Day 4: Potgieter stars for the Lions as domestic final promises tight finish

Western Province finished the fourth day of this constantly shifting CSA 4-Day Series final on 99 for three in 36 overs in their second innings, needing another 209 runs for victory after the DP World Lions had set them 308 to win at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Saturday.

The match could have progressed even further, but a typical highveld storm sent the players off the field seven overs into the final session.

After the deluge, the players returned for a further three overs at 5.30pm but bad light curtailed what would have been a further 13 overs.

At stumps, skipper Kyle Verreynne (27) and opener Tony de Zorzi (38) had added 42 for the fourth wicket.

DAY 4 | STUMPS

Unfortunately the umpires need to call it a day after persistent lightning at the Bullring. Play will start at 9:30 tomorrow 🏏

🦁 Lions 2️⃣2️⃣5️⃣& 3️⃣9️⃣4️⃣
🔵 WP 3️⃣1️⃣2️⃣ & 9️⃣9️⃣/3️⃣

🔵 WP need 209 runs to win
🦁 Lions need 7 wickets to win #WozaNawe #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/Xj0mURe7Km

— DomesticCSA (@DomesticCSA) March 2, 2024

Earlier, Province openers De Zorzi and Edward Moore rode some early luck when they began the run chase after lunch – with Zubayr Hamza dropping a regulation chance at third slip off De Zorzi in Yusuf’s opening over – to give their team a solid start of 55.

But then promise turned to gloom as three wickets fell in three overs.

Left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin was introduced in the 17th over and responded by claiming the wicket of Moore with his second ball, smartly caught at short-leg by Josh Richards after the left-hander edged the ball onto his pad with the fielder throwing out his left hand to claim the catch.

Next over it was the turn of medium-pacer Malusi Siboto to strike, finding the edge of Yaseen Vallie’s bat for wicketkeeper Ryan Rickleton to pouch a simple catch after he seamed the ball away from the right-hander.

Then Fortuin – who clearly has a pivotal role to play on a pitch that is finally showing some signs of wear – struck again in his next over when Kaplan was caught via bat-pad at short-leg, with Richards again the catcher.

Siboto was a useful foil for Fortuin, bowling seven overs for eight runs and the wicket of Vallie.

Verreynne led the Province counter-attack after tea, sweeping Fortuin for fours and driving Yusuf through the covers with typical abandon.

But then the weather intervened, allowing only three more overs and a single run before the final decision to go off.

POTGIETER PUNISHES WP

It was something of a wonder that the Lions were able to set such a challenging total for the visitors after such a poor start to the match when they collapsed to 35 for five on the first morning.

For that they owed a great deal to their allrounder, Delano Potgieter, who struck a career-best undefeated 155, his fourth first-class century made in the toughest of circumstances.

Potgieter may well have not played in this match at all, but an injury to a teammate dictated otherwise and the allrounder took his chance with aplomb.

The left-hander not only struck 81 and 155* in his two knocks but he also took two wickets in Province’s first innings.

🦁 A stellar First-Class 💯 from our No.66 when it mattered most. #BePartOfIt #WozaNawe #LionsCricket #ThePrideOfJozi pic.twitter.com/1BMSgGyZRv

— DP World Lions (@LionsCricketSA) March 2, 2024

Resuming on their overnight total of 282 for eight, Potgieter and Codi Yusuf looked comfortable from the first ball against a lacklustre Province attack.

The pair stretched their ninth-wicket partnership from 37 to 118 off 176 balls before left-arm spinner Kyle Simmonds took his only wicket of the match, getting one to turn sharply away from the right-handed Yusuf who edged a low catch to Gavin Kaplan at slip.

Yusuf, who struck a useful 34 in the Lions’ first innings, repeated the dose with his valuable 46 in 91 balls, including six fours.

Last man Siboto kept Potgieter steady company for 64 more balls, requiring the extra half-hour to be taken at 12pm, before Mthiwekhaya Nabe managed to trap him leg before for six.

He had also played his part in the Lions’ revival, helping Potgieter to add a further 31 for the last wicket. In all, the last four Lions’ wickets added 283 runs.

As for Potgieter, he was the last man standing for the Lions at the end of a truly epic innings of 155 in 244 balls, including 18 fours and a six in a stay of more than six hours.

He remained calm and clinical throughout his innings, trusting his partners to support him and playing normal cricket. His concentration levels never wavered and he drove efficiently through the offside and hooked and pulled with security.

Nabe was the most successful of the Province bowlers, taking 4-90 in 25.2 overs, but Dane Paterson was the best, claiming 3-72 in 30 overs to go with his 5-31 in the Lions’ first innings.

LIONS: Joshua Richards, Dominic Hendricks (capt), Zubayr Hamza, Temba Bavuma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Delano Potgieter, Bjorn Fortuin, Codi Yusuf, Malusi Siboto, Tshepo Moreki

WESTERN PROVINCE: Tony de Zorzi, Edward Moore, Yaseen Vallie, Gavin Kaplan, Kyle Verreynne (capt, wk), Daniel Smith, Mihlali Mpongwana, Kyle Simmonds, Beuran Hendricks, Dane Paterson, Mthiwekhaya Nabe