Collins Obuya, the last player from the golden generation of Kenyan cricketers that saw the team become the first - and only - associate member to reach a World Cup semi-final, has retired at the age of 42 after defeat against Uganda in the African Games bronze medal match in Ghana.

His career ended in a rather Bradmanesque fashion - out for a duck. His retirement hadn't been announced ahead of time, but it soon became obvious when his Kenyan teammates lined up for a guard of honour, with the Uganda team joining in to applaud their rival off the field.

Obuya first represented Kenya at youth level, playing in the 1998 Under-19 World Cup, though he was mostly unsuccessful, taking two wickets across six matches. He was a little more successful in 2000, where he took five wickets at 22.8.

His senior debut for Kenya came in a first-class match against Pakistan A in Nairobi in July 2000. He was named in Kenya's squad for that year's ICC Knockout, but played only in a warm-up game against Australia. He had to wait until August 2001 for his ODI debut, playing in a 3 match series against the West Indies in Nairobi. That series came at a time when Kenya were being talked up as the next Test playing nation, with two first-class matches also played on the tour.

At the 2003 World Cup, he became a star. Taking 13 wickets at 28.76 in the tournament, he played a crucial role in Kenya's upset win over Sri Lanka, taking 5-24 in their win. He helped the team reach the semi-finals, and his performance in the tournament earned him a contract as an overseas player with Warwickshire.

During the season he played on the first day ever of T20 cricket, playing against Somerset and scoring an unbeaten 34 and taking 3-16 in a match-winning performance. That match is now considered List A T20 match number 3, with his retirement coming in List A T20 match number 13490. To put that into perspective, the 13490th first-class match came 159 years after the third match. It is testament to how the game has changed that the same number of T20 matches encompasses the career of just one player.

His Warwickshire stint proved to be a turning point - finding himself out of favour by the end of the season, he got the yips and began turning himself into a batter, though he did eventually start bowling again, contributing to Kenya as an all-rounder.

He captained the Kenyan side for a time in the early 2010s, around the time that their decline began, though Obuya would have probably his best batting performance at the 2011 World Cup, scoring 98 against Australia. They lost the ODI status they'd had since 1996 in 2014 and began a slide down the associate rankings, with Obuya the last remaining link to that golden generation that made the World Cup semi-final.

His batting feats continued into his 40s, as during the African Games he became the first player to score 1000 T20I runs after the age of 40. His retirement means that the only remaining player from the 2003 World Cup still active in international cricket is England's James Anderson.

Following Obuya's last match, current Kenya captain paid tribute to his teammate, saying, "He has served Kenya well all these years, and we have been really happy to have him and play alongside him". Obuya himself said, "I just want to thank everyone, my team mates and my family for being there for me in hard times and in good times. I am proud of myself and happy to have played that long and I do not regret it anyway".

Some of his former rivals on the associate circuit have commented on his retirement on Twitter, with former Ireland wicket-keeper Niall O'Brien saying "Top man Collins Obuya, always a gent to play against and a seriously talented cricketer. Wishing you well in retirement boss". Former Dutch captain Peter Borren described him as "for many years, the very best fielder in associate cricket".