Australia ease past Sri Lanka

Nathan Bracken's five-wicket haul inspired Australia to a comfortable 128-run victory over an out-of-sorts Sri Lanka at the SCG on Friday.

The paceman earned career-best figures and claimed the crucial wickets of opener Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara, who top scored for the Sri Lankans with 42 and looked the main threat. He then helped skittle the lower order as the tourists managed just 125 off 31.3 overs chasing a target of 254.

Michael Clarke's unbeaten half-century had guided Australia to 253 for six, and in reply the tourists failed to recover from a dismal start.

They lost openers Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga to consecutive balls early on for just seven and 10 respectively.

Kumar Sangakkara steadied the ship but was trapped lbw by Bracken eight runs short of his half-century. After that, Sri Lanka offered little resistance, adding just 51 runs for the last six wickets.

Ricky Ponting had opted to bat after winning the toss and his decision was vindicated when Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden put on 65 for the first wicket, before the latter was caught by Mahela Jayawardene off Ishara Amerasinghe.

Clarke came in when the hosts were 88 for two and hit a steady 77no, aided by a useful 34 off 29 balls from James Hopes.

The tourists struggled to cope with the slow, low SCG pitch in the same way.

Jayasuriya was bowled by Brett Lee and Tharanga was caught behind by Gilchrist off Bracken with the first ball of the following over to leave Sri Lanka on 18 for two.

Sangakkara hit four fours off Lee in one over as Sri Lanka looked to recover. The fourth was a rising cover drive which brushed the fingertips of a diving Andrew Symonds, but that let-off aside, the left-hander looked in fine touch.

The same could not be said of Jayawardene, who had already flashed at a couple of wide deliveries before he came down the wicket to Mitchell Johnson with a big heave-ho which edged behind to Gilchrist.

The runs eventually dried up for Sangakkara and after three lean overs he was trapped lbw by Bracken, leaving the tourists in deep trouble on 74 for four.

The wickets continued to tumble and Brad Hogg grabbed his first of the match, forcing Chamara Silva to edge behind to Gilchrist for seven runs.

Chamara Kapugedera was out second ball without troubling the scorers trying to swipe a wideish delivery from Bracken. Gilchrist, standing up to Bracken, missed the catch but it carried to Hayden at first slip, who snaffled it easily.

Tillakaratne Dilshan earned Sri Lanka the briefest of reprieves, hitting a quick 14 off 10 balls, but after smashing Bracken for one six, he mis-timed another big swing later in the over and skied a top edge straight to Lee at long off.

As the tailenders came in, victory for Australia was only a matter of time and the Baggy Greens did not have to wait long for the eighth wicket. Lasith Malinga hit Lee off the inside edge to mid-on and went for a single but Symonds made a direct hit at the non-striker's end, running out Malinga, who dropped his bat as he crossed the line.

Chaminda Vaas was then run out by Ponting for 18 and Muttiah Muralitharan was caught by Symonds slogging Bracken, having leathered a huge six the previous ball.

The hosts had earlier exploited Sri Lanka's defensive tactics to rack up the runs.

After Gilchrist and Hayden's promising start, Ponting made just nine before being caught at slip off Vaas but Clarke came in and took little time to get his eye in.

He blasted Muralitharan for six over long in the 23rd over as he and Gilchrist put on 51 for the third wicket, before the retiring wicketkeeper played across the line to fall lbw to Kapugedera.

Andrew Symonds made 15, without a boundary, before becoming Vaas' second victim but Clarke continued to flourish, reaching his fifty in 63 balls.

Michael Hussey fell for 10 when he was caught behind by Dilshan off the bowling of Amerasinghe.

Hopes joined Clarke in the middle and his fluid strokeplay helped Australia to a competitive total but he fell in the final over when he was caught behind off Malinga.