Ken Borland

Two South African wickets were on the funeral pyre but captain Dean Elgar was holding firm as the Proteas reached 118/2 at stumps on the third day of the second Test against India at the Wanderers on Wednesday, needing another 122 runs for an unlikely victory.

Elgar had survived for three hours, scoring a typically determined 46 not out as he occupied the crease for 121 deliveries. He will have Rassie van der Dussen, who has dug in for 11 not out, for company on Thursday morning as they look to chase down a target of 240 for a series-levelling victory. Defeat will mean India win a series in South Africa for the first time.

The Proteas skipper shared in two important partnerships at the top of the innings as the home side made the sort of solid start that was absolutely essential as they set off for what would be their third-highest successful run-chase in South Africa.

Aiden Markram looked in fine touch as he breezed to 31 off 38 balls, putting on 47 for the first wicket with Elgar in just 10 overs, before an in-ducker from Shardul Thakur hit him on the back knee and he was given out lbw in the third over after tea. It was the culmination of an impressive over from the paceman who took seven wickets in the first innings.

Keegan Petersen then scored an enterprising 28, adding 46 for the second wicket with Elgar before going right back on to his stumps to a delivery from off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and being trapped lbw.

That delivery turned quite sharply, just to add to the mountain South Africa already have to climb. Puffs of sand are occasionally apparent as the ball lands on the deteriorating pitch and the batsmen have to deal with variable bounce as well as movement, some of it exaggerated if the delivery hits a crack.

India began the day on 85/2, leading by 58, and the Proteas made their life much harder by a woeful bowling performance in the first hour. It allowed Cheteshwar Pujara (53) and Ajinkya Rahane (58) to pile on the runs, the embattled duo regaining form in brave fashion as they added 111 in 105 minutes.

But Kagiso Rabada came with a massive effort after the first drinks break, removing both and taking three wickets in successive overs as he had Rishabh Pant caught behind for a duck, the left-hander foolishly charging down the pitch and trying to the champion fats bowler into the stands.

India made it to 266 and a sizeable lead thanks to Hanuma Vihari wrangling the lower-order and finishing with 40 not out, while Thakur added a quickfire 28.

Lungi Ngidi finished with another three wickets and Marco Jansen added to the mounting excitement over his international career by taking 3/67 to give him seven wickets in the match.

A formidable four-strong Central Gauteng Lions pace attack produced another top-class performance on Sunday as they wrapped up victory by an innings and 72 runs over the North-West Dragons in their CSA Four-Day Domestic Series match at the Wanderers.

Despite a pugnacious 70 not out by captain Nicky van den Bergh, North-West were bowled out for 177 in their second innings. A commanding innings of 159 by Ryan Rickelton had set up a Lions total of 408 after they had dismissed the Dragons for just 159 on the first day.

Duanne Olivier completed a fine return to South African domestic cricket with three for 58 on Sunday, giving him seven wickets in the match, but the chief destroyer in the North-West second innings was Malusi Siboto, who returned outstanding figures of four for 21 in 10.4 overs.

At Centurion, left-arm paceman Marco Jansen showed that he is mature way beyond his years as he produced a brilliant counter-attacking innings with the bat that ensured the Eastern Province Warriors still have a chance of pulling off a thrilling win over the Northerns Titans.

Jansen came in with EP, chasing 236 for victory, on 91 for six, and struck a fabulous 55 off 59 balls.

Together with Lesiba Ngoepe (46*) they lifted EP to 180 for seven when Jansen was bowled by left-arm spinner Neil Brand in the final over of the day with a superb arm-ball.

Junior Dala had ripped through the EP middle-order earlier with two quickfire wickets to put them on the back foot.

But the fact that the Warriors were chasing as much as 236 was thanks to a Northerns innings that just got better and better as it progressed.

Sibonelo Makhanya (74) and Jordan Hermann (62) extended their fifth-wicket partnership to 141 and then Dayyaan Galiem ensured the momentum continued with his 47 off 56 balls.

Corbin Bosch took over from Galiem when he was ninth man out as stroked a confident 40 not out and put on a crucial 43 for the last wicket with Dala, who played sensibly for 42 deliveries.

Mthiwekhaya Nabe was the best of the EP bowlers with four for 89 in 22 overs.

At Newlands, Western Province are in trouble at 186 for seven in their second innings against the KZN Dolphins, still trailing by 34 runs with only a couple of decent batsmen left.

Fast bowler Daryn Dupavillon has taken four for 33 including the wicket of top-scorer Yaseen Vallie, trapped lbw for 76.

Left-arm spinner Bryce Parsons, who took five for 82 in the first innings to bowl Western Province out for 269, enabling KXN to enforce the follow-on, dismissed key batsman David Bedingham for 50.

Wayne Parnell who top-scored with 79 not out in the Western Province first innings, sharing a face-saving 105-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Mihlali Mpongwana (40), is still at the crease of for the hosts.

Janneman Malan, reinventing himself as a middle-order batsman, was the mainstay of the Boland Rocks innings as he scored a composed 139 not out to lead his team to 386 for seven against the Free State Knights in Bloemfontein.

That means the visitors are 66 runs ahead on first innings.

There was some solid top-order batting by Boland as Peter Malan scored 44, Isma-eel Gafieldien 37 and Stiaan van Zyl 48, but Ferisco Adams, who is perpetually and stupidly under-rated as a cricketer, scored 74 not out as he and Janneman Malan put on an unbroken 156 for the eighth wicket.

The Proteas have been swearing blind that they will give their all in the T20 World Cup and they certainly did in the field after their batting failed, but it was still not enough to deny Australia victory in the opening match in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

Having posted just 118 for nine with the bat, South Africa made Australia sweat as they reached their target with five wickets down and only two balls remaining.

Anrich Nortje, save for a short penultimate delivery that Marcus Stoinis swatted away for a crucial boundary in the 19^th over, was outstanding as he took two for 21 in his four overs.

The four other South African bowlers all backed him superbly, but Marcus Stoinis (24* off 16) and Matthew Wade (15* off 10) added 40 off 29 deliveries to see Australia home and fend off a wobble when they lost two wickets for one run in the 15^th and 16^th overs.

Steven Smith top-scored for Australia with 35 off 34 balls before he fell to a wonderful running boundary catch by Aiden Markram off Nortje.

South Africa were sent in to bat and Temba Bavuma made a great start by driving Mitchell Starc through the covers for two boundaries in the first over.

But Bavuma then hung back in his crease to off-spinner Glenn Maxwell in the second over and was bowled for 12 and Josh Hazlewood (4-1-19-2) then struck two major blows by having Rassie van der Dussen caught behind with his first ball and then bowling Quinton de Kock in his next over.

De Kock made just seven and tried to paddle the paceman fine, but edged the ball on to his thigh pad and then it bounced on to his stumps, with the batsman unaware where it was and unable to knock it away.

From 23 for three, the Proteas were indebted to Markram for his 40 off 36 balls, putting away boundary chances with ease, that gave them an almost defendable total.

Heinrich Klaasen (13) and David Miller (16) hung around for a bit, and Kagiso Rabada landed a couple of good blows at the death in his 19 not out.

But with Pat Cummins (4-0-17-1) and leg-spinner Adam Zampa (4-0-21-2) both excelling, there was no let-up in the pressure on the Proteas.

27-year-old Jason Smith is a proper adult in cricketing terms, and his maturity was on full display on Wednesday as he steered the KZN Dolphins to victory in their CSA Provincial T20 Knockout quarterfinal against the Eastern Province Warriors in Kimberley.

KZN were chasing a mediocre total of 128, but paceman Glenton Stuurman (4-0-18-2) imposed himself with the new ball as they crashed to 33-4 after seven overs.

But Smith then came to the wicket and, striking the ball cleanly for three fours and three sixes, but also working the gaps really cleverly, struck 60 not out (41) to ensure a win for KZN by six wickets with four balls left.

Keegan Petersen weathered the early storm, batting through to score 38*.

EP in the end did well to post 127-9 after they had chosen to bat first and slumped to 8-3 in the first three overs as Daryn Dupavillon produced a fiery display of fast bowling, ending with explosive figures of 4- 18.

He wasn’t threatening to send anyone to hospital, but he targeted the stumps superbly, dismissing both openers, Lubbe (lbw) and Breetzke (bowled) for first-ball ducks and then having Smuts caught behind off an inside edge.

The Warriors were rescued by Diego Rosier’s composed 51 off 41 balls and a patient 28 by Sinethemba Qeshile.

Young Duan Jansen was the star of the show as the North-West Dragons snatched victory by three runs over the Boland Rocks in their quarterfinal.

Excellent bowling by Boland, especially spinners Manack and Mahima, reduced North-West to 104 for five in the 14^th over with the dismissal of opener Eben Botha for 41 (34).

Lesego Senokwane (40 off 31) was then run out brilliantly by wicketkeeper Clyde Fortuin, but Jansen lifted the Dragons to 156-8 with some hearty blows, slamming 27 off 21 balls.

Brothers Janneman (74* off 56) and Pieter Malan (46 off 38) had Boland well on track though with their opening stand of 108 in 12.5 overs.

But impressive 18-year-old spinner Caleb Seleka (4-0-25-2) removed Proteas Pieter Malan and Christiaan Jonker in successive overs and Jansen dismissed the dangerous Fortuin.

Nevertheless Jansen only had nine runs to defend in the final over. But Adams (21 off 13) stupidly ran himself out, wicketkeeper Nicky van den Bergh doing great work, and Janneman Malan failed to make contact with a couple of shots and in the end Jansen (4-0-19-2) conceded just five runs off the last over.