Dane Vilas and Robin Peterson romped to a record 257-run stand for the eighth wicket as the Cape Cobras stormed clear of the Knights on day two of their SuperSport Series match in Kimberley on Friday.
The visitors held a 214-run first innings lead after they were dismissed for 432 at stumps.
In reply to the Knights' 218 first innings effort, the Cobras were in trouble at 136/7 before Vilas and Peterson combined in a magnificent recovery effort.
Their partnership was the highest eighth-wicket stand in a first-class match in South Africa, and the ninth highest in the history of first-class cricket.
Peterson was eventually removed by Johan van der Wath shortly before the close of play.
The tail-ender faced 152 balls for his 97, falling only three runs short of his seventh career century.
Vilas stood firm until the very end, smashing his eighth first-class ton, but was the last man to fall for 187 after facing 198 deliveries.
The 26-year-old wicketkeeper, who took six catches on the first day of the match, spent nearly five hours at the crease.
Van der Wath took three for 88 to spearhead the Knights' bowling attack and fellow seamer Quinton Friend, who did well to put pressure on the Cobras top order, bagged three for 96.
Meanwhile, in Benoni, a superb display from all-rounders Albie Morkel and Faf du Plessis put the Titans in the driving seat against the Warriors.
Morkel scored an unbeaten century before bagging three wickets as the hosts restricted the Warriors to 264 all out in the first innings, leaving them trailing by 129 runs.
The Titans had resumed their first innings at 258/6 in the morning session.
Morkel, on 44 overnight, carried his form as he hit 127 runs off 133 balls before he ran out of partners.
Seam bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe led the Warriors attack, bagging four for 90 after doing the early work on day one.
He was well backed by Lyall Meyer and Andrew Birch who picked up two scalps each as they cleaned up the tail, bowling the Titans out for 393 runs.
Morkel, who took three for 33, and Du Plessis, who bagged four for 65, then shone with the ball as the Warriors struggled to form solid partnerships in their first innings.
Opener Michael Price (76) and JJ Smuts (64) put up the only real resistance as they shared 113 runs for the third wicket before they were removed by Du Plessis, who had also made a ton on the first day, and Morkel respectively.
The Titans returned for their second innings but Lonwabo Tsotsobe delivered only one ball before stumps were drawn. – Sapa