COLOMBO, 29 March 2004 — Leg-spinner Shane Warne moved to within two wickets of Courtney Walsh’s world record of 519 as Australia completed a series whitewash with a 121-run victory over Sri Lanka in the third and final Test yesterday.

Warne, with figures of four for 92 in 33 overs, helped Australia dismiss Sri Lanka for 248 eight balls before the scheduled close on the fifth and final day.

Sri Lanka had resumed in the morning on 18 without loss in pursuit of an improbable 370 to win. Warne, locked in a race with Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan to Walsh’s mark, had toiled wicketless in the first two sessions before picking up four scalps after tea. Sri Lanka’s chances of avoiding a series whitewash had looked good midway through the afternoon session as Thilan Samaraweera and Mahela Jayawardene added 64 for the third wicket.

However occasional left-arm spinner Darren Lehmann, who finished with three for 42 in 17 overs, triggered a middle order slide with two quick wickets before tea.

Samaraweera, who had been promoted to number three, was stumped for a patient 53 while Jayawardene, six overs later, was unfortunate to be adjudged caught behind for 37.

After the interval, Kumar Sangakkara became Warne’s first victim of the day when he edged a leg break through his legs on to the stumps, departing for 27 to leave Sri Lanka on 191 for five. Tillakaratne Dilshan stroked an entertaining 31 from 44 balls, hitting five boundaries, before miscuing a lofted drive and being caught by Damien Martyn at mid off. Captain Hashan Tillakaratne battled for 82 minutes for his 17 but fast bowler Jason Gillespie broke through with the second new ball in the fifth over of the final hour, trapping the left-hander lbw.

Nuwan Zoysa fell for one three overs later after being tempted to give Warne the charge, bowled between bat and pad to leave Sri Lanka tottering on 247 for eight with 6.5 overs remaining. In the morning, left-hander Sanath Jayasuriya, a key performer for Sri Lanka in Kandy where he smashed 131 in the second innings, continued his good form with 51 from 83 balls, including seven fours. Jayasuriya, dropped on 28, added 47 for the second wicket with Samaraweera before umpire David Orchard dubiously adjudged him to have been caught at short leg off Lehmann.