DAY 4: Lions on the brink of win over Titans at tea on final day

The DP World Lions were on the brink of a big win over the Momentum Multiply Titans at tea on the final day of their CSA 4-Day match, after they reduced the visitors to 128 for eight in their second innings, still needing 182 runs to win the game at the 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.

The Lions then worked their way to 295 for nine declared during the morning session on day four, setting the Titans 310 to win, before reducing them to 36 for three at lunch.

Resuming after the break, Keegan Petersen (27) and Jhedli van Briesies initially looked solid as they extended their fourth-wicket partnership to 54 runs before Fortuin pinned Van Briesies in front to reduce them to 70 for four.

Rivaldo Moonsamy (19) dominated a 21-run stand with Petersen, with both then falling in successive balls. Moonsamy was first caught behind by keeper Connor Esterhuizen off the bowling of Tshepo Moreki, while Petersen also edged to Esterhuizen off the bowling of Codi Yusuf as they slipped to 91 for six.

First-innings heroes Andile Phehlukwayo (16) and Corbin Bosch (19no) then came together, but couldn’t replicate their century first-innings partnership, as they could only combine for 33 before Phehlukwayo was caught by Zubayr Hamza off Yusuf.

New batter Merrick Brett only lasted three balls before edging Yusuf to captain Dominic Hendricks at slip with the score 128 for eight, leaving Bosch and Dayyaan Galiem, who is yet to score, at the crease to resume in the day's final session.

EARLIER IN THE DAY

In the morning session, Delano Potgieter (40) and Tshepo Moreki (22no) resumed the Lions' second innings and took their team past 250.

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

Last man Lutho Sipamla (6no) and Moreki added another 13 to the score before Hendricks waved them in to declare their innings with a big lead of 310.

The Titans' chase 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 fell for an 11-ball duck, edging Yusuf to keeper Esterhuizen towards the end of the third over, leaving the Titans two wickets down with no runs on the board.

Brevis (6) was also out to the Yusuf-Esterhuizen combination in the seventh over, left the Titans in big trouble on 16 for three, with Petersen and Van Briesies taking them to lunch.

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