Sri Lanka aim for clean sweep

Match Facts

Mahela Jayawardene has been subdued during the one-day series © Getty Images Enlarge

Sunday, November 7, Brisbane
Start time 13.20 local (02.20 GMT)

The Big Picture

In the blue corner is Sri Lanka, the happiest team in the world, the one deservedly still celebrating their first series victory Down Under. Slumped in the really blue corner is Australia, the side trying to avoid setting their worst losing streak in history. It is usually the touring teams that feel this low here, but the faded green and golds have lost their sheen. And the Ashes starts in 19 days.

Sri Lanka's breakthrough tour began with a Twenty20 victory and was followed by a great escape in Melbourne. They then ensured Sunday's third ODI would be a dead rubbed with a controlled victory in Sydney. Sri Lanka are a highly professional outfit with men for any conditions, so not much will bother them at the Gabba.

Australia are currently on a seven-match losing streak in all forms of the game. The last time they........

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Sri Lanka break series drought on rainy night

Sri Lanka 3 for 213 (Tharanga 86*) beat Australia 210 (Watson 40) by 29 runs on D/L method

Upul Tharanga set up Sri Lanka's success with a composed 86 not out © Getty Images Enlarge

Sri Lanka came on this tour with one goal and achieved it with a match to spare. By handing Australia a seventh straight defeat, Kumar Sangakkara's men delivered their maiden series win in Australia in 26 years of trying. When the hosts slipped over for 210 in the greasy conditions it gave Sri Lanka victory by 29 runs - and it had come more easily than expected.

There was much to like about Sri Lanka's play in a match regularly threatened by rain, but there was little to inspire the hosts as they head to Brisbane for Sunday's dead rubber. The only time the visitors struggled was in the first two overs of the match - when they didn't score - but once the openers Upul Tharanga, who held the innings together with 86 not out, and Tillakaratne Dilshan got going there was nothing that could stop them. Not even the weather.

The rain disrupted Sri Lanka's innings twice as it finished early at 3 for 213 in 41.1 overs, but Australia's target was quickly.....

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Mathews and Malinga script stunning victory

Sri Lanka 9 for 243 (Mathews 77*, Malinga 56, Doherty 4-46) beat Australia 8 for 239 (Hussey 71*, Perera 5-46) by 1 wicket

Angelo Mathews and Muttiah Muralitharan celebrate Sri Lanka's extraordinary victory © Getty Images Enlarge

Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga produced one of the great one-day international fightbacks to clinch an improbable victory for Sri Lanka, extending Australia's losing streak to six international games since July. The visitors seemed destined for a humiliating loss when they crashed to 8 for 107 chasing 240, but Mathews and Malinga kept fighting, spurred on by noisy support from a crowd dominated by Sri Lankan fans.

They compiled the highest ninth-wicket partnership in ODI history, beating a 27-year-old record set by Kapil Dev and Syed Kirmani at the 1983 World Cup, and the 132-run stand left Australia's confidence in tatters. Malinga belted his way to his first one-day half-century and Mathews played the guiding hand with a wonderful unbeaten 77 as the pair raced towards their target with plenty of time to spare.

They had a scare when Malinga was....

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Dominant Sri Lankans crush Australia

Sri Lanka 3 for 135 (Sangakkara 44*, Dilshan 41) beat Australia 8 for 133 (Haddin 35, Randiv 3-25) by 7 wickets
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Tillakaratne Dilshan's 41 off 34 balls helped swing Sri Lanka to victory © AFP Enlarge

A brutal Sri Lankan performance delivered Australia their first Twenty20 defeat at home as Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara thrust the tourists to a commanding seven-wicket victory. The hosts were first overwhelmed by a stunning bowling display, dropping to 5 for 43 in the 11th over and finishing at 8 for 133, before becoming the victims of an explosive batting effort.

The opener Dilshan guided the small chase with 41 off 34 balls while the captain Kumar Sangakkara registered a delightful 44 off 43 and the game was over 21 balls early. With the English squad staying a short walk away as they prepare for the Ashes - Kevin Pietersen was in the stands - Australia suffered their fourth Twenty20 loss in a row and their first in 11 games at home. The defeat felt as severe as the result inflicted by England in Southampton at the start of Australia's failed 2005 Ashes tour.

Mahela Jayawardene and Dilshan raced to 35 in the fourth over and Dilshan kept up the pace when Jayawardene went for 24 off 16. Sangakkara joined Dilshan and they were rarely troubled as they drove, flicked and forced boundaries. Dilshan, who was stumped off Steven Smith, finished with six fours and Sangakkara gained six of them as the pair enjoyed tormenting the inexperienced attack. Thisara Perera then arrived to finish the game off by thrashing Smith for a six, a four and another six over long-on to finish the match.

Jayawardene crashed two boundaries from Clint McKay's opening over and then blasted two more from Peter Siddle, who got his revenge when the batsman edged behind. Siddle was back in Australian colours for the first time since January and the breakthrough was a relief for the hosts. Dirk Nannes was then fortunate to have Dinesh Chandimal (2) lbw to a ball pitching outside leg, but that was when Australia's luck ran out.

Brad Haddin and Smith were in charge of Australia's first-innings rescue and put on a much-needed.....

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