Pace bowler Dale Steyn claimed five for 82 as South Africa secured a 40 run first-innings lead on the second day of the second test against Sri Lanka on Saturday.
Sri Lanka rallied after a morning collapse left them perilously placed 86 for five, eventually clawing themselves within touching distance before being bowled out for 321.
Steyn, bowling waywardly but fast to secure his second five-wicket haul in tests, polished off Sri Lanka's resistance with the second new ball, grabbing the wickets of Farveez Maharoof, Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan in quick succession.
South Africa safely negotiated two overs before the close, finishing on six without loss with Herschelle Gibbs on four and Andrew Hall on two.
Makhaya Ntini, who finished with four for 84, had ripped through the Sri Lanka top order with two incisive spells before the lunch interval.
He struck two early blows with the new ball as Upul Tharanga top-edged an attempted pull and Kumar Sangakkara clipped a rising delivery off his hips straight to short-midwicket.
Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene provided Sri Lanka with some brief respite by adding 31 runs for the third wicket, but Steyn returned after an expensive first spell to take Jayawardene's wicket.
Ntini returned to the attack just before lunch, a move the triggered the fall of two more wickets.
Tillakaratne Dilshan was surprised by some extra bounce and sharp movement and chopped onto his leg stump, before Jayasuriya was caught at second slip for 47.
After going in at lunch on 98 for five, Sri Lanka launched a fight back through Chamara Kapugedera, who hit a stylish 63 from 77 balls including nine boundaries and two sixes.
Prasanna Jayawardene adopted a similarly positive approach to make 42 but just when the momentum was shifting back to the hosts, Kapugedera was bowled and then Steyn produced a perfect fast leg cutter that knocked back Jayawardene's off stump.
Kapugedera's fall ended a record 105 run sixth wicket stand against South Africa, surpassing the 103 scored by Hashan Tillakaratne and Arjuna Ranatunga at Moratuwa in 1993.
South Africa were frustrated again during the final session as Chaminda Vaas (64) and Maharoof (56) posted a 117-run stand for the eighth wicket.
Sri Lanka lead the two-match series 1-0 after winning the first test by an innings and 153 runs.
Scorecard
South Africa 1st innings 361 (A. de Villiers 95, A. Prince 86, S. Pollock 57no; M. Muralitharan 5-128)
Sri Lanka 1st innings
U. Tharanga c Boje b Ntini 2
S. Jayasuriya c Gibbs b Ntini 47
K. Sangakkara c Amla b Ntini 14
M. Jayawardene c Boucher b Steyn 13
T. Dilshan b Ntini 4
C. Kapugedera b Boje 63
P. Jayawardene b Steyn 42
F. Maharoof b Steyn 56
C. Vaas c Boucher b Steyn 64
L. Malinga not out 8
M. Muralitharan c Hall b Steyn 0
Extras (lb-1 nb-5 w-2) 8
Total (all out, 85.1 overs) 321
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-43, 3-74, 4-85, 5-86, 6-191, 7-191, 8-308, 9-317, 10-321
Bowling: M. Ntini 21 - 3 - 84 - 4, D. Steyn 13.1 - 1 - 82 - 5 (nb-3 w-2), S. Pollock 16 - 4 - 52 - 0 (nb-2), A. Hall 15 - 7 - 31 - 0, N. Boje 20 - 6 - 71 - 1
South Africa 2nd innings
H. Gibbs not out 4
A. Hall not out 2
Extras 0
Total (for no loss, 2 overs) 6
Bowling C. Vaas 1 - 0 - 4 - 0, L. Malinga 1 - 0 - 2 - 0
