Australia tore up the record books to thrash Sri Lanka by 167 runs in the second one-day final at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday, forcing their best-of-three series into a deciding match.
The Australians rebounded from their shock loss in Adelaide on Friday to amass a record total of 368 for five before bowling the tourists out for 201 and set up a Brisbane decider on Tuesday.
All-rounder Andrew Symonds (151) and Australian captain Ricky Ponting (124) smashed centuries in a record fourth-wicket partnership of 237 to help the world champions register their highest ever total in a one-day international.
Sri Lanka had looked to be in control early in the match when fast bowler Chaminda Vaas captured three wickets in his first two overs to leave the home team reeling at 10-3.
However, the Australians regained their composure with Ponting and Symonds laying the foundations for their huge total then the bowlers finishing off the job.
Forced to chase runs quickly, Sri Lanka's hopes of winning were dashed almost as soon as their reply began with opener Sanath Jayasuriya dismissed for a duck then Kumar Sangakkara went for 13.
Russel Arnold scored an unbeaten 64 off 62 balls and Mahela Jayawardene made 50 to push the total past 200 but the tourists were never able to mount a serious challenge to Australia's total.
Australia's 368-5 eclipsed their previous record score of 359, which they made against India in the 2003 World Cup final in South Africa then equalled against the same opponents in Sydney two years ago.
Symonds also set a new record for the highest ODI score in Sydney while his partnership with Ponting was an Australian record, beating the 234 Ponting and Damien Martyn put on for the third wicket in the World Cup final.
MURALITHARAN WOE
Muttiah Muralitharan also established a new landmark but one the Sri Lankan off-spinner would prefer to forget; his 0-99 marking the worst figures by any bowler off 10 overs in a ODI.
Sri Lanka had made the perfect start when Vaas dismissed Adam Gilchrist for a duck with the second ball of the match then added the scalps of Simon Katich for one and Martyn for eight from his next over.
| |||||||||||
Ponting had a lucky escape on 57 when Jayawardene claimed a low-catch at gully that was ruled not out by the umpires but was otherwise untroubled in reaching his 19th one-day international hundred.
He was also dropped on 110 by Arnold before he eventually departed with the total on 247 after an innings spanning 178 minutes, 127 balls and featuring nine boundaries and three sixes.
Man of the match Symonds also faced 127 balls in his brutal innings, cracking 13 boundaries and three sixes in 194 minutes, before he was trapped lbw by Vaas, who finished with 4-56.
There was no reprieve for the Sri Lankans as Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey continued the batting rampage.
Clarke raised his half-century in the last over off only 27 balls while Hussey made an unbeaten 23 off only eight balls.
Australian left-arm paceman Nathan Bracken did the early damage with the ball, having Jayasuriya caught by Brett Lee without scoring then bowling Sangakkara before picking up another two late wickets to finish with 4-30.
Scorecard:
Australia Innings
A. Gilchrist c Dilshan b Vaas 0
S. Katich lbw b Vaas 1
R. Ponting c Vaas b Perera 124
D. Martyn c Jayawardene b Vaas 8
A. Symonds lbw b Vaas 151
M. Clarke not out 54
M. Hussey not out 23
Extras (b-1 nb-2 w-4) 7
Total (for 5 wickets, 50 overs) 368
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-2, 3-10, 4-247, 5-320
Did not bat: B. Hogg, B. Lee, N. Bracken, S. Clark
Bowling
C. Vaas 10 - 0 - 56 - 4 (nb-1)
R. Perera 10 - 0 - 72 - 1 (w-2)
N. Kulasekara 5 - 0 - 41 - 0
M. Muralitharan 10 - 0 - 99 - 0 (nb-1)
T. Dilshan 2 - 0 - 10 - 0
S. Jayasuriya 8 - 0 - 52 - 0 (w-1)
M. Bandara 5 - 0 - 37 - 0 (w-1)
Sri Lanka Innings
M. Atapattu c Gilchrist b Clark 24
S. Jayasuriya c Lee b Bracken 0
K. Sangakkara b Bracken 13
M. Jayawardene b Hogg 50
R. Arnold not out 64
T. Dilshan c Ponting b Symonds 13
C. Kapugedera run out 1
C. Vaas c Clark b Hogg 0
M. Bandara c Clark b Symonds 0
M. Muralitharan c Lewis b Bracken 27
R. Perera c Ponting b Bracken 0
Extras (lb-4 nb-3 w-2) 9
Total (all out, 36 overs) 201
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-26, 3-74, 4-116, 5-139, 6-145, 7-146, 8-147, 9-200, 10-201
Bowling
B. Lee 8 - 0 - 42 - 0 (nb-3 w-1)
N. Bracken 6 - 0 - 30 - 4 (w-1)
S. Clark 5 - 0 - 28 - 1
M. Lewis 5 - 0 - 30 - 0
A. Symonds 5 - 1 - 32 - 2
B. Hogg 7 - 0 - 35 - 2
