Jersey lost their first game in the new edition of the ICC Challenge League by six wickets to hosts Kenya.

Having lost the toss Jersey started well as Jonty Jenner hit 47 off 33 balls while Nick Greenwood scored 41.

But the islanders could not handle Kenya spinner Rakep Patel who took 6-28 as Jersey slumped from 128-4 to 207 all out in 48.4 overs

In reply at the Ruaraka Sports Club in Nairobi, Kenya reached 208-4 in 38.5 overs as Patel backed up his performance with the ball with the bat as he scored 84 not out.

The match was the first of 15 games in three Challenge League A tournaments between now and 2026 as part of the first phase of qualifying for the 2027 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

Jersey, who won ICC Challenge League B in 2022, still have to face Papua New Guinea, Kuwait, Denmark and Qatar over the next 10 days.

The top two sides in Challenge League A, along with the top two of Challenge League B which is running concurrently, will progress to the 2027 Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off.