Tikolo Out To Extend Stay

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Tikolo - needs a win over England.

By Richard Gibson, PA Sport, St Lucia

Kenya captain Steve Tikolo hopes today's Group C contest against England at Beausejour is not his last at a World Cup.

Tikolo is playing in his fourth campaign and can only extend his time in the Caribbean if the Kenyans are victorious over Michael Vaughan's team.

The 35-year-old led the Kenyans to the 2003 semi-finals in South Africa and they came into this event with high hopes of shocking either New Zealand - who thrashed them by 148 runs on Tuesday - or England.

If they fail on both counts Tikolo aims to ensure his country are among the competing nations at the next event in Asia.

"We have some youngsters coming up and my role is to guide them in playing towards better levels," Tikolo said.

"I will keep on playing for Kenya for the next two years or so.

"Playing at the next World Cup is a far-fetched goal, I don't know what will happen between now and then. If the body allows it, why not?"

Tikolo's record of more than 2,500 one-day international runs, at an average of more than 30, paired with 67 wickets at 32 apiece makes him the most successful Kenyan of all time.

Arguably, his ability would have earned him Test caps had he been raised elsewhere in the cricketing world.

"One does not choose where you are born but then again you see guys playing Test cricket and wish one day you would do that because playing at the highest level in any sportsman's career is what motivates you," Tikolo admitted.

Tikolo made 71 the last time Kenya met England in a World Cup encounter, at Canterbury in 1999.

The only survivors from that nine-wicket defeat likely to take the field today are team-mates Ravi Shah and Thomas Odoyo and England's returning all-rounder Andrew Flintoff.