A career-best 186 by Sinethemba Qeshile and a maiden Tiaan Van Vuuren ton gave South Africa A a chance for pushing for a result on the final day of their second four-day match against New Zealand A at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old wicketkeeper struck 25 fours and four sixes in a brisk innings that easily beat his previous best first-class score of 124* and took his side to a first innings total of 578 for eight declared.
Allrounder Van Vuuren too played his role with an excellent four-day best score of 120, which came off only 115 balls and included 10 fours and seven sixes.
That gave the home side a lead of 96 over the tourists, who then managed to negotiate 10 overs late in the day without loss as they reached stumps on 23 for none – still trailing by 73.
The South Africans will be pushing for a win as they look to square the series in what is the final match of the tour.
But they will no doubt take confidence from what unfolded on day three where they dominated with the bat and enjoyed one of the best days of the tour yet.
They started out the day on 159 for two with Lesego Senokwane unbeaten on 65 and captain Marques Ackerman with him, their third-wicket stand unbroken on 71 at that stage.
However, the two managed just 17 more before trouble struck when the Senokwane (70) was trapped leg before wicket by Adithya Ashok (3/173).
New man Jason Smith (7) lasted 12 balls as he perished to the same bowler, leaving the total on 192 for four.
Ackerman eventually fell for an attacking half-century, bowled by Jayden Lennox (2/144) for 83 off 93 balls (10 fours).
More trouble loomed when the South Africans lost their sixth wicket, Mihlali Mpongwana out for nine, with the total on 277, before Qeshile and Van Vuuren put together their outstanding stand.
The two put together exactly 250 for the seventh wicket to take their side to 527 before the former was dismissed. The hosts kept going until the latter too fell in search of quick runs, with the declaration following.
Joe Carter (23*) and Rhys Mariu (0*) then batted out the last part of the day to take the day to the close.
SOUTH AFRICA A FOUR-DAY SQUAD AGAINST NEW ZEALAND A
Marques Ackerman (captain, Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Okuhle Cele (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Gerald Coetzee (Momentum Multiply Titans), Schalk Engelbrecht (Momentum Multiply Titans), Zubayr Hamza (DP World Lions), Jordan Hermann (Dafabet Warriors), Tristan Luus (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Rivaldo Moonsamy (Momentum Multiply Titans), Tshepo Moreki (World Sports Betting Western Province), Mihlali Mpongwana (World Sports Betting Western Province), Tsepo Ndwandwa (Momentum Multiply Titans), Sinethemba Qeshile (Dafabet Warriors), Lesego Senokwane (Momentum Multiply Titans), Lutho Sipamla (DP World Lions), Jason Smith (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), and Codi Yusuf (DP World Lions).
FOUR-DAY MATCHES
07 - 10 September at 10am
South Africa A lost to New Zealand A by 185 runs - JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom
14 - 17 September at 10am
South Africa A v New Zealand A - Willowmoore Park, Benoni