Spinner Lakshan Sandakan starred in Sri Lanka's hard fought three-wicket win over South Africa in the only Twenty20 international after bowling out the visitors for their lowest total in the game's shortest format.

Electing to bat in the only T20 match of the tour, South Africa were bowled out for 98, a total the hosts surpassed with four overs to spare.

The Proteas, who lost the two-Test series 2-0 and then came back to clinch the one-day internationals 3-2, were two runs less than their previous low score of 100 against Pakistan in 2013.

Dinesh Chandimal, who returned from his ban for breaching the spirit of the game, remained unbeaten on 36 to guide the team home in a tricky chase. But it was Sandakan's bowling figures of 3-19 with his left-arm wrist spin that set up the win. He was ably supported by fellow spinners Dhananjaya de Silva and Akila Dananjaya who took two wickets each.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock top-scored with 20 before being run out but the rest of the South African batting fell flat in 16.4 overs.

Sri Lankan batsmen also made heavy weather of their 99-run target as the South African bowlers led by paceman Kagiso Rabada made the hosts work hard for their win.

Rabada, fellow paceman Junior Dala and spinner Tabraiz Shamsi took two wickets each.

From a comfortable 59-2 the hosts slipped to 88-7, but Chandimal kept his calm during his 33-ball stay that laced with 3 fours and 1 six.

Chandimal, 28, was banned for two Tests and four ODIs after refusing to take the field against West Indies following ball-tampering allegations in June.

Sri Lanka now host England for a full series in October-November while South Africa travel to Australia for three ODI matches and one T20 during the same period.

The result in Colombo means Sri Lanka have claimed five of the tour's eight matches, a fact that would ring alarm bells in the South African camp were it not for another fact: the visitors won all three of their victories in the one-day series. 

Spinner Lakshan Sandakan starred in Sri Lanka's hard fought three-wicket win over South Africa in the only Twenty20 international after bowling out the visitors for their lowest total in the game's shortest format.

Electing to bat in the only T20 match of the tour, South Africa were bowled out for 98, a total the hosts surpassed with four overs to spare.

The Proteas, who lost the two-Test series 2-0 and then came back to clinch the one-day internationals 3-2, were two runs less than their previous low score of 100 against Pakistan in 2013.

Dinesh Chandimal, who returned from his ban for breaching the spirit of the game, remained unbeaten on 36 to guide the team home in a tricky chase. But it was Sandakan's bowling figures of 3-19 with his left-arm wrist spin that set up the win. He was ably supported by fellow spinners Dhananjaya de Silva and Akila Dananjaya who took two wickets each.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock top-scored with 20 before being run out but the rest of the South African batting fell flat in 16.4 overs.

Sri Lankan batsmen also made heavy weather of their 99-run target as the South African bowlers led by paceman Kagiso Rabada made the hosts work hard for their win.

Rabada, fellow paceman Junior Dala and spinner Tabraiz Shamsi took two wickets each.

From a comfortable 59-2 the hosts slipped to 88-7, but Chandimal kept his calm during his 33-ball stay that laced with 3 fours and 1 six.

Chandimal, 28, was banned for two Tests and four ODIs after refusing to take the field against West Indies following ball-tampering allegations in June.

Sri Lanka now host England for a full series in October-November while South Africa travel to Australia for three ODI matches and one T20 during the same period.

The result in Colombo means Sri Lanka have claimed five of the tour's eight matches, a fact that would ring alarm bells in the South African camp were it not for another fact: the visitors won all three of their victories in the one-day series. 

South Africa

 Quinton de Kock     Run Out Lakshan Sandakan                       20

 Hashim Amla         c Dasun Shanaka b Dhananjaya de Silva           0

 Reeza Hendricks     b Akila Dananjaya                              19

 JP Duminy           lbw Dhananjaya de Silva                         3

 Heinrich Klaasen    c Kusal Mendis b Lakshan Sandakan              18

 David Miller        c Dinesh Chandimal b Akila Dananjaya           14

 Andile Phehlukwayo  b Lakshan Sandakan                              0

 Kagiso Rabada       lbw Lakshan Sandakan                            0

 Junior Dala         Not Out                                        12

 Lungi Ngidi         c Dinesh Chandimal b Kasun Rajitha              4

 Tabraiz Shamsi      c Dinesh Chandimal b Isuru Udana                0

 Extras              1b 5lb 1nb 0pen 1w                              8

 Total               (16.4 overs)                           98 all out

Fall of Wickets : 1-14 Amla, 2-30 de Kock, 3-42 Hendricks, 4-57 Duminy, 5-69 Klaasen, 6-69 Phehlukwayo, 7-73 Rabada, 8-84 Miller, 9-93 Ngidi, 10-98 Shamsi

 Bowling               Ov  Md  Rn  Wk  Econ  Ex

 Kasun Rajitha          3   0  27   1  9.00

 Dhananjaya de Silva    4   0  22   2  5.50  1nb

 Akila Dananjaya        4   0  15   2  3.75  1w

 Lakshan Sandakan       4   1  19   3  4.75

 Isuru Udana          1.4   0   9   1  5.40

Sri Lanka

 Kusal Perera         c Tabraiz Shamsi b Kagiso Rabada        3

 Kusal Mendis         lbw Kagiso Rabada                       1

 Dinesh Chandimal     Not Out                                36

 Dhananjaya de Silva  c Andile Phehlukwayo b Junior Dala     31

 Angelo Mathews       c Heinrich Klaasen b Tabraiz Shamsi     0

 Dasun Shanaka        c Reeza Hendricks b Junior Dala        16

 Thisara Perera       b Tabraiz Shamsi                        0

 Akila Dananjaya      b JP Duminy                             2

 Isuru Udana          Not Out                                 5

 Extras               0b 0lb 2nb 0pen 3w                      5

 Total                (16.0 overs)                         99-7

Fall of Wickets : 1-4 Perera, 2-6 Mendis, 3-59 de Silva, 4-63 Mathews, 5-82 Shanaka, 6-83 Perera, 7-88 Perera

Did Not Bat : Sandakan, Rajitha

 Bowling         Ov  Md  Rn  Wk  Econ  Ex

 Kagiso Rabada    4   0  24   2  6.00  2nb

 Lungi Ngidi      3   0  25   0  8.33

 Tabraiz Shamsi   4   1  26   2  6.50  1w

 Junior Dala      4   0  22   2  5.50  2w

 JP Duminy        1   0   2   1  2.00