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CONTENTS

My Pulpit message notes: | Go in Faith | 3-4

GO IN

My Devotional: What Putin, Pharaoh and Potatoe prices have in common | 6

My Inspiration: Feeling Ordinary| 8

My Entrepreneur: Are you planning or mitigating worry? | 9

My Health: Omega-3 may provide a brain boost for people in midlife | 10-11

My Kitchen: Cauliflower wings |12

My Sports: Cricket: Kenya captain Patel praises team after victory in Nigeria|13

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My Pulpit Message Notes

Go in Faith

The book of Hebrews tells us that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

- Charles Spurgeon says that faith has a saving connection with Jesus Christ. He says that we are in the deep seas almost drowning and Jesus is on the shore with a rope. And as we are drowning Jesus holds the rope and throws it to us and keeps pulling as we hold on to that rope with the confidence that though we may not see Jesus Christ, but He is pulling and pulling until we are safe on the shore. Yet if there are doubts then we will be left drowning in the seas.

Faith has two components:

i. Belief. This can sometimes be a one off.

ii. Trust. This is continuous. Every single day of our lives

Three things:

1. Faith declared.

2. Faith demonstrated.

3. Faith deployed.

Faith Declared

him all they had done and taught.” when we have this faith, we are supposed to declare it, speak about it, share it and should be seen in our lives. The faith declared should be consistent with our lives. That is when this faith will make a difference in lives of God’s people.

Go in faith for how can they hear the gospel unless someone shares with them. I pray that when we share/declare we will also be living it out so that there is consistency with that which we declare and how we live our lives.

Faith Demonstrated

As Jesus was teaching, it was accompanied by results. He is the Son of God. He taught with authority and power and therefore that was seen in action. - Mark 6:1-2 “Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.

The LORD wants to reach each nation, our families, the LORD wants us to transform the nations. The LORD wants us to make a difference in the plac es we are in. That is why, after He had been with the disciples He sent them out with authority they had seen, with the power they had seen and there fore faith demonstrated, faith declared, we can go in that faith because we have been sent by our LORD Jesus Christ.

A declaration is something that has been said, or taught. Something that is being pronounced / proclaimed, or someone almost eager to share it out. The faith we are talking about, Jesus Christ was teaching, declaring, pro claiming the Word of God. e.g. Mark 6:1-2 “Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.”

Mark 6:6 “6 He was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.

Mark 6:12 “They went out and preached that people should re pent.” (This was after Jesus had sent out the disciples.)

Mark 6:14 - Also John the Baptist declared. He continued to teach about the faith to the point that he had to pay for it with his life. “King Herod heard about this,(what Jesus was declaring). Vs 17-18 “17 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

John was not happy and had been telling the truth what needs to happen, thus he was speaking against that. The truth of God / faith declared. Because of this Herod had to put John to death. Because of that Herodias had a grudge with John so when the opportunity presented itself when the daugh ter had a birthday and when Herod asked what should we do for you on your birthday, the mother influenced and said, ‘I want the head of John the baptist on a platter’ and that is how John the baptist died for standing on the truth and declaring the Word of God.

Mark 6:30 “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to

“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these re markable miracles he is performing? 3

Isn’t this the carpenter?

There was demonstration which was seen in the miracles.

Mark 6:12 After Jesus had empowered the disciples it says, “12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many de mons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.”

The demonstration of faith and the power of God was seen in their midst.

John the baptist demonstrates that faith in that it is not just in the easy circumstances but demonstrates that once I have received that faith, I am willing to do anything and everything including with my own life and that demonstration is that because he had seen the light, he was willing and as a matter of fact he was killed.

Mark 6:16 “16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I be headed, has been raised from the dead!” This is because some were saying that the way Jesus Christ was teaching is like John the baptist who has come back to life for Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested and had him be bound and put in prison. He did this because of Hernias.

That demonstration, John was saying no matter that which I have re ceived, I am not going to be tossed left right and centre by the authorities. I will demonstrate that I believe in God even if it means that my life will have to be cut short.

My

Nairobi Baptist Church

Ngong

My Pulpit Message Notes

When you see the feeding of the 5,000. vs 39 following because Jesus had preached and many people had followed Him, at some point the disci ples were wondering what are we doing to do with these men, time had come to have lunch and they were saying, ‘let’s go away, and Jesus directs them and tells them, “Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.”

Jesus taught with authority and the authority was seen in action.

As we go along you see that demonstration of faith when Jesus walks on water. Vs 45 “Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. 47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Vs 53 “When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. 55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.” Faith demonstrated.

Faith Deployed

Deployment is the act of moving something, or someone to a strategic position of readiness, or condition of being in such a position. It ba sically means to be released / sent with authority Mark 6:6 “He was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.”

And we see in vs 12 “They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.”

After this faith was declared, remember the disciples were with Jesus, after this faith was demonstrated, they were sent/deployed.

That is where we are this year, that after we have grown, we have seen, we have learnt. Here He sent they two by two, but God wants you to be the salt and the light of our Saviour Jesus Christ. There should be a difference in the place of work, in your businesses, our families. Why? Because we know Jesus Christ and we do differently our businesses. We practice family differently

because there is a faith that has been declared, because there is a faith that has been demonstrated, because we have known Him and therefore we live by His standards.

You have been sent. Otherwise, if we were to stay behind with everything that we have learnt over the years, (forgive my terminology) but we risk being ‘spiritually obese’. That does not bring glory to God.

The LORD wants to reach each nation, our families, the LORD wants us to transform the nations. The LORD wants us to make a difference in the places we are in. That is why, after He had been with the disciples He sent them out with authority they had seen, with the power they had seen and there fore faith demonstrated, faith declared, we can go in that faith because we have been sent by our LORD Jesus Christ.

Mark 6:6-7 “Then Jesus went around teaching from village to vil lage. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them the authority over impure spirits.” God wants you to demonstrate His power even in the dark forces of the world today.

They went out and preached and because they were sent with the authority of the LORD, they were able to do that which Jesus did because they went in faith. Faith declared, faith demonstrated and faith deployed.

Someone said that faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible, receives the impossible.

By faith we see the hand of God, the lives of creations grand de sign, the lives of those who prove His faithfulness, who walk by faith and not by sight.

My Life

How to get saved and spend eternity with God

His Love

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:16 (NASB)

My response

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Romans 10:9-10 (NASB)

My prayer

Lord God Almighty, thank You for Your love for me. Thank You that You sent Your Son Jesus Christ to die for my sins. Please forgive me for all the sins I have committed against You. I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and that He died on the cross and You raised Him from the dead on the third day. Please write my name in the Lamb’s book of life. Help me to live a life that is holy and pleasing unto You. In Jesus’ Name I pray and believe. Amen

My Devotional

WHAT PUTIN, PHARAOH AND POTATOE PRICES HAVE IN COMMON

By Liz Omondi | Email.

It’s was raining missiles in Ukraine on Monday. This came as a result of Russian President Vladimir Putin accusing Ukraine of an ‘act of terrorism’ following a deadly explosion that destroyed the only bridge linking Russia and Crimea. Ukraine hasn’t claimed responsibility for this explosion. The war between the two nations seems to be far from over.

Putin’s unrelenting assault on Ukraine reminds me of Pharaoh who refused to let the Israelites go. Mo ses came to him severally asking for the release of the chosen people of God and so that they may be delivered from the oppression and slavery by the ruthless Egyptians and go worship the one true God. Both Putin and Pharaoh have this similar stubborn streak that does care about the negative impact of their decisions the lives of those whom they oppress.

In addition, the war has had domino effect on the rest of the world with food and fuel prices going up and inflation rates shooting the rooftops. All this happening even before nations recover from the rav aging effects of COVID-19 on lives and economies.

In addition, the war is a reminder of what Jesus said in Matthew 24:6-7, “You will hear of wars and ru mours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and king dom against kingdom.”

Closer home, inflation is soaring. According to a sit

uation update from a humanitarian response dash board, it says “four back-to-back below average rainy seasons in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) region of Kenya have led to the longest drought in at least 40 years, leaving 4.2 million people in need of humanitarian assistance according to the revised Kenya Drought Flash Appeal.”

This past week when I visited my local open air mar ket where I buy groceries, I could hardly believe that the doubled price of a bucket of potatoes that I usually buy. I stood still for almost three minutes debating in my mind what other alternatives I had and how that would affect the family menu for the next month.

Almost immediately, I remembered Bible times in Genesis when famine had spread all over the world, but news had reached Jacob that there was grain in Egypt. So he sent his sons to go there and buy some grain so that they may live and not die. I wondered where todays Egypt was and I thought of Ukraine where many countries rely on her for their grains and how the war has adversely affected exports and imports of grain and other commodities from that country.

Should all these depressing times surprise us? Nope. These were all predicted would happen in the last days. Christ Jesus continued in Matthew 24:7b-8, “There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.”

Paul warns young Timothy about what will happen in the last days. He says, “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, un grateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slander ous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the ap pearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

So what does this mean as a Christian? What should we do with such knowledge? Several Scriptures do help us in how we should live as children of God. One of them is in 2 Peter 3:11, it says, “Since ev erything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” Verse 14 and 15 continues, “So then, dear friends, since you are looking for ward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.”

So what does Putin, Pharaoh and potatoe prices have in common? Well, apart from each beginning with a letter ‘p’, the events around them were all pre dicted by Sovereign God in His Word. Let’s not be surprised by them, but live holy lives.

My Business

AKUH Laboratory Retains Premier Global Accreditation Status

By Agency

The Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi’s laboratory has been accredited for the second time by the College of American Pathologists (CAP), the premier accreditation body for clinical laboratories globally.

The USA-based CAP Laboratory Accreditation helps laboratories maintain the accuracy of test results and ensure accurate patient diagnosis. It assists labora tories manage rapidly evolving changes in laboratory medicine and technology.

“This re-accreditation is an external validation that we are providing the highest quality of diagnostic services that ensure quality patient care and patient safety as measured by international standards,” said Rashid Khalani, CEO of the Hos pital.

“A doctor relies on accurate and timely diagnosis to administer the correct treat ment. Therefore your treatment is as good as the diagnosis.”

The re-accreditation was a culmination of a rigorous audit process based on a review of the hospital laboratory’s compliance with 23 checklists.

“Besides guiding us to maintain the highest standards in diagnostics, this pro gram offers professional development and learning opportunities for our labora

tory staff and facilitates the exchange of ideas and best practices among pathol ogy and laboratory medicine peers,” added Mr Khalani.

The Hospital’s laboratory was first accredited by CAP in 2018, becoming the first hospital laboratory in Eastern and Central Africa to receive the coveted accreditation.

In addition to the CAP accreditation, the Hospital laboratory is also ISO 15189 accredited by the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS). The hospital was first accredited by SANAS in 2011 and has been re-accredited an nually since then. The laboratory is also accredited by the Joint Commission International, the recognized global leader in health quality standards.

Dr Shahin Sayed, Chair, Department of Pathology and Consultant Histopathologist at Aga Khan University Hos pital prepares a specimen for analysis under a microscope at the laboratory.

My Inspiration

Feeling Ordinary

By William King | Email: kingwilliam189@gmail.com | image byrslf.co

It’s easy to wonder at times what purpose God has for our life. When we com pare what we’re doing to other people who seem to have special gifts and a great purpose for living, we don’t see the same in our life and just feel ordinary. We’re so focused on our job that all we see is ordinary.

Just because we aren’t seeing or feeling God’s purpose doesn’t mean it’s not there. How do you discover your purpose? Perhaps it’s as simple as what Peter did in Luke 5. Peter was a fisher man and he and his crew were washing their nets when he looked up and saw Jesus step into one of his two boats.

Jesus asked Peter to put out a little distance from shores so He could preach from the boat. The boat represented Peter’s career and livelihood. He could have said, “Sorry, but we’re not finished working here,” but Peter let Jesus use his boat that day for his purpose. At the end of the day, Peter went from fishing for fish to becoming a fisher of men.

It became his destiny and passion. Having Jesus in his boat and obeying His Word changed Peter into an apostle. Today I want you to look up and invite Jesus into your every area. Let Him into your boat, so to speak and you’ll never

be the same. Realize that God has great purpose for your life.

Your life holds meaning and the potential to make the world a better place. God has marked you to have influence on the people around you. If you’re being the best you can be, using your gifts and talents and mixing them with faith, you’re enriching your world and making an eternal difference.

Too often we fail to recognize and appreciate the gifts and talents that God has given us. The apostle Paul says that when Jesus ascended to heaven, “He gave gifts to men” (Ephesians 4:8). We don’t all have the same gifts but we all have gifts to be used for God’s purpose through our lives.

We have to recognize our gifts, learn how to use and walk in those gifts, appre ciate our gifts and not compare them to others. God wants to be in your boat. He wants to be in your workplace, the middle of changing diapers, family. If you set your life purpose on Him, you’re going to look back some day and say, “God, You did more than I could ask.”

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Entrepreneur

Are you planning or mitigating worry?

I’m a planner and a strategist by nature. If I’m honest, a lot of my so-called plan ning is a reaction to worry.

Worrying is what I do when I don’t have control. Worry is frantic energy that showcases my desire to control all my circumstances and freak out when I can’t.

Plan instead of worry

Worry is not the same thing as using my God-given gifts for strategy and plan ning. When we plan rather than worry, we choose to partner with God. We recognize that God desires to work through us. He wants to steward the gifts, talents, experiences, and opportunities we have. He wants us to use our minds actively. He wants us to be faithful with what He’s given us.

Planning is a proactive posture; worry is a reactive posture.

Three ways to know the difference between planning and worry:

1. Planning is doing what you can. Worry is stressing about what you can’t.

Scripture often speaks of the importance of sowing seed and planning for a har vest.

For example, as a consultant, I can help an organization build a fantastic plan, but I can’t force them to implement it. I can influence the outcome by being faithful to equip, train, and encourage, but I can’t control the outcome.

2. Planning is working with what is. Worry is being paranoid about the what-ifs.

When I plan, I build steps to reach the desired outcome.

When I worry, I’m not taking any step, but instead, I’m ruminating over a myri ad of outcomes (which are usually not good).

Consider the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. An employer entrusts three of his workers with different amounts of money. The first two developed a plan and doubled their money. The third guy did nothing.

He dug a hole in the ground and hid the money. When asked why, he said, “I was afraid.” What was he doing? He was worrying. He was afraid of what to do, so he didn’t do what he could.

When our plans don’t turn out exactly the way we had hoped, we learn from the experience. We become better equipped for the future. Worry drains our energy with no positive return.

Are you planning, or are you worrying? Plan well. Worry less!

3. Planning is proactive progress. Worry is engaging the hamster wheel of anxious thought without getting anywhere productive.

Jenni Catron

image credit: istock

My Health

Omega-3 may provide a brain boost for people in midlife

Omega-3 fatty acids have many benefits and play a role in heart health and cog nitive functioning.

A new study demonstrates that there may be a connection between consuming omega-3 and an increase in brain functioning for people in midlife.

The cross-sectional study analyzed the omega-3 blood levels of people in their midlife and assessed their MRIs and thinking skills to see whether there was a difference in people with higher or lower omega-3 levels.

According to a new study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, people who have higher omega-3 levels in their middle ages may have an edge over people who take in lower levels of omega-3.

The study was led by researchers at the University of Texas Health at San Anto nio, TX, who were concerned about the lack of research on how omega-3 can impact people in their midlife.

Omega-3: Things to know

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH)Trusted Source, omega-3 fatty acids “are a group of polyunsaturated fatty acids that are important for a number of functions in the body.” In addition to playing a role in heart health and cognitive functioning, omega-3 fatty acids are also part of the cell mem braneTrusted Source and affect cell functioning.

As Professor Stuart Phillips noted during a Live Long and Master Aging pod cast, “Some fats that we ingest, and particularly the omega-3 or long-chain poly

unsaturated fatty acids are actually what we refer to as essential fats. We need to have them in our diet because we don’t have the ability to make them ourselves.”

Prof. Phillips is the director of the Physical Activity Center of Excellence at Mc Master University in Ontario, Canada.

The NIHTrusted Source lists three types of omega-3 fatty acids: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

The daily recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA for adults and people who are pregnant or breastfeeding:

Men 1.6 g

Women 1.1 g

Pregnant teens and women 1.4 g

Breastfeeding teens and women 1.3 g This recommendation is only for ALA as experts have not yet established rec ommendations for the other two fatty acids.

While people can take omega-3 supplements, it is also in a number of foods. Some good sources of omega-3 include fish (such as salmon and tuna) and nuts and seeds (chia seeds and flax seeds).

Annie Lennon on September 28, 2022 — Fact checked by Jessica Beake, Ph.D.

My Health

Studying Omega-3’s effect

The researchers studied 2,183 men and women with an average age of 46. They excluded people who had dementia or a history of having a stroke from their participant pool.

Using blood samples, the researchers analyzed the fatty acid composition of each participant. The participants also consented to having their brains scanned using MRI technology.

The researchers were interested in the volumes of gray and white matter present in the brain, particularly in the hippocampus. The hippocampus plays a role in learning and memory, and a reduction in the volume can point to possible de mentiaTrusted Source.

The participants also underwent a neurological assessment. The tests measured the participants’ abstract thinking, processing speed, executive function, and delayed episodic memory.

Omega-3 and brain health

The researchers placed approximately 25% of the participants in the low group where the participants had omega-3 fatty acids blood levels falling under 4%. This group had an average count of 3.4%.

The rest of the participants were put into the high group; their average omega-3 level was 5.2%.

Comparing the blood samples, MRI results, and neurological assessments, the study authors determined that higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids correlate to a higher hippocampal volume and better abstract reasoning.

Researchers observed that the people in the high group also had higher gray mat ter volumes, better reading scores, and slightly higher logical reasoning scores.

In contrast, the people in the low group tended to be less likely to have a college degree and more likely to be smokers and have diabetes compared to the higher group.

“This exploratory study suggests that higher [omega-3 blood levels] are associ ated with larger hippocampal volumes and better performance in abstract rea soning, even in cognitively healthy middle-aged adults from the community, suggesting a possible role in improving cognitive resilience,” write the authors.

“These results need to be confirmed with additional research, but it’s exciting that omega-3 levels could play a role in improving cognitive resilience, even in middle-aged people,” said study author Prof. Claudia L. Satizabal, Ph.D.

Prof. Satizabal is an assistant professor at the Department of Population Health Sciences at UT Health San Antonio, TX.

brain

The authors noted that other researchers have conducted similar studies in older populations but believe that it is necessary to see what impacts omega-3 supple ments have on people in their midlife because they start experiencing cognitive decline.

According to the authors, “One of the main challenges for some of these studies may be that dietary interventions are carried out perhaps too late for significant improvements in symptomatic participants, as cognitive changes may be well established over the previous 15 to 20 years.”

“Improving our diet is one way to promote our brain health. If people could improve their cognitive resilience and potentially ward off dementia with some simple changes to their diet, that could have a large impact on public health.”

– Prof. Satizabal

Dr. Natalie King, a neuroscientist and founder of Florae Beauty, not involved in the study, spoke with Medical News Today and discussed the importance of diets on brain health.

“Everything we do and consume affects our brain, and there have been numer ous studies, including the one shared, that highlight the effects of food and drink on overall brain health and function,” said Dr. King.

“Omega-3 fatty acids, in particular, have been found to be beneficial when it comes to improving mental function as well as supporting an overall wellness plan when considering disease pathologies like mood disorders and others af fecting learning and memory,” Dr. King continued.

Dr. King noted that while this area needs more research, “moderation of ome ga-3s is likely key and simultaneous careful temperance with other molecules (i.e., saturated fats and highly-processed foods) is necessary to achieve the net positive effects one is going for.”

My Kitchen

Cauliflower wings

By Liberty Mendez | www.bbcgoodfood.com

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for the baking sheet

75g plain flour

1 tbsp paprika

200g low-fat natural yogurt

265g cauliflower florets

25-50ml hot sauce (depending on how much heat you prefer)

2 tsp honey

1 lime, zested and juiced

150g salad leaves

250g lentils, cooked

Method

STEP 1

Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Oil and line a baking sheet with nonstick baking parchment. Put the flour, paprika and a big pinch of salt in a bowl and whisk in the yogurt and 50ml water until you have a smooth batter. Toss in the cauliflower florets until coated and spread out in an even layer on the baking sheet.

Bake for 20-25 mins, tossing halfway through, until crisp and golden. Put the hot sauce and 1 tsp of the honey in a pan to heat up, toss the cauliflower in the mixture, put back on the tray and cook for about 5-8 mins more.

STEP 3

Meanwhile, whisk together most of the lime zest and all the juice, the remaining 1 tsp honey and 1 tbsp olive oil in a large bowl, and toss in the salad leaves and lentils. Divide between two plates and top with the cauliflower wings and the remaining lime zest, if you like.

My Sports

Cricket: Kenya captain Patel praises team after victory in Nigeria

U19 Cricket team at Peponi school in preparation towards ICC U19 Africa qualifiers in Nigeria. September 22, 2022.

[Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Kenya U-19 men’s cricket team captain Vishil Patel has attributed their victory in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Africa Division Two Qualifier in Abuja, Nigeria to good teamwork.

This was after Kenya cruised past hosts Nigeria to win the final by 11 runs on Saturday night.

The victory has propelled Kenya to the next round of the qualifiers slated for March next year.

Kenya will battle, among others, Tanzania, Uganda and Namibia for Africa’s sole ticket to the ICC World Cup.

“Kudos to the team, everyone played their best re gardless of the circumstances that surrounded the squad,” Patel told Standard Sports.

According to Patel, the Kenyan contingent worked their teamwork during their preparations for the tournament in Kenya before they flew to Abuja.

While in Nigeria, he says being in one accord brought them strength and this inspired even un likely charges like Darsh Panchani who produced a superlative performance that no one ever matched at the tournament.

The Cutchi Leva opening batsman was outstanding against Malawi in Kenya’s opening encounter at the tournament, scoring 210 runs in a game Kenya won by 346 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 45 overs.

In reply, the Malawians had a paltry 31 for nine in 14.5 overs.

“Being in unison in Abuja brought us positive vibes,

everyone was inspired, even those who never had the chance to be fielded felt part of the team, they cheered those in the ‘battle front’ like their lives de pended on it,” Patel said.

Asked what he felt worked for them on the pitch, Pa tel said that their spinning department was brilliant and on another level.

He attributes this to good fielding by head coach Jos phat Irungu.

“I think as we head for the final round of the quali fiers next year we need to improve on our batting, if we work on this perfectly then we will be the side that will head to the World Cup,” he said.

Mombasa Sports Club medium bowler Manav Devani said Kenya’s greatest strength in Abuja was their bowling attack which he said was superb and could not be easily matched by their opponents.

“Our captain Vishil Patel bowled brilliantly and took six wickets in the semis against Sierra Leone, this was a key step to our reaching the final.

“During the game, Vatsal Shah took an amazing catch which lifted the moral on the field. We were also very enthusiastic and pumped up in our field ing,” Devani said.

Just like Patel, Devani is of the same opinion that the team needs to strengthen its batting department ahead of their next round of the qualifiers.

“In order for us to register more scores on the card, our batting partnerships needs to be stronger,” he said.

Team Manager Kennedy Obuya agreed with Patel saying spinning worked for them at the tournament.

Obuya also hailed the batting which he termed as was very fair enough.

Against Sierra Leone in the semis, Kenya’s stars of the match were Raj Manji and Brain Ihaji who regis tered 27 runs off 62 balls and 29 runs off 55 balls in that order.

Kenya beat the Sierra Leone by 81 runs to make it to the finals after scoring 153 runs for the loss of ten wickets in 48.5 overs.

John Bangura who captained the opponents was good for 21 runs off 27 balls during the match.

Sierra Leone had 72 runs for the loss of ten wickets in 25.2 overs.

In the finals against Nigeria, Kenya stood out with 11 runs after notching 90 runs for the loss of ten wickets in 35 overs. Again, Manji (30/81) and Ihaji (24/67) stood out for Kenya in this tie.

In reply, the hosts who were led by Prosper Useni (33/22) had 79 runs, losing ten wickets in the pro cess in the 20.4 overs staged.

Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Babar Azam struck an unbeaten 79 from 53 balls and shared a 61-run part nership with Shadab Khan in a six-wicket win over New Zealand on Saturday in the Twenty20 tri-series.

By Ochieng