Marvan Atapattu and Avishka Gunawardene scored fifties as Sri Lanka snatched a thrilling three-wicket win against South Africa in the first One-Day International on Friday.

Sri Lanka, set a stiff 264-run target after Jacques Kallis had top scored with 74 and Mark Boucher had chipped in with 58, won with an over to spare when young all-rounder Kaushal Lokuarachchi smashed a leg-side six to seal victory.

All-rounder Chaminda Vaas won the man-of-the-match award for his four wickets for 33 earlier in the day, which he followed up with 18 priceless runs in the final tense overs.

There had only been one higher successful chase at the venue in 68 matches and Sri Lanka started badly with pace bowler Alan Dawson bowling Sanath Jayasuriya for 12.

But opener Gunawardene scored 51 from 61 balls and number three Atapattu made 64 from 82 balls to lay a solid foundation.

Makhaya Ntini broke though for the tourists when Gunawardene was caught at point off a leading edge to leave Sri Lanka 97 for two.

However, Atapattu ticked along smoothly with Kumar Sangakkara (24) and Mahela Jayawardene (19), adding 51 in 57 balls, before edging to the wicketkeeper in Ntini's second spell.

Sri Lanka kept up with the asking rate and, although Jayawardene was caught behind off a seaming delivery from Lance Klusener, they were well-placed needing 56 from the last 10 overs.

A direct hit from cover fieldsman Nicky Boje to run out Upul Chandana (five) caused some jitters in the home dressing room.

VICTORY RACE

Vaas and Tillakaratne Dilshan narrowed the deficit to 20 off 20 balls before Vaas was caught in the deep trying to blast a boundary off Shaun Pollock.

But Dilshan, who scored 38 not out from 36 balls, held his nerve with Lokuarachchi and Sri Lanka raced to victory, plundering 14 runs from Pollock's last over, the penultimate of the innings.

Earlier, out-of-form opener Herschelle Gibbs struggled for 21 minutes without scoring before being trapped lbw for a duck by an inswinger from Vaas.

Kallis, promoted to number three, stroked five fours and two sixes in an 85-ball knock, adding 77 runs in 78 balls with skipper Graeme Smith (38) and then 48 with Jacques Rudolph (22) for the third wicket.

Sri Lanka rotated six bowlers within the first 15 overs to try and stem the flow of runs and the ploy finally worked as Lokuarachchi bowled Smith through the gate with a fizzing leg break.

Lokuarachchi should also have dismissed Rudolph, on three, but Chandana was unable to take a diving two-handed chance at mid off.

Chandana made up for the fielding lapse when he had Rudolph stumped in the 29th over and then caught and bowled Kallis.

After Kallis's departure, Boucher kept the innings going, adding 52 runs with Shaun Pollock (30) and a short flurry with Lance Klusener (15) before being caught in the deep for 58.

Scoreboard

South Africa:
G.Smith b Lokuarachchi 38
H.Gibbs lbw Vaas 0
J.Kallis c & b Chandana
74 J.Rudolph st Sangakkara b Chandana 22
S.Pollock c Jayasuriya 30
M.Boucher c Gunawardene b Vaas 58
L.Klusener b Vaas 15
J.Duminy lbw Vaas 4 N.Boje run out 2
A.Dawson not out 3
M.Ntini not out 5.

Extras: (lb-7, nb-1, w-4) 12.

Total: (for nine wickets, 50 overs) 263

Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-90, 3-138, 4-157, 5-209, 6-241, 7-249, 8-253, 9-257.

Bowling: Vaas 7-1-33-4 (w-1), Zoysa 4-0-20-0, Dilshan 9-0-57-0 (w-1), Maharoof 2-0-12-0 (nb-1), Lokuarachchi 9-1-40-1 (w-2), Jayasuriya 10-0-47-1, Chandana 9-0-47-2

Sri Lanka:
A.Gunawardene c Gibbs b Ntini 51
S.Jayasuriya b Dawson 12
M.Atapattu c Boucher b Ntini 64
K.Sangakkara c Gibbs b Boje 24
M.Jayawardene c Boucher b Klusener 19
T.Dilshan not out 38
U.Chandana run out 5
C.Vaas c Klusener b Pollock 18
K.Lokuarachchi not out 11.

Extras: (lb-12, nb-4, w-7) 23

Total: (for seven wickets, 49 overs) 265

Fall of wickets: 1-29, 2-97, 3-146, 4-170, 5-201, 6-211, 7-244

Did not bat: F.Maharoof, N.Zoysa

Bowling: Pollock 10-1-47-1, Dawson 8-0-42-1 (w-1), Ntini 9-0-46-2 (nb-1), Klusener 10-0-52-1 (w-2 nb-1), Boje 5-0-31-1 (w-1), Kallis 7-0-35-0 (w-3 nb-2).

Result: Sri Lanka won by three wickets

Next match: August 22, Colombo