Vishwa Fernando finished with figures of 3-62 off 18.2 overs
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Vishwa Fernando and Kasun Rajitha took three wickets apiece as Sri Lanka claimed the upper hand over South Africa on the opening day of the second Test in Port Elizabeth.
Choosing to bat first, South Africa got off to a poor start as opener Dean Elgar was clean bowled by Fernando for five runs.
Fernando struck again the very next ball as he cleaned up Hashim Amla for a golden duck.
Temba Bavuma also failed to trouble the scorer as he was run out by Rajitha for a duck.
Aiden Markram and captain Faf du Plessis halted Sri Lanka’s charge with a 58-run partnership before Du Plessis was clean bowled by Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne for 25.
Markram and Quinton de Kock added 57 runs to the score, during which Markram brought up his fifty, before he was trapped lbw off the bowling of Rajitha for 60, which came off 116 balls and included nine boundaries.
Debutant Wiaan Mulder was the next to go, while Keshav Maharaj was caught behind off the bowling of Rajitha for a duck.
De Kock and Kagiso Rabada steadied things with a 59-run stand before De Kock was cleaned up by Dhananjaya de Silva for 86, which came off 87 deliveries and included 12 boundaries.
Rabada went on to score 22 before he was caught behind off the bowling of De Silva.
South Africa ended up being bowled out for 222 when Duanne Olivier was caught behind off the bowling of Fernando for a duck.
Fernando and Rajitha picked up three wickets apiece, while De Silva snapped up two and Karunaratne chipped in with one.
Trailing by 222 runs, Sri Lanka lost Karunaratne early on as he was caught behind off the bowling of Rabada for 17.
Oshada Fernando failed to have an impact whatsoever as he was clean bowled by Olivier for a duck.
Kusal Mendis made a quickfire 16 before he was caught behind off the bowling of Olivier in the penultimate over of the day.
Lahiru Thirimanne and Rajitha, who was sent in as the nightwatchman, ensured Sri Lanka didn’t lose anymore wickets as they put together an unbeaten one-run partnership before stumps was called.
Thirimanne finished on 25, which came off 54 balls and included four boundaries, while Rajitha has yet to get off the mark.
Olivier was the most successful bowler with two wickets, while Rabada claimed one.
Sri Lanka ended day one on 60/3 and will continue batting on Friday at 10:00 local time or 08:00 GMT.