Sri Lanka close in on Test sweep against South Africa
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka are eyeing a big victory as South Africa, needing 490 to win the second Test, were reduced to 139 for five in their second innings at stumps on the third day.
Spinners Akila Dananjaya and Rangana Herath took two wickets each to place the hosts within five wickets of a 2-0 series sweep. Theunis de Bruyn was batting on 45 with Temba Bavuma on 14. Herath produced the first breakthrough for Sri Lanka trapping Aiden Markram lbw for 14 with the total on 23.
Dean Elgar and De Bruyn shared 57 runs for the second wicket, aided by a reprieve for Elgar from a catch by the wicketkeeper off a Dilruwan Perera no ball. Elgar failed to make his luck count as he was trapped lbw by Perera for 37 with the total on 80.
Hashim Amla was bowled by Herath for seven and Dananjaya struck twice in successive deliveries dismissing Faf du Plessis (7) and Keshav Maharaj (0) to reduce South Africa to 113/5.
Dananjaya returned two for 35 while Herath had two for 54.
Earlier, Sri Lanka declared their second innings on 275 for five setting South Africa a challenging target. Dimuth Karunaratne top scored for Sri Lanka with 85 while Angelo Mathews (71) and Danushka Gunathilaka made useful contributions. Brief scores: Sri Lanka 1st inngs 338 and 275/5 decl (overnight 151/3) vs South Africa 1st inngs 124 and 139-5 (D Elgar 37, T de Bruyn 35*, R Herath 2/54, A Dananjaya 2/35)