DAY 3 WRAP: Esterhuizen, Potgieter pulverise Dolphins’ bowlers for national record

DP World Lions’ batters Connor Esterhuizen and Delano Potgieter pulverised the Hollywoodbets Dolphins’ bowlers at a steaming Kingsmead, setting a national first-class partnership record of 330 for the seventh wicket on the third day of their CSA 4-Day Series match in Durban on Friday.

The Lions declared their first innings on 619 for seven – an overall lead of 230 and a record total at Kingsmead in the franchise era – leaving the Dolphins eight overs to bat out before the close. Tshepang Dithole and Ramashan Pillay duly achieved this as they made sure they survived into the final day with the Dolphins needing a further 203 to avoid an innings defeat.

Esterhuizen, fresh from his debut century of 175 against Western Province at Newlands last week, struck 27 fours and two sixes in his first double-century, 203, in 332 balls. In all, he batted for a shade under six and a half hours for his runs. He looked well organised, hitting the bad ball with great power. Most importantly perhaps, he looked strong mentally, hungry for runs but prepared to bide his time if necessary.

The powerful Potgieter, well known for his magnificent 155 to help win the 4-Day Series final in 2023 against Western Province, struck his fifth first-class hundred, his highest score to date, finishing on 169 in 238 balls, including 13x4s and 6x6s. Interestingly, Potgieter beat his own national record for the seventh wicket, having established it (301) with Bjorn Fortuin for the Lions against the Warriors in Potchefstroom in 2018/19.

The left-handed Potgieter came to the wicket early in the morning session after nightwatchman Lutho Sipamla, having struck a couple of elegant boundaries, left a delivery from Okuhle Cele that cut back to trim his off stump.

That was the first of only two wickets that the battered Dolphins took the whole day, with the second being that of Esterhuizen, bowled sweeping at Parsons after he had reached his double-ton.

The pair were disciplined and remorseless in their pursuit of runs, punishing the bad balls (of which there were plenty) and defending the good ones. Both men pushed the accelerator pedal in the latter part of the final session as they looked to extend their team’s overall lead as quickly as possible.

The Dolphins’ bowlers learned a hard lesson or two on a flat pitch under a hot sun with the north-east wind blowing in from the sea – a sure sign that it would be a batting day. Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj gained plaudits for bowling an epic 49 overs on an unsympathetic surface, taking 3-105, an indication, at the very least, that he is fit for test cricket.

The remainder of the Dolphins’ bowlers would have gained valuable experience from a very hard day at the coalface, not least the realisation that disciplined line and length is a necessity on flat pitches where easy wickets are not readily available.

SCORES:

Dolphins 389 all out (Dithole 104, Viljoen 63; Potsane 3-72). Lions 619 for seven dec (Esterhuizen 203, Potgieter 169*, Richards 72, Hendricks 55; Maharaj 3-105).