Dananjaya takes five to leave South Africa facing defeat

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Akila Dananjaya took five wickets as South Africa crumbled to 124 all out on the second day of the second Test on Saturday and facing a whitewash in the two-match series.

Sri Lankan spinners ran riot on the dry pitch in Colombo after the home side made 338 with Dananjaya starring in a last-wicket stand with Rangana Herath.

Herath and Dilruwan Perera took the remaining five South African wickets between them, with captain Suranga Lakmal not required to deliver a single ball in the innings.

Already a game down after poor batting in the first Test, only South Africa captain Faf du Plessis and wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock showed resistance, making 48 off 51 balls and 32 off 31 respectively.

South Africa lasted only 34.5 overs, after Sri Lanka had batted for 104.1 overs in their first innings.

Dananjaya, left out for the first Test at Galle, struck with his second ball of the match, having Dean Elgar caught at gully with a turning offbreak.

He got Theunis de Bruyn edging behind in the next over, and Perera picked up the South Africa middle order to finish on four for 40.

The only batsman to put any pressure on Sri Lanka was du Plessis, who attacked the spinners after lunch, sweeping with abandon as he struck eight fours and a six.

He and Hashim Amla put on the best partnership of 55, but Perera dismissed them both within four overs of each other. Despite de Kock’s aggressive innings, the remainder of South Africa’s batting fell away quickly. Dananjaya came back to clean up the tail.

Score Board

Sri Lanka won toss

Sri Lanka 1st Innings 338 all out (D de Silva 60; Maharaj 9-129)

South Africa 1st Innings

A Markram lbw Herath 7

D Elgar c de Silva b Dananjaya 0

T de Bruyn c Dickwella b Dananjaya 3

H Amla c Mendis b K Perera 19

*F du Plessis c Dickwella b K Perera 48

T Bavuma c Mendis b K Perera 11

†Q de Kock lbw Dananjaya 32

K Maharaj c Karunaratne b Dananjaya 2

K Rabada c Mathews b K Perera 1

D Steyn lbw Dananjaya 0

L Ngidi not out 0

Extras (1nb) 1

Total (all out; 34.5 overs) 124

Fall: 1-4, 2-8, 3-15, 4-70, 5-85, 6-114, 7-119, 8-124, 9-124, 10-124

Bowling: K Perera 12.5-1-40-4, Dananjaya 13-2-52-5, Herath 9-1-32-1

Sri Lanka 2nd innings

D Gunathilaka c Elgar b Maharaj 61

D Karunaratne not out 59

D de Silva lbw Maharaj 0

K Mendis run out 18

A Mathews not out 12

Extras (1 nb) 1

Total (3 wickets, 34 overs) 151

Fall: 1-91, 2-102, 3-136

Bowling: Maharaj 17-0-90-2, Rabada 4-0-22-0, Markram 3-1-9-0, de Bruyn 3-0-13-0, Steyn 4-1-11-0, Ngidi 2-1-4-0, Elgar 1-0-2-0

Umpires: Nigel Llong (England) and Rod Tucker (Australia). TV umpire: Paul Reiffel (Australia). Match referee: Sir Richie Richardson (West Indies)