Chasing 245 for victory, South Africa reached their target with 43 balls to spare, giving themselves the perfect opportunity to pick up a series win in the 50-over format after going down 2-0 in the test matches.

De Kock and Hashim Amla gave the touring side the perfect platform in their run chase with an opening stand of 91 before spinner Akila Dananjaya dismissed Amla for 43.

Dananjaya, who picked up 3-60, also sent back Aiden Markram soon after but de Kock and South Africa captain Faf du Plessis pegged Sri Lanka back with a 53-run stand for the third wicket.

De Kock hit 13 fours and a six in his 78-ball knock while du Plessis chipped in with a handy 49, before spooning a catch back to Dananjaya to become the off-spinner’s third victim.

South Africa lost du Plessis and David Miller in quick succession but once Dananjaya’s quota of 10 overs ended, Sri Lanka’s attack lacked the teeth to pull off an unlikely victory.

Earlier, half-centuries from captain Angelo Mathews and opener Niroshan Dickwella took Sri Lanka to 244 for eight in their 50 overs after the hosts won the toss and chose to bat.

Pace duo Andile Phehlukwayo and Lungi Ngidi picked up three wickets each as South Africa’s bowlers once again managed to prevent Sri Lanka from posting a commanding total.

Ngidi, who took 3-50, provided the early breakthroughs for the tourists by dismissing Upul Tharanga and Kusal Mendis off consecutive deliveries in his opening over.

Dickwella and Mathews steadied the innings with a 67-run stand for the fourth wicket before the former was bowled by Phehlukwayo, who picked up 3-45, for 69.

Sri Lanka failed to add much momentum to their innings as none of their other batsmen managed to cross a score of 20. Mathews remained unbeaten on 79 off 111 deliveries.

The third ODI will be played at Kandy on Sunday.

Sri Lanka

 Upul Tharanga       c Quinton de Kock b Lungi Ngidi         9

 Niroshan Dickwella  b Andile Phehlukwayo                   69

 Kusal Mendis        lbw Lungi Ngidi                         0

 Kusal Perera        c Lungi Ngidi b Andile Phehlukwayo     12

 Angelo Mathews      Not Out                                79

 Shehan Jayasuriya   c Quinton de Kock b Willem Mulder      18

 Thisara Perera      c Quinton de Kock b Lungi Ngidi        19

 Akila Dananjaya     c David Miller b Kagiso Rabada          9

 Suranga Lakmal      b Andile Phehlukwayo                    7

 Prabath Jayasuriya  Not Out                                11

 Extras              0b 2lb 0nb 0pen 9w                     11

 Total               (50.0 overs)                        244-8

Fall of Wickets : 1-13 Tharanga, 2-13 Mendis, 3-56 Perera, 4-123 Dickwella, 5-165 Jayasuriya, 6-197 Perera, 7-216 Perera, 8-227 Lakmal

Did Not Bat : Rajitha

Bowling: Kagiso Rabada        9   1  48   1, Lungi Ngidi          8   1  50   3, Willem Mulder        7   0  26   1, Andile Phehlukwayo   9   0  45   3, JP Duminy            7   0  30   0, Tabraiz Shamsi      10   0  43   0

South Africa

 Quinton de Kock     c Suranga Lakmal b Kasun Rajitha     87

 Hashim Amla         c&b Akila Dananjaya                  43

 Aiden Markram       c Kusal Perera b Akila Dananjaya      3

 Faf du Plessis      c&b Akila Dananjaya                  49

 JP Duminy           c Kusal Mendis b Thisara Perera      32

 David Miller        c Kusal Mendis b Suranga Lakmal       3

 Willem Mulder       Not Out                              19

 Andile Phehlukwayo  Not Out                               7

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

 Total               (42.5 overs)                      246-6

Fall of Wickets : 1-91 Amla, 2-109 Markram, 3-162 de Kock, 4-195 du Plessis, 5-198 Miller, 6-231 Duminy

Did Not Bat : Rabada, Shamsi, Ngidi

Bowling: Suranga Lakmal        7   0  39   1,  Kasun Rajitha       5.5   0  44   1,  Akila Dananjaya      10   0  60   3, Thisara Perera        7   0  34   1,  Prabath Jayasuriya   10   0  53   0,  Shehan Jayasuriya     3   0  16   0  5.33

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first in the second ODI against South Africa today. In a bid to square the series, Sri Lanka brought in fast bowler Kasun Rajitha and leftarm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya who are making their ODI debuts for Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka lost the first match by five-wickets in a largely lop-sided match on Sunday. 

Squads: 

Sri Lanka: Niroshan Dickwella(wk), Upul Tharanga, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Angelo Mathews (capt), Thisara Perera, Shehan Jayasuriya, Suranga Lakmal, Akila Dananjaya, Prabath Jayasuriya, Kasun Rajitha

South Africa : Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock(wk), Aiden Markram, Faf du Plessis(capt), Jean-Paul Duminy, David Miller, Willem Mulder, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi