Skipper Keshav Maharaj led South Africa's bowling charge to restrict Sri Lanka to 203 for nine in the third and deciding one-day international on Tuesday.

Charith Asalanka top-scored with 47 but Sri Lanka suffered from a lack of partnerships after they elected to bat first with the series level at 1-1.

Maharaj struck first, getting Avishka Fernando lbw for 10, and returned figures of 3-38 with his left-arm spin. Fellow spinners George Linde and Tabraiz Shamsi claimed two wickets each.

South Africa successfully reviewed the openers' wickets in their favour after Fernando and Dinesh Chandimal, out lbw for nine off left-arm orthodox Linde, were given not out by the on-field umpires.

Spinners kept striking as Aiden Markram sent back Dhananjaya de Silva for 31 and Maharaj got two including skipper Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga as Sri Lanka slipped to 121-6.

Asalanka survived a reprieve on 36 when he was caught at mid-wicket off Linde but the delivery was adjudged a no ball with more fielders outside the inner circle than allowed.

Shamsi, a left-arm wrist spinner, finally got Asalanka caught behind to deny the left-hand batsman a half-century.

Dushmantha Chameera hit a useful 29 to help Sri Lanka go past 200 runs and bat out their 50 overs after they were 166-8 in the 42nd over.

Sri Lanka v South Africa 3rd ODI scoreboard

Scoreboard after Sri Lanka's innings in the third and final one-day international against South Africa in Colombo on Tuesday:

Sri Lanka

A. Fernando lbw b Maharaj             10

D. Chandimal lbw b George Linde        9

K. Mendis c and b George Linde        16

D. de Silva c Klaasen b Markram       31

C. Asalanka c Klaasen b Shamsi        47

D. Shanaka c Mulder b Maharaj         13

W. Hasaranga c R Hendricks b Maharaj   6

C. Karunaratne lbw b Shamsi           16

D. Chameera c Malan b Mulder          29

M. Theekshana not out                 10

P. Jayawickrama not out                2

Extras (lb2, w8, nb4)                 14

Total (9 wickets, 50 overs)          203

Fall of wickets: 1-22 (Fernando), 2-33 (Chandimal), 3-64 (Mendis), 4-93 (De Silva), 5-112 (Shanaka), 6-121 (Hasaranga), 7-154 (Karunaratne), 8-166 (Asalanka), 9-198 (Chameera)

Bowling: Rabada 8-0-46-0 (nb3, w6), Maharaja 10-0-38-3, Linde 10-1-32-2 (nb1), Markram 10-1-41-1, Shamsi 10-0-31-2 (w1), Phehlukwayo 1-0-10-0 Mulder 1-0-3-1 (w1)

South Africa: J. Malan, A. Markram, R. Hendricks, R. van der Dussen, H. Klaasen (wk), A. Phehlukwayo, W. Mulder, G. Linde, K. Maharaj (capt), K. Rabada, T. Shamsi

Toss: Sri Lanka