DAY 4: Lions in charge against Titans at lunch on final day

The DP World Lions were in charge at lunch on the final day of their CSA 4-Day match against the Momentum Multiply Titans after they reduced the visitors to 36 for three in their chase of 310 to win the game at DP World Wanderers on Friday.

After the Lions were bowled out for 316 in their first innings, the Titans responded with 302 all out in theirs, followed by the hosts finding themselves in huge strife at four for four in their second innings. A brilliant Bjorn Fortuin century helped them fight back to the close on day three on 239 for eight.

At the start of play on day four, Delano Potgieter (40) and Tshepo Moreki (22no) resumed their second innings and took their team past 250.

They extended their ninth wicket stand to 43 runs before Potgieter was caught by Dewald Brevis off the bowling of Merrick Brett, leaving them on 282 for nine.

Last man Lutho Sipamla (6no) and Moreki added another 13 runs to the score before Lions captain Dominic Hendricks waved them in to declare on 295 for nine.

The Titans chase then got off to a disastrous start as opener Joshua van Heerden, who struck a gritty half-century in the first innings, was trapped LBW for a duck at the end of the second over by Potgieter.

Captain Neil Brand then fell for an 11-ball duck, edging Codi Yusuf to keeper Connor Esterhuizen towards the end of the third over, leaving the Titans two wickets down with no runs on the board.

Dewald Brevis (6) was also out to the Yusuf-Esterhuizen combination in the seventh over, leaving the Titans in big trouble on 16 for three.

However, Keegan Petersen (15no) and Jedhli van Briesies (13no) managed to get their side to lunch without losing another wicket, and they will resume in the afternoon looking to build a big partnership with them still needing 274 runs to win the match.

DP WORLD LIONS: Dominic Hendricks (capt), Joshua Richards, Zubayr Hamza, Mitchell van Buuren, Khaya Fakuda, Connor Esterhuizen (wk), Delano Potgieter, Bjorn Fortuin, Codi Yusuf, Tshepo Moreki, Lutho Sipamla.

MOMENTUM MULTIPLY TITANS: Neil Brand (capt), Rivaldo Moonsamy (wk), Keegan Petersen, Dewald Brevis, Josh van Heerden, Jhedli van Briesies, Dayyaan Galiem, Andile Phehlukwayo, Corbin Bosch, Merrick Brett, Tsepo Ndwandwa