An aggressive 125-run partnership between Sanath Jayasuriya and Saman Jayantha on Tuesday helped Sri Lanka set a massive 309-run target for South Africa in the fifth and final one-day international.
Sri Lanka went into the match with four consecutive wins and hope to sweep the series 5-0.
Fast bowler Shaun Pollock gave South Africa a good start, dismissing opener Avishka Gunawardene on the third ball of the day, without any run on the board after captain Graeme Smith won the toss and invited Sri Lanka to bat.
Gunawardene was bowled as he misjudged the line of a ball and tried to leave it.
Jayasuriya and Jayantha pulled the side out of trouble with their 132-ball stand, which came in 96 minutes.
Smith brought fast bowler Lance Klusener into the attack in the 23rd over and on his first ball forced an edge off Jayantha’s bat to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.
Jayantha made 51 — his second one-day half-century — in 68 balls, including six fours.
Jayasuriya’s 79 came in 85 balls including seven fours before offspinner Smith had him caught by Herschelle Gibbs at short extra-cover off a leading edge.
In-form batsman Kumar Sangakkara recorded his 17th half-century — and his third of the series — as he added a brisk 84 off 87 balls for the fourth wicket with stand-in skipper Mahela Jayawardene.
Sangakkara plundered 72 runs in 71 balls including four fours and a six before being caught by Jacques Kallis off pacer Charl Langeveldt as he tried to speed up the scoring rate in the 43rd over.
Jayawardene departed for 39 runs made in 45 balls trapped leg before wicket by Langeveldt.
Langeveldt, playing his first match of the tour, recorded the best bowling figures for South Africa with three wickets for 31 runs in seven overs. — Sapa-AP