VB Series, 2005-06

At Adelaide, February 10, 2006 (day/night). Sri Lanka won by 22 runs. Toss: Sri Lanka.

Never before had a final of the Australian triangular been held outside Sydney or Melbourne (the MCG was unavailable due to Commonwealth Games preparations). And the bubbly Sri Lankans seemed more at home on this slow turner than Australia, who lost a finals match for the first time since South Africa beat them at the MCG eight years earlier. Pre-match wisdom had Jayasuriya's wicket as the key, but it was Dilshan and teenager Chamara Kapugedera who stunned Australia with a late stand of 58 from 31 balls. A target of 275 was more than the Australians had bargained for, and Gilchrist's demise in the deep sparked a night of madness between the wickets. Ponting and Katich fetched up at the same end to send the captain back without facing a ball; Martyn challenged Dilshan's arm and lost; and Symonds danced disastrously down the wicket to Muralitharan's doosra. In all, five batsmen were run out - equalling the one-day international record - with Dilshan having a hand in four. From 166 for eight, Clarke's doughty partnerships with Lee and Bracken could only narrow the margin.

Man of the Match: K. C. Sangakkara. Attendance: 23,152.