Johannesburg - The Highveld Lions made use of numerous chances to take a 185-run lead in their second innings on day three of the SuperSport Series match against the Dolphins at the Wanderers on Saturday.
The hosts reached 179/5 by the close after they had bowled out the visitors for 353 shortly after lunch. Zander de Bruyn, dropped by part-time wicketkeeper Pierre de Bruyn on 21, was on 36 not out with Thami Tsolekile unbeaten on 25 in an unbroken 43-run stand for the sixth wicket.
Pace bowlers Johann Louw and Jon Kent did well with the new ball, reducing the Lions to 30/3 in the 14th over of the innings, but the visitors were let down by poor fielding with four catches spilled on either side of tea.
Vaughn van Jaarsveld was dropped by Mthokozisi Shezi on 10 and Jonathan Vandiar was given two lives, by Pierre de Bruyn on 31 and Quinton Friend on 33, within five overs before the break.
The pair went on to share 65 runs for the fourth wicket before Shezi made up for his blunder when he had Van Jaarsveld caught behind for 32.
And Friend also made amends when he removed Vandiar for 57 - the teenager’s fifth first-class half-century which included eight boundaries.
Earlier, the majority of the Dolphins’ middle and lower order had made contributions after Ahmed Amla and Jon Kent resumed the visitors’ first innings at 186/4 in the morning session.
The pair added 43 runs for the fifth wicket before Kent was caught behind off Friedel de Wet for 14 in the 10th over of the day, and four overs later Amla joined him in the change rooms when De Wet had him trapped leg-before wicket for 36.
And while the Lions attack picked up wickets at regular intervals, the Dolphins’ tail wagged far longer than they would have liked.
Daryn Smit and Louw shared 53 runs for the eighth wicket, but shortly before the lunch break Louw drove a Pumelela Matshikwe delivery high in the air, with Lions skipper Neil McKenzie making sure of the catch.
McKenzie called early and ran from long-on to long-off to take a sitter despite Monty Panesar already in place for the catch. Louw made 36 from 38 balls with four boundaries and two sixes.
Smit was removed in Matshikwe’s next over and Quinton Friend contributed a quickfire cameo knock, smashing 37 off just 23 deliveries in a half-hour innings that included four boundaries and two successive sixes off De Wet.
The visitors were bowled out when Friend was removed by spinner Werner Coetsee with the fourth delivery after lunch, the Dolphins falling only six runs shy of the Lions’ first innings total.
Matshikwe, making his debut for the Lions, led the attack with a return of 3/82, while De Wet picked up 3/108.