COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Sri Lanka has moved within three wickets of a series win by reducing South Africa to 246 for seven at lunch on the fourth day of the second cricket test.
Resuming Monday at 139-5, South Africa's batsmen showed resolve in their best session of the tour so far. Overnight batsmen Theunis de Bruyn and Temba Bavuma posted half-centuries, the first by South African batsman in the two-test series.
De Bruyn, who missed the first test, was unbeaten on 85 at the lunch interval, having faced 213 deliveries and stroked 11 boundaries.
A tall right-handed batsman playing only his sixth test. De Bruyn was solid in defense and used his feet to the spinners expertly, an area where South Africa has been exposed badly.
The sixth-wicket partnership between De Bruyn and Bavuma was worth 123 runs, the highest stand for the South Africans in the series.
The Proteas looked set to bat through the session until veteran Rangana Herath made two breakthroughs in consecutive overs. With nine minutes left before lunch, Bavuma was dismissed for 63 when wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella took a low catch.
Herath then trapped Quinton De Kock (8) lbw with the penultimate ball before lunch.
After winning the first test in Galle by 278 runs, Sri Lanka requires just three more wickets to win its first test series against South Africa since 2006.
