The battle for the CSA four day title goes into the final day of the competition with the Titans, Lions and Warriors all still in a with a shot of claiming the trophy.
TITANS HAVE EDGE OVER LIONS
The Imperial Lions were in a tricky position at the close of play on day against the Momentum Multiply Titans. Having notched 130 for four in their second innings so far, they are still 82 runs short of making the hosts bat again at SuperSport Park in Centurion.
With the Lions, Titans and Warriors in a three-way battle for the trophy during the final round, the Warriors are battling poor weather in Bloemfontein with a draw looking likely in that game, meaning the winner of the Titans and Lions match should lift the trophy.
A draw would be favourable for the Lions as they would then be in pole position, while the Titans may have to chase a target on Monday’s final day to claim the trophy, but the home side should be confident of giving themselves a good chance to chase a gettable total.
After the Lions were all out for 270 in their first innings at stumps on day one, the Titans then managed 482 all out at tea on day three, giving them a 212-run lead, putting them firmly in the pound seats.
The Lions' second innings got off to a disastrous start as two wickets to Lizaad Williams and one each to Simon Harmer and Corbin Bosch saw the visitors slip to 46 for four and in massive trouble.
However, Reeza Hendricks (73 not out) and unbeaten first-innings centurion Mitchell van Buuren (31 not out) the rallied superbly with a 84-run fifth-icket stand to take the Lions to the close and give them hope of pulling off a draw on the final day.
In the post lunch session the Titans resumed on 382 for five with Gihahn Cloete (34) and Jiveshan Pillay (21) at the crease, however they both fell in quick succession to Hendricks, with them slipping to 397 for seven.
Corbin Bosch struck a vital 57 while leading the lower order as Aya Gqamane (17), Harmer (6) and Williams (12 not out) all occupied the crease to help the Titans build a big lead.
They were finally all out on the stroke of tea with Bosch the final wicket to fall to give Codi Yusuf, 5-91, an impressive five- wicket haul.
At the start of play the day began with the Titans on 261 for three, with Theunis de Bruyn (143) and Sibonelo Makhanya (35) at the crease, with De Bruyn bringing up his century before Makhanya was pinned LBW by Yusuf.
Cloete joined De Bruyn and they shared in a 58-run fifth-wicket stand before De Bruyn was finally removed, caught behind by keeper Ryan Rickleton off the bowling of Tladi Bokako.
Pillay and Cloete eased their side to lunch in a very strong position.
MOMENTUM MULTIPLY TITANS:Gihahn Cloete, Ayabulela Gqamane, Simon Harmer, Corbin Bosch, Grant Mokoena, Sibonelo Makhanya, Theunis de Bruyn, Neil Brand, Jiveshan Pillay, Heinrich Klaasen, Lizaad Williams
IMPERIAL LIONS:Joshua Richards, Dominic Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Ryan Rickleton, Kagiso Rapulana, Mitchell van Buuren, Bjorn Fortuin, Malusi Siboto, Sisanda Magala, Codi Yusuf, Tladi Bokako
WARRIORS AND KNIGHTS HEADING FOR DRAW
The Gbets Warriors were dealt a hammer blow to their aspirations of becoming champions after the entire third day of their final match against the ITEC Knights was washed out at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein.
In a three-way dead heat with the Titans and Lions, who are facing each other in Centurion, the Warriors needed a positive result against the Knights to give themselves the best chance of beating the two Highveld teams to the title.
However, they have been cruelly denied that chance by poor weather that also saw the entire morning session on day one washed out and almost the entire final session on day two.
With bad weather predicted again for the final day the Warriors might not even be able to get on the park, which would be a very unfortunate end to an impressive campaign.
But if they do manage to get on the field on Monday, Rudi Second (59 not out) and Diego Rosier (50 not out) will resume the team's first innings on 166 for thee, in pursuit of the Knights' first innings of 227 all out.
Even then it would take a miracle to get a result with the Warriors batsmen needing to produce a T20 style innings to get a lead of maybe 150 and then try and bowl the Knights out for what would be the most unlikely of wins.
ITEC KNIGHTS:Nathan Roux, Paballo Mogoera, Raynard van Tonder, Pite van Biljon, Patrick Kruger, Patrick Botha, Migael Pretorius, Jason Raubenheimer, Nealan van Heerden, Mbulelo Budaza, Nipho Mpungose
GBETS WARRIORS:Eddie Moore, Wihan Lubbe, Matthew Breetzke, Lesiba Ngoepe, Rudi Second, Diego Rosier, Sinethemba Qeshile, Mthiwekhaya Nabe, Tiaan van Vuuren, Tsepo Ndwandwa, Akhona Mnyaka
DOLPHINS HEADING FOR DRAW AFTER MALAN CENTURY
The Gbets Rocks and Hollywoodbets Dolphins are heading for a draw unless an unlikely turn of events happens on the final day, after the Rocks reached the close of play on day three on 389 for seven thanks to a massive unbeaten century from captain Pieter Malan.
With the Dolphins having scored 422 all out in their first innings, it seems a draw is an inevitable result on Monday, however Malan will be eager to bring up his double century after he ended the day on 198.
Malan has been the cornerstone of the Rocks' chase and he will want to bat through the rest of the innings and hope to get his side past the Dolphins' score.
In the post tea session Malan and Shaun von Berg (40) resumed the Rocks' innings on 279 for five and proceeded to extend their sixth-wicket stand to 76 runs before Von Berg was trapped LBW by Andile Phehlukwayo with the score on 309 for six.
Imran Manack (32) joined Malan and they looked to be taking the side to the close, before Manack fell just short of it, caught by Grant Roelofsen off Prenelan Subrayen’s bowling, leaving Kyle Abbott (five not out) to accompany Malan to the close.
Earlier in the day after lunch the Rocks lost just one wicket in the session as Malan remained resolute, with them resuming on 198 for four.
Malan and Hlomla Hanabe (23) moved their fifth-wicket stand to 62 runs, before Hanabe was caught by Roelofsen off Subrayen, with the score 233 for five.
Von Berg joined Malan and they steered their side comfortably to the tea break.
At the start of play the Rocks resumed the day on 129 for one and managed to add 16 runs to the score before Stiaan van Zyl (48) fell two runs short of his half century, bowled by Eathan Bosch.
Bosch repeated the trick against Janneman Malan (2) as the Rocks slipped to 149 for three.
Michael Copeland (11) was caught by Khaya Zondo off the bowling of Kerwin Mungroo, with the score 171 for four, with Hanabe helping Malan get to the break without any more wickets falling.
GBETS ROCKS:Cebo Tshiki, Isma-eel Gafieldien, Pieter Malan, Stiaan van Zyl, Clyde Fortuin, Hlomla Hanabe, Imran Manack, Shaun von Berg, Siyabonga Mahima, Kyle Abbot, Achille Cloete
HOLLYWOODBETS DOLPHINS:Bryce Parsons, Keegan Petersen, Grant Roelofsen, Marques Ackerman, Khaya Zondo, Jason Smith, Andile Phehlukwayo, Eathan Bosch, Prenelan Subrayen, Kerwin Mungroo, Daryn Dupavillon
DRAGONS SET FOR INNINGS DEFEAT AGAINST WP
The North West Dragons battled to stumps and made sure the match would go into a fourth day, however they are still set for a massive innings defeat after closing on 175 for six in their follow on innings, still needing 199 runs to make Six Gun Grill Western Province bat again at Newlands.
Resuming their second innings after tea on 49 for two, Senuran Muthusamy (67 not out) and Wesley Marshall (58) showed good resistance as they moved their third-wicket partnership to 69 runs.
Kyle Simmonds broke the resistance, catching Marshall off his own bowling, leading to a flurry of wickets falling as the Dragons slipped to 156 for six before Eldred Hawken (nine not out) helped Muthusamy bat out the last few overs to get to the final day.
Earlier in the day after lunch the Dragons were in an okay position in their first innings on 173 for four, in response to Western Province’s mammoth 576 all out in their first innings, but then suffered a catastrophic collapse to 202 all out and lost two more wickets before tea.
Lesego Senokwane was caught for a fifth-ball duck off the bowling of Beuran Hendricks and Heino Kuhn (10) was run out, leaving Marshall and Muthusamy to get them to the break.
After lunch Simmonds sparked the lower-order collapse that saw the Dragons lose their last six wickets for just 19 runs.
Muthusamy (53) and Delano Potgieter (15) initially started decently, moving their fifth-wicket partnership to 45 runs, but once both fell in quick succession to George Linde and Simmonds respectively they slumped spectacularly.
Linde finished with figures of 5-69, while Simmonds claimed four of the last six wickets to end with figures of 4-24.
Earlier the Dragons started the day on 124 for three, with Senokwane (66) and Muthusamy at the crease, and they extended their fourth-wicket stand to 58 runs before Senokwane was caught by Daniel Smith off the bowling of Linde, with the score 138 for four.
Potgieter joined Muthusamy and they battened down the hatches and took their team to lunch without further trouble.
<SIX GUN GRILL WESTERN PROVINCE:Gavin Kaplan, Daniel Smith, Tony de Zorzi, Yaseen Vallie, Jonathan Bird, Aviwe Mgijima, George Linde, Basheeru-Deen Walters, Kyle Simmonds, Tshepo Moreki, Beuran Hendricks
NORTH WEST DRAGONS:Lesego Senokwane, Wesley Marshall, Heino Kuhn, Nicky van den Bergh, Senuran Muthusamy, Delano Potgieter, Taheer Isaacs, Nono Pongolo, Eldred Hawken, Caleb Seleka, Jessie Albanie