The stage is set for a terrific conclusion to the inaugural First Division tournament of the World Cricket League when Scotland take on hosts Kenya in the final at the Nairobi Gymkhana club on Wednesday.

Spice is added to the occasion, if any were needed, by Scotland's 77-run win over the Kenyans in the round-robin phase, a result which ensured the Scots' place in the final and in the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa in September.

Scotland might in some ways been seen as fortunate finalists, having won off the last ball of the match against Ireland and their next two games by margins of seven and two runs, but there is no doubting the resilience of their squad or their ability to stay cool in a tight finish. The fact that they won all three matches says plenty for the team's character.

And the relative comfort of the winning margin against Kenya was some compensation for two defeats at the hands of the hosts during the tri-series in Mombasa which preceded the WCL.

A good blend of experience and youth, the Scottish squad is relatively strong in all departments.

Fraser Watts and Majid Haq have generally given the batting a good base, and Watts, like Gavin Hamilton, has hit a half-century in each of his last three innings. Ryan Watson, who has been the mainstay of the batting for the past year and more, had a quiet tournament initially, but his 57 in the final round-robin game may signal that, having recovered from the injury he sustained in Bangladesh in December, he is coming back into form in good time for this final.

Neil McCallum, on the other hand, started with a century against Ireland in the opening match and has had a run of poorer scores since, and will no doubt be looking to redeem himself in this last game before the squad departs for the West Indies.

Almost all the main bowlers, too, have had a considerable share in Scotland's progression to the final: Paul Hoffmann and John Blain form one of the more successful opening partnerships at this level, while skipper Craig Wright has performed consistently well in the middle part of the innings.

Haq's off-breaks have been one of the revelations of the tournament, and he has been more successful than slow left-armer Ross Lyons, who took only one wicket in the five round-robin matches. But the Gymkhana wicket may well take spin, and Lyons may yet play a role in the outcome.

Kenya, too, have a well-balanced side, and they will be determined to avenge Sunday's defeat and secure the trophy in front of their own fans.

A batting line-up which includes Ravindu Shah and Steve Tikolo can't be taken lightly, although neither has yet produced the kind of form that might have been expected. But both are capable of producing a match-winning innings in a key game such as this.

Kenya's most successful batsman has been opener David Obuya, who together with partner Maurice Ouma has generally given the side a good start, especially in the first two games when the Kenyans were chasing modest targets.

Also worth looking out for are Tanmay Mishra, who has now established himself in the middle order, and Collins Obuya, whose value to the team seems to centre these days more on his batting than on the spin bowling which brought him to notice during the 1992-92 World Cup.

And then there's Thomas Odoyo, whose batting won the match against Ireland almost single-handed and who followed that 60 not out with 53 against Scotland.

Odoyo's main role in the team, however, is as an opening bowler, and his partnership with Peter Ongondo (whose 14 wickets at 11.71 make him the leading wicket-taker in the tournament) could be a key factor in Kenya's favour.

The Kenyan spin attack of Hiren Varaiya, Tikolo and Jimmy Kamande is another potential trump-card - Varaiya's economy rate of 3.45 is second only to Darron Reekers of the Netherlands in this competition - while as first-change seamer Lameck Onyango may get the nod ahead of Nehemiah Odhiambo.

A lot may depend on how the Gymkhana wicket plays: it has often been perfect for batting, but on at least one occasion this week it has given surprising help to the seamers, at least in the first innings. For the good of this high-profile event, we must hope that the toss doesn't play too great a part in Wednesday's game, and that we see a match which is a true showcase for the best of Associates' cricket.