Liebenberg steals victory for Free State over North West

If North West's scorecard in their Standard Bank Cup match against Free State was put into a time capsule, generations from now would still be asking how they managed to lose Friday night's encounter by five wickets.

After winning the toss and going on to post a healthy total of 265 for six wickets, the Dragon Express was somehow derailed as Free State cruised to victory on 267 for five.

Amidst the smouldering North West wreckage lay a record fourth-wicket partnership of 146 between Arno Jacobs and Mark Lavine, eclipsing the previous best of 127.

The duo rattled off their collective runs off only 118 balls and in 70 minutes, scoring 42 runs in two particularly profitable overs.

Also lost in the smoke was a potentially match-winning 106 from Jacobs, his best in the competition, and a solid 72 from Lavine. But the bravado of the Dragons' innings was overshadowed by the professionalism of an Eagles team that picked off singles like a fish eagle during a salmon run.

Ultimately though, the home team were undone by an unbeaten 75 from Gerhardus Liebenberg that earned Free State a victory crucial to their title aspirations. Liebenberg scored only five boundaries during his knock, but his running between the wickets was superb.

There were also more than a few healthy partnerships along the way that helped the visitors' cause. Struggling along at 18 for two, Andrew Gait and Kosie Venter put their innings back on track with a third-wicket stand of 63.

Then came a 51-run partnership for the fourth wicket, a 64-run partnership for the fifth wicket, and finally the unbeaten 72-run partnership between Liebenberg and Johannes van der Wath that capped the victory.