Australia led Sri Lanka by 407 runs with nine second-innings wickets in hand after resisting the temptation to enforce the follow-on on the third day of the second Test at Bellerive Oval on Sunday.
The Australians had the option of making the Sri Lankans bat again after bowling them out for 246 -- 296 runs behind the home side's first innings total of 542 for five declared -- but decided to give their bowlers a rest and increase their lead before a second declaration on Monday.
When stumps were drawn, Australia were 111 for one, with opener Phil Jaques unbeaten on 53 and captain Ricky Ponting seven not out and on course to complete a series sweep after winning last week's first Test in Brisbane by an innings and 40 runs.
Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene scored a superb 104 in his team's first innings and was well supported by Kumar Sangakkara, who made 57, but the rest of the batting crumbled under the relentless pressure of the Australian bowlers.
Brett Lee, man of the match in Brisbane after an eight-wicket haul, picked up another four wickets with his sheer pace while seamer Stuart Clark and leg-spinner Stuart MacGill finished with two each and paceman Mitchell Johnson one.
Jayawardene reached his hundred off 188 balls when he drove Lee through the covers for his 14th boundary.
SCORE BOARD
AUSTRALIA (I Innings): 542/5 decl
SRI LANKA (I Innings, O/n: 30/0):
Atapattu c Clarke b Lee 25
Vandort b Lee 14
Sangakkara c Hussey b Johnson 57
M Jayawardene c Clarke b Lee 104
Jayasuriya b MacGill 3
Silva c Gilchrist b MacGill 4
P J’dene c Gilchrist b Clark 0
Maharoof (run out) 19
Fernando c Gilchrist b Lee 2
Malinga b Clark 1
Muralitharan (not out) 1
Extras (LB-7, NB-9) 16
Total (all out, 81.2 overs) 246
Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-54, 3-127, 4-134, 5-152, 6-163, 7-196, 8-207, 9-243.
Bowling: Lee 23.2-4-82-4, Johnson 17-3-44-1, Clark 16-6-32-2, MacGill 25-5-81-2.
AUSTRALIA (II Innings):
Jaques (batting) 53
Hayden lbw Muralitharan 33
Ponting (batting) 7
Extras (B-2, LB-1, NB-15) 18
Total (for 1 wkt, 20 overs) 111
Fall of wicket: 1-83.
Bowling: Malinga 7-0-41-0, Fernando 6-0-35-0, Muralitaharan 7-0-32-1.
