Off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen claimed 7-61 – and 10 wickets in the match – to help dismiss WSB Western Province for 225 in their second innings midway through the afternoon session on the third day of the CSA 4-Day Series match against the Hollywoodbets Dolphins at Kingsmead in Durban on Friday.
In response, the home side were 88-4 at stumps, still needing 154 runs to secure victory.
However, on a wearing pitch increasingly assisting the spinners, victory beckons for the visitors despite Subrayen's heroics with the ball.
The victory target is a steep one on a wearing pitch that increasingly favours the spinners.
The Dolphins also have a long tail and are highly unlikely to be able to call on the services of Marques Ackerman, who tore a hamstring on Thursday.
They made a bright start to their intimidating task with Sarel Erwee and Tshepang Dithole adopting a positive approach.
Dithole (16) was especially aggressive in the early overs before he pushed forward to Beuran Hendricks and edged behind to wicketkeeper Daniel Smith.
Erwee continued his policy of taking the fight to the bowlers, adding 42 with Slade van Staden before he took one calculated risk too many, top-edging a reverse sweep off George Linde to Mthiwekhaya Nabe at backward point.
The Dolphins’ captain departed for 42 in 77 balls, including five fours.
From a high-water mark of 69 for one before Erwee’s dismissal, the Dolphins quickly lost traction, losing their next two wickets for four runs.
Kyle Simmonds, on the back of his 6-60 in the Dolphins’ first innings, had been introduced into the visitors’ attack as early as the fourth over, and he struck twice more before the close, bowling a gritty Van Staden for 12 and then trapping Sean Whitehead – on loan to the Dolphins from KZN Inland – leg before for a duck.
Only Jason Smith, unbeaten on 16, can really be called a proven batter in the remaining Dolphins’ lineup and the likelihood is that Province will be celebrating a victorious start to their campaign by lunch on Saturday.
INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO WP'S CAUSE
The match had been evenly poised at the start of the day with Province on 65 for four in their second innings, an overall lead of 81.
To win the match the Dolphins would have wanted to wrap up the innings in the first session, particularly after Subrayen had looked consistently dangerous on a pitch that appeared to be giving him considerable assistance the previous evening.
But the danger levels for the batters dipped significantly on a sunny morning as Province opener Jonathan Bird and George Linde negotiated the first hour relatively comfortably against Subrayen at the Umgeni End and a variety of pace bowlers at the other.
The 23-year-old Bird cover-drove Daryn Dupavillon for four and then took a single in the fifth over of the day to record his second first-class half-century.
While Subrayen was at least economical, the pace bowlers – with the exception of Okuhle Cele who had a brief aggressive burst at the Umgeni End – bowled too many boundary balls to maintain pressure.
When the first wicket came in the second hour it was something of a surprise.
Bird (64) stood up to drive Subrayen but the ball held in the pitch and the left-hander chipped the ball to Dupavillon at short extra-cover.
He and Linde had put on an invaluable 75 for the fifth wicket.
Mihlali Mpongwana came and went, making the same mistake as Bird as he drove too early at Subrayen although the bowler needed to cling onto a fine return catch to claim his five-wicket haul.
After lunch, Linde and Simmonds pushed their partnership to 56 before Linde was leg before sweeping at Subrayen.
His 61 (123 balls, 9x4s) was an invaluable contribution for Province – and his second in the match after helping Daniel Smith add 80 in the first innings – as they pushed their overall lead past 200.
Simmonds (35 in 54 balls) also batted well before mistiming a pull off Cele to mid-on, but useful contributions from Hendricks (18*) and Mthiwekhaya Nabe (15) pushed the final total to 225 and an intimidating victory target for the Dolphins.
HOLLYWOODBETS DOLPHINS: Sarel Erwee (capt), Tshepang Dithole (wk), Marques AckermSlade van Staden, Jason Smith, Sean Whitehead, Romashan Pillay, Andile Simelane, Prenelan Subrayen, Daryn Dupavillon, Okuhle Cele
WSB WESTERN PROVINCE: Edward Moore, Jonathan Bird, Valentine Kitime, Daniel Smith (wk), Mihlali Mpongwana, George Linde, Yaseen Vallie, Kyle Simmonds, Beuran Hendricks (capt), Mthiwekhaya Nabe, Wesley Bedja