Cape Town - David Bedingham’s second franchise century upstaged a career-best 4-Day Franchise Series score by Keegan Petersen as the Cape Cobras took control after two days of battle against the Knights in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
The visitors reached stumps on 249 for four at the halfway stage of the game, 70 runs behind the home sides’ 319 all out earlier in the day.
Rookie Bedingham, playing in his maiden four-day season, was not out on 107 (210 balls, 8 fours, 3 sixes), also his best score at this level.
Earlier, it was Petersen who continued his gutsy innings by moving from his overnight 126 to end on 161 (286 balls, 21 fours) at the Mangaung Oval.
It capped a remarkable recovery for the Central Franchise after they had slipped to three for three at the start of the match on day one.
They resumed day two on 241 for eight and added 78 for the final two wickets thanks to Petersen, Tshepo Ntuli (22) and Zakhele Qwabe (21).
The latter was run out, before Petersen was last man out to Mthiwekhaya Nabe (2/40), with Dane Paterson (3/69) finishing as the pick of the bowlers.
Similar to the Knights, the log-leading Cobras also made a poor start after Shadley van Schalkwyk’s (2/23) double left them on four for two.
Another strike by Thandolwethu Mnyaka (1/60) left them in further strife on 35 for three, but a fine 162-run fourth wicket stand between Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne, who made 89 (150 balls, 12 fours), wrestled control completely back in favour of the visiting side.
Even though the young wicketkeeper fell 11 shy of his century, Jason Smith (29 not out) helped share an unbroken 52-run fifth wicket stand that took the Cape side to the close in control.
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