DAY 3:Late wickets give Lions the edge at close on day three

Three late wickets may have just given the DP World Lions the edge heading into the final days play, after World Sports Betting Western Province reached the close on day three on 88/3 in their second innings, chasing 317 to win their CSA 4-Day match at DP World Wanderers on Saturday.

The visitors still need another 229 runs to win on Sundays final day, and they will need opener Eddie Moore (34no) to kick onto a big score if they are to stand a chance.

It was an action packed third day that saw Province bowled out for 208 early in the morning session, in response to the Lions first innings score of 403/6 declared, giving the hosts a handy 195-run lead.

But a stunning response from the visiting bowling attack reduced the hosts to 44/8 in their second innings, before Delano Potgieter led a late innings recovery that got them to 121 all out at tea, setting Province a target of 317 to win.

It was a strong start to their chase in the final session as Jonathan Bird (38) and Moore shared 75 runs for the first wicket, and just as they looked like they would end the day on top, a flurry of wickets saw the Lions arguably get their noses in front.

Tshepo Moreki got the breakthrough, having Bird caught behind by keeper Connor Esterhuizen, before bowling Yaseen Vallie (1) in his next over as Province slipped to 77/2.

Bjorn Fortuin then got in on the action, trapping Daniel Smith (2) LBW, leaving Province in a spot of bother on 81/3, before Moore and Bongi Mfunelwa (4no) took them to the end of play.

In the post lunch session Potgieter scored 54 off 112 balls (8x4), while immense credit has to go to number 10 batter Moreki, 23 off 116 (2x4), as they shared in a superb 77-run ninth wicket partnership.

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.

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

Province bowlers Mthiwekhaya Nabe, 3/37, Jody Lawrence, 2/28, and Mihlali Mpongwana, 2/12, were in top form 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 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, 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.

Fortuin was caught by 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