DURBAN, South Africa (AFP) — Left-arm opening bowler Chanaka Welegedera produced a career-best performance to put Sri Lanka in the ascendancy on the second day of the second Test match against South Africa at Kingsmead yesterday.

Welegedera took 5-52 as South Africa were bowled out for 168 on a good batting pitch, giving Sri Lanka a first innings lead of 170.

They added seven more runs for the loss of captain Tillekeratne Dilshan before bad light stopped play.

Sri Lankan century-maker Thilan Samaraweera attributed the astonishing turnaround in his team’s fortunes to hard talk and hard work after they were thrashed by an innings and 81 runs in the first Test at Centurion.

He revealed that the touring players put in two days of hard work in Johannesburg after the Centurion Test ended early, then followed up with another three days of effort leading up to the current Test.

Yesterday’s performance gave Sri Lanka hope of gaining their first Test win of the year — and Hashim Amla, who top-scored for South Africa with 54, admitted that a result was virtually certain if the weather held.