His first domestic team was Free State, for whom he played between 1999 and 2001.
[2] Signing to Derbyshire as a British citizen in readiness for the 2002 season was risky, as this mean Gait would count as an overseas player in South Africa and Free State had already lined up Jimmy Adams of the West Indies as its sole overseas player.
[3][4] Gait proved a revelation for the season, with an innings of 175 one of the highlights of his whole career.
However, with trouble against swing bowlers, a problem for his game, his record in South Africa was better than his record in England.
This biographical article related to a South African cricket person born in the 1970s is a stub.