Chapchai Nirat wobbles but holds on to lead

Thai Chapchai Nirat suffered a late wobble with three bogeys over the last five holes, but he will still take a five-shot lead into the final day of the TCL Classic after shooting a third round 68 on Saturday.

The 23-year-old flirted with danger all day and spent a lot of time in the rough and sand but after a course record 11-under 61 and a 66 in his first two rounds, he still had plenty of breathing room even when his luck started to run out.

"I saw the wind this morning and thought it was going to be a tough," he told reporters after ending the third round 21-under for the tournament.

"I was driving badly and decided to play it safe, especially on the back nine where there is a lot of water."

A chip-in for an eagle at the 16th helped Miles Tunnicliff to a 65 for a share of second with Japan's Taichi Teshima, who shot a flawless 66 to join the Briton on 16-under for the European and Asian Tour event.

Argentine European Tour rookie Rafael Echenique's 68 left him alone in fourth a shot ahead of Taiwan's experienced Lu Wen-teh, who also shot four-under.

Anyone hoping for Chapchai to blow up over the weekend were left waiting as he continued to pick up birdies over the front nine with some fine putting and approach play, including a sumptuous chip-in from about 20 metres at the eighth.

After another birdie at the ninth and three more from the 11th, another impressively low score looked in the offing but in the end he was unable to keep up his record of just one dropped shot in the tournament.

A gust of wind caused him to three-putt for a bogey at the 14th hole and despite making the shot back at the 16th, he drove into the water at the 17th and the jungle at the last to give the chasing pack a glimmer of hope of catching him.

"I hope tomorrow my drive will come back," he said. "With good driving I can hit 10-under."

Tunnicliff, who hit six birdies and a bogey in addition to the eagle, said his second consecutive round of 65 had been pleasing as he had not been playing very well recently.

"I played really solid again today," he said. "I've found some form and I've given myself a chance."

China's Liang Wenchong, who is chasing back-to-back titles after his breakthrough win at the Singapore Masters last week, hit a 66 for a share of sixth with four others.

"It looks like he's way ahead out there but anything can happen on Sunday," he said.