David Obuya was the wicketkeeping understudy to older brother Kennedy Otieno, but when Kennedy chose to play club cricket in Australia, he took over the gloves. He did enjoy a long run in the side between 2001 and 2003 but failed to make the hoped-for impression with the bat and when he was recalled in 2005-06 it was something of a surprise, but he has turned in some better performances since then to cement his position. Obuya missed out on selection for the games against a visiting Pakistan Academy side in 2008 - a quiet cricketing year for him - but received more opportunities in 2009 and his batting was one of the only bright spots in an otherwise disastrous tour to Zimbabwe in October 2009 as he registered scores of 49, 56, 49 and 27 in the series. Obuya also seemed to have found his feet as a Twenty20 batsman in Kenya's rout of Uganda and Scotland in the home tri-series, striking consecutive half-centuries in two thumping wins over Scotland in February 2010. Later that month, he hit his second first-class century - and highest score in four-day cricket - in making 115 in the first innings of an Intercontinental Cup game against Netheralnds, and followed that up with 58 as Kenya wrapped up a five-wicket win. Obuya's run of form was cut short by injury, however, and he was forced to miss Kenya's controversial trip to the World Cricket League Division One tournament in Netherlands in July 2010.
Liam Brickhill