Sun, 13 Mar 2011 - Australia vs Kenya, World Cup 2011, 31st match Group A - Bulletin

Rusty Aussies win against impressive Kenya

Kenya put up an impressive resistance during their batting efforts but not enough to trouble who won the Group A game by 60 runs played at Bangalore.

Collins Obuya and young Tanmay Mishra didn’t let Australia to run away with the game and fought till the end to make sure that the encounter didn’t turn completely a lop-sided affair.

However, Kenyan batmen never looked like having a crack at a chase and concentrated more on avoiding repeat of their dismal batting performances earlier in the tournament and Australia had an upper hand throughout the game. Australian bowlers looked a rusty for they hadn’t had a game for last ten days and lacked the penetration they possess.

Collins who put up an impressive batting show in partnership with Mishra by scoring 115 runs for the 3rd wicket was unlucky to miss out on scoring a century, remaining undefeated on 98 runs. He couldn’t farm strike in the end overs but gave a good account of himself and cricket pundits praising for his grit and determination. He hit nine hits to the fence and three sixes to tell the world that he belongs to the league.

On the other hand, Mishra played like the batsmen from his birthplace India using his feet to the spinners and treating them with disdain. He took a liking to the leg spin of Steven Smith depositing him over mid wicket boundary with one of the better shots of the day. He hit eight boundaries and a six in his 89-ball 72 before unnecessarily getting himself run out thanks to a direct hit from the point by Michael Clarke.

Thomas Odoyo gave good support to the Obuya and both kept the fighting show going adding 84 runs for the fifth wicket and made sure margin of Australian inevitable victory wasn’t that big.

Odoyo was nearly stroking at run a ball hitting four fours and a six in his 35 but once he got out remaining batsmen weren’t able to farm strike over to Obuya.

Obuya for his impressive batting show was given the Man of the Match.

For Australia only Shaun Tait with two and Brett Lee with one wicket were able to take wicket where others put up an average performance.

Fifties from Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin and Michael Hussey had, earlier, helped Australia to post a huge total of 324 runs.

After winning the toss, Australia were steady in their batting effort getting much needed batting practice and also most of their batsmen getting amongst runs.

Clarke was the highest scorer with the score of 93 unfortunate to miss out on century getting out in the end overs with Australia on charge while Haddin and Hussey, who was playing his first game of the tournament, scored solid fifties to add to the Kenyan miseries.

After an early loss of dangerous looking Shane Watson, Haddin and skipper Ricky Ponting were involved in a steady 2nd wicket partnership of 89 runs where focus was pick gaps and mix that with aggressive shots.

Australia, however , were pegged back in the middle overs when they lost to three wickets for 16 runs with Haddin after scoring his fifty, Ponting (36 runs) and Craig White (2 Runs) going in a quick time.

Clarke and Hussey then engaged themselves in recovery work and upped the ante when needed. The pair went about their business in a sensible fashion running hard between the wickets and unfurling some beautiful strokes all round the ground.

Hussey found his touch and range right from the word and showed no signs of reaming out of game for two months while Clarke played his best innings of the tournament hitting seven boundaries and a six in his 80-ball 93.

Hussey consumed only 43 balls for his 54 hitting four boundaries while Steve Smith and Mitchell Johnson played cameos in the end to propel their team to a big score.

Only bowler to have put Aussie batsmen under control was Kenyan skipper Jimmy Kamande who took two wickets for 46 runs in his ten.

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