Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn struck fluent half-centuries to lead Australia to a five-wicket victory in the third one-day international against Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

The world champions, set a modest 227-run target after a fine bowling performance from man-of-the-match Jason Gillespie, won with nine balls to spare to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Captain Ponting made 63 and Martyn 62, the pair adding 129 in 167 balls for the third wicket after Australia had slumped to four for two.

Andrew Symonds (45 not out) and Michael Clarke (31 not out) guided the tourists home with an unbroken 68-run stand in 66 balls.

Mahela Jayawardene top-scored for Sri Lanka with 80, his highest one-day international innings for over two years, rescuing the hosts from a poor start after winning the toss.

Jayawardene resurrected the Sri Lankan innings after fast bowler Gillespie had snapped up three early wickets with the new ball.

After the hosts slumped to 54 for four Jayawardene added 58 with Tillakaratne Dilshan and 58 with all rounder Upul Chandana.

Chaminda Vaas, with 24, and Kumar Dharmasena, who was left 24 not out, finished off the innings with a brisk eighth-wicket stand of 36.

Sri Lanka needed to make early inroads and Vaas duly obliged, reducing Australia to four for two in the third over.

Matthew Hayden's fine run ended when he was caught at extra cover, and Adam Gilchrist, restored to the opener's berth, was out for his second successive duck when he edged to slip.

Ponting and Martyn responded aggressively, however, and Australia appeared to be cruising to their target when captain Marvan Atapattu recalled Vaas.

The 30-year-old left-armer broke through in his second over by forcing Ponting to chop the ball on to his stumps. The right-hander's 63 came from 75 balls and he struck four boundaries in his third successive fifty.

A sharp piece of fielding off his own bowling by Sanath Jayasuriya ran out Martyn for 62 in the next over to give Sri Lanka hope, but Symonds and Clarke paced the final chase expertly and finished the game in the penultimate over.

Earlier, fast bowler Gillespie cleverly exploited the humid conditions to return figures of three for 36 from 10 overs, accounting for Jayasuriya (0), Atapattu (3) and Kumar Sangakkara (15) in quick succession.

Russel Arnold then slog-swept a catch straight to deep mid-wicket but Jayawardene and Dilshan led the fightback, lifting the score to 112 in the 33rd over before Dilshan was caught behind for 30.

Jayawardene and Chandana maintained the momentum but both batsmen were run out in the closing overs.

Scoreboard:

Sri Lanka
M.Atapattu b Gillespie 3
S.Jayasuriya c Clarke b Gillespie 0
K.Sangakkara c Hayden b Gillespie 15
M.Jayawardene run out 80
R.Arnold c Clarke b Hogg 4
T.Dilshan c Gilchrist b Symonds 30
U.Chandana run out 34
C.Vaas c Hogg b Kasprowicz 24
K.Dharmasena not out 24
N.Zoysa not out 0

Extras (b-1 lb-8 w-3) 12

Total (for eight wickets, 50 overs) 226

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-10, 3-34, 4-54, 5-112, 6-170, 7-182, 8-218.

Did not bat: M.Muralitharan

Bowling: Gillespie 10-1-36-3 (w-1), Kasprowicz 10-2-37-1 (w-1), Harvey 6-0-29-0, Hogg 10-0-41-1 (w-1), Clarke 5-0-26-0, Symonds 9-0-48-1

Australia
A.Gilchrist c Jayawardene b Vaas 0
M.Hayden c Murlitharan b Vaas 3
R.Ponting b Vaas 63
D.Martyn run out 62
A.Symonds not out 45
M.Bevan run out 10
M.Clarke not out 31

Extras (lb-4 nb-1 w-8 nb-1) 13

Total (for five wickets, 48.3 overs) 227

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-4, 3-133, 4-136, 5-159

Did not bat: I.Harvey, B.Hogg, M.Kasprowicz, J.Gillespie

Bowling: Vaas 9-2-34-3, Zoysa 7.1-0-37-0 (nb-1 w-2), Dharmasena 6.5-0-31-0, Muralitharan 10-0-43-0, Chandana 7-0-36-0, Jayasuriya 8-0-40-0 (w-5), Dilshan 0.3-0-2-0 (w-1)

Result: Australia won by five wickets.

Series:Australia lead five-match series 2-1.

First match: Australia won by 84 runs.

Second match: Sri Lanka won by one run.