Herath spins Sri Lanka to historic win
Rangana Herath turns in match-winning second innings figures of 5-79 as Sri Lanka beat South Africa by 208 runs
Sri Lanka levelled the series in South Africa with their first Test victory there, by 208 runs at Durban on the fourth day of the second game.
Set an imposing 450 to win and clinch the three-match rubber, the hosts were dismissed for 241 with only AB de Villiers, who hit 69, and Dale Steyn - who put on 99 for the seventh wicket with de Villiers - offering significant resistance.
Man of the match Rangana Herath took 5-79 to seal a first Test win for Sri Lanka since the retirement of legendary spinner Muttiah Muralitharan nearly 18 months ago and set the stage for a thrilling decider in Cape Town next week.
The penultimate day at Kingsmead started with the tourists taking their overnight total of 256 for seven on to 279, with Steyn claiming two wickets for innings figures to 5-73.
Thisara Perera edged him to Jacques Kallis at second slip for 12, Chanaka Welegedara hit 10 before despatching the fourth ball he faced to Hashim Amla at square-leg, and Dilhara Fernando lobbed a Morne Morkel delivery to Ashwell Prince at gully, leaving Herath unbeaten on eight.
Welegedara almost gave Sri Lanka the perfect start to the second South Africa innings when he induced an edge from Jacques Rudolph, but Angelo Mathews was unable to claim a one-handed catch diving to his left at slip.
Graeme Smith survived an lbw appeal from Perera before fencing a short delivery from Fernando to Mahela Jayawardene at second slip, succumbing for 26 with the scoreboard reading 37.
There were no further morning scares as Rudolph and Amla led the team to lunch on 86 for one - but the afternoon session saw five wickets fall for 45 runs in 23 overs.
Within four balls of the resumption Rudolph was on his way for 22, caught high to his left at second slip by Jayawardene off Perera.
Kallis followed 19 balls later, completing a first Test pair when he top-edged a Herath delivery via his helmet to short-leg where Tharanga Paranavitana took the catch.
It was 106 for four in the 34th over when Amla was run out for 51, pushing down the ground and calling for a single Prince chose not to take.
Prince soon followed when he fended a short Fernando delivery to Paranavitana at first slip - and it was 133 for six when Mark Boucher was trapped lbw by Herath.
De Villiers and Steyn dug in for more than 34 overs before the former was lbw for a 141-ball 69 by Herath with the scoreboard reading 232.
The end was nigh soon after as Morkel was out leg before to Tillakaratne Dilshan before Steyn’s 125-ball 43 ended in similar fashion.
The contest was over when Marchant de Lange - who took eight wickets on his Test debut - became the third wicket to fall on 241 when he was bowled second ball by Herath, who finished with match figures of 9-128.
