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[aryan]

SYDNEY: Sri Lanka claimed their first-ever series success in Australia with a win against Ricky Ponting's team in the rain-marred second one-day international at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.

The Sri Lankans won by 29 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method after several rain interruptions and followed their stunning one-wicket victory in the opening match in Melbourne on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka condemned Australia to a seventh straight international defeat in all forms of the game by scoring 213 for three off 41.4 overs and then bowling the home side out for 210 off 37.4 overs.

Opening batsman Upul Tharanga was named man-of-the-match for his unbeaten top-score of 86 while veteran spinner Muttiah Muralitharan claimed two wickets to take his career ODI tally to 517 wickets.

Ponting's team have one more chance to break their demoralising run of losses before this month's Ashes Test series against England in the final match of the ODI series against Sri Lanka in Brisbane on Sunday.

Tharanga showed steely powers of concentration to regroup after a lengthy rain delay to remain unbeaten in his 112-ball knock in Sri Lanka's innings after winning the toss.

A 90-minute downpour reduced the match to 45 overs per side, but a much heavier shower later ended Sri Lanka's innings prematurely.

Angelo Mathews, the hero of Sri Lanka's astonishing one-wicket victory over Australia in Melbourne, remained 17 not out off 11 balls.

Sri Lanka's openers put on 98 runs for the first wicket before Tillakaratne Dilshan was trapped lbw as he attempted to slog-sweep off-spinner Nathan Hauritz in the 20th over.

Up to that stage Dilshan had looked comfortable in compiling 47 off 57 balls with five boundaries.

All-rounder Shane Watson got a wicket in his first over when he had Mahela Jayawardene lbw for five as he attempted to pull.

After a rain delay, Kumar Sangakkara was out for 45 off 52 balls when he shaped for a square drive off Watson and top-edged to Clint McKay at third man.

Watson finished Australia's best bowler with two for 34 off eight overs.

Sri Lanka began well with the wicket of Brad Haddin for one in the second over and then got the prized wicket of Ponting for 10 when the Australian skipper top-edged a pull shot straight to Chamara Silva at deep backward square-leg.

Watson looked dangerous before he was trapped lbw for 40 off 44 balls by the wily Muralitharan, who was playing in his 339th ODI.

Michael Clarke followed seven balls later to a tumbling catch by Muralitharan at third man off Thissara Perera for 25.

Mike Hussey (15) lofted to Mathews to give Muralitharan his second wicket of the innings.

Australia's remote chance of pulling the game out of the fire vanished when big-hitting Cameron White was bowled off-stump for 35 by Kulasekara, leaving the home side at 155 for six.

Mitchell Johnson (23) and Steve Smith (33) went in the same over, bowled by Suraj Randiv as the game meandered to its inevitable conclusion.

Hauritz (4) and McKay (6) went cheaply as Sri Lanka rejoiced a milestone triumph.

[charlesallen]

Congratulations to Sri Lanka on winning the series down under. It has given Sri Lanka 2nd spot in ICC one day rakings and it will a great gift for Murali as it will be last tour for him to Australia with be a part of the team.