A fifth wicket stand of 31 runs between Sarah Bhakita and Veronica Abuga helped Kenya post 105 for 5 with eight balls to spare in the opening match of their South Africa tour ahead of next week’s ICC Africa Women 2020 Qualifiers in Namibia.
Edith Wanjiru was the pick of the attack, taking 2 for 13, as she ripped through the hosts top order to set up the win.
Northerns’ innings never took off as they struggled from the beginning before their number seven and eight batters - R Engelbreght (22) and N de Klerk (21) lifted them to the final total with an unbeaten stand of 36 runs in 21 balls that propelled them to the final total of 102.
The two came up together when Kenya had left them on 66 runs after 16.3 overs thanks to two from Waithaka and a wicket a-piece from Mary Wambui, Sylvia Kinyua and Esther Wangari.
T Machete and I Smuts gave the home side what looked like a good start with an opening stand of 21 in 4.1 overs before Wambui bowled Smuts on seven.
Wanjiru made it two for her side and a first for herself in the eighth over with the dismissal of Machete on 13 with the board on 30.
E Marx was the third to fall after being caught off by Wanjiru on 10 in the tenth over. From 37 for 3, the hosts were reduced to 46 for 5 thanks to Wangari’s dismissal of A Maphangula (3) and T Nkosi on eight.
Engelbreght and de Klerk scored five boundaries as they remained unbeaten.
Given what would generally be regarded as a ‘par score’, Kenya were two down in four overs for 15 runs with Quentoor Aoko and skipper Margaret Banja all back to the pavilion on one and two respectively.
Wambui and Kinyua shared 25 for the third wicket in just 4.5 overs before Skhosana dismissed Wambui.
Kinyua was the third to fall when she was caught off Smuts in the 12th over with the board on 50 runs.
Ruth Achando and Bhakita then lifted the scores to 74 in four overs before Achando fell after scoring 12 from 21 balls.
However Bhakita who been struggling with her finishing, finally got the going with some great smacking. She hit four boundaries plus a match winning six in her 24 balls knock of 32 runs not out. Abuga hit one boundary as Kenyan side won the match by five wickets with ten balls to play.
-the Star