Chandimal and de Silva's tenacity prevent South Africa from gaining an edge

Lunch in Sri Lanka, with the score at 42 runs for the loss of 6 wickets. The partnership between Chandimal and Mendis is holding strong, with Chandimal scoring 69 not out and Mendis contributing 12 not out. Jansen has been the most successful bowler for South Africa, taking 2 wickets for 45 runs. Sri Lanka are currently trailing South Africa by 295 runs, as South Africa scored 191 in their first innings and declared at 366 for 5 in their second innings. Sri Lanka will need a strong batting performance in the remaining sessions to chase down the target set by South Africa.

Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva brought up half-centuries in a 95-run sixth-wicket partnership as Sri Lanka kept South Africa at bay for 104 minutes on the fourth morning in Durban. They enjoyed their best period of batting in the match and went wicketless for 23.3 overs against a four-pronged attack that did not have the services of the injured Wiaan Mulder or the movement of the first three days.

On a pitch that is theoretically only a day three strip, after a rain-affected first day, and under blue skies with the drying wind blowing, conditions were perfect for batting and Sri Lanka took advantage. De Silva bedded in and was batting at a good tempo and was furious with himself when he rocked back in his crease and hit an innocuous Keshav Maharaj delivery straight to Tony de Zorzi at short mid-wicket. His was the only wicket of the session and gave South Africa an opening but they still need four wickets. Sri Lanka's target is 296 runs away.

South Africa started threateningly when Kagiso Rabada beat de Silva's edge with the fifth ball of the morning and Gerald Coetzee found it with the 12th. The chance fell to the left of Marco Jansen at gully. De Silva responded by piercing the midwicket gap to hit Rabada for four and pulling Coetzee in front of square. Chandimal also dealt with a Coetzee short ball well and cut him for four through point. He bowled one more over before being replaced by Marco Jansen, who was then replaced by Keshav Maharaj, as South Africa tried to dry up an end.

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Rabada bowled a five-over spell that cost 17 runs without success, and once he was off, Sri Lanka's pair could settle in. De Silva drove Jansen through the covers, Chandimal whacked him in the same area to bring up the 150 and they both took on Maharaj, who got almost no turn. By the first drinks break, Sri Lanka had scored 61 runs in 16 overs at a rate of just under four to the over.

Chandimal brought up fifty immediately after the interval with an authoritative pull off Jansen and de Silva reached his milestone in the next over. He swept Maharaj for two fours and reached fifty off 66 balls, a sign of the aggression with which he batted. He played one more shot in anger when he hit Maharaj over long-off for six. Maharaj had the last laugh when de Silva played the shot he will look back on with regret and South Africa had broken through.

Kusal Mendis, on the back of four ducks in South Africa, got his first runs with a cover drive that went for four, and also raised the Sri Lankan 200. He was nearly run out later in the over when he took off for a run without checking without conferring with Chandimal but made it back in time.

South Africa brought back Rabada for a pre-lunch burst but a selection of short balls were well negotiated. Rabada also took his no-ball count for the innings to 10, with five in the morning session.