DAY 3: Western Province stunningly fightback at lunch

World Sports Betting Western Province produced a stunning fightback with the ball to get themselves back into the game after they reduced the DP World Lions to 45/8 in their second innings at lunch on day three of their CSA 4-Day clash at DP World Wanderers on Saturday.

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

The hosts thus started their second innings with a healthy lead of 195-runs, but that is where everything fell apart.

Western Province bowlers Mthiwekhaya Nabe, 3/15, Jody Lawrence, 2/6, and Mihlali Mpongwana, 2/9, tore through the Lions batting order, with them now only ahead by 240 runs, which is not a guaranteed winning target by any means.

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 Codi Yusuf was bowled by Mpongwana for a 10-ball duck, with the Lions crashing to 44/8.

Delano Potgieter (6no) and Tshepo Moreki, who is yet to score, now have the unenviable task of trying to get as many runs as possible in the early afternoon session to try get them to a stronger total.

In the morning Western 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