Sri Lanka complete the rout

Sri Lanka 308 for 8 (Jayasuriya 79, Jayantha 51, Sangakkara 72) beat South Africa 259 (Kallis 101, Chandana 6-61) by 49 runs

Despite a brave fighting century from Jacques Kallis (101), South Africa suffered the double humiliation of a series whitewash and a record-equalling tenth successive defeat as Sri Lanka - courtesy of some high-octane batting in the morning, fine spin bowling from Upul Chandana and another cool-headed display in the field - clinched a 49-run victory at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

South Africa's day could not have started better as Shaun Pollock punched the air in celebration and saluted the dressing-room after dismissing Avishka Gunawardene third ball. But thereafter it was all Sri Lanka. With a flurry of fine strokes, mixed with the odd dollop of good fortune, Sanath Jayasuriya (79) and Saman Jayantha (51) raced out of the blocks early, before Kumar Sangakara powered Sri Lanka home to a massive 308 for 8 - their highest one-day score against South Africa.

Sri Lanka, as they have done throughout the series, made good use of the new ball. Nuwan Zoysa finished a forgettable tour for Herschelle Gibbs in his second over. Gibbs had suggested some form with a spanking back-foot drive the previous over, but Zoysa's full-length delivery found the inside edge and ricocheted onto the stumps (11 for 1).

Zoysa and Farveez Maharoof continued to bowl accurately to tightly-set ring-fields and the pressure started to mount. Graeme Smith and Kallis, back at No. 3, struggled to score freely. They were forced to improvise, with Kallis tiptoeing down the pitch to Maharoof for one regal extra-cover drive and later for a glorious straight six, and Smith heave-hoeing twice over midwicket.

The runs started to flow more easily, with 48 being added from 59 balls, when Smith made a gross error of judgement, taking on Chandana's arm from the square-leg fence. The throw was flat and fast and Sangakkara nonchalantly whipped off the bails with Smith still two yards short (59 for 2).

After Zoysa's fine opening spell (8-0-25-1), Sri Lanka turned to their quintet of spinners and, almost immediately, it was clear how difficult it would be for South Africa to keep up with the clock. But Kallis and Rudolph did not self-destruct. Slowly but surely, relying heavily on the sweep, they started to carefully milk the spinners, aware that they could not afford to be separated until within striking distance of the target.

The run-rate edged upwards, past eight-per-over, but South Africa nearly kept pace and it was Sri Lanka who grew frustrated. Tillakaratne Dilshan was upset when an appeal for a catch behind off Kallis, on 44, was turned down and later Sangakkara fluffed one tight chance of a run out off Rudolph on 44. As the partnership stretched past 100, South Africa's dressing room started to sniff an improbable victory as they neared the final 15 overs needing nine-per-over.

But Chandana snuffed out those hopes with a career-best haul, taking 5 for 61. First, Rudolph drove straight into the lap of Dilshan at midwicket. Then Mark Boucher (24), who smashed two fours and one massive six, was coolly stumped by Sangakkara. The final nail in the coffin was the departure of Kallis with 88 still needed from 47 balls. Kallis had only just reached his 13th hundred when he bent on one knee and tried to blast Chandana out of the ground. But the ball sailed straight upwards and Sangakkara pouched the simplest of catches (221 for 5). The game was over.

In the morning, after the first-over fall of Gunawardene, Jayasuriya, and Jayantha batted cautiously. After five overs, the score was 13 for 1. But as it became clear that the sun-baked flat pitch was not offering any of the expected lateral movement, the second-wicket pair started to stir with Jayasuriya thrashing Makhaya Ntini for two fours. During the next ten overs 79 runs were plundered and the momentum swung decisively Sri Lanka's way. Jayasuriya flicked through the legside and cut savagely. Jayantha was also strong square of the wicket, though occasionally streakily, with one edge flying to the right of Kallis at slip.

With Ntini and Charl Langeveldt being treated harshly, Smith turned to his own part-time offbreaks and Nicky Boje's left-arm spin to stem the run flow. Although guilty of bowling six wides, Smith operated quite tidily and with Boje also economical, the run rate was dragged back to more reasonable proportions.

However, his next change produced more tangible results as Klusener produced a perfect outswinger in the first ball that shaved the outside of Jayantha's defensive bat. The breakthrough ended a 125-run stand that had come from just 132 balls and Jayantha, just moments after bringing up his second fifty in international cricket, trudged back having made 51 from 68 balls (125 for 2).

But the wicket brought little respite as Sangakkara helped maintain the brisk tempo with Jayasuriya; the pair adding 39 runs in 38 balls. Smith rotated his bowlers frequently, desperately trying to conjure up another breakthrough, and his active captaincy eventually did the trick as Jayasuriya, trying to work an innocuous-looking offbreak from Smith to leg, popped up the simplest of catches to Gibbs at short cover off a leading edge (164 for 3).

Mahela Jayawardene, leading the side in the absence of Marvan Atapattu, who was at the bedside of his sick young daughter, Sanjali, who is suffering from dengue fever, rejoined his big buddy, Sangakkara, to carry on their Dambulla partnership. The run-rate sagged for a few overs, as the pair ensured that the good start was not wasted, but gradually they grew more dominant and Sri Lanka reached the 40-over mark on 226 for 3, well placed for the final assault.

They pushed down on the accelerator in the final straight. Sangakkara was handed the responsibility of batting through, and Jayawardene the task of cutting loose. The extra inventiveness thrilled the crowd briefly, as he unveiled a reverse pull-sweep that flew to the boundary, but then cost him his wicket, as he was trapped lbw when he danced across his stumps and tried to flick a straight ball to fine leg (248 for 4). Sangakkara then unleashed his most brutal shot of the innings, a legside swat off Pollock that soared over the midwicket fence, before being caught in the deep. Dilshan and Chandana came and went, chipping in with a few meaty boundaries, and Sri Lanka passed the magical 300-mark.

South Africa, at least, mounted a damage-limitation job in the final couple of overs as Langeveldt snapped up 3 for 31, but by then too much damage had already been done.