De Grandhomme fell before the end but Williamson reached his century with a six in the final over and guided New Zealand to their fourth win of the tournament with three balls to spare.
The 3-0 series win against the West Indies could be called a precursor and the real battle begins now against Quinton de Kock's Proteas who are also in the midst of a tough transition.
"It was tough up front, the Sri Lanka bowlers didn't give us much to work with," Markram told reporters.
Australia's Aaron Finch hit his fifth one-day international century to drive the hosts to a 73-run victory over South Africa in Canberra on Wednesday and a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
The second Twenty20 international between World champions England and South Africa in Manchester on Monday was abandoned due to persistent rain. The match was reduced to nine overs per side and South Africa were led by a spectacular 47 not out from Hashim Amla as they notched up 77 for five wickets.
According to the order, all security and vehicles provided to the separatists will stand withdrawn by Sunday evening. No security forces or cover will be provided, under any pretext, to them or any other separatists. If they have any other facilities provided by the government, they are to be withdrawn forthwith.
South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn will miss the second Test against England, which starts at Newlands on Saturday, after failing to recover from a shoulder injury, captain Hashim Amla said.
Half-centuries from Eoin Morgan and Jonathan Trott steered England to a series-levelling victory over South Africa in the third One-Day International.
Fast bowler Dale Steyn took four wickets as South Africa seized control of the first Test against Sri Lanka on Day 2 and went to the close on 126 for four, an overall second innings lead of 170 runs.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who claimed five for 32 in South Africa's paltry first innings of 79, says the home side needs to be patient on Day 3 as things will be different in the second innings. Harish Kotian reports from Nagpur.
South Africa made light work of England in the second one-day international in Southampton on Tuesday, defeating the hosts by 80 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series after being set up by Hashim Amla's 150.
Indian batsman Ajinkya Rahane jumped three places to enter the top-10 in batsman's list while Ravichandran Ashwin maintained his pole position among all-rounders in the latest Test rankings released by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Moeen Ali revealed that Jofra Archer is the fastest bowler he has ever faced after watching the England newcomer rip South Africa apart at The Oval.
India's Virat Kohli slipped a rung but is still the best-placed Indian batsman in third position in the latest the International Cricket Council One-Day batsmen's rankings released on Tuesday.
Adaptability will be the key at the World Cup and England captain Eoin Morgan hailed his side's composure after they fought past South Africa on Thursday to open their home tournament in style.
Hashim Amla plundered yet another century to lead South Africa to a commanding 325 for four on the first day of the second and final Test against New Zealand at St George's Park on Friday.
Hashim Amla's composed century helped South Africa to within a sniff of reclaiming the One-day top ranking after they beat New Zealand by 72 runs to wrap up their three-match series with a game to spare on Friday.
South Africa wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock has been fined 75 per cent of his match fee for nudging Bangladesh opening batsman Tamim Iqbal.
The reports suggested six members of the terror outfit infiltrated into the state by sea from Sri Lanka and moved to different cities, including Coimbatore, according to the police.
British Open champion Ernie Els said he was inspired by watching South Africa's cricketers turn the screw on England in the first Test before going out to win his fourth major title on Sunday.
Hashim Amla put South Africa on the threshold of victory over England in the first Test with an unbeaten 311, the highest score by a South African in Test cricket, as the Proteas declared on 637-2 in their first innings. England lost four wickets before the close.
Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis put on an unbeaten stand of 143 to help South Africa to an 18-run lead over England on day three of the first Test at The Oval on Saturday.
South Africa fought back against England on the second day of the first Test on Friday, first with the ball and then the bat, to close on 86 for one after bowling England out for 385. Captain Graeme Smith, playing his 100th Test match, was 37 not out and Hashim Amla was on 47 after being dropped on 40 by first slip Andrew Strauss off Ravi Bopara.
Mumbai pacer Shardul Thakur pushed South Africa to the backfoot before the classy AB de Villiers rallied the tourists with a typically aggressive century on the second and last day of the practice game against Board President's XI which ended in a draw, in Mumbai, on Saturday.
Hashim Amla scored 196 and AB de Villiers 169 in a batting exhibition that drove South Africa to a commanding lead of 631 runs before they were dismissed for 569 on the third day of the third Test against Australia on Sunday.
South Africa, fired by a devastating spell of bowling from Dale Steyn and sustained by the batting of Hashim Amla, took a firm grip on the third and final Test against Australia on Saturday to end day two with an imposing lead of 292.
With the South African team keen to shrug-off the chokers tag, opening batsman Hashim Amla has said the experienced campaigners in the squad will need to step up their performance when they take on Sri Lanka in the World Cup quarter-finals at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday.
Explosive all-rounder Ben Stokes and relentless run accumulator Steve Smith could not be more different in their approaches to the game but both roared back from personally adversity to bestride an extraordinary cricketing year. Virat Kohli and his men top the confused and confusing World Test Championship table with seven wins in as many matches, including their first pink-ball Test against Bangladesh last month. That victory marked their 12th consecutive Test series win at home.
South Africa's fiery seamer Duanne Olivier took five wickets as the hosts powered into the ascendancy on day two of the third and final Test against an outgunned Pakistan at the Wanderers on Saturday.
Virat Kohli became only the fifth player overall to score a century in One-Day Internationals against all nine Test playing nations. Ricky Ponting, Herschelle Gibbs, Sachin Tendulkar and Hashim Amla are the other players to achieved the feat. Rajneesh Gupta presents the interesting numbers from the fourth ODI between India and South Africa in Chennai, on Thursday.
Star pacer Dale Steyn feels he is fortunate to be part of a strong South African side, which has enabled him to produce his best in the past few years.
Five cricketers, including India's World Cup winning skipper M S Dhoni, were on Thursday shortlisted for the second edition of ICC's 'People's Choice Awards'.
Half-centuries from Hashim Amla and JP Duminy helped South Africa secure a five-wicket win in the second one-day international against Sri Lanka on Saturday.
England's top order crumbled to 20 for six wickets in five overs as they were dismissed for a modest total of 153 before the Proteas cruised to a seven-wicket victory for a consolation triumph after the hosts won the first two matches of the series.
He joins an elite group of players who have made a century in their 100th Test -- the others being Colin Cowdrey, Javed Miandad, Gordon Greenidge, Alec Stewart, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Ricky Ponting (both innings) and Graeme Smith.
South Africa batsman Hashim Amla has had emergency surgery after he was hit in the groin with the ball on the opening day of the third Test against New Zealand, the team said on Saturday.
South Africa's batsmen made a mockery of supposedly helpful bowling conditions to finish the weather-affected first day of the third and final Test against New Zealand on 136 for two.
Vernon Philander bagged six wickets, for a match haul of ten, as South Africa wrapped up a nine-wicket victory that gives them a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
England batsmen Jonathan Trott and Alastair Cook expressed happiness on winning the Cricketer of the Year and Test Cricketer of the Year awards respectively, at the annual ICC awards ceremony held in London earlier this week.
Mominul Haque (28) and Tamim Iqbal, who hit a six off the final ball of the day to reach 22, were not out at stumps on Friday as Bangladesh began their reply after South Africa's tea-time declaration on 496 for three.
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