It took just 70 minutes and 13.3 overs for South Africa to claim the remaining five Sri Lankan wickets on the final morning and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Fast bowler Kyle Abbott made two crucial strikes, dismissing overnight batsmen Angelo Mathews (59) and Dhananjaya de Silva (22) inside the first seven overs. Sri Lanka were bowled out for 281 after adding 41 runs on Friday.

“We’re playing some really good cricket,” said Du Plessis. “But it’s about being consistent. As a team we’re flying at about 80 percent, so we still have another 20 percent in the tank. The bowlers are doing a really good job but we can do better as a batting unit.” Du Plessis said that although South Africa had to work hard in the second innings they had played well enough to keep Sri Lanka under pressure.

An opening stand of 104 between man of the match Stephen Cook and Dean Elgar had justified his decision to bat first on a green pitch. “We were disappointed because we could have got fifty more in the first innings. But we came out and bowled brilliantly to get an 80-run lead on a small-ish total,” he said.

After the teams had been bowled out for 286 and 205 in the first innings the pitch changed character and South Africa made 406 for six declared in the second innings. Sri Lanka put up a fighting performance to make 240 for five before the close on Thursday.

“Yesterday was a flat day,” said Du Plessis. “The wicket was good, the ball was soft and the bowlers worked really hard. Today we got the benefits.” Sri Lankan captain Mathews said his team had contributed to their own downfall.

“The bowlers did pretty well to restrict them to 286 but it was hard work for the batters on the first two days. After that it got better but we played some terrible shots. We have to bat better from the beginning so that we don’t have to fight back all the time.” Mathews said it would be difficult for the tourists to turn their fortunes around in the two days before the second Test starts in Cape Town on Monday but added that his players needed to be mentally strong.

“A two-day break is just a mindset. We’ve had 14 or 15 days of good training. It’s not the skill, it’s the mindset. We’ve got to be tough out there.” Batting well would be the key if Sri Lanka were to play their way back into the series. “We’ve got to put some decent runs on the board for our bowlers to bowl at,” said Mathews.

Cook was named man of the match for his innings of 59 and 117. His place was under threat when he started badly with scores of 0, 12 and 23 in South Africa’s winning series in Australia last month, with his technique coming in for criticism. But he made 40 and 104 in the final Test in Adelaide and continued to be among the runs in Port Elizabeth.

“You know as a cricketer you’re going to go through some tough times but when times are good you’ve got to make it count,” said Cook.

Abbott broke through with the 16th ball of the final morning when Mathews went across his stumps, trying to work the ball to leg, and was leg before wicket.

CAPE TOWN, Monday: AB de Villiers has resigned as South Africa’s test captain, opening the way for childhood friend Faf du Plessis to take over on a permanent basis.

De Villiers, 32, has been struggling with an elbow injury for six months and is out of the three-match home test series against Sri Lanka that starts on Dec. 26.

“The interests of the team must always outweigh the interests of any individual including me,” he said in a Cricket South Africa news release on Monday.

Du Plessis was praised for leading South Africa to a 2-1 test series victory in Australia last month in the absence of De Villiers but was found guilty of tampering with the ball in the second test in Hobart, a verdict he will appeal against on Dec. 19.

De Villiers was appointed captain in January following the resignation of Hashim Amla but led the side in just two tests against England at the start of the year, and also missed a home series win over New Zealand in August.

“It was a fantastic honour for me to be asked to captain the test side but I have missed two series,” said De Villiers.

“Following the squad’s outstanding performances in Australia, it is clearly in the greater interests of the team that Faf du Plessis should be confirmed as permanent test captain.

“I have known Faf for almost 20 years, ever since we played in the same school side at Afrikaans Hoer Seunskool, and he will have my unequivocal support.”

De Villiers is not targeting a return to the side for the one-day series against Sri Lanka that starts at the end of January.

“AB’s left elbow is much improved but he is still regaining the last few degrees of straightening,” said team manager Dr Mohammed Moosajee.

“Fitness to play requires a full range of elbow movement and this may take another three to four weeks to achieve. He will be unavailable for the test series against Sri Lanka and will target a return for the ODI series.”

Du Plessis will be the third permanent captain for South Africa since the retirement of long-serving Graeme Smith in March 2014. Meanwhile, South Africa may have to do without the services of du Plessis for the first Test against Sri Lanka if the outcome of his appeal against the ball-tampering verdict does not turn out in his favour.

Du Plessis was fined 100 percent of his match fee but escaped suspension after he was found to be in breach of the ICC Code of Conduct for changing the condition of the ball during the Hobart Test. Du Plessis, who was uncertain about what constitutes an “artificial substance” in ICC’s rule book, and after support from CSA, filed the appeal, leaving ICC CEO David Richardson “disappointed.”

New Zealand finished the day at SuperSport Park on 38 for three, 443 runs behind South Africa’s first innings total of 481 for eight declared.

Du Plessis made 112 not out off 234 balls and said he had stuck to a plan.

“There is a lot happening in the wicket and we just needed one guy to anchor the innings and keep them out there as long as possible,” he said.

“The plan right from the beginning was to try to get to 400, which is a good score on this wicket, and then have a little dip at them at the end of the day.”

Du Plessis said he and JP Duminy had found batting in the last hour on the first day to be particularly difficult.

His declaration was therefore geared to having New Zealand bat when it was most likely to be tough for them in South African winter conditions, with the close coming near sunset.

“The grass stands up a little more towards the end of the day and because of the light you can see the little indentations on the pitch which you don’t see when the sun is shining brightly in the middle of the day. It plays on your mind a bit.”

In an era of rapid scoring in Test cricket, much of South Africa’s innings was a return to a more attritional age, with the run rate hovering at around three an over.

Du Plessis was particularly cautious as he tiptoed to a fifth Test century off 225 balls.

But it paid off as reunited fast bowling pair Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander ripped out both openers before Ross Taylor was run out.

It left New Zealand in deep trouble in a match which will decide the series after the weather-hit, abandoned first Test in Durban.

Martin Guptill survived a sharp chance to Stiaan van Zyl at third slip off Philander when he was on four, with the ball bursting through the fielder’s hands for four more runs.

But he gave a more straightforward chance to the same fielder in Philander’s next over without adding to his score.

Steyn then had the left-handed Tom Latham caught behind off an inside edge for four, although it seemed a controversial decision. Umpire Paul Reiffel gave the batsman not out and South Africa sought a review.

It was clear that the ball had deviated off the batsman’s trousers but only the faintest flicker on the ultra-edge device gave any indication that it had touched the bat first.

But television umpire Richard Illingworth decided it was enough evidence to overturn his colleague’s decision.

Much then depended on New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and Taylor, his most experienced teammate.

Taylor was struck twice, on the shoulder and arm, by lifting deliveries from Steyn and scored only one before pushing a ball from Kagiso Rabada to midwicket. He set off for a run, was sent back by Williamson and was beaten by a direct hit from Temba Bavuma.

Pretoria-born Neil Wagner was New Zealand’s most successful bowler, taking five for 86.

“Neil’s been outstanding for a long period of time,” said fellow fast bowler Tim Southee.

“He’s just reaping the rewards for the efforts and the tough overs he’s bowled throughout his career. He keeps running in and will make something happen from nothing.”

Southee collected a solitary wicket and conceded 114 runs.

“It was frustrating,” he admitted. “When the ball did something it did too much, but credit to the way South Africa batted, particularly Faf.”