The Highveld Lions’ drive for a desperately needed victory in the Sunfoil Series stalled when bad light cut short the day with the Dolphins on 71-3.
They are still 445 runs behind the Lions, who declared their innings at 516-5, thanks to a well-measured 167 from Dominic Hendricks. He had picked up the running after the departure of Rassie van der Dussen for 135 on Friday, and he got great support from Temba Bavuma, who fell just six runs short of what would have been his 13th first-class ton.
Hendricks faced 304 balls, striking 19 fours and a six, which gave the Lions a solid base.
They have picked 4.58 bonus batting points and one bowling point so far as they try to make up a deficit of almost eight points on the Titans.
Dean Elgar helped the log-leading Titans regain their grip on the Warriors, with an excellent innings of 130 off 210 balls (17×4, 1×6), ably assisted by Qaasim Adams, who ran up an even more emphatic 167, off 262 balls (21×4). It was those innings which enabled to Titans to overtake the Warriors’ first offering of 282 by 117 runs.
The Titans had stumbled to 72-3 at the close on Friday. Elgar, on 34 overnight, soon lost his nightwatchman, Marchant de Lange, but his job was done and Adams was able to settle in for a partnership worth 176.
By the close, the Warriors were 17-1, 100 runs behind.
In Bloemfontein, the Cobras hopes of taking control were thwarted by a stubborn Werner Coetsee, who scored his seventh first-class hundred in a Knights innings which has so far accumulated 255-7. Shadley van Schalkwyk’s 35 was next-best score as they put 87 for the seventh wicket. Dane Piedt was the pick of the bowlers, taking three for 85.
Dolphins v Highveld Lions scoreboard
