Sri Lanka spinning towards crushing series whitewash

Colombo, July 22: Sri Lanka are closing in on an emphatic series whitewash after South Africa were flummoxed by the spinners once again on day three of the second Test in Colombo on Sunday. Dimuth Karunaratne fell 15 short of a second century in a prolific series for the in-form opener and Angelo Mathews made an excellent 71 before Sri Lanka declared on 275-5, setting the tourists a highly improbable 490 to salvage a 1-1 draw.

Match Scorecard

Rangana Herath and Akila Dananjaya took two wickets apiece, the South Africa batsmen bamboozled by sharp turn and bounce as they closed on 139-5 - their highest total of the series.

Theunis de Bruyn dug in for an unbeaten 45 and Dean Elgar went for 37 after riding his luck, birthday boy Dilruwan Perera twice over-stepping when he dismissed the left-hander and also dropping him early on.

Karunaratne and Mathews pressed on after Sri Lanka resumed on 151-3, piling on the runs as the tired Proteas bowlers toiled.

Dale Steyn was unable to become his country's leading Test wicket-taker outright, Karunaratne taking his tally of runs in an outstanding series to 356 before he edged Lungi Ngidi behind.

That was the only wicket to fall in the morning session, former captain Mathews attacking spinner Keshav Maharaj (3-154) and finding the ropes seven times as Sri Lanka's lead mounted.

Maharaj claimed magnificent figures of 9-129 in the first innings and was rewarded for bowling 81 overs in the match with a 12th wicket when Mathews was taken by Faf du Plessis at first slip.

Roshen Silva added an unbeaten 32 before Suranga Lakmal declared and the Proteas were 23-1 when Aiden Markram was trapped in front sweeping Herath (2-54) after being dropped by Mathews in the slips.

Dilruwan put Elgar down running back from square leg and he offered another gift on his 36th birthday by over-stepping when he bowled the same man.

Elgar was already back in the dressing room when he was given another reprieve as replays showed no part of Dilruwan's foot was behind the line as he was snared lbw on 23, but he was finally dismissed after being struck in front early in the evening session.

Herath removed Hashim Amla's off stump and Dananjaya (2-35) was on a hat-trick after accounting for Du Plessis and Maharaj, but De Bruyn and Temba Bavuma showed resistance to keep Sri Lanka waiting for what should be another crushing victory.