Mahela Jayawardene and Russel Arnold scored half centuries to guide Sri Lanka to 233 for eight off 50 overs after an early collapse in their triangular series one-day match against Australia in Perth on Sunday.
Registering a fourth fifty of the tournament, Jayawardene top scored for Sri Lanka with 69 while Arnold made 56 in a 121-run fourth-wicket partnership that resurrected the innings from a precarious position of 27-3 in the 11th over.
Tillakaratne Dilshan (35) and 18-year-old debutant Chamara Kapugedera (22) also provided a valuable 54-run partnership in 7.1 overs at the end of the innings to push Sri Lanka to a competitive, though not imposing total on a fast WACA pitch.
Australia's fielders affected three run outs, two by Andrew Symonds, in the innings with Brett Lee and Stuart Clark taking two wickets each.
Australia are almost certain of qualifying for the best-of-three final of the tournament, also involving South Africa, if they win the match.
Sri Lanka's stand-in captain Chaminda Vaas had won the toss and elected to bat, though the decision was not justified with Sanath Jayasuriya and Jehan Muburak struggling against opening bowlers Lee and Glenn McGrath.
{{/usCountry}}Sri Lanka's stand-in captain Chaminda Vaas had won the toss and elected to bat, though the decision was not justified with Sanath Jayasuriya and Jehan Muburak struggling against opening bowlers Lee and Glenn McGrath.
{{/usCountry}}Jayasuriya, who returned to the side after recovering from a thigh strain, was caught behind by wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist off Lee for a duck in the third over.
Kumar Sangakkara was then run out by Symonds for six to leave Sri Lanka struggling at 16 for two in the eighth over.
Mubarak attacked first change bowler Clark, though the tactic backfired when he was easily caught at mid wicket by Brad Hodge for 15 to leave Sri Lanka 27-3.
Arnold and Jayawardene then patiently rebuilt the innings before Arnold was caught by Michael Clarke at backward point off Clark in the 37th over.
Jayawardene was unluckily dismissed when a certain six off Symonds was brilliantly caught at deep backward square by Glenn McGrath, who had run around the boundary.
Scoreboard:
Sri Lanka: J Mubarak c Hodge b Clark 15, S Jayasuriya c Gilchrist b Lee 0, K Sangakkara run out 6, M Jayawardene c McGrath b Symonds 69, R Arnold c Clarke b Clark 56, T Dilshan run out 35, C Kapugedera c Hogg b Lee 22, C Vaas not out 6, M Kulasekara run out 0, M Muralitharan not out 3,
Extras: (lb-12, w-9) 21, Total: (for 8 wickets, 50 overs) 233.
Fall of wkts: 1-6, 2-16, 3-27, 4-148. 5-170. 6-224, 7-225, 8-227.
Bowling: Lee 10-0-42-2, McGrath 10-2-35-0, Clark 10-0-40-2, Symonds 10-0-54-1, Hogg 10-0-50-0.