Kabras Sugar and KCB still the teams to beat in Kenya Cup ties

Kabras Sugar's Asuman Mugerwa in action against Strathmore Leos on Saturday in Kakamega. [Washington Onyango,Standard]

Defending champions Kabras Sugar and KCB are through to the semifinals of the 2022-2023 Kenya Cup.

Both clubs picked their ninth consecutive wins of the season to cement their top two spots and separated themselves from the rest of the pack with two games left until the end of the regular season.

After the weekend matches, Kabras and KCB are the only sides yet to concede in this year's league but it is the bankers, who top the log with 45 points with nine bonus point victories.

In Nakuru, red-hot KCB melted the Menengai refineries after handing Oilers their heaviest defeat of the season in a 62-15 ruthless thrashing at ASK Showground.

Festus Shihasi, who was making his debut for the first team showed his class after netting a hattrick to lead Curtis Olago's charges to victory as Samuel Asati (two tries), Andrew Amonde, Darwin Mukidza, Elphas Adunga and Brian Wahinya joined in on the try party.

Kabras Sugar also picked a bonus point win after teaching Strathmore University vital rugby lessons in a 47-3 mauling at the Kakamega Showground to remain second with 44 points.

Oilers remained third place in the log with 31 points despite their heavy defeat to KCB.

Kenya Harlequin beat Kenyatta University's Blak Blad 36-8 to not only cement their fourth place in the league with 28 points but also their position in the semifinal play-offs.

Blak Blad stayed fifth with 23 points despite losing to Quins. Strathmore Leos on the other hand will rue their heavy defeat in Kakamega after dropping three places to 11th place.

Meanwhile, the race to avoid relegation to the KRU Championship next season continued with huge upsets and inconsistencies dominating the battle.

University of Nairobi's Mean Machine and Catholic University of East Africa Monks claimed shocking victories to keep their hopes of avoiding the drop alive.

Mean Machine stunned former Kenya Cup champions Mwamba 22-18. Prayers were answered for Catholic Monks as they defeated inconsistent Homeboyz 20-19.

The victories saw Monks rise one place to ninth with 14 points while Machine also scaled one place to 10th with 14 points.

Two-time former Kenya champions Nakuru were the biggest movers at the weekend.

Four teams will battle in the semifinal play-offs to determine who meets KCB and Kabras.

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