Casey Jarvis was joined at the top of the leaderboard on Friday after Frederic Lacroix shot a second-round 62 to share the halfway lead at the Magical Kenya Open.

At 13-under-par, the pair held a two-shot lead over the field as they attempted to wrestle the limelight from Kenya’s Njoroge Kibugu, who delighted the home crowd by making the cut with an eagle at the last.

Jarvis’ fellow South African Hennie du Plessis fired a stunning 61, which would have been a course record had preferred lies not been in play at Karen Country Club, to share third place with Spain’s Angel Ayora and Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia.

Jarvis looked set to lead on his own after adding seven birdies to the 10 he made in his opening 62.

Dropped shots at the fifth and sixth left him tied with Lacroix but the South African, chasing his maiden DP World Tour win, said: “I think just sticking to the game plan was important out there. A lot of drivers, trying to stay really aggressive off the tee and taking advantage of that.

“The ball flew a little shorter in the morning but the game plan was the same – to be aggressive, and that’s pretty much what I did.

“It’s nice putting myself into these positions. Obviously, I get more comfortable with it. I’ve had two wins on the Sunshine Tour (last November’s Hyundai Open and a Vodacom Origins of Golf event), so I kind of know what the feeling is now.”

Du Plessis birdied nine of his first 12 holes – “I guess I had it going,” he modestly noted afterwards – and would have had a 59 in his sights but for bogeys at the 14th and 16th.

He regained those shots at the last two holes and said: “I’m very happy to finish with two birdies.

“The front nine isn’t the easiest and I hit it flawless, made a couple of good putts and I’m very happy with how I finished.”

Gouveia shot a bogey-free 65 while Ayora fired seven birdies to match that score.

Francesco Laporta and Davis Bryant were a shot further back at 10-under with first-round co-leader Niklas Lemke among the group at nine-under.