Six Gun Grill Western Province edged into the lead, reaching the close of play on 142/4 on day three of their CSA Four Day series clash, but hosts the Gbets Rocks were still in charge at Boland Park in Paarl on Friday afternoon.
Province led by just 17 runs in their second innings, after the Rocks were bowled out earlier in the day for 480 in their first innings in response to the visitors' first-innings score of 355 all out.
An interesting final day's play is thus in store as the Rocks will be pushing for early wickets on Saturday morning to make sure they have an easy chase, while Province will be desperate to bat themselves to a possible draw.
In the final session of play Province resumed their second innings on 32/0 but were immediately set back when Jonathan Bird (18) edged behind to keeper Clyde Fortuin off the bowling of Hardus Viljoen.
It started a regular procession of batsmen getting starts and then falling as opener Eddie Moore (59no) stood strong with a defiant half century.
But at the other end Mohammad Vallie (12) was bowled by Shaun von Berg, Valentine Kitime (17) was caught by Janneman Malan off the bowling of Achille Cloete and Daniel Smith (11) was bowled by Viljoen as they slipped to 114/4.
George Linde (12no) and Moore took them to the close with an unbeaten 38-run stand and will hope to build on it on the fourth morning.
In the post lunch session the Rocks resumed their first innings on 413/7 but immediately lost Viljoen (13), trapped LBW by Mihlali Mpongwana as they slipped to 414/8.
The tail, however, wagged nicely as the final two wickets managed to add 66 runs to give them a solid 125-run lead when they were finally bowled all out for 480.
No 9 batsman Glenton Stuurman (32no), shared in a 37-run stand with number 10 Siyabonga Mahima (20), when he was caught by Vallie off the bowling of Mthiwekhaya Nabe, and a 29-run stand with number 11 Cloete (13), who was caught by Kyle Simmonds off Bird.
Mpongwana, 3-46, was by far the pick of the bowlers while Beuran Hendricks, 2-69, and Simmonds, 2-117, also contributed.
Province then got off to a decent start in their second innings as Moore and Bird took them to tea without losing a wicket.
At the start of the day the Rocks resumed their first innings on 338/5, just short of Province’s first innings score of 355 all out, and duly moved past it as Michael Copeland (86) and Von Berg (83) continued their impressive sixth wicket stand.
Having extended their partnership to 169-runs Copeland became the first wicket of the session, caught by Smith off the bowling of Dane Paterson with the score 387/6.
Von Berg and Viljoen were looking to take their side to lunch without further trouble, but with an over and a half to the break Von Berg was caught by Smith off the bowling of Mpongwana as they slipped to 412/7, before reaching lunch with a 58-run lead.
GBETS ROCKS: Janneman Malan, Pieter Malan (capt), Stiaan van Zyl, Clyde Fortuin (wk), Aviwe Mgijima, Michael Copeland, Shaun von Berg, Hardus Viljoen, Siyabonga Mahima, Glenton Stuurman, Achille Cloete
SIX GUN GRILL WESTERN PROVINCE: Eddie Moore, Jonathan Bird, Daniel Smith (wk), Yaseen Vallie, Valentine Kitime, George Linde, Kyle Simmonds, Mihlali Mpongwana, Beuran Hendricks (capt), Dane Paterson, Mthiwekhaya Nabe