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Sri Lanka 191 (Kusal Perera 51, Steyn 4-48) and 304 for 9 (Perera 153*, de Silva 48, Maharaj 3-71) beat South Africa 235 (de Kock 80, Vishwa 4-62, Rajitha 3-68) and 259 (du Plessis 90, de Kock 55, Embuldeniya 5-66, Vishwa 4-71) by one wicket
Durban: Sri Lanka's middle-order batsman Kusal Perera scored a brilliant unbeaten century to lead them to a famous one-wicket win over South Africa in a thrilling first test at Kingsmead on Saturday.
Perera was not out on 153, his highest test score, as he put on 78 for the last wicket with number 11 Vishwa Fernando (six not out), taking Sri Lanka to a victory target of 304 that had looked out of sight for much of the innings.
South Africa appeared odds-on for victory when they claimed the ninth Sri Lankan wicket with the score on 226, but Perera launched a brilliant counter-attack with a mix of powerful hitting and intelligent farming of the strike.
The win, Sri Lanka's first in any format since October, ends South Africa's run of seven home series victories in a row with the second and final test in Port Elizabeth from Feb. 21-25.
Perera was unbeaten on 86 when the ninth wicket fell but almost single-handedly guided Sri Lanka to victory thereafter, hogging the strike and reaching 153 not out in an unbroken stand of 78 with Fernando, who faced 27 balls to make six.
Sri Lanka were therefore able to claim a 1-0 series lead, with the masterclass from Perera - whose previous Test best was 110 - leaving the hosts stunned.
Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mushtaq Ahmed had shared the previous highest 10th-wicket partnership to win a Test in the fourth innings, putting on 57 against Australia in Karachi in 1994.
