But even the umpiring errors which have haunted the tourists failed to spoil their success as they went through unbeaten by winning their last one-day unofficial international at the Singhalese Sports Club by 46 runs and wrapping up the series 3-0.
Ackerman stood his ground for a long time before leaving the field with the coach, Graham Ford trying to get some sense out of the umpires about the row over what does and what does not constitute obstruction of the field.
Ackerman had scored a quality 51 in the South Africa total of 185 for nine when his action in kicking the ball away from his stumps was ruled to be wilful by the retiring Test umpire Ignatius Anandappa.
The umpire, who has already been involved in several questionable decisions on this tour, was standing at the bowler's end when answering an appeal from among others, Dulip Samaraweera the Lanka A captain.
The batsman kicked away a delivery from Malintha Warnapura which he had already played and which, under Law 37, is a legitimate action. Only umpire Anandappa gave the decision from the bowler's end, ignoring his square-leg colleague who had a better view.
But the tourists quickly buried the incident and got on with the game with the captain, Dale Benkenstein calling the result ``a brilliant team effort with everyone contributing''.
Three of the main contributors were man of the match, Gary Gilder taking four for 38, Herman Bakkes with four for 35 and some tidy bowling by Derek Crookes. Forced into the unusual role as a new-ball bowler when Bakkes went for 11 in his first over, the off-spinner picked up one for 23 and strangle the run-rate which put pressure on the Sri Lanka A batsmen.
Dismissed for 139 in a rain-affected game reduced to 48 overs a side, the Lankans lost their last six wickets for 34 runs as Gilder, Bakkes and Crookes all played a part in the victory by 46 runs.
Gilder won the man of the match award on a pitch was deteriorated alarmingly in the afternoon.
The impressive seven-wicket victory at Moratuwa on Saturday, with the talented if rampant batting skills of Crookes and Martin van Jaarsveld, was still the talk of the city yesterday. Crookes innings of 60 was a superb attacking performance with 10 fours - five of them off ther left-arm spinner Dinuka Hettiarachchi in one over.
Van Jaarsveld's undefeated innings of 121 was scored off only 111 balls.