Gait leads Free State to victory in high scoring match

Free State batted themselves to a 33-run Standard Bank Cup victory over Griqualand West on a superb batting surface which yielded almost 600 runs.

Andrew Gait scored a Free State record 138 not out to set up his side's 315 for two and there were five other half-centuries in a match in which two other men also reached the 90s without being able to go on to three figures.

Griquas made a decent fist of their run chase with debutants Brett Tucker and Johan Louw each scoring 59 but the mountain was just too high to climb.

Gait was only playing in his sixth one-day match, having previously been regarded as more suited to the first class game.

But the decision to give him his head at the top of the one-day order paid off handsomely. His 138 surpassed Free State's previous highest score of 126 not out, ironically set by current Griquas coach Mickey Arthur.

It came at a run-a-ball and included 12 fours and two sixes and provided the mainstay for two successive century partnerships.

He and opener Kosie Venter (50 from 52 balls) came in a mere 18 overs and Gait then put on another 156 with the pinch-hitter Johan van der Wath (91).

Van der Wath scored his runs in a Kluseneresque 65 balls with 13 fours and two sixes before he was denied a richly deserved century when he chipped Deon Kruis's slower ball into the hands of short midwicket.

Griquas began the chase at a fantastic rate, scoring their first 50 in just seven overs as fast bowler Victor Mpitsang's first three overs went for 30.

But once Free State got the breakthrough with the dismissal of Martin Gidley for 16 the pressure began to build on the crack in the dam wall and wickets fell at regular intervals although Tucker and Pieter Koortzen (99) kept up their hopes alive longer than might have been expected.

They put on 91 for the fourth wicket before Koortzen missed out on a century for the second time this season. On the last occasion he had been undefeated on 99 against the Dolphins. This time he drove over a straight ball from the occasional bowler Morne van Wyk.

From there it was a matter of time and overs. They were both on Free State's side.