Boucher's contribution with the bat was crucial

Only Shane Warne and Courtney Walsh have more Test wickets.

On Sunday morning, South Africa lost Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis after they had put on 140 for the third wicket.

Resuming on 76 overnight, Gibbs moved to within eight runs of an eighth Test century before he was run out following a terrible mix-up with Kallis.

He pushed a Murali delivery wide of the bowler and set off for a run, but slipped as Kallis sent him back and was yards short of his ground.

Hasantha Fernando then returned to the attack to rip out Kallis's off-stump with the first delivery of a new spell after the batsman had made 84.

Murali has got through 53 overs of toil

Neither Ashwell Prince nor Neil McKenzie looked comfortable and both men fell in the middle session.

Prince edged a pull and was caught behind off Chaminda Vaas for 20, while Chamila Gamage trapped McKenzie plumb in front for 28.

Vaas and Murali were both unlucky at times when they then sought to remove Boucher and Pollock before tea, but the batsmen's positive approach paid dividends.

The seventh-wicket pair added 132 before Boucher, on 63, chipped an easy return catch for Gamage.

Muralitharan then finally won a couple of decisions to remove Hall and Elworthy quickly, but 10 runs came off the final over of the day, bowled by Dilhara Fernando.

It included a six by Pollock, only the second in the first three days of this Test, as the South African captain ended the day unbeaten on 78.

South Africa: Herschelle Gibbs, Graeme Smith, Gary Kirsten, Jacques Kallis, Neil McKenzie, Ashwell Prince, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock (captain), Andrew Hall, Steve Elworthy, Makhaya Ntini.

Sri Lanka: Marvan Atapattu (captain), Jehan Mubarak, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, Hashan Tillakaratne, Hasantha Fernando, Chaminda Vaas, Dilhara Fernando, Chamila Gamage, Muttiah Muralitharan.