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 on Sunday.

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.

The 34-year-old, playing his first series since a 12-month drugs ban, lifted his career tally to 517 but is likely to be pipped by Muralitharan in their wicket chase in May.

Muralitharan, who ended the series against Australia with 28 wickets for a career haul of 513, will have a good opportunity to eclipse Walsh when Sri Lanka play two Tests in Zimbabwe, starting on May 6.

Warne could then overtake Muralitharan as Australia visit Zimbabwe later that month, also for a two-Test tour.

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.

FIRST VICTIM

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.

Warne then trapped Chaminda Vaas for nine just minutes before the close before Rangana Herath was pinned leg before in the penultimate over of the day by Michael Kasprowicz.

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.

Atapattu, Sri Lanka's first innings centurion, added 45 for the first wicket before his off stump was sent cart-wheeling for the second time in the match by fast bowler Michael Kasprowicz.

Australia won the first two Tests in Galle and Kandy.

Australia (1st innings): 401 (D.Lehmann 153, R.Ponting 92; M.Muralitheran 5-123).

Sri Lanka (1st innings): 407 (M.Atapattu 118, H.Tillakaratne 74 not out, S.Jayasuriya 71).

Australia (2nd innings): 375 (J.Langer 166, S.Katich 86; R.Herath 4-92).

Sri Lanka (2nd innings): (overnight 18-0)
M.Atapattu b Kasprowicz 14
S.Jayasuriya c Katich b Lehmann 51
T.Samaraweera st Gilchrist b Lehmann 53
M.Jayawardene c Gilchrist b Lehmann 37
K.Sangakkara b Warne 27
T.Dilshan c Martyn b Warne 31
H.Tillakaratne lbw Gillespie 17
C.Vaas lbw Warne 9
N.Zoysa b Warne 1
R.Herath lbw Kasprowicz 0
M.Muralitharan not out 0.

Extras: (b-4, lb-1, nb-2, w-1) 8.

Total: (all out, 93.4 overs) 248

Fall of wickets: 1-45, 2-92, 3-156, 4-181, 5-191, 6-232, 7-245, 8-247, 9-248

Bowling: Gillespie 18-6-38-1 (w-1), Kasprowicz 16.4-5-37-2, Warne 33-11-92-4 (nb-2), Williams 5-0-19-0, Lehmann 17-2-42-3, Katich 4-1-15-0.

Australia won by 121 runs.

First Test: Galle, Australia won by 197 runs.

Second Test: Kandy, Australia won by 27 runs.