DAY 4: Lions edge towards win as WP fight on

The DP World Lions edged towards a win over World Sports Betting Western Province in their CSA 4-Day match, after reducing the visitors to 160/6 in their second innings at lunch on the final day at DP World Wanderers in Johannesburg on Sunday.

Province still need another 157 runs to win, and that will likely rest on the shoulders of George Linde (18no) and Onke Nyaku (15no) to build on their unbeaten 21-run seventh wicket partnership in the early afternoon session to try get their side close.

However the hosts should be favourites to see out the win from here, and with Tshepo Moreki, 3/31, leading the bowling effort, he will be targeting a five wicket haul.

Over the game so far the Lions batted first and managed 403/6 declared, with Province responding with 208 all out, before the hosts allowed them back in by being skittled for 121 in their second innings, to set the visitors 317 to win.

Province then reached the close on day three on 88/3, but got off to a bitterly poor start in the final day’s morning session as Bongi Mfunelwa (8) was bowled by Moreki and Eddie Moore (34) was trapped LBW by Codi Yusuf, as they slipped to 92/5.

Linde and Mihlali Mpongwana (25) tried to rebuild with a 47-run sixth wicket stand, before Mpongwana was caught by Zubayr Hamza off the bowling of Lutho Sipamla, leaving them on 139/6.

Linde and Nyaku will now try to give their side a chance in the day’s second session, while the Lions will be aiming to clean things up quickly, and not offer the visitors any opportunity to try and steal the win.

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