer, has helped to improve governance of the game, yet her work remains unfinished. The system is corrupt. It needs a complete jolt, says Aasif Karim. The foundations are non-existent. Its time Kenyan cricket must accept that we are really down. We keep on denying it. Karim rues how Tom Tikolo, who resigned as Cricket Kenya chief executive in 2009 after $10,000 in cash was left unaccounted for, has returned to the game, as Chairman of Nairobi Provincial Association.At least administrators are now organising far more matches outside the ICC structure, even if the opposition are a salutary reminder of how far Kenya have fallen. They won a quadrangular series in September, albeit against Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Uganda, and the A side is about to embark on a quadrangular series in Uganda.Kenya have also benefited from Cricket South Africa taking a more active role developing the game in the continent. The national side performed reasonably in both their appearances in the Africa T20 Cup, winning one of their three games in 2015 and 2016.At a time when Afghanistan and Ireland can glimpse a tantalising future, Kenyan ambitions are altogether more modest. Theyre a country of huge potential, as they showed in 2003, says Hobbs. If they continue to remain stable off the pitch I see no reason why they couldnt be regularly in the top echelons of Associate cricket, in the top four.After the halycon age of 1996 to 2003, becoming a leading Associate side in ODIs once again, and regularly qualifying for the World T20, hardly sounds like a lofty aspiration. But after all that Kenyan cricket has been through since, it would be a triumph. Perhaps Associate crickets Icarus might yet come back to life. Padres Jerseys 2020 .Y. - Detroit goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has earned NHL first star of the week honours after winning in his first three appearances of the season. San Diego Padres Pro Shop .Y. -- Sabres forward Drew Stafford has witnessed plenty of turmoil during his eight seasons in Buffalo. https://www.cheappadresjerseys.us/ . The home side created most of the chances but struggled to break down Braunschweigs resilient defence, resulting in the Bundesligas 1,000th scoreless draw. Padres Jerseys China .Y. -- Paul Byron and Matt Stajan scored as the Calgary Flames started a five-game road trip with a 2-1 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday afternoon. San Diego Padres Gear . LOUIS -- Alexander Steen scored a power-play goal with 59. MIAMI -- Matt Kemps September slugging wont get the Atlanta Braves into the postseason. Its a nice sign heading into 2017, though.Kemp hit two home runs to power the Braves to a 6-3 win over the Miami Marlins on Thursday night.Hes a really good player, Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said. Hes a big, strong man and when he swings that bat it goes.Kemp is hitting .400 (22 of 55) in his last 14 games and has 33 home runs and 104 RBI on the season, his highest totals since the 2011 season when he was NL MVP runner-up with 39 homers and 126 RBI.Its been good, Kemp said. Honestly I wish we could be in the playoffs right now and in a playoff race. It would be way more fun doing those type of things and being in a race, but for us to finish strong and show everybody what the offense and what this team is capable of going into the final weeks of the season is very important for next year.Freddie Freeman singled in the third inning to extend his hitting streak to 26 games and drove in two runs for the Braves, who have won six straight for the third time this season.The whole roster is helping the pretty good week that weve had, Snitker said. Just playing with a lot of enthusiasm and energy. Were down to nine games left in the season and theyre getting after it. Theyre playing like were trying to grab a wild card.Atlantas Josh Collmenter (3-0) pitched seven innings and allowed two runs.Im not going to blow it by a lot of guys, Collmenter said. Im not going to strike them out. Its using my defense to my advantage and keep them off-balanced and uncomfortable in the batters box as much as I possibly can.Mauricio Cabrera pitched the ninth for his fifth save in six chances.Ender Inciarte, Wednesdays hero with the game-saving catch at the New York Mets, went 2 for 4 with a triple and scored twice.J.T. Realmuto homered for the Marlins, who cut the deficit to 6-3 on an RBI double by Martin Prado in the eighth. Justin Bour flew out with two on to end the threat.Kemps multihomer game was the 10th of his careeer and third this season.dddddddddddd.Kemps second homer was a solo shot to left field in the sixth. It was caught on a bounce by Miami Heat forward Justise Winslow , who also threw out the ceremonial first pitch.Who comes to his first baseball game in Miami and catches a baseball? Kemp said. Thats pretty cool.Freemans streak is the longest of his career and the longest active streak in the majors. It is the fifth-longest for the Braves since moving to Atlanta in 1966. Freeman has also reached base in 42 consecutive games.Freemans two-run triple and Kemps two-run homer broke the game open in the third, giving the Braves a 5-0 lead.You get down early its tough on your club, Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. To be down five after a couple innings puts you in a bind.Marlins starter Jose Urena (4-8) allowed five runs and four hits in three innings.Ive been leaving the ball a little high when Ive been down in the count, Urena said.INCIARTES CATCHInciartes impressive catch in Wednesdays 4-3 win at the New York Mets is the highlight of his potential Gold Glove-winning season.If that dont win him a Gold Glove, I dont know what will, Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said. Ive been saying it all along, hes unbelievable.In addition to his impressive defensive plays in center field, Inciarte is also one of the hottest hitters in baseball since the All-Star break with a major league-leading 94 hits.Hes kind of burst onto the scene here and everybody is aware of him now and rightfully so, Snitker said. Hes as good as it gets.NEXT UPBraves: RHP Matt Wisler (7-12, 4.93 ERA) will start Fridays game at Miami. Wisler has allowed two runs or fewer in three of his last four starts including an eight-inning, one-run performance at Arizona on Aug. 25.Marlins: RHP Andrew Cashner (5-11, 5.27) will be looking to toss at least six innings for just the second time in his last nine starts. ' ' '