Odoyo celebrates Atapattu's dismissal (Getty Images)

By Neal Collins

It gets better and better this, bizarre, very African World Cup.

Just when you thought it was safe to assume Sri Lanka are the form side of the tournament so far, along come Kenya, pretty in pink trousers, with a shock as seismic as Senegal beating France at last year's round-ball extravaganza.

The 1996 World Cup champions, with more one-day specialists than you can shake a bat at, were brought crashing down to hard, African earth in Nairobi.

And they didn't even get close as the proud islanders slumped to a 53-run defeat.

This is no first of course. In 1996, in Pune, India, Kenya beat a Brian Lara-assisted West Indies, in the days when Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose were men of menace.

And their pedigree is a little more substantial than the other brave minnows in this tournament, Canada, Holland and Namibia.

Just don't mention Bangladesh, underserved holders of Test status, beaten by the plucky Canadians earlier in this wonderful saga.

Kenya have been an irregular but fascinating ingredient in the cricketing recipe ever since those early, English-based World Cups in the saucy seventies when they were known as East Africa, and could call upon, I imagine, Ugandans and Tanzanians for help.

What a time for these wonderful, scrummaging Africans to come good.

After all, they've spent over 100 years preparing for this moment. And unlike Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, this really is an African outfit.

The first known match played in Kenya was in 1896, between visiting English seamen and a Mombasa XI. The first match in Nairobi was on 21st October 1899 between Nairobi Sports Club and Indian Cricket Club.

Did you see the dancing afterwards? The reaction of the crowd? We don't like cricket, it said to all of us, we love it!

This World Cup has had it all.

The long-running political stories with England refusing to go to Zimbabwe's serene Harare Sports Club and New Zealand boycotting Kenya.

The Kiwis might have felt quite relieved about that as they watched a giant-killing which has really shaken up Group B - Kenya now how every chance of qualifying for the Super Six stage.

Then we have had Shane Warne's dope shame, struggling South Africans lamenting the passing of the arch-hypocrite Hansie Cronje and a monsoon in Benoni forcing the West Indies on to the back foot.

And what about those world records from Shoaib Akhtar (he produced a delivery of 100.2 mph to confound the speed cameras) not to mention some South Australian, sorry, Canadian off-spinner (John Davidson's 64-ball century against the West Indians)?

On Monday morning, as we England fans move from Cape Town and that wonderful triumph over Pakistan to Durban and (hopefully) another sensational victory against India, South Africa came to a grinding halt.

Everyone was glued to their television screens, willing their northern cousins to this improbable win... and keeping half an eye on Zimbabwe's efforts at derailing the Australian Express in Bulawayo too.

Sadly, they failed by seven wickets, but England fans won't be complaining.

A win over India on Wednesday night now, and they're through to the second round… though on Monday night, as I write, it's raining in Durban.

But back to the Nairobi miracles.

Needing 71 off the last 10 overs at 140-8, this was a game to remember as Sri Lanka found all logic deserting their World Cup campaign.

Quite how Kenya managed to reach 210-9 against seamer of the moment Chaminda Vaas and top offie Muttiah Muralitharan, who knows?

The main contributions came, at surprising pace, from Kennedy Otieno (60 off 88 balls including two blistering sixes), Maurice Odumbe and Modi (both 26).

Collins Obuya, the Kenyan leg spinner with the finest Christian name on earth, took 5-24 and tied the spin-happy Sri Lankan middle order in knots.

And every Kenyan bowler, despite regular hammerings earlier in the tournament, produced valuable support.

In the end, Sri Lanka needed nearly 11 an over when the final wicket fell at 157 and the 53-run victory was achieved.

Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya was pretty candid afterwards. He said: “We played like amateurs.” And World Cup winning coach Dav Whatmore confessed: “It was a big test of character… and we failed it miserably.”

Kenyan captain Steve Tikolo said: “Collins bowled the spell of his life. But we are taking one game at a time. We have a good change of going through.”

The television caption, as the team did a rousing lap of honour, said simply: "Kenya, top of Pool B".

Now there's a thing… one win, over the West Indies or, more likely, Bangladesh, will put them through to the Super Six. So it's looking like a Kenya v England final!