Innings Sri Lanka 328 (Nissanka 89, Kamindu 48, Mathews 44, Chandimal 44, Paterson 5-71, Maharaj 2-65, Jansen 2-100) trail South Africa 358 by 30 runs
After 88 overs of mostly hard grind – and with three dropped catches in the morning – matters hit fast-forward in Paterson’s second over, when he had Dhananjaya de Silva caught behind off his first ball, bowled Kusal Mendis, who left a delivery that nipped back in, off the third ball, and then had Lahiru Kumara stunningly caught by Jansen’s outstretched left-hand at gully off the fifth.
Sri Lanka went from a reasonably comfortable 297 for 5 to 298 for 8, and South Africa were 60 runs ahead at that stage.
Jansen continued to cause problems when he rapped Kusal on the glove first up and could have had him out twice in the space of four overs but Kusal survived. He offered his first chance off the third ball he faced, when he was unsure about leaving a ball down leg and got bat on it. Verreynne dived full stretch to his left but could only get his glovetips on it. The next opportunity was much more straightforward. Kusal got a thick outside edge to first slip but Aiden Markam, at second, dived across David Bedingham and dropped it.
Kusal’s dalliance with the edge continued when he sent a healthy one to the right of Tristan Stubbs at gully off Paterson, who had taken over from Jansen. But his luck ran out after that when he left Paterson’s best delivery, which nipped back sharply and took off the bails. That was in the middle of the over that turned the morning South Africa’s way.
Sri Lanka ate into the South Africa’s total with some glorious shots, including three well placed fours from Prabath Jayasuriya. He drove Paterson through the covers and steered him past gully for successive fours and then cut Jansen through point to take Sri Lanka to lunch.
Paterson resumed after lunch in search of his fifth and thought he had it when he hit Jayasuriya on the full on the pad and convinced Temba Bavuma to review. Ball-tracking showed that it would have hit the outside of leg stump and so the on-field not-out decision stood. In his next over, Paterson got a regulation dismissal as one moved away late, Vishwa Fernando fished, edged, and was caught. A pumped Paterson brought out the baby-cradle celebration for his newborn child.
Five balls later, Jayasuriya stepped far out of his crease to Keshav Maharaj, who tossed it up, and was stumped.