The pitch was expected to provide assistance to the fast bowlers on a party cloudy day in the opening encounter of a three-match series. It had a mottled appearance with a good covering of grass over most of the surface.

South Africa named the same team that shared a two-match series with Australia last month, while Sri Lanka opted to leave spinner Ajantha Mendis out of their 12-man squad, leaving left-armer Rangana Herath as the sole spin back-up to a three-man pace attack.

Sri Lanka, making their first Test tour of South Africa in nine seasons, have lost six of seven previous Tests in South Africa.

Teams:

South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Jacques Rudolph, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Ashwell Prince, Mark Boucher (wkt), Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir.

Sri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), Tharanga Paranavitana, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Kaushal Silva (wkt), Thisara Perera, Rangana Herath, Dilhara Fernando, Chanaka Welegedara.

Umpires: Steve Davis, Rod Tucker (both AUS)

TV umpire: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)

Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)