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Watson spares Australia's blushes Wisden CricInfo staff - September 5, 2002
Close Australia 205 for 5 (49.1 overs: Watson 77*) beat Kenya 204 for 9 (50 overs: Odumbe 55, Hauritz 4-39) by five wickets An unbeaten 77 from Shane Watson guided Australia to a five-wicket victory over Kenya at the Nairobi Gymkana, but for the first time in the triangular series Australia were made to work for their win. Chasing a target of just 205, Australia's innings never got out of second gear after Thomas Odoyo removed Jimmy Maher and Michael Bevan early on. Stand-in captain Adam Gilchrist laboured to 41 off 81 balls before a fourth-wicket partnership of 79 between Andrew Symonds (43) and Watson put Australia back on course. But Kenyan hopes of a dramatic win were very much alive with Australia needing 18 off the last 14 balls. But Watson and Brett Lee stuck big sixes in the penultimate over as Australia eventually scrambled home with five balls to spare. Kenya. whose batting had been poor in earlier matches, posted their first score in excess of 200 thanks to 55 off 56 balls from Maurice Odumbe. It appeared as if they were again going to be rolled-over cheaply when they slumped to 46 for 3, but Brijal Patel (42) and Steve Tikolo (35) added 65 runs for the fourth wicket before Odumbe opened up. Nathan Hauritz took three wickets late on to restrict the flow of runs, finishing with a career-best 4 for 39. © Wisden CricInfo Ltd |
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