Lakshan Sandakan nearly matched his lengthy initials with the number of wickets he took as he spun Sri Lanka to a deserved three-wicket win in the second T20 international.
With his impressive set of initials being PADLR, the left-arm Chinaman bowler befuddled the hosts with a confusingly accurate display of spin, claiming 4/23 in his four overs as Farhaan Behardien's charges managed a paltry 113 in 19.3 overs.
The chase should not been as close as it was but Angelo Mathews' calming influence ensured the butterflies in the Sri Lankan dressing room were put to rest.
Lungi Ngidi's fire-and-brimstone four over spell of 4/19 threatened to derail's Sri Lanka's attempt for a first win of the tour.
The wounded captain shored up the innings with a well paced and sturdy 50-ball 54 that hoisted the visitors over the line with two balls remaining. He survived a tough chance off JJ Smut's first ball of the last over when on 42 but shrugged off the hamstring injury he sustained in the previous over by lashing two sixes to win the game.
While Sri Lanka bowled well, their batting was bereft of confidence and their heavy weather chase gave South Africa an undeserved lifeline.
Cameos from Niroshan Dickwella (22) and Dinesh Chandimal (22) kept Sri Lanka's heads above water while the other floundered against Ngidi's pace and Imran Tahir's wiles (1/14).
When Sandakan removed Mangaliso Mosehle (11) with the first ball after the powerplay, South Africa were already 41/3 after JJ Smuts (4) and Theunis de Bruyn were foxed by Nuwan Kulasekara and Isuru Udana slower balls.
That should have been the alarm for the Proteas, who batted first on a straw coloured surface with sub-continental behaviour.
It was as Galle or Colombo as it could get for Mathews's tourists, who clearly relished the conditions and Behardien's decision to bat first.
While Mosehle could have left Sandakan's first delivery instead of guiding it into Dinesh Chandimal's gloves, the fact that South Africa needed 33 balls to hit their first six highlighted how tough proceedings were going to be.
Only 42 runs (9x4, 1x6) came in boundaries, such was the excellence and the control of the Sri Lankan bowlers.
Sandakan was aided by the miserly Isuru Udana who collected 3/13 in 2.3 overs. These were inspired changes in a desperate situation by Mathews, with senior pacemen Nuwan Pradeep and Suranga Lakmal getting well-earned rests.
Only Heino Kuhn (29) and Behardien (20) breached the 20-run mark and looked like they had a serviceable plan against the accuracy of the bowling attack.
It was thanks to a smart piece of glove work from Chandimal that did for Kuhn off Sandakan in the ninth over while Behardien feathered behind off Udana while trying to lift the run-rate.
David Miller (11), Wayne Parnell (3), Andile Phehlukwayo (0) had their feet tied in knots by the spin while Aaron Phangiso (13) provided some spirited tail-end resistance.
Sri Lanka beat South Africa in T20
Lakshan Sandakan nearly matched his lengthy initials with the number of wickets he took as he spun Sri Lanka to a deserved three-wicket win in the second T20 international.
With his impressive set of initials being PADLR, the left-arm Chinaman bowler befuddled the hosts with a confusingly accurate display of spin, claiming 4/23 in his four overs as Farhaan Behardien's charges managed a paltry 113 in 19.3 overs.
The chase should not been as close as it was but Angelo Mathews' calming influence ensured the butterflies in the Sri Lankan dressing room were put to rest.
Lungi Ngidi's fire-and-brimstone four over spell of 4/19 threatened to derail's Sri Lanka's attempt for a first win of the tour.
The wounded captain shored up the innings with a well paced and sturdy 50-ball 54 that hoisted the visitors over the line with two balls remaining. He survived a tough chance off JJ Smut's first ball of the last over when on 42 but shrugged off the hamstring injury he sustained in the previous over by lashing two sixes to win the game.
While Sri Lanka bowled well, their batting was bereft of confidence and their heavy weather chase gave South Africa an undeserved lifeline.
Cameos from Niroshan Dickwella (22) and Dinesh Chandimal (22) kept Sri Lanka's heads above water while the other floundered against Ngidi's pace and Imran Tahir's wiles (1/14).
When Sandakan removed Mangaliso Mosehle (11) with the first ball after the powerplay, South Africa were already 41/3 after JJ Smuts (4) and Theunis de Bruyn were foxed by Nuwan Kulasekara and Isuru Udana slower balls.
That should have been the alarm for the Proteas, who batted first on a straw coloured surface with sub-continental behaviour.
It was as Galle or Colombo as it could get for Mathews's tourists, who clearly relished the conditions and Behardien's decision to bat first.
While Mosehle could have left Sandakan's first delivery instead of guiding it into Dinesh Chandimal's gloves, the fact that South Africa needed 33 balls to hit their first six highlighted how tough proceedings were going to be.
Only 42 runs (9x4, 1x6) came in boundaries, such was the excellence and the control of the Sri Lankan bowlers.
Sandakan was aided by the miserly Isuru Udana who collected 3/13 in 2.3 overs. These were inspired changes in a desperate situation by Mathews, with senior pacemen Nuwan Pradeep and Suranga Lakmal getting well-earned rests.
Only Heino Kuhn (29) and Behardien (20) breached the 20-run mark and looked like they had a serviceable plan against the accuracy of the bowling attack.
It was thanks to a smart piece of glove work from Chandimal that did for Kuhn off Sandakan in the ninth over while Behardien feathered behind off Udana while trying to lift the run-rate.
David Miller (11), Wayne Parnell (3), Andile Phehlukwayo (0) had their feet tied in knots by the spin while Aaron Phangiso (13) provided some spirited tail-end resistance.