Tomorrow sees Kenya take on the Netherlands in the first of two World Cricket League Championship matches as the premiere Associates 50-over competition approaches denoument. Buffalo Park in East London will host the matches owing to concerns over potential unrest stemming from Kenya's upcoming elections, to the chagrin of the nominal hosts, but nonetheless a dynamic (if inconsistent) Kenyan side pose a real threat to the tourists' championship ambitions.

For the Netherlands, four points would see them take a step closer to sealing the WCLC title and the (seemingly quite literally) tantalising prospect of the 13th spot in the ICC's mooted ODI league. For Kenya, currently in 5th place trailing Hong Kong by a single point, the series is key to their hopes os breaking into the top four and securing direct qualification to the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe next year.

The Dutch head into the series as favourites, with a loss to Nepal last summer the only blemish on their record in the competition thus far, but memories of their calamitous defeat at the hands of Kenya at the 2014 Qualifier in New Zealand will doubtless linger, and once again perennial availability issues will prevent them from fielding a full-strength side. Despite sitting in pole position, the Netherlands recent performances have been by turns imperious and feeble. Tellingly the occasionally woeful fielding - especially in terms of catching - which has troubled the Dutch since the previous Zimbabwe series, was again in evidence both in Harare and in Dublin.

Kenya have their own worries heading into the series though, with a mixed record even against the weaker sides in the league and an acknowledged vulnerability to batting collapses, especially in the face of spin. With no other regular batsman averaging over 25 in the competition, Kenya have looked alarmingly dependent on skipper Rakep Patel and keeper/opener Irfan Karim to provide the bulk of their runs.

With former captain Maurice Ouma's exemplary domestic form not enough to win him back a place in the squad, Karim is likely to open the batting for the hosts - most likely alongside Alex Obanda. It was from the opener's slot that Karim hit the 84-ball 108 that sank Dutch hopes in New Zealand, and though Obanda has been in spotty form for the national side with a string of single-figure scores across formats, his domestic form for Swamibapa (with an average of 45 and a double century to his name), together with a couple of solid partnerships against Hong Kong, is probably enough to persuade the hosts to persist with the pairing at the top of the order.

That said, early in the competition Kenya have experimented with Dhiren Gondaria or young Gurdeep Singh at the top, with Obanda missing out or Karim dropping to three. Dropping Karim to 3 has much to recommend it, especially given his value when the shine is off and the quality of the Netherland's new-ball attack, but neither Singh nor Gondaria have made much of a case for a claim on an opening spot at international level.

The opening question is in truth more of an issue for the Dutch, as it has been for some time now. Coach Ryan Campbell has shown considerable faith in both Stephan Myburgh and Wesley Barresi in spite of both struggling for form all season, and that pairing remains the most likely for the 1 and 2 slots. Myburgh showed signs of a return to form against Ireland in the Intercontinental Cup last month when he struck an aggressive 85 under pressure in the second innings, and has generally taken a liking to Kenyan bowling in the past. Nonetheless his domestic form this season has been poor by his standards, and having missed the warm-up tour to Zimbabwe to attend the birth of his daughter may be lacking for time in the middle.

Meanwhile Barresi's season has been still worse, having struggled to find fluency all season and going poorly in Harare. Nonetheless it would be a bold move to drop what remains the Netherlands' most naturally gifted striker of the ball, especially given the lack of obvious replacements. Promoting Otago's Michael Rippon back to the opener's slot might be an option - he has done well there in the past - but the left-arm wrist-spinning all-rounder has not convinced with the bat either in the warm-up tour. Had Tobias Visée scored more heavily in Harare Barresi might have had more reason to worry for his spot and his gloves, but despite another fairly promising performance the HBS skipper likely remains in the "one for the future" box for now.