Australia score an easy victory over Kenya

Set an easy target of just 85 the Australians marched there in the 17th over losing just two wickets, winning by 8 wickets plus gaining a bonus point in the process.

Matthew Hayden remained unbeaten on 39 off 49 balls including 5 4s and a six, while Michael Bevan was the other not out batsman, 15 off 17 balls. The two wickets to fall were that of Adam Gilchrist, out leg before to Martin Suji for 22 and Jimmy Maher who made just five before being caught behind by David Obuya off the bowling of Joseph Angara.

Suji was the best Kenyan bowler as he took 1-25 in 8 overs.

Glenn McGrath was declared the man of the match for his wonderful opening spell when he took 3-8 bowling eight high quality overs.

Australians insight of an easy victory
The Australians were headed for an easy victory over Kenya in the fourth match of the PSO Triangular Series. Set an easy target of 85 they had reached 44-1 in ninth over when the lunch was taken.

Australia lost just a single wicket, Adam Gilchrist leg before to Martin Suji for 22 off 18 balls including five 4s in the ninth over. At lunch Matthew Hayden who scored 146 on Friday against Pakistan was not out on 15 and Jimmy Maher was batting on five. Australia needed 41 more runs in 41 overs.

Earlier, it was a professional and surgical performance by Australian opening bowlers Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie who bundled Kenya out in the 35th over. It was experience versus inexperience out there today. Both matched each other wicket for wicket as they reduced the Kenyans to an agonising 24-6 by the 15th and eventually all out for 84.

McGrath and Gillespie a duo with a nice blend of seam and swing shared the bowling honours.

Australian captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and put Kenya in under overcast skies. Both teams made one change each to their team, Australians brought in pacer Brett Lee to replace Andy Bichel who had to sit out due to a groin strain and the Kenyans brought in left arm spinner Brijal Patel to replace opener Ravindu Shah who had injured his toe in practice.

Kenyans lost an early wicket, makeshift opener David Obuya, bowled by Glenn McGrath for nought in the third over of the day when the score was just one. Jimmy Kamande was promoted up the order to number three.

Opener Kennedy Otieno who had made a defiant 59 against Pakistan yesterday scored the first four of Kenyan innings in the sixth over off Jason Gillespie but the very next ball Otieno was forced to play a ball moving away but Matthew Hayden spilled a difficult chance. But made amends the very next ball as the tall Queenslander took a breathtaking catch to give Gillespie his first wicket and Kenya were 12-2.

Both bowlers maintained a tight off stump line and pitched the ball in the right place. McGrath struck for the second time in his fifth over as he forced Jimmy Kamande to fish at a ball, which left him after pitching and wicket keeper Adam Gilchrist did the rest. Kamande just made one and Kenya were 13-3 in the ninth over. Wickets kept on tumbling as the Aussies exerted pressure from both ends. Skipper Steve Tikolo was the fourth wicket to fall as Shane Warne caught him in the slips off Gillespie for four when the score was 17 in the 12th over. In the very next over Glenn McGrath snapped up his third wicket, Thomas Odoyo who holed out to Michael Bevan at mid off for a duck and Kenya plunged into further depression at 17-5.

Gillespie trapped Maurice Odumbe leg before wicket for a duck at the start of the 14th over chopping Kenya down to 17-6, they had lost three wickets for no runs.

Here, Kenya faced a grave situation of being bundled out for the lowest ever score in ODI cricket, 38 set by the Zimbabweans but they managed to avoid this dubious honour. Tony Suji was forced to retire hurt for four when a Glenn McGrath bouncer hit him on the helmet.

McGrath had a wonderful first spell as his figures read 8-5-8-3. Brett Lee replaced him in the 17th over. The Kenyans reached their 50 in the 20th over. Jason Gillespie bowled out his full quota of 10 overs at a stretch and had figures of 3-40.

Collins Obuya was the seventh wicket to fall as he edged one to Gilchrist off Shane Watson for 13 when the score was 53. The entire team was all out for 84 in the 34th over. Patel batted valiantly and looks a good prospect for Kenya getting the highest score of 28 before being stumped failing to drag his toe back.