Durban - Imran Tahir took three quick wickets before the Chevrolet Warriors made their way to 179 for seven at stumps on the second day of their SuperSport Series match against the Sunfoil Dolphins at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead in Durban on Friday.

Tahir nabbed three wickets in four balls as the Warriors wobbled to 79 for six but Wayne Parnell and Simon Harmer steadied the innings with an 86-run seventh-wicket partnership.

Leg-spinner Tahir reached the close of play with figures of 3-55 off 27 overs to leave the visitors trailing the home team by 142 runs on the first innings.

The Warriors had been in a spot of bother as they reached 78 for three but their troubles worsened in a hurry as Tahir struck.

The 32-year-old Tahir began his run when he trapped the left-handed Kelly Smuts (32) leg-before with a big leg-spinner before the bowler had Craig Thyssen (0) caught behind off the last ball of the 24th over.

Arno Jacobs (16) blocked out the hat-trick ball but a leading edge sent the next ball looping to Kyle Nipper at mid-off.

Kelly Smuts’s wicket was Tahir’s 600th in first-class cricket in his 144th match.

But Parnell and Harmer dug in before Parnell, after scoring 40 off 67 balls, fell to the part-time off-spin of Imran Khan when the batsman spliced a long-hop to cover.

Harmer clung on to reach the close of play unbeaten on 40 off 141 deliveries.

Harmer had earlier completed a six-wicket haul as the Dolphins were bowled out for 321 half-an-hour before lunch.

Off-spinner Harmer found bounce and turn on a wicket suited to spin as he returned figures of 47-17-94-6.

Harmer began the day as the leading wicket-taker in this year’s SuperSport Series and he completed his second five-wicket haul of the season while he also collected his 100th first-class wicket during his marathon morning spell that saw him bowl unchanged from the start of play until the final wicket fell.

The Dolphins began the day on a promising 269 for five but they lost their first two wickets of the day for the addition of just 19 runs with Harmer having a hand in both dismissals.

The 22-year-old Harmer bowled Nipper (2), making his SuperSport Series debut, around his legs when the left-handed batsman attempted a sweep shot before Robbie Frylinck (4) drove a Harmer delivery to mid-off.

Cody Chetty and Abbott (3) then dug in with a watchful eighth-wicket partnership of 23 in 13.3 overs before seamer Basheer Walters broke the stubborn stand when he had Abbott caught by Prince at first slip to leave the Dolphins on 311 for eight.

Tahir (6) and Mthokozisi Shezi (0) departed in relatively quick succession with Walters bowling Shezi to end with two for 36.

Chetty was left unbeaten on a stubborn 44 off 150 balls.