With a fighting total on the board, the Kenyan bowlers thought it was their turn to deliver. Jimmy Maher, promoted up the order to open the batting along with Adam Gilchrist, started of by creaming a boundary off Martin Suji on the very first delivery. Maher took two more boundaries in Thomas Odoyo’s second over. But Odoyo, settling down into a nice line, bowled a magnificent delivery in his very next over which left Maher (16 off 18 balls) after pitching, found the edge and captain Steve Tikolo took a nice low catch.

One-day specialist Michael Bevan too was given a promotion in the order to give him some batting practise. Bevan failed to make use of the opportunity as he too nicked a beautiful outgoing delivery by Odoyo into the hands of wicketkeeper David Obuya. Bevan was out for a duck, with Aussies reduced to 27-2 in the 8th over.

All-rounder Shane Watson was next, but with the Kenyans backing themselves with some athletic fielding, the Aussies found it difficult to score freely for the first time in the tournament. Normally a dynamite, Gilchrist too found it a bit tough. Both the Kenyan bowlers gave little room to the Australian batsman to free their arms, especially Odoyo, who maintained a tight line. His first spell read two wickets for 26 in seven overs. Australia were a hesitant 43-2 in the 15th over.

Peter Ongondo replaced Odoyo from the Forest Road End in the 16th over. The Australian 50 was completed in the 17th over for the loss of two wickets.

The good thing about the Kenyan performance so far is that they are supporting their neat bowling with some efficient fielding, due to which the runs were dried up. Australians who were depending on stand- in captain Adam Gilchrist to get them to victory were taken aback when Gilchrist trying to accelerate the scoring was out caught in the deep by Angara in the very first over of leg spinner Collins Obuya for an uncharacteristic 41 off 81 balls including 3 4s and a six. Andrew Symonds replaced his captain in the 26th over with the score on 83-3.

Some achievement indeed, though McGrath and Gillespie, the leading lights in the Aussie attack were absent, and Brett Lee and Andy Bichel were not brought on for second spell by a gracious Adam Gilchrist. But the Kenyans definitely displayed a lot of grit and application, worked hard to get the partnerships going and in between kept taking the attack to the Aussie bowlers by periodically displaying aggression and taking boundaries. They got the basics right, and in the process showed the way to Pakistan for the final.

After Brijal Patel and Steve Tikolo were sent back in quick succession by Shane Warne, by a run out with a direct throw and a leg-before verdict respectively, the Kenyans innings may have disintegrated but for Odumbe. Not amongst the runs in this event so far, Odumbe was dropped down to number 7. Perhaps the slight was too much, or maybe he thought that the only way to strike form was backing his natural aggressive instincts. Whatever, he carved the bowling, and dominated the two partnerships of 42 and 32 respectively with Thomas Odoyo and Collins Obuya. By the time he was eighth out in the 48th over, with Hauritz having already claimed Collins Obuya earlier in the same over, Kenya were already 195 and almost sure of reaching 200. Which they did in the next Watson over as Martin Suji guided the ball to fine third man fence for four. Hauritz claimed his fourth wicket in the last over by snaring Peter Ongondo caught and bowled, but the Kenyans by then had restored a measure of pride.

Quite surprisingly this was the best performance for any team against the Aussies in terms of runs, as Pakistan had previously been shot out for 108 and 117, while Kenya itself had made 84 in the other game. And this also means that the Kenyans were likely to finish their regulation 50 overs - again for the first time against the Aussies.

The Kenyans definitely have learnt their lessons the hard way, and they showed lots of pluck in taking on the might of the Aussies in a positive, albeit cautious, way.

Bichel trapped David Obuya leg before for nought in his first over through a beautiful leg-cutter, but Kennedy Obuya, the best of the Kenyans so far in this event, took two fours through streaky shots as he scored 11 runs of Bichel's second over. Lee, naked aggression all the way, hit Kamande twice on the body with short deliveries and then Lee softens Kamande up by two short deliveries and then pitches one up to get him clean bowled for 5. At 32 for 2 in 8.3 overs, in walked Brijal Patel, promoted up the order from No.7 to No.3, and handled Lee's pace and swing pretty well. Kennedy Obuya (21, 36 balls) at the other end was wholly unimpressive but quite effective. Most of the runs come in the third man and fine leg area as edges fly by. But Kennedy's luck ended when Shane Watson replaced Lee and trapped him leg before first delivery which kept low.

The Kenyans were mindful of not losing wickets in a bunch, and putting a partnership together and Patel and Tikolo did a remarkable recovery job, mixing caution and enterprise in equal measure against the Watson, Andrew Symonds and Shane Warne. The two had add 65 runs for the fourth wicket when Warne, having been clouted for a six at mid-wicket by Patel (42, off 73 deliveries, 5 fours, 1 six), had his revenge by running him out with a direct throw as the batsman had backed up too far to return. Next over, Warne trapped Tikolo (35, 49 balls, 6 fours) leg before to send back the two batsmen who had held the innings together through some sensible batting.

Kenyans have an ideal opportunity to make their presence felt in this tournament but they have a top batsman Hitesh Modi out with fractured finger as well as opener Ravindu Shah who has an injured toe.

The Aussies will be captained by Adam Gilchrist and have rested top pacers McGrath and Gillespie.

This morning its brighter and warmer and the pitch looks flatter than the others so far so lots of runs are expected.

Steve Tikplo won the toss and decided to bat first.

The Australian team: *+AC Gilchrist, ML Hayden, DR Martyn, MG Bevan, JP Maher, A Symonds, SR Watson, NM Hauritz, B Lee, SK Warne, AJ Bichel.

The Kenyan team: KO Otieno, +DO Obuya, JK Kamande, BJ Patel, *SO Tikolo, MO Odumbe, TM Odoyo, CO Obuya, MA Suji, LN Onyango, PJ Ongondo.