Spinner Keshav Maharaj took five wickets as South Africa secured a 109-run victory over Sri Lanka on the last day of the second test at St George's Park on Monday and a 2-0 sweep of the series.
Maharaj finished with figures of 5-76 as South Africa took 70 minutes to dismiss Sri Lanka for 238.
With this victory, they Africa have moved to the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) table after a 109-run win over Sri Lanka at St George's Park.
Sri Lanka lost five wickets for 19 runs in 62 balls in a lower-order collapse that undid their work from the previous day. They were fairly well set overnight and resumed on 202 for 5, with two batters well-set on a fairly placid pitch. Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva's sixth-wicket partnership was worth 83 and they both looked comfortable against a South African attack who admitted to searching a little too hard on the fourth day.
They returned fresh on the final morning, with a fired-up Kagiso Rabada still finding a hint of away movement in the easterly breeze. Maharaj broke the Kusal-Dhananjaya stand in the seventh over of the morning with a delivery that turned away from Kusal as he drove with hard hands. Aiden Markam took the catch low to the ground and the third umpire needed to check that he had fingers underneath it to confirm Kusal's dismissal.
Fourteen deliveries later, Rabada was rewarded for spells of accuracy and menace through the series with the wicket of the Sri Lankan captain. Dhananjaya drove at a ball that tailed away, edged and was caught behind.
With no recognised batters left, it was only a matter of time for Sri Lanka's tail. Prabath Jayasuriya's eyes lit up when Maharaj produced a long-hop and tried to smoke it over the offside but found the hands of Temba Bavuma at extra cover. Sri Lanka made it to the drinks' break but in the second over after the interval, Vishwa Fernando slogged across the line and sent the ball aerial. Marco Jansen at mid-on had enough time to get under it and take a simple catch. Jansen was given the ball in the next over and only needed one short delivery to get rid of Lahiru Kumara, who swung hard and top-edged. Ryan Rickelton, at short mid-wicket, judged the catch well in a mild swirl and completed South Africa's series win.
South Africa are now one win away from a guaranteed place at next year's final. They can get there with a victory over Pakistan at home in either the Boxing Day and New Year's match, which are their last of this cycle. Sri Lanka remain in contention but must beat Australia at home early next year and hope other results go their way.
Rare
"That was what Test cricket is all about," said South Africa captain Bavuma, who was named man of the series for his batting performances.
"It is rare to play for five days and also rare when the game is always in the balance and both teams are in contention. Sri Lanka asked the right questions with an intimidating batting line-up.
"They made us work for the result but it was testament to our character as a team we stayed in the fight and backed it up from a skills point of view," Bavuma added. Sri Lanka are now out of contention for the WTC.
"The boys were in the game until the last day but it wasn't good enough," said De Silva. "Their bowling attack was always asking questions. It was a good challenge, but I think they played better than us.
