Holding the Intercontinental Cup match in Nairobi in the middle of the short rains was always going to be a gamble. Unfortunately it did not come off and the rain had the final say in the match. Kenya were never going to be able to qualify for the final whatever the result, so it was essentially a chance to save face and regain some measure of confidence in their 4-day game. Thanks to inspired bowling from Thomas Odoyo and Hiren Varaiya and solid batting from Tikolo and Mishra this at least was achieved. For Bermuda, there was the slight chance of progression, but Kenya's performance on the first day all but put paid to that. So for both teams, the remaining days would have been used to spend time in the middle and prepare for what many see as the more important part of the tour.

With the WCL coming up in January and the World Cup not long after, it is getting down to crunch time for team selection. While there may be one or two changes between now and then, it would be safe to assume that most of the players taking part over the next few days will be the ones representing their countries in the new year. Kenyans will be watching closely to see how the team perform and will expect Steve Tikolo's team to win the series. Anything less than a 3-0 win will almost certainly raise unwanted questions at a time when the team should be consolidating their places and looking ahead to the roles they will play next year. This series will test their improvement under Roger Harper and will be an indication of how much work is still to be done before January.  

For the groundsmen and officials in Mombasa, it will be a test of a different sort, but in its own way no less important. Today sees the first official ODI to be held in Mombasa and it is crucial that all goes well. Successful hosting of the series will be a big boost to coast cricket and as a result Kenyan cricket in general. For one, it will encourage further use of the Mombasa Sports Club as an ODI venue. Bringing more top quality cricket to coast fans, this should have the knock on affect of increasing the game's popularity in the region - something it desperately needs. It should also encourage Cricket Kenya and the ICC to look at developing another ODI venue upcountry, possibly in Nakuru or Kisumu. Ulitimately, Kenya will need these three areas to be able to host internationals if the game is to truly grow nationwide. Rift Valley and Western are admittedly a while away from this yet, but the long term plan must be to achieve this and the successful addition of the MSC to the list of ODI venues will be a key step in bringing it closer.

Two big tests for Kenyan cricket today, but the talent and determination of the team and the hard work put in by the organisers should bring the desired results. For everyone involved with the game in Kenya, this is the perfect chance to cap off the hard work of the year ahead with a double victory. Here's hoping that from a Kenyan perspective it all goes to plan.