South Africa reached 90-1 after bowling Sri Lanka out for 180 on the first day of the Test series at Centurion.
Vernon Philander claimed his third five-wicket haul in just his third Test appearance as the tourists struggled to get to grips with difficult early batting conditions.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith had no hesitation putting Sri Lanka into bat on a pitch that contained more than a tinge of green.
Dale Steyn was responsible for the first dismissal of the morning but not in the circumstances anticipated.
On a wicket conducive to seam bowling, Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan attempted a hoik to the leg-side more akin to Twenty20 cricket.
Philander took a simple catch at mid-on to put the tourists on the back-foot.
That wicket gave Steyn 250 Test victims in just his 48th match – only Australian legend Dennis Lillee has achieved the feat in less games.
Philander then struck in the next over when an awkward lifting delivery was fended to Jacques Kallis at second slip by Kumar Sangakkara.
Tharanga Paranavitana (32) and Mahela Jayawardene (30) then batted sensibly in a third-wicket stand of 54 before the former was bowled through the gate by a Philander delivery that swung back into the left-hander.
Jayawardene went soon into the middle session when he played a loose shot away from his body and edged to Smith at first slip.
Morne Morkel thought he had struck in the next over but video replays showed he had bowled a no ball when Thilan Samaraweera edged to third slip on 13.
That let-off allowed Samaraweera (36) to continue a flourishing stand with Angelo Mathews (38) in the most fluent passage of batting in the innings.
Only the use of technology split the pair after a sixth-wicket partnership of 65.
Hot Spot decreed that Samaraweera got a thin edge off Philander after umpire Rod Tucker had turned down the original appeal.
Incredibly, Kaushal Silva was dismissed in the very same manner off the next delivery when Hot Spot detected he gloved a catch down the leg-side.
Imran Tahir continued the clatter of wickets in the next over when Thisara Perera edged onto Mark Boucher's leg and Kallis took a fine one-handed catch at slip off the rebound.
Philander got his fifth wicket when Mathews showed his attacking intentions by advancing down the wicket but could only fend a lifting delivery to second slip.
Steyn then cleaned up the remaining two wickets off successive deliveries to finish with 4-18.
Philander's 5-53 means he has now taken 19 victims at 13.05 in his fledgling Test career.
Smith took the lead role in the South African response as he raced to his 50 off 80 balls, clipping the ball to long-on to reach the landmark.
The left-hander fell just before the close when a Dilhara Fernando inswinger hit the batsman on the back-pad in front of middle stump.
Nightwatchman Steyn (0 not out) helped Jacques Rudolph (27 not out) see their side to the close without further mishap.
