The Sri Lankan cricket team jetted into Nelson Mandela Bay on Wednesday afternoon to a warm welcome from the St George’s Park band.
They play the Proteas in the Boxing Day test at St George’s Park, the first in the three test series.
The Sri Lankans are also coming off a good draw in their warm up match against an SA Invitation Eleven at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom.
The tourists finished the three-day tour game on 212 for 5 in their second innings, after earlier bowling out the home team for 289 with the clash ending in a draw.
Kusal Perera, Upul Tharanga and Dinesh Chandimal all enjoyed half-centuries during their outing.
Speaking briefly to the media at a busy PE airport, Sri Lankan captain, Angelo Mathews, said they had a “good 10 days of preparation” in Potchefstroom.
“The main objective is to try and get used to the conditions. We are not looking too far ahead. We just gonna play good cricket. We know South Africa has been playing really good cricket in the recent past,” he said.
“To beat them will take a lot out of the boys,” said Mathews.
The first Sunfoil Test of a three-match series against South Africa begins on Boxing Day at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth.
EP Cricket has urged the public to turn out in their numbers for the test so that St George’s, one of only five test venues in the country, could be allocated more test cricket in the future.
