Australia made their highest one-day score ever to hammer Sri Lanka by 167 runs in Sydney and force a deciding third match in the VB Series finals, reports BBC. Andrew Symonds hit 151 and Ricky Ponting 124 in the Aussies' 368-5, with Muttiah Muralitharan's 0-99 the most expensive 10-over spell in one-dayers. Mahela Jawayardene and Russel Arnold made bright fifties in reply. But Nathan Bracken took 4-30 to dismiss Sri Lanka for 201 in 36 overs and set up the decider in Brisbane Tuesday. It was as convincing a response as the hosts would have wanted after they were shocked in the opening game in Adelaide Friday. There was early discomfort for Australia when Adam Gilchrist cut the second ball of the match straight to gully and Chaminda Vaas (4-56) struck twice in his second over to leave them 10-3. Simon Katich played down the wrong line to be lbw before Damien Martyn edged to slip, where Jayawardene took a diving catch. But Ponting and man-of-the-match Symonds made a mockery of that situation and indulged in a partnership featuring some exquisite shots. It took until the 41st over for Sri Lanka to collect their next wicket - Ponting caught at long-off. Symonds, with 13 fours and three sixes, fell lbw sweeping to allow a final rampage from Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey, who clubbed 48 off the last 17 balls. Clarke finished with 54 off 28 balls, while Hussey only faced eight deliveries which disappeared for 23. The shell-shocked Sri Lankans got off to a bad start of their own as Sanath Jayasuriya chipped a Bracken delivery straight to Brett Lee at short fine leg and Kumar Sangakarra was bowled charging the same bowler. Jayawardene responded with aggression to hammer Bracken for three fours in an over and three in three balls off Mick Lewis. As soon as Jayawardene completed his half century off 47 balls he chopped Brad Hogg's first ball on to his stumps. Tillakaratne Dilshan tried to maintain the aggression but after two blistering shots off Symonds on the off-side he cracked a fuller delivery straight to Ponting at cover. When Chamara Kapugedera was run out after a mix-up with Arnold - and Vaas and Bandara were caught without troubling the scorers - a complete rout was on at 147-8.
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