Andries Gous’ unbeaten half-ton kept Free State’s Africa T20 Cup hopes alive as they thumped KwaZulu-Natal by nine wickets in a bonus-point win.
After both sides had lost their opening matches on Friday, the loser would suffer early elimination, and it was the men from Durban that ended the game in disappointment as they suffered a nine-wicket defeat.
KZN gave themselves little chance when they posted a modest 120-7 after losing the toss and being asked to bat first.
Vaughn van Jaarsveld top-scored with 40, with Khalipha Cele (25) and Calvin Savage (22) the only two others to reach double figures.
It was a second successive below-par batting display from the coastal side, who could only manage 128-7 the day before.
Shadley van Schalkwyk (2-26) and Corne Dry (2-28) managed two wickets apiece for the Free Staters, who then wasted little time in knocking over KZN.
Gous plundered four sixes and six fours in a 49-ball 71, putting on 90 for the first wicket alongside Karabo Mogotsi (29).
Rakep Patel scored a consecutive half-century to give Kenya a commanding lead on top of Group C. Their five-wicket win over Northern Cape took them three points clear of Free State on five points in second, who are one point clear of Northern Cape.
Photo: Louis Botha/Gallo Images
