Gqeberha, Dec 8 (Reporter) Sri Lanka face a slim chance of chasing down South Africa’s daunting 348-run target on the final day of the Test, with the fragile tail exposed and the second new ball due in just 28 overs. Despite a valiant, unbroken 83-run partnership between Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka still requires 143 more runs, and their hopes rest on the lower order holding firm under immense pressure. The visitors' tail, which includes Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, and Asitha Fernando, all of whom have previously batted as No. 11s, remains a significant vulnerability. However, Sri Lanka may take some solace from their memorable 2019 chase in Gqeberha, where they successfully chased down 137 without losing a wicket, led by Mendis. At stumps, Mendis and de Silva are both not out on 39, but the task ahead remains formidable. Keshav Maharaj played a key role in South Africa’s push on the fourth afternoon, taking crucial wickets to end a 53-run stand between Angelo Mathews and Kamindu Mendis. Maharaj’s double strike left Sri Lanka struggling at 122 for 5, but de Silva and Mendis have kept the chase alive for now. As the final day beckons, South Africa are well-placed to seal a series whitewash, but Sri Lanka will cling to the hope that their middle order can defy the odds and replicate their heroics from five years ago. Earlier, South Africa’s quick bowlers dismissed Sri Lanka's top three with the new ball. In the third over, Kagiso Rabada rapped Dimuth Karunaratne in front of the stumps, dismissing him cheaply for the fourth time in the series. Pathum Nissanka, who had previously overturned an lbw decision, edged a full, wide delivery from Paterson to the keeper in the 13th over. Paterson also dismissed Dinesh Chandimal, with an inducker that Chandimal’s review suggested would have just grazed leg stump. He had made 29 at that point. Sri Lanka dominated much of the day, claiming seven South African wickets for 126 runs. Prabath Jayasuriya played a pivotal role, taking his 10th five-wicket haul and first overseas, finishing with 5 for 129. He bowled 14 overs in the rough outside the right-hander's leg stump, while Sri Lanka's seamers took one wicket each. The day’s drama unfolded early when Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs extended their fourth-wicket stand to 103. Bavuma hesitated when returning for a second run, leading to a mix-up that saw Stubbs run out for 47. Bavuma reached fifty off 83 balls and added 41 runs with David Bedingham before falling to Jayasuriya for 66. Bedingham was then dismissed for 35, caught off Jayasuriya. South Africa's tail wagged after lunch, with Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, and Paterson hitting two sixes and five fours between them. Sri Lanka had struggled with the ninth and tenth-wicket partnerships in the first innings, which had contributed 89 runs, and the tail's runs proved crucial once again...////...