South Africa left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi put his hat in the ring for a spot in the Test playing XI after picking up five wickets in the two-day warm-up match against Sri Lanka Board XI on Saturday.

Shamsi finished with 5-45 from 13.2 overs as the South Africans dismissed the hosts for 287 in Colombo. South Africa are in the island nation for a full tour that includes two Tests – starting on July 12 – five ODIs and one T20.

The South Africans did not field their main spinner – left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj – but found a highly effective option in Shamsi on a wicket that didn’t have a lot for the bowlers.

Returning fast bowler Dale Steyn failed to impress as he went for 52 runs from 12 overs without picking up a wicket and according to reports from Sri Lanka, did not look threatening. Young fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi were far more incisive on a docile pitch.

Shamsi chipped away at the middle order and kept the scoring in check after the hosts were at one point 161-2.

The SL Board XI included established batsmen like Angelo Mathews (92), Danushka Gunathilaka (53), Dhananjaya de Silva (28) and Kaushal Silva (76).