Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan claimed six wickets as Sri Lanka coasted to an innings and 153-run victory over South Africa on the last day of the first Test in Colombo. 
The South Africans resumed the day on 4-311 hoping to save the Test on the docile Sinhalese Sports Club Ground pitch but were dismissed for 434 as Muralitharan took the game by the scruff of the neck, claiming the key wickets of Ashwell Prince (61) and Herschelle Gibbs (18) in the morning session.
The 34-year-old then helped clean up the tail after lunch to finish with figures of 6-131 in the second innings and 10-172 in the match, his 17th 10 wicket haul.
Muralitharan struck in his first over of the morning finding the edge of Prince's bat and Mahela Jayawardene took the catch at first slip.
Gibbs was the final recognised batsman but he was battling a viral infection that had kept him bed-ridden for the past two days and his brave stand ended when he popped a simple return catch back to Muralitharan off a low full toss.
Wicket-keeper Mark Boucher provided strong resistance scoring a positive 85 from 160 balls before being snared by part-time left-arm spinner Sanath Jayasuriya shortly after lunch in almost identical circumstances to Gibbs' dismissal.
Muralitharan then proved too good for the tailenders bowling Andre Nel for a duck by a sharp-turning off break and then bamboozling Dale Steyn (4) with one that got through the bowler's defences and took middle stump.
Makhaya Ntini (16) attacked, smashing a six and a four before being bowled by Lasith Malinga to seal Sri Lanka's victory leaving Nicky Boje unbeaten on 33 not out.
