Third century for Rudolph as SA 'A' crush Kenya by 148 runs

Jacques Rudolph scored his third century in nine days as the South African A team romped to a 148-run victory over Kenya in a one-day match against Kenya at the Laudium Oval on Tuesday.

The SA A team reached 274 for four in their 50 overs and theb bowled Kenya out for 126 in under 34 overs as Justin Kemp and Charl Langeveldt claimed five wickets apiece.

Earlier in the day Rudolph, who made 109 for the Nicky Oppenheimer XI against India at Randjesfontein last Monday and 143 for the Titans against Free State in Bloemfontein on Tuesday, followed these scores with an unbeaten 134 against the Kenyans.

Rudolph emerged as one of South Africa's brightest young talents last summer and the rich vein of form he is presently mining must surely have marked him as a player with a bright international ahead of him.

He may, however, have to wait his turn. The South African top three - Herschelle Gibbs, Gary Kirsten and Jacques Kallis - have been equally prolific in recent weeks, but if the 20-year-old Rudolph continues to accumulate runs in this fashion he could well force his way into the South African squad to tour Australia at the end of the year.

Apart from Rudolph, Martin van Jaarsveld made 67 while Kemp bludgeoned 40 off 32 balls as the Kenyan attack took a pounding.

The Kenyans were unable make any kind of fight of it with only Steve Tikolo offering meaningful resistance as he took 79 balls to make 59. Kemp started the rot with the wickets of Ravindu Shah and Kennedy Otieno and then Langeveldt joined in as the South African pair scythed through the batting.

Kemp finished with five for 35 with Langeveldt taking five for 25.