Australians complete thrilling win thanks to Ponting and Gilchrist

Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting both scored centuries as Australia warmed up for next week's Fourth Test with a comfortable eight-wicket win over Sussex in the final match of their tour against county opposition.

Captain Gilchrist made 114 and Ponting scored an unbeaten 147 as Australia made a nonsense of their target of 337, winning with 4.1 overs to spare.

Sussex made a breakthrough when Jason Lewry had the out-of-form Justin Langer caught at second slip, but Ponting joined his skipper in a third-wicket stand of 151 in 23 overs which effectively settled the contest.

Gilchrist was dropped by Adams on 12 and then Lewry spilled a head-high chance when he was trying to reach his hundred with a boundary. Instead he took two to go to this third century of the tour.

He was eventually stumped off off-spinner Mark Davis for 114, made off 102 balls with 19 fours and two sixes.

Ponting and Simon Katich did much as they pleased after tea as Australia cruised to victory, the third-wicket pair putting on 131 in 22 overs.

Ponting batted himself back into form ahead of the Test with his second century of the tour and he hit the winning runs with his 17th boundary. The Tasmanian also swatted three sixes while Katich, favourite to replace Steve Waugh at Headingley, was 40 not out.

Earlier, Damian Fleming (3-20) and Brett Lee (2-27) had produced excellent new ball spells as Sussex slumped to 31-5 in their second innings before Murray Goodwin revived them with a run-a-ball 28 which included six boundaries and enabled his side to declare on 68-5 after 85 minutes batting in the morning.

Gilchrist was happy with his side's workout. "There was time in the middle for Ricky Ponting and others including myself," he said.

"Brett Lee and Damian Fleming bowled with a great deal of rhythm and that has given them a lot of confidence.

"Chris Adams deserves credit for opening the game up by declaring and offering some entertaining cricket for the patrons. We have had a solid workout which is what we look for between the Tests."