South Africa’s Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram made half-centuries but it was Sri Lanka who edged the honours after day one of the second test at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth on Thursday.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers first dismissed the Proteas for 222 with Quinton de Kock making an attacking 86 and Aiden Markram a more watchful 60.
And by the close the Sri Lankans had reached 60 for three in their first innings which left them 162 runs in arrears. At the crease for the visitors are Lahiru Thirimanne (25) and Kasun Rajitha (0) after Duanne Olivier took two wickets and Kagiso Rabada, one.
It was another day during which South Africa disappointed with the bat, something they could ill-afford at 1-0 down in the two-match series.
[embed:video:id=1045374]Seamers Kasun Rajitha and Vishwa Fernando were outstanding for the Islanders in taking three wickets apiece.
South Africa won the toss and opted to bat and they were soon in trouble at 15 for three within seven overs.
Fernando said he was pleased that South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis had decided to bat.
"I had confidence that I could take two or three wickets with the new ball," he said.
IMPRESSIVE FERNANDO
Left-armer Fernando was impressive and it was him who obtained the breakthrough for the tourists when he bowled a driving Dean Elgar for six. It turned into a double strike when Hashim Amla fell to the very next ball, a beautiful delivery that cleaned up his wicket.
"I was bowling outswingers and was going too wide, so I tried to use the crease and then get one in. He was looking for the outswinger but it cut back in," Fernando said of his dismissal of the left-hander Elgar.
Five balls later, Temba Bavuma was on his way, run out at the non-striker’s end by Rajitha.
Du Plessis was then bowled by part-time seamer Dimuth Karunaratne for 25 with only one ball to go before lunch to have the home team 73 for four after the first session.
Rajitha stepped up and took three wickets in the afternoon session. He first trapped Markram in front of his wicket and then went on to add debutant Wiaan Mulder (9) and Keshav Maharaj (0) to his tally as South Africa limped into tea at 185 for seven.
'BITTERLY DISAPPOINTING'
De Kock was bowled Dhananjaya de Silva after tea following a 59-run partnership with Kagiso Rabada (22). He faced 87 balls and struck 12 fours.
"Coming into this test match, we really wanted to score big and for batters to get big hundreds," said Markram.
"We are a bit disappointed but I thought the Sri Lankans bowled well. There was a bit of lateral movement and a bit of swing. Today was really tough."
"I felt I needed to grind out quite hard for a long period of time. To get out was bitterly disappointing," he said.
Mulder was the only change to the South Africa side replacing the injured Vernon Philander. Sri Lanka came into the match unchanged.
The visitors are chasing history in attempting to become the first sub-continent team to win a test series on South African soil.
SOUTH AFRICA: Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis (capt), Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn, Duanne Olivier
SRI LANKA: Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne, Oshada Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Embuldeniya, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando