DAY 2: Lions take charge of 4-Day game against Titans at tea

The DP World Lions firmly took charge of their CSA 4-Day series match against the Momentum Multiply Titans as they reduced the visitors to 103/5 in their first innings at tea, in response to the hosts 316 all out, on day two at DP World Wanderers on Wednesday.

After the Titans bowled the Lions out in the morning session, they reached lunch in a decent position on 31/0, only to then struggle in a disastrous early afternoon session where they lost five wickets.

In the first over after the lunch break opener Neil Brand looked to pick up where he left off, hitting Lutho Sipamla for two boundaries, but the bowler got his revenge as he pinned the Titans captain LBW, which sparked a collapse of four wickets for 17 runs.

Keegan Petersen (4) was also trapped LBW by Sipamla, trying to leave a ball that jagged back in and thudded into his pads.

Dewald Brevis (5) had a rush of blood to his head and got caught at square leg trying to pull Tshepo Moreki, and Jhedli van Briesies (4) was caught behind by keeper Connor Esterhuizen off the bowling of Delano Potgieter, which saw them crash to 56/4.

Opener Joshua van Heerden (30*), who had been watching the carnage from the other end, finally received a willing partner in Rivaldo Moonsamy (22) and they looked to rebuild with a 47-run fifth wicket partnership.

But as they were nearing the tea break, Codi Yusuf got one past Moonsamy’s defences to bowl him, leaving Andile Phehlukwayo, who is yet to score, and Van Heerden to pick up the pieces in the day's final session.

In the morning session the Lions were bowled out in their first innings, followed by the Titans making their way to lunch unscathed.

At the start of play the Lions resumed their first innings on 257/7 and would have been targeting a score in excess of 300, but it looked like they might not be able to do that after their last recognised batter, Esterhuizen (45) was run out by Van Heerden leaving them on 281/8.

However No 9 batter Yusuf put in a superb lower order shift, hitting seven fours in scoring 44 off 61 balls, as he boosted his side over the 300-run mark.

He shared in a 13-run ninth wicket stand with Moreki (3), before he was trapped LBW by Tsepo Ndwandwa, and a 22-run last wicket stand with Sipamla (6no), before Yusuf was last man out, edging Brevis to wicketkeeper Moonsamy.

Corbin Bosch ended the innings as the Titans most successful bowler picking up 4/71, while Ndwandwa backed him up well with 3/73.

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