Cricket: Australia cruise past Kenya to claim place in quarter-finals

Earlier in the day, Brendon McCullum scored 101 off 109 balls as New Zealand booked their last-eight place with a victory which later saw Canada paceman Rizwan Cheema given an official reprimand by World Cup organisers after bowling beamers in their 97-run defeat at the Wankhede Stadium.

For Kenya, Collins Obuya (98 not out) fell agonisingly short of a century as he and Tanmay Mishra (72) led the resistance, as the Africans finished on 264-6, their highest score of the tournament. However, the Kenyans' scoring rate never really threatened Australia, who earlier posted a daunting 324-6 helped by a key innings from the returning Mike Hussey. Hussey (54), who replaced his brother David in the side after joining the squad on Tuesday, and Michael Clarke (93) put on 114 runs for the fifth wicket after Kenya bowled tenaciously early on.

Kenya have lost their first five matches, but they at least restored pride with a battling effort in their penultimate game as Australia's bowlers toiled under the lights at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Ricky Ponting had no hesitation in choosing to bat after winning the toss, eager to give his men valuable time in the middle ahead of Kenya's expected batting collapse, but Australia had to recover from a mid-innings wobble.

Nehemiah Odhiambo had opener Shane Watson caught behind on 21 early on and, though Brad Haddin's steady 64 helped take Australia past the 100 mark for the loss of one wicket, his departure sparked the fall of three wickets in three overs. Kenya went to the review system to dismiss Ponting after the Australian skipper was hit on the pad by Collins Obuya before Cameron White (2) was bowled by a Jimmy Kamande delivery which spun wickedly from wide of off stump. As White looked openmouthed at his stumps, Kamande celebrated with a dance after seeing his side take three wickets for 16 runs and leave Australia on 143-4.

Cue the entrance of Hussey, who hit his first ball of the World Cup for four and, alongside Clarke, steadied any Australian nerves. Clarke posted his second half-century of the tournament off 52 balls and Hussey's 50 duly followed, but he holed out to long-on three balls later to give Odhiambo his second wicket.

Clarke fell seven runs short of his sixth one-day century when he also found the man at long-on from Odhiambo's bowling, but his World Cup average still stands at an enviable 101.83 from 12 innings. A crowd of 13,600 was inevitably behind the underdogs and although they rallied, Australia completed victory.Australia now stay in Bangalore for their next game against Canada on Wednesday, while Kenya will play their final game in Kolkata against Zimbabwe in a week's time.