South Africa A moved into a strong position heading into the final day of the opening four-day match against the England Lions in Arundel, thanks to an unbeaten half-century from Lesego Senokwane and a composed partnership with Jordan Hermann.
Chasing 214 for victory, South Africa A closed Day 3 on 122/1, needing just 92 more runs to wrap up the match.
Senokwane led the way with a patient unbeaten 51 off 113 balls, striking seven fours, while Hermann provided solid support with 41 not out as the pair guided the visitors through the remainder of the day after an early wicket.
Earlier in the day, the England Lions resumed on 213/4 and managed to stretch their lead through an excellent partnership between Asa Tribe and Ben Mayes. The duo frustrated the South African attack for long periods as batting conditions became noticeably easier compared to the opening two days.
Tribe went on to score 135, while Mayes added 105 as the pair shared a massive 189-run stand that pushed England Lions into a strong position.
However, South Africa A fought back well once the breakthrough arrived. Dane Paterson trapped Tribe lbw shortly after lunch, sparking a collapse that saw the Lions lose their final six wickets for just 65 runs. Ottneil Baartman removed Mayes after the centurion reached his hundred, while Paterson, Baartman, and Nqobani Mokoena all finished with two wickets each.
Set 214 to win, South Africa A suffered an early setback when Tony de Zorzi was caught behind for seven off the bowling of Mitch Stanley.
But Senokwane and Hermann responded with maturity and composure, batting through the rest of the day without further loss to leave the visitors in control heading into the final day.
Batting coach Justin Ontong admitted conditions had improved significantly for batting as the match progressed, making the bowlers work much harder for breakthroughs.
He praised the effort of the attack for continuing to apply pressure despite the flatter conditions and also highlighted the importance of the partnership between Senokwane and Hermann in the chase.
South Africa A will now look to finish the job on the final morning and secure victory in the opening match of the series.