Ponting leads Aussies home

Hambantota - Ricky Ponting (90 not out) steered Australia to an eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second one-day international in Hambantota on Sunday.

Together with captain Michael Clarke (58 not out), the pair added 107 runs to seal the match.

Earlier, Doug Bollinger led Australia's disciplined attack with three wickets to restrict Sri Lanka to 208.

The left-arm paceman finished with 3-35 off 10 overs to boost his team's hopes of gaining a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, Australia having won the opening match by seven wickets.

Bollinger was superbly backed up by pacemen Mitchell Johnson and Brett Lee, who bagged two wickets apiece.

Former captain Kumar Sangakkara top-scored for Sri Lanka with a patient 52, hitting just one six and one four in his 85-ball knock. He added 63 for the fifth wicket with Angelo Mathews (35).

Lower-order batsman Nuwan Kulasekara helped Sri Lanka cross the 200-mark with a brisk 31-ball 34.

Sangakkara fell just when he looked like stepping up the run-rate, caught by Johnson at long-on while attempting a big shot off spinner David Hussey in the 37th over.

Australia gained the upper hand when they reduced Sri Lanka to 77-4, with Lee, Johnson, Bollinger and left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty taking one wicket each.

Skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan (24), Mahela Jayawardene (17) and Upul Tharanga (13) all got starts, but none could play a big knock.

Sri Lanka made two changes from the side that lost the first match when they brought in paceman Lasith Malinga and spinner Rangana Herath in place of Suranga Lakmal and Suraj Randiv, while Australia retained the same team.

Teams:

Sri Lanka: TM Dilshan (capt), WU Tharanga, KC Sangakkara (wk), DPMD Jayawardene, LD Chandimal, BMAJ Mendis, AD Mathews, KMDN Kulasekara, BAW Mendis, SL Malinga, HMRKB Herath

Australia: SR Watson, BJ Haddin (wk), RT Ponting, MJ Clarke (capt), MEK Hussey, DJ Hussey, SPD Smith, MG Johnson, B Lee, XJ Doherty, DE Bollinger

Scores:

Australia 211-2 in 38.2 overs (Ricky Ponting 90 not out, Michael Clarke 58 not out, Shane Watson 43; Nuwan Kulasekara 1-38) def. Sri Lanka 208 all out in 49.3 overs (Kumar Sangakkara 52, Anjelo Mathews 35; Doug Bollinger 3-35, Mitchell Johnson 2-34)