South Africa were 21-2 chasing a huge 493-run target when torrential rain ended play on the fourth day of the second Test against Sri Lanka on Saturday.

The hosts declared on their overnight score of 211-4 after a long spell of rain washed out the first two sessions.

Skipper Graeme Smith was unbeaten on nine and Jacques Kallis was one not out as the 38-overs scheduled was cut short by heavy rain after just 44 minutes.

Opener Herschelle Gibbs (four), starting his innings on a pair, cracked an early off-side boundary before fending off a nasty short-pitched delivery from Lasith Malinga and being caught at leg gully.

Malinga, who bowls with an unorthodox round-arm action, proved a handful in the gloomy conditions, hitting Martin van Jaarsveld on the helmet as the right-hander tried to take evasive action.

Smith was also troubled by Malinga's extra pace and sharp bounce and was fortunate, on two, when an edge flew over the top of the slips.

Chaminda Vaas broke through next as Van Jaarsveld (2) was bowled off his pad by an inswinging yorker to leave South Africa on 18 for two.

Scoreboard

Sri Lanka (1st innings): (overnight 303-3)
M.Atapattu c Boucher b Pollock 4
S.Jayasuriya lbw Boje 43
K.Sangakkara c Kallis b Pollock 232
M.Jayawardene b Ntini 82
C.Vaas c van Jaarsveld b Pollock 10
T.Samaraweera c Ntini b Kallis 21
T.Dilshan c Kallis b Pollock 3
R.Kaluwitharana c Boucher b Hayward 7
U.Chandana st Boucher c Boje 40
R.Herath b Ntini 7
L.Malinga not out 6.

Extras: (lb-6, nb-8, w-1) 15

Total: (all out, 142.3 overs) 470

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-99, 3-291, 4-316, 5-392, 6-399, 7-416, 8-418, 9-437

Bowling: Pollock 30-8-81-4 (5nb), Ntini 33-6-108-2 (2nb), Hayward 17-4-75-1 (1nb), Kallis 17-6-54-1, Boje 34.3-5-102-2, Rudolph 4-0-16-0, Van Jaarsveld 7-0-28-0.

South Africa (1st innings):
G.Smith c & b Jayasuriya 65
H.Gibbs lbw Vaas 0
M.van Jaarsveld c Sangakkara b Jayasuriya 51
N.Boje b Jayasuriya 0
J.Kallis b Jayasuriya 13
J.Rudolph c Kaluwitharana b Malinga 6
B.Dippenaar c Dilshan b Rangana 25
M.Boucher not out 10
S.Pollock lbw Herath 1
M.Ntini b Herath 0
N.Hayward b Jayasuriya 1.

Extras: (b-1, lb-8, nb-8) 17.

Total: (all out, 69.1 overs) 189

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-109, 3-109, 4-140, 5-141, 6-166, 7-186, 8-188, 9-188.

Bowling: Vaas 7-3-10-1, Malinga 13-1-51-1 (8nb), Herath 25-6-60-3, Chandana 6-0-21-0, Dilshan 4-1-4-0, Jayasuriya 14.1-4-34-5.

Sri Lanka (2nd innings): (overnight 211-4):
M.Atapattu b Ruldolph 72
S.Jayasuriya b Boje 19
K.Sangakkara c Ntini b Kallis 64
M.Jayawardene c Boucher b Kallis 3
T.Samaraweera not out 21
T.Dilshan not out 23.

Extras: (b-6, lb-1, nb-1, w-1) 9

Total: (four wickets declared, 55 overs) 211

Fall of wickets: 1-46, 2-142, 3-149, 4-179

Did not bat: C.Vaas, R.Kaluwitharana, U.Chandana, R.Herath, L.Malinga

Bowling: Pollock 8-0-46-0, Ntini 4-0-19-0 (nb-1), Boje 23-6-81-1, Hayward 3-1-15-0, Smith 4-0-15-0 (w-1), Kallis 6-2-6-2, Rudolph 7-2-22-1

South Africa (2nd innings):
G.Smith not out 9
H.Gibbs c Samaraweera b Malinga 4
M. van Jaarsveld b Vaas 2
J.Kallis not out 1.

Extras: (b-2, nb-3) 5

Total: (two wickets, eight overs) 21

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-18

Still to bat: N.Boje, J.Rudolph, B.Dippenaar, M.Boucher, S. Pollock, M.Ntini

Bowling: Vaas 4-0-3-1, Malinga 3-0-13-1 (3nb), Jayasuriya 1-0-3-0