DAY 3: Potgieter leads Lions recovery as they set Province 316 to win

A fantastic battling half century from Delano Potgieter pulled the DP World Lions back from the brink as he helped them set World Sports Betting Western Province 316 to win their CSA 4-Day Series match at tea on day three at DP World Wanderers on Saturday.

After batting first and declaring their first innings on 403/6 and then bowling out Western Province 208 in theirs, the hosts found themselves in big trouble after being reduced to 44/8 before Potgieter’s heroics led them to 121 all out in their second innings on the stroke of tea.

Potgieter was eventually out for 54 off 112 balls (8x4), and immense credit has to go to number 10 batter Tshepo Moreki, 23 off 116 (2x4), as they shared in a superb 77-run ninth wicket partnership, to give their bowlers a decent target to defend.

Having resumed after lunch on 45/8, it was an early afternoon session of pure graft from the two batters, as combined to take their side past the 50 and 100 run marks.

However just as they looked like they would survive to tea without losing a wicket, Kyle Simmonds had Potgieter out LBW and George Linde had Moreki caught, to end the innings, with Province now hoping to get off to a good start in in chasing down the target.

In the morning session Western Province produced a stunning fightback with the ball after they conceded a first innings deficit of 195-runs.

The visitors looked to be well behind the eight ball when they were bowled out in the morning for 208, in response to the Lions 403/6 declared in their first innings.

But Province bowlers Mthiwekhaya Nabe, 3/37, Jody Lawrence, 2/28, and Mihlali Mpongwana, 2/12, had other ideas as they tore through the Lions batting order.

The carnage began in the third over when first innings centurion and captain Dominic Hendricks (2) edged Mpongwana to keeper Daniel Smith, followed by Muhammad Manack (3) being run out at the end of the over, leaving them on 13/2.

Zubayr Hamza (5) was bowled by Lawrence in the ninth over, with the score 27/3, but it only got worse for the Lions as they then lost five wickets for just eight runs heading into the lunch break.

Joshua Richards (12) was pinned LBW by Lawrence, Connor Esterhuizen edged Nabe to Smith for a six-ball duck and Khaya Fakude (10) was also out LBW, to Nabe, as they tumbled to 39/6.

Bjorn Fortuin was caught by Kyle Simmonds off Nabe for a third-ball duck, and Yusuf was bowled by Mpongwana for a 10-ball duck, with the Lions crashing to 44/8, before reaching lunch with a lead of 240.

In the morning Province started the day in deep trouble on 174/8, trailing the Lions first innings score by 229-runs, and after adding just six to the overnight score, Nabe (10) was trapped LBW by Lutho Sipamla.

Onke Nyaku (38) was then able to get his team over the 200-run mark, thanks to last man Lawrence striking three fours and a six in his unbeaten 18 off 12 balls, with Nyaku the final wicket, caught by Fakude off the bowling of Yusuf.

Yusuf ended as the Lions best bowler with top figures of 5/71, while Moreki, 2/48, and Sipamla, 2/49, backed him up well.

DP WORLD LIONS: Joshua Richards, Dominic Hendricks (capt), Muhammad Manack, Zubayr Hamza, Khaya Fakude, Connor Esterhuizen (wk), Delano Potgieter, Bjorn Fortuin, Codi Yusuf, Tshepo Moreki, Lutho Sipamla

WORLD SPORTS BETTING WESTERN PROVINCE: Edward Moore, Jonothan Bird, Yaseen Vallie, Daniel Smith (wk), Bongi Mfunelwa, George Linde (capt), Mihlali Mpongwana, Onke Nyaku, Kyle Simmonds, Mthiwekhaya Nabe, Jody Lawrence