Sri Lanka v South Africa, 2014

	South Africa celebrate their 2-1 ODI-series win against Sri Lanka © AFP Enlarge
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One-day internationals (3): Sri Lanka 1, South Africa 2
Test matches (2): Sri Lanka 0, South Africa 1

This short tour included only five international matches, but generated a surprising degree of anticipation in both countries, sub-plots aplenty, and an agreeable whiff of revenge in the air. South Africa's record in Sri Lanka was woeful - worse than in any other Full Member nation. After their inaugural tour here in 1993-94, which South Africa won 1-0 on the back of excellent fast bowling from Allan Donald and Brett Schultz, they had won just one Test out of seven. Their nadir - and Sri Lanka's peak - came in 2006, when Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara combined for a world-record partnership of 624, and South Africa left early after a bomb exploded in Colombo. This would be their 13th overseas Test series since then - and they had lost none of the previous 12. There was a proud record to maintain.

Eight years on, three players remained on each side: for Sri Lanka, the record-breaking duo and recalled opener Upul Tharanga; for South Africa, Hashim Amla - their new Test captain - A. B. de Villiers and Dale Steyn. Asked about his memories of 2006, de Villiers replied: "Not good, not good at all." Steyn answered: "I can't remember anything. My brain has purged that series." But he did experience one moment of clarity: "I had Sanga dropped at point, then bowled him off a no-ball before he scored ten." South Africa's one day performances away to Sri Lanka had been just as derisory: two wins from 16 was described by de Villiers, captain in the format, as "embarrassing and something we are desperate to put right".

Sri Lankan pride in their record against South Africa was justifiably high, and confidence was buoyant, following victories in England across all three formats a few weeks earlier. Despite the rankings, the tourists were perceived as underdogs. That they won both series was a surprise. If there was a price to pay, it came in the last remnants of Jacques Kallis's international career. He had retired from Tests six months earlier, but committed himself to the one-day side with a view to playing in a sixth World Cup, in early 2015 - something only Javed Miandad and Sachin Tendulkar had achieved. But Kallis mustered just five runs from 19 balls in the three one dayers, and was unfit to bowl. After the tour, aged almost 39, he decided that goal was "a bridge too far".

Steyn and de Villiers, though, did more than enough to banish the memories of 2006. Steyn picked up nine wickets in the Galle Test, after de Villiers had struck a sensational century in the deciding one-dayer in Hambantota. As good as both victories were, the abiding memory was of obstinate defence and self-denial to the point of fiction in the Second Test, when South Africa were essentially playing for a draw from tea on the second day. Amla's unbeaten century spanned more than eight hours, an 246 extraordinary overs. South Africa clung desperately to survival - and returned to the top of the Test rankings.

Match reports for

Tour Match: Sri Lanka Board President's XI v South Africans at Moratuwa, Jul 3, 2014
Report | Scorecard

1st ODI: Sri Lanka v South Africa at Colombo (RPS), Jul 6, 2014
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2nd ODI: Sri Lanka v South Africa at Pallekele, Jul 9, 2014
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3rd ODI: Sri Lanka v South Africa at Hambantota, Jul 12, 2014
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1st Test: Sri Lanka v South Africa at Galle, Jul 16-20, 2014
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2nd Test: Sri Lanka v South Africa at Colombo (SSC), Jul 24-28, 2014
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