Sri Lanka v Australia: John Hastings helps visitors to series win

Australia secured a series win over Sri Lanka with a six-wicket triumph in the fourth ODI in Dambulla courtesy of career-best figures from John Hastings.

Hastings took 6-45 to help skittle Sri Lanka out for 212, before Aaron Finch hit a 19-ball 55 and George Bailey struck an unbeaten 90 to see Australia safely to victory and an unassailable 3-1 series lead with one game to play.

Worse still for Sri Lanka, skipper Angelo Mathews was badly shaken up after being hit by a Scott Boland bouncer, and retired hurt briefly with a calf injury, but came back out to battle through to 40 before falling to the final ball of the innings.

Also, Sri Lankan police fired tear gas at the ground in order to disperse hundreds of fans who had broken through barricades and entered the stadium en masse, dislodging thousands of ticket-holders from their seats.

On the field, Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first but Mitchell Starc (1-51) struck in the very first over to have debutant Avishka Fernando trapped lbw for nought, and Hastings had his first victim soon after, removing Kusal Mendis, caught behind for one.

Boland (1-36), who replaced Josh Hazlewood in the Australian starting XI, then dismissed Dinesh Chandimal - caught behind for five - before hitting Mathews on the back of his helmet with a bouncer.

The ball broke a protective strap designed to safeguard the back of the batsman's skull and despite concern for the Sri Lankan skipper's well-being, he battled bravely on before retiring hurt on 28.

It interrupted a promising partnership between Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva, who struck a fighting 76 before falling to Hastings.

After spinners Adam Zampa (1-30) and Travis Head (1-5) got in on the act, Hastings cleaned up the tail, with a double strike in the 48th bringing him a maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs, and then dismissed Mathews in the final over.

Finch got the visitors off to a sensational start in their reply, smashing eight fours and three sixes on his way to an 18-ball fifty - equalling the record for the fastest half century by an Australian.

Left-arm spinner Sachith Pathirana (3-37) removed Finch lbw in the sixth over with the score on 74, the first of three wickets in two overs to bring Sri Lanka back into the contest.

Usman Khawaja also fell lbw, for a two-ball duck, while Aussie skipper David Warner was bowled for 19.

But Bailey, who registered his 21st ODI fifty, anchored Australia's chase with his 85-ball knock, receiving fine support from Head, who scored 40, as the duo put on 100 runs for the fourth wicket.

Head was trapped lbw Dilruwan Perera (1-69) with the finishing line in sight but Matthew Wade, who remained unbeaten on eight, joined Bailey at the crease to hit the winning six.

The fifth and final match of the ODI series is scheduled for September 4 in Pallekele.