Aussies complete series win

Farveez Maharoof had earlier starred with 3-40 in 10 overs

Brett Lee and colleagues celebrate the wicket of Dilshan

Clint McKay picked up the crucial wickets of Jayawardene and Chandimal

Australia won the Commonwealth Bank Series in Adelaide with a 16-run victory over Sri Lanka in the deciding match.

The hosts were dismissed for what looked a below-par 231 in the final over of their innings, but Sri Lanka were under the cosh from the start of their run chase.

Upul Tharanga kept the tourists' hopes alive with a battling 71 but man-of-the-match Clint McKay - who had earlier struck a valuable 28 with the bat - finished with 5-28 to lead his side to victory.

None of the home batsmen got past 50 as Sri Lanka pegged them back after a strong start from openers Matthew Wade and David Warner.

The duo put on 75 for the opening wicket before the former became the first of Farveez Mahroof's three victims, caught behind by Kumar Sangakkara two short of his half-century.

Deteriorating

Shane Watson, captaining the side in the absence of the injured Michael Clarke, contributed just 19 and Mike Hussey was run out for one as Australia stumbled.

And when Wade was caught behind trying to attack spinner Rangana Herath (3-36), their situation worsened.

Peter Forrest, David Hussey and Dan Christian were unable to stem the tide before Brett Lee and McKay put on 40 for the eighth wicket.

But the loss of McKay for 28 again put a brake on Australia's progress.

Lee was then joined by Xavier Doherty, but in the final over he clipped a ball from Nuwan Kulasekara on to his boot and then the edge of leg stump.

When Nathan Lyon fell for a duck off the next ball Australia were all out for 231 with three balls remaining.

The feeling was the score would not be enough, although the late runs from Lee and McKay could prove crucial, and so it proved.

Fightback

Sri Lanka soon lost in-form batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan to Lee but Sangakkara and Jayawardene breezed to 47-1 in the ninth over before the Aussies hit back.

Lee had Sangakkara caught by Watson at slip before McKay trapped new batsman Dinesh Chandimal in front and then bowled Jayawardene through the gate with one that came back off the seam.

Lahiru Thirimanne (30) and Tharanga set about repairing the damage, calmly working the ball around in a 60-run partnership that threatened to put Sri Lanka back in the driving seat.

But Watson had Thirimanne caught by Warner and Chamara Kapugedera edged McKay to Wade leaving the tourists on 142-6.

The powerplay was taken in the 36th over and it saw a change of pace from Nuwan Kulasekara, who clubbed seven runs from Lee's over before Tharanga lifted the paceman over the infield for another boundary.

The expensive Lee got his revenge in his next over though, Kulasekara (15) picking out mid-on when looking to go big only to mis-hit.

Strike

Tharanga marched on, clubbing a six off spinner Doherty to keep his side up with the rate of a run-a-ball entering the final passage of play.

He found an excellent ally in Maharoof, who skilfully rotated the strike and even swept Doherty for a stylish boundary.

Only 30 were needed off the last five overs but captain Watson brought himself on and gave up just two runs before Tharanga's brave effort came to an end, feathering a catch to gloveman Wade.

The writing was well and truly on the wall three balls later when McKay returned to the attack, clipped the off stump of Herath with the tailender swinging across the line.

Maharoof and last man Malinga went for some big hits - the latter pulling McKay for a boundary - but it seemed inevitable that the Victorian paceman would end matters and he did just that, finding the perfect yorker to castle Malinga and leave Mahroof stranded.

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