Hashim Amla brought all his international experience to bear, striking an unbeaten 77 for the Dolphins in their SuperSport cricket match against the Highveld Lions at the Wanderers on Friday.
When bad light brought a premature end to the proceedings with 15 overs still to be completed, the Dolphins were 212 for two, trailing the hosts by 147 runs, with Vaughn van Jaarsveld on 18.
Amla looked in good touch throughout, making the bowlers pay for every wayward delivery, striking nine boundaries and a massive six launched over cow-corner in his innings.
The visitors started off with Imran Khan and Divan van Wyk putting on 67 for the first-wicket.
Khan was eventually out, playing forward to a Zander de Bruyn delivery and was trapped in front.
The opener's dismissal brought Amla to the crease and with Van Wyk put on a 170-ball 123 for the second-wicket.
The players kept pace with each other, rotating the strike and giving the bowlers little time to settle.
Craig Alexander made the breakthrough claiming the wicket of Van Wyk for 72, caught at third man by Ethan O'Reilly.
Earlier, the Lions resumed with an overnight score of 277 for four, adding seven runs before Zander de Bruyn nudged a Robbie Frylinck delivery to Van Jaarsveld at second-slip, in the second over of the day.
Frylinck also accounted for the wickets of Shane Burger and Craig Alexander, to finish with career best figures of 26.5-8-52-6.
Alviro Petersen was, at times, masterful. The manner of his dismissal, therefore, after a sojourn that lasted a tad under eight hours, was all the more surprising.
He made no attempt to keep the ball down and succeeded in only edging Freidel de Wet to Van Jaarsveld at second-slip.
However, he had found the ropes on 16 occasions and cleared them once in his 186 ball innings.
The only other bowler to get among the wickets was the Protea's leggie Imran Tahir who proved to be expensive, but took three for 122. – Sapa