Tiny glimmer of hope for Cobras
FOURTH WICKET STAND: AMLA, ONTONG PUT ON 246
Batting pair Elgar, Markram show their class as first Test against Bangladesh looms.
It was always going to be a stiff task for the Cape Cobras to save their Sunfoil Series game against the Knights in Bloemfontein after they surrendered a 464-run first-innings lead, but a superb partnership between Hashim Amla and Justin Ontong has given them some hope going into today’s final day.
The defending champion Knights posted a mammoth 623 for four declared, their highest ever score, thanks to Rudi Second and Werner Coetsee adding unbeaten hundreds to the centuries Keegan Petersen (141) and Theunis de Bruyn (195) scored on the second day.
When the Cobras then slumped to 58 for three, wrist-spinner Eddie Leie dismissing Temba Bavuma first ball, the match seemed to be heading one way fast.
But Amla showed great determination as he scored 121 not out off 207 balls and, with the evergreen 37-year-old Ontong powering his way to 124 not out in just four hours, the pair of internationals put on an unbroken 246 for the fourth wicket, lifting the Cobras to 304 for three at stumps.
The visitors go into the final day still 160 runs behind, but with seven wickets remaining and, knowing Amla’s ability to go really big, they have a chance to go back to Cape Town having salvaged an unlikely draw.
At Centurion, Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram showed that, locally, there is nobody to beat their first-wicket partnership as they put on 184 for the first wicket in the Titans’ second innings, surely sealing their selection as the Proteas opening pair for the first Test against Bangladesh next week.
With the comfort of a 134-run first-innings lead after Malusi Siboto’s five for 51 bowled the Dolphins out for 317, the Titans plundered 295 for four declared in just 51-and-a-half overs in their second innings, Elgar helping himself to 139 and Markram scoring a classy run-a-ball 87.
Trying to stare down a target of 430, the Dolphins had crashed to 27 for three by stumps, Morne Morkel taking two wickets in the final over of the day.
At the Wanderers, Wiaan Mulder (79), Nicky van den Bergh (58) and Reeza Hendricks (58) scored half-centuries as the Highveld Lions made 348 in their first innings and then reduced the Warriors to 94 for three at stumps.
But the Warriors had a big 155run lead on first innings and 249 runs ahead going into the final day, they hold most of the aces.