A spirited batting performance from Sri Lanka helped them restore some pride as they defeated South Africa by five wickets in a dramatic fourth ODI in Kimberley on Friday.

While South Africa had already sealed the series by winning the first three matches, the performance from Sri Lanka showed plenty of fight as they chased down South Africa's 299 for for seven with eight balls to spare.

Tillakaratne Dilshan played a captain's knock as he smashed a run-a-ball 87 which set the ball rolling for the tourists, while some late hitting from Thisara Perera (65 not out) ensured the island nation picked up their first limited overs win on tour.

Having won the toss and opted to bat first on a Kimberley pitch that soon proved a touch sluggish, the Proteas welcomed a positive start on the back of Smith and Alviro Petersen's 84-run stand for the first wicket.

While the former captain cashed in on Sri Lanka's inability to find the right line to the left-hander, Petersen tucked into some lusty blows down the ground. Such was the ineffective nature of Lasith Malinga and company's approach, 41 of the bottom hand-heavy Smith's first 50 runs came through the on-side.

Petersen (37) eventually perished to one big hit too many, holing out at midwicket as Upul Tharanga took a superb catch rolling to his left.

Smith welcomed only his third half-century in 17 ODI knocks - and it stopped at 68 by a relieved Malinga.

The fruit enjoyed across the batting Powerplay continued for the hosts, with de Villiers gunning it at full tilt. While Colin Ingram failed, JP Duminy's cameo 36 complemented his skipper superbly.

Thereafter, however, the home side floundered somewhat. Bowled for 96 while attempting a cheeky piece of manipulation in the face of a clever slower ball from Thisara Perera, de Villiers would have wanted to his side to reach at least 310 after his departure.

Wayne Parnell and Robin Peterson obliged, to a degree, but their lower-order hitting wasn't enough to truly mend the damage done by a seven-over bracket that didn't see one boundary

Sri Lanka's reply got off to a shaky start with Upul Tharanga top edging to AB de Villiers for six, but Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara put on 83 for the second wicket at quick pace.

Sangakkara blasted his way to 32 before a remarkable catch from Alviro Petersen got rid of the former skipper. Sangakkara looks to go over the top in search of a maximum and it looked destined for the mid-wicket boundary, but a calm Petersen timed his jump to perfection and sensationally plucked the ball out of the sky.

Dilshan soon followed and it was some wily captaincy from de Villiers that saw his opposite number go. De Villiers elected to bring his off side field into the circle in an attempt to get Dilshan to play over the top. The batsman took the bait and smashed it straight to JP Duminy who held on.

Lahiru Thirimanne (13) failed to make much of an impact as he too was caught by Duminy, this time off a Vernon Philander slower ball.

For South Africa, the luck seemed to run out at that point as Perera survived numerous chances. With his score on two the left-hander was given out lbw to Wayne Parnell and tried his luck with the referral, despite it looking very plumb. He got the benefit as the replay showed Parnell overstepped and the decision was overturned. The next over he came within inches of being caught-and-bowled by Robin Peterson and then nearly got himself and his partner Dinesh Chandimal run out when both batsmen ended up at the striker's end which chasing a single.

De Villiers and Lonwabo Tsotsobe fumbled the chance to run out either batsman and moments later put down a sharp chance off his own bowling after Chandimal had gone to his half-ton. Tsotsobe made up for his mistake by bowling Chandimal for 59 and at 269 for five the game was still in the balance.

Another near catch fell short of Tsotsobe, this time at mid-wicket, where Angelo Mathews chipped the ball and with 26 runs still to get, Mathews skied Tsotsobe to mid-on where Morne Morkel was made to look like a rank amateur as he put the simple chance - and South Africa's final hope - down.

Mathews and Perera then combined to complete victory with the latter smashing JP Duminy for six to end proceedings.