Skipper Keshav Maharaj returned figures of 1-19 on his Twenty20 international debut as South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 28 runs in the first match on Friday.

Aiden Markam hit 48 to guide Sri Lanka to 163-5, a total their bowlers defended by restricting Sri Lanka to 135-6 and lead the three-match series 1-0 in Colombo.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Chandimal hit an unbeaten 66 - his career-best T20 knock - but the rest of the batting faltered against a disciplined bowling attack. 

The second T20 is on Sunday at the same venue.

Sri Lanka v South Africa 1st T20 scoreboard

Scoreboard of the first Twenty20 international between Sri Lanka and South Africa in Colombo on Friday:

South Africa

Q. de Kock  c Asalanka b Hasaranga      36

R. Hendricks  c Theekshana b Hasaranga  38

A. Markram  c Chameera b Shanaka        48 

H. Klaasen lbw b Theekshana              2

D. Miller  c Fernando b Chameera        26

D. Pretorius  not out                   10

K. Rabada  not out                       0

Extras (w3)                              3

TOTAL (5 wickets, 20 overs)            163

Fall of wickets: 1-73 (de Kock), 2-79 (Hendricks), 3-87 (Klaasen), 4-152 (Markram), 5-156 (Miller)

Did to bat: K. Maharaj, B. Fortuin, A. Nortje, T. Shamsi 

Bowling: Chameera 4-0-35-1 (w1), De Silva 2-0-12-0,Theekshana 4-0-35-1, Dananjaya 3-0-28-0 (w1), Hasaranga 4-0-23-2, Karunaratne 2-0-24-0 (w1), Shanaka 1-0-6-1

Sri Lanka (target 164)

A. Fernando run out (Nortje)            11

D. Chandimal not out                    66

B. Rajapaksa lbw b Maharaj               0

C. Asalanka c Pretorius b Shamsi         6

D. Shanaka b Fortuin                    16

W. Hasaranga c Hendricks b Pretorius     0

D. de Silva b Nortje                     1

C. Karunaratne not out                  22

Extras (lb1, w12)                       13

Total (6 wickets, 20 overs)            135

Fall of wickets: 1-34 (Fernando), 2-34 (Rajapaksa), 3-68 (Aslanka), 4-95 (Shanaka), 5-102 (Hasaranga), 6-104 (De Silva)

Did not bat: D. Chameera, M. Theekshana, A. Dananjaya

Bowling: Fortuin 4-0-24-1, Nortje 4-0-29-1 (w6), Rabada 3-0-21-0, Maharaj 4-0-19-1 (w5), Shamsi 2-0-20-1, Pretorius 3-0-21-1 (w1)

Toss: South Africa

Result: South Africa won by 28 runs

Series: South Africa lead the three-match series 1-0

Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI), Prageeth Rambukwella (SRI)

TV umpire: Ruchira Palliyaguruge (SRI)

Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)