SL v Aus: Warner century gives Australia 4-1 series win

David Warner scored a responsible century to help Australia clinch a five-wicket win in the final ODI against Sri Lanka in Pallekele. The result gave Australia a 4-1 series win.

Australia's captain David Warner played a responsible knock under pressure to allow Australia a comfortable win.

A middle-order collapse from Sri Lanka and David Warner's brilliant century ensured Australia completed a 4-1 series victory thanks to a comprehensive five-wicket win in Sunday's One-Day International in Pallekele. Sri Lanka, who trailed by an unassailable 3-1 deficit heading into the final Pallekele contest, crumbled from 73 for 0 to 195 all out.

>Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Mitchell Starc claimed 3 for 40 and his tally of 12 wickets is his most in a bilateral series, while spinners Travis Head (2 for 22) and Adam Zampa (2 for 43) made key contributions. Warner then took centre stage with the highest ODI score by an Australian in Sri Lanka, aided brilliantly by George Bailey in a fantastic 132-run stand. 

Stand-in skipper Warner accelerated after passing 50 and the opener's mature knock of 106 included nine fours and came from 126 deliveries.

Onya, George! Player of the Series for his superb efforts with the bat.

Somehow we got a pic of him NOT smiling! >pic.twitter.com/C2HxYewybD

— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) >September 4, 2016

It was a decent enough start for Sri Lanka, who earned a 3-0 whitewash in the Test series, as Dhananjaya de Silva (34) and Danushka Gunathilaka (39) put on 73 for the opening wicket. The wheels quickly came off, though, as three wickets went for five runs. De Silva mishit a James Faulkner ball to mid-on in the 14th over and six balls later Gunathilaka had his leg stump taken up by Zampa.

Dinesh Chandimal (1) then became Starc's first victim and the wickets continued to tumble, Head leaving Upul Tharanga (15) and Kusal Perera (14) in a spin before Dasun Shanaka (13) fell to Zampa.

Sachith Pathirana added 32, but that was Sri Lanka's only resistance as Starc returned to help sweep up the tail.

Edgy start for visitors

Australia made an edgy start in reply as Matthew Wade (3) gloved Dilruwan Perera behind and was given out on review, before Usman Khawaja (6) top edged the same man to Gunathilaka at cover point. Warner ensured the scoreboard ticked over with sensible singles and measured strokes and it took 72 balls for his half-century to arrive in the 24th over.

But he shifted through the gears from there, ending the same over with two boundaries and he continued to regularly find the ropes. Bailey was trapped lbw by Dilruwan Perera on 44 but he had proved a fine foil for Warner, whose century arrived with a single off De Silva in the 35th over.

Frustratingly for Warner, he half-volleyed a lollipop delivery straight back to De Silva in the closing stages, but the damage had already been done.