Australia beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in the third one-day international cricket match at Premadasa Stadium.

Australia took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series which continues with a day-nighter on Friday at the same venue and a day game at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground on Sunday.

Chasing 227 after a great opening spell by Jason Gillespie (3-37), Australia overcame a shaky start to win handsomely, with Andrew Symonds unbeaten on 45 and Michael Clarke on 31.

Matthew Hayden twisted his knee in the field but didn't get much chance to test it, falling for three in the third over, closely followed by Adam Gilchrist for his second duck in a row - both victims of Chaminda Vaas (3-34).

At 2-4, things looked tough but World Cup heroes Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn measured their way through a century stand to set the victory platform.

They brought up their half-centuries in the same over, Ponting's off 58 balls and Martyn's off 77 balls.

Untroubled by Muttiah Muralitharan and happy to pat the ball around for ones and twos, they added 129 for the third wicket before Ponting (63) was bowled off an inside edge by Vaas.

Six balls later Martyn (65) went in dramatic fashion, run-out when backing up at the non-striker's end when bowler Sanath Jayasuriya grabbed a straight drive by Andrew Symonds and flicked it on to the stumps.

Jayasuriya was on hand to effect another runout when Michael Bevan (10) was short by some metres when he tried to turn one into two with no success against Mahela Jayawardene's throw.

The Aussies needed a run a ball off the final 10 overs but picked up 13 runs in the 44th over when Symonds hit a four and Clarke added a six to make the target easier to attain.

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