Unlike in the group game, though, this time Graeme Smith was quicker to relieve the bowler and bring on Charl Langeveldt - and the move paid immediate dividends. Unlike Pollock, Langeveldt is quicker, skiddier off the deck, and various lines and lengths and movement, making him much harder to predict and predetermine.

In his second over, the bowler landed one wide of off, short enough on length to get the bounce going. Jayasuriya saw the width and climbed into it with his trademark slash; the extra pace and bounce however hurried the batsman, caught the thick edge and went high, then down the throat of Jacques Kallis at point (26/27; 45/2).

Mahela Jayawardene, despite his recent run of poor form, had come in at three, and while Jayasuriya blazed away at one end, played a subdued second fiddle at the other. He seemed to be middling the ball well enough in defense; it was when he attempted to force the pace that he struggled with his timing and placement.

A shimmy down the wicket, going to leg just enough to make room and a crashing drive through the covers off Langeveldt was the Lankan captain's sole moment of assurance. In the 15th over, Langeveldt took him out with one that angled into middle, then straightened. Jayawardene tried to whip to on; the straightening of line and the fact that the batsman played a touch too early combined to force the leading edge, and a simple catch to AB de Villiers at cover (12/31; 65/3).

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