Opener Nasser Hussain made a splendid unbeaten 88 and piled up an unfinished 159-run second wicket stand with in-form Graeme Hick, who cracked a fluent 61 not out as England coasted to 204 for one wicket in 39 overs after bowling out the spirited Kenyans for 203 in 49.4 overs.

In a match played under thickly overcast skies throughout and interrupted by rain during England's chase after a delayed start, the hosts kept up the same efficiency that marked their convincing eight wicket win over defending champions Sri Lanka in the opening game at the Lord's on May 14.

Hussain struck 11 fours and a huge six while Hick helped himself to nine boundaries as the two pulled England home with the heavens threatening to open up any moment.

England gainedfull four points from two matches to go on top of the group ahead of their tough outing against South Africa on May 22 at the Oval while Kenya suffered their second straight defeat to virtually end their hopes of an improbable place in the Super Six.

Kenya showed good fight as Steve Tikolo hammered 71 and raised an exact 100-run stand with opener Ravindu Shah (46) for the second wicket, followed by a late-order innings of 34 from Odoyo.

But Darren Gough struck at vital moments to capture 4 for 34 with fellow paceman Mark Ealham (2/49) providing excellent support to curtail the innings.

The Kenyans, who stunned the mighty West Indies in 1996 , were going strong at 106 for one and looked set to cross 250 but Stewart brought back Gough to great effect.

Group B: Kenya vs England

Toss won by England. elected to field

KENYA

K Otieno c Thorpe b Austin 0 8 4/6

Ravindu Shah c Stewart b Gough 46 80 4/0

SO Tikolo c Gough b Ealham 71 107 8/0

MO Odumbe b Gough 6 13 0/0

HS Modi runout 5 11 1/0

A Vadher b Croft 6 19 1/0

T Odoyo not out 34 32 3/1

Aasif Karim b Ealham 9 17 1/0

A Suji b Gough 4 5 0/0

Mohd Sheikh b Gough 7 6 1/0

MA Suji run out (Thorpe) 0 3 0/0

Extras (b1, lb5, w6, nb3) 15

Total (all out in 49.4 overs) 203

Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Otieno 3.5 overs); 2-107 (Ravindu Shah, 26.3); 3-115 (Odumbe, 28.6); 4-130 (Modi, 33.1); 5-142 (Vadher, 37.5); 6-150 (Tikolo, 40.1); 7-181 (Aasif Karim, 45.4); 8-186 (A Suji, 46.4); 9-202 (Mohd Sheikh, 48.5); 10-203 (MA Suji, 49.4).

Bowling: Gough 10-1-34-4 (1nb, 2w); Austin 9.4-4-41-1 (2w); Mullaly 10-0-41-0 (2nb, 2w); Ealham 10-0-49-2; Croft 10-1-32-1.

ENGLAND

(Target: 204from 50 overs)

N Hussain not out 88 127 11/1

A Stewart b Odoyo 23 26 4/0

GA Hick not out 61 89 9/0

Extras (b5,lb6,w13,nb8) 32pTotal (for one wicket, 390 overs) 204

DNB: GP Thorpe, NH Fairbrother, A Flintoff, MA Ealham, RDB Croft, ID Austin, D Gough, AD Mullaly.

Fall of wickets: 1-45 (A Stewart, 9.4).

Bowling:MA Suji 9-0-46-0 (4nb, 4w); ASuji 3-0-6-0 (2w); Odoyo 10-0-65-1 (4nb, 2w); Aasif Karim 8-0-39-0 (4w); Odumbe 6-1-23-0; Mohd Sheikh 3-0-14-0.