Dane Vilas was left stranded on 235, nine runs short of his career best, when Lancashire were bowled out for 492 by Somerset in the County Championship at Old Trafford.
The former Cobras player dominated the bowling from the start, eventually smashing 27 fours and four sixes off the 363 balls he faced, batting at a rate of just over 64.
His efforts, along with Keaton Jennings’ 109, gave Lancashire a 63-run lead over Somerset late on day three of the contest.
He put on 201 with former England opener Jennings – both products of KES – for the third wicket in a dynamically positive response to Somerset’s 429.
Vilas – who signed a two-year Kolpak contract last year after playing six Tests, one T20I for the Proteas and 96 first-class matches for the Cape Cobras – has certainly proved his value to Lancashire. He scored a career-best 244 against Hampshire last year, sharing a record-breaking sixth-wicket stand of 221 with Ryan McLaren.
‘All the hard work you put in, the sweat, the tears – when you bat like that, it’s what you work for, it’s a brilliant feeling. I’ve seen guys get hundreds and lose concentration and that makes it difficult for the next guy coming in. I don’t want to be the guy who puts pressure on the next man coming in,’ he said at the time.
Elsewhere, Heino Kuhn smashed an unbeaten 69 as Kent beat Glamorgan by six wickets. It was his second fifty after helping Kent beat Durham last time out.
This is his first year of a Kolpak agreement with the Home Counties team after being given limited opportunities with the Proteas.
The former Titans wicketkeeper-batsman, who opened for South Africa in all four Tests on their tour of England last year and was capped seven times in T20Is, hit 12 fours in his 87 balls. Sean Dickson, the former Northerns player, was next best on 39.
Hashim Amla scored 69 to give Hampshire some hope in a rearguard action against Nottinghamshire. It was his third fifty in as many games and underpinned Hampshire’s weak response of 223 to Notts’ first innings of 302.
Notts then piled up 389-9, to offer Hampshire a target of 469. Amla was at the crease on 11 when stumps were pulled with Hants on 111-3, still 358 behind.
