With the series already decided, both teams made a raft of changes for the fourth match in Port Elizabeth. South Africa brought in Aiden Markram, JP Duminy, Dale Steyn and Anrich Nortje for Rassie van der Dussen, Dwaine Pretorious, Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir; for their part Sri Lanka replaced Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Perera, and Akila Dhananjaya with Upul Tharanga, Priyamal Perera and Dhananjaya de Silva.
South Africa won the toss and, opted to field first, enjoyed early success when Tharanga fell in the third over to the bowling of Steyn, caught by Tabraiz Shamsi.
Then, in the next over, Ngidi struck, having Oshada Fernando caught by Reeza Hendricks without scoring. Vishka Fernando scored 29, but he was caught by Duminy off Nortje, who then had Priyamal Perera caught behind next ball. Kamindu Mendis and his namesake Kusal survived for six overs but could only add 18 runs before Kamindu was caught behind off Nortje for 9 followed 4 balls later by Kusal, caught by Nortje this time for 21, with Andile Phehlukwayo the bowler.
Dhananjaya de Silva and Thisara Perera temporarily stopped the rot with a stand of 26, but Perera was caught and bowled by Tabraiz Shamsi as the seventh wicket fell. However, de Silva combined with Isuru Udana to add 26, and, after de Silva was caught by Nortje off Duminy for 22, and captain Lasith Malinga was run out without scoring, the last wicket pair of Udana and Kasun Rajitha added 58 welcome runs for Sri Lanka until Udana finally fell to the bowling of Phehlukwayo for 78. He had hit 4 sixes and 7 fours and helped his side to 189, although there were still more than 10 overs of their innings to be bowled.
In reply, South Africa lost an early wicket when Reeza Hendricks was caught by Thisara Perera with de Silva the bowler of 8. However, Quinton de Kock steadied any South African nerves with a stand of 56 for the second wicket with Markram until de Silva caught the latter off the bowling of Rajitha for 29. De Kock and his captain Faf du Plessis put on 33 for the third wicket, before de Kock, top scoring with 51, was caught by Tharanga with de Silva the bowler again. The bowler then picked up a third wicket when he had du Plessis caught by Priyamal Perera for 43.
However, that was the end of the Sri Lanka success, as David Miller and Duminy raced to victory, with the pair reaching their target with more than 17 overs still to be bowled. In the end Miller was undefeated on 25, whilst Duminy ended 31 not out, with both men firing a six apiece.
The consolation for Sri Lanka was that Isuru Udana was named man of the match.