DAY 3: Fortuin bats Lions back into the match with a brilliant century

Bjorn Fortuin scored an outstanding century as he batted the DP World Lions to 374/7 on the third day of their CSA 4-Day Series match against the Renault Potchefstroom North West Dragons at the JB Marks Oval on Saturday.

The Lions trail the Dragons by 51 runs with three wickets in hand. They are replying to the Dragons' first-innings score of 425/6d. At stumps, they had Fortuin (111*) and Codi Yusuf (18*) at the crease.

Fortuin faced 115 deliveries for his seventh first-class century. This is his second century in two weeks. The 30-year-old is enjoying a couple of fruitful weeks with the bat. Last week, Fortuin scored an imperious 96-ball 116 as he singlehandedly laid the foundation for the Lions' victory over the Multiply Titans. In this innings, when Fortuin arrived at the crease, the Lions were on 158/6 and in need of runs to close the gap between the two sides.

Fortuin resurrected the visitors' innings with a potentially match-saving 192-run seventh-wicket partnership with Connor Esterhuizen. The 23-year-old played a more patient innings, compared to Fortuin's positive approach. He patiently worked his way to his maiden first-class half-century, which took him 94 balls to register. Esterhuizen was dismissed for a career-best 83 off 130 deliveries.

Fortuin and Esterhuizen's partnership was built on the foundation laid by Joshua Richards and Wiaan Mulder in the morning session. The Lions duo registered half-centuries in their quest to keep their team in the hunt. Richards faced 76 balls to register his 10th first-class half-ton and Mulder faced 85 deliveries to reach his 15th first-class 50. Richards and Mulder shared a 109-run third-wicket partnership that kept the visitors in the contest.

Ruan de Swardt was the pick of the bowlers for the Dragons with four wickets for 55 runs in 23 overs. This is his third first-class four-wicket haul. The other wicket-takers were Migael Pretorius with two wickets for 97 runs in 21 overs and Achille Cloete with a single wicket for 68 runs in 18 overs.

DRAGONS: Janneman Malan, Matthew Kleinveldt, Lesiba Ngoepe, Raynard van Tonder, Wihan Lubbe (capt), Ruan de Swardt, Taheer Isaacs (wk), Migael Pretorius, Achille Cloete, Odirile Modimokoane, Jaydon Brooker.

DP WORLD LIONS: Joshua Richards, Dominic Hendricks (capt), Zubayr Hamza, Wiaan Mulder, Khaya Fakude, Connor Esterhuizen (wk), Delano Potgieter, Bjorn Fortuin, Codi Yusuf, Tshepo Moreki, Junaid Dawood.