Sri Lanka has defiantly ditched its unwanted tag as tri-series easybeat with a 94-run, bonus-point victory over South Africa.

The Sri Lankans bounced back from their tour-opening 116-run thumping at the hands of Australia by making Graeme Smith pay for sending them in at the Gabba.

Dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara (88 off 109 balls) gratefully accepted the chance to bat first by guiding the underdogs to 6-282.

South Africa never looked like running down the target under lights after needless run outs claimed Herschelle Gibbs (7) and super-sub Jacques Rudolph (53) to be 4-93.

Mark Boucher (62 off 71) played a lone hand but didn't have the batting support to reproduce his match-winning heroics from Sunday's win over Australia.

Boucher was the last man out in the 45th over as SA, needing 225 to avoid conceding a bonus point, lost its last five wickets for 36 runs to be dismissed for 188.

Leg-spinner Malinga Bandara took 3-31 while Muttiah Muralitharan (2-34) was also at his deceptive best.

Also rubbing salt into the Proteas' wounds, star all-rounder Jacques Kallis is set to be sent home after aggravating a lingering elbow injury.

Kallis was a late scratching after his tennis elbow problem flared in the lead up to the match.

The Proteas will decide on Wednesday whether he and seamer Charl Langeveldt (groin) will return to South Africa for treatment.

The upset, only Sri Lanka's third win in 13 matches, puts it on top of the tournament table with Australia with five points each, one ahead of SA.

It also continued the Proteas' three-year drought against the Sri Lankans, who have now won their last six matches.

The Proteas' surprise decision to bowl first appeared to backfire when Sri Lanka blazed its way to 1-145 in the 24th over.

Sangakkara and opener Jehan Mubarak (61 off 69) set up the challenging target with a quick-fire 112-run second-wicket stand.

Smith's move to insert the Sri Lankans on the fast Gabba track wasn't helped by a continuation of his side's poor fielding with Mubarak receiving two lives.

The skipper stood by his decision after play, saying the team let itself down in the opening 20 overs through poor bowling.

"I don't think that was the problem," he said. "We let ourselves down hopelessly tonight.

"We didn't get it right with the ball, in the field or with the bat."

Smith continued his rut with the bat, scoring just three before being trapped in front by Chaminda Vaas.

"It's getting disappointing especially the more you lose experienced players to injury it does put you as an experienced cricketer under more and more pressure to get performances," he said.

"I'll keep working hard and keep being positive ... and hopefully it's not too far around the corner."

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