DURBAN (South Africa), March 15: Brett Lee claimed a hat trick as reigning champions Australia restricted Kenya to 174-8 after sending them to bat in the last World Cup Super Six match here on Saturday.

Lee finished with 3-14 while Andy Bichel and Darren Lehmann chipped in with two wickets each as the Kenyans found runs hard to come by against the Australian attack at Kingsmead.

Both Australia and Kenya have already qualified for the semifinals with the Africans due to take on India at the same venue on Thursday.

Australia will play the first semifinal at Port Elizabeth on Tuesday against Sri Lanka, who secured the fourth spot by defeating Zimbabwe earlier on Saturday.

Lee began the destruction with the fourth ball of his second over when he felled Kennedy Obuya with a rising delivery and the ball dislodged the bails.

Obuya lay writhing in pain before he was taken off the field and rushed to hospital where x-rays revealed no fracture but only a bruised elbow.

Next ball, Brijal Patel was snapped up in the slips by Australian captain Ricky Ponting and David Obuya was yorked off the last ball of the over.

It was the first ever hat trick by an Australian bowler in World Cup history and the second in this tournament following Sri Lankan Chaminda Vaas’ feat against Bangladesh in the first round.

Down 3-3, Kenya made a remarkable recovery when opener Ravindu Shah and skipper Steve Tikolo added 79 for the fourth wicket.

Shah, run out in both his team’s earlier Super Six matches, hit six boundaries in his 46 before he holed out in the deep off left-arm spinner Brad Hogg.

Tikolo went on to make his team’s top score of 51, finally running into form ahead of the crucial semifinal.

Hitesh Modi remained unbeaten on 39, sharing a ninth wicket stand of 30 with Martin Suji, who made 15 not out.