Cobras middle-order dangermen Mark Boucher and JP Duminy shared 176 runs for the fourth wicket on Saturday, paving the way to a 170-run lead, with two wickets remaining in their SuperSport Series match against the Knights in Cape Town.
The middle-order pair walked out in the morning with the home side on 118/3, and put on a defiant partnership before Quinton Friend had Duminy trapped lbw for 104 runs just before lunch.
Boucher stuck around for another session but was sent packing when Friend clipped his leg stump for 131.
Seamer Johann Louw, on the verge of his second first-class century, was unbeaten on 96, and with JP Bothma on 23, the stubborn tail carried the Cobras to 515 for eight at the close of play.
Hashim Amla and Cody Chetty fell narrowly short of centuries as the Dolphins strode into a first-innings lead against the Highveld Lions in Durban on Saturday.
Amla and 20-year-old Chetty both made 93 runs as the home side reached 477/6 at stumps to take a 59-run lead into the final day of their SuperSport Series match.
The Proteas' vice-captain resumed with David Miller in the morning at 198/3, and after Miller was removed for 22, Chetty combined with Amla in a 98-run stand for the fifth wicket.
Amla was dismissed when Chris Morris had him caught behind after lunch, and Chetty was run out by Jonathan Vandiar in the final session.
Wicketkeeper Daryn Smit was 40 not out and Kyle Abbott unbeaten on 23.
Morris took 4/84 to remove most of the Dolphins' top order, but the visiting attack struggled to contain them in a high-scoring encounter.
The match between the Warriors and the Titans was abandoned without a ball bowled in East London on Saturday.
With no play possible for the third straight day, due to rain, officials called off the game.
The Titans topped the table ahead of the penultimate round of matches, but with no result at Buffalo Park, their title charge took a major knock.
The Warriors, second last in the standings, were in danger of falling to the bottom of the table. – Sapa