Sri Lanka's hard day's fight but advantage South Africa

A happy clamour rose from the outfield near the boundary at the Corlett Drive End of the Wanderers before play resumed on Monday. It sounded too hopeful to come from a team who had been dismissed for 157 on Sunday, and who were only nine runs ahead with nine wickets to get before their batters would have a chance to redeem themselves. But, yes, that team was Sri Lanka, who seemed to be having too much fun warming-up for day two of the second Test.

Less than four hours later, a different sound emanated from the field. It was made by Vishwa Fernando bellowing in defiance. And well he might have. Fernando had led the visitors' effort to stay in the match by taking 5/101 in 23.4 overs of relentless aggression.

It is not intended as a backhanded compliment to say he made South Africa's batters look Sri Lankan in their timid and sluggish response to his deliveries, which sniped off the seam quickly enough to force errors. Debutant Asitha Fernando posed a similar threat, and a pitch that had quickened - as Wanderers surfaces are wont to do after the first day - allowed the Lankan new-ball pair to strut their stuff in style.

South Africa planned to bat once, as they did to win the first Test in Centurion. Instead,