Wilson, who lost out to Sergio Garcia in a play-off at the recent HSBC Champions, had started the day two shots behind overnight leaders Liang Wen-chong and Richard Sterne but maintained his charge for a maiden European Tour victory at the Hong Kong Golf Club.

Starting on the tenth, Wilson reeled off four birdies against one bogey to reach the turn at three under and claim the outright lead at seven-under overall.

He then picked up another birdie on the fourth, sinking a putt from 15 feet before adding another on the par-four sixth after placing his approach shot to within a foot of the pin. That moved Wilson two clear of the field but the 28-year-old bogeyed the last to finish four-under for the day and is eight under overall.

Oosthuizen, meanwhile, was in fine form throughout his round as the 26-year-old picked up eight birdies without dropping a shot to card an eight-under-par 62 – the best round of the tournament so far – to storm up the leaderboard.

Colin Montgomerie started the day four shots off the lead but nailed six birdies with just a bogey on the par-four 15th for the only blot on his scorecard.

Montgomerie is one stroke off the lead at seven-under for the tournament alongside Sterne and Italian Francesco Molinari.

Lin Wen-tang of Chinese Taipei and Jeev Milkha Singh are tied sixth with the latter shooting an impressive seven-under-par 63.