Michael Clarke (right) is congratulated by Brett Lee after dismissing Russel Arnold in Dambulla on Sunday. (Reuters)

Dambulla: Sri Lanka pulled off a thrilling one-run victory over world champions Australia in the second one-day International on Sunday after Chaminda Vaas kept his nerve in the final over.

The left-arm seamer, who took three for 48 and was named Man of the Match, restricted the tourists to six runs from the eight needed for victory as Sri Lanka levelled the series at 1-1.

Australia, set 246 to win, were on course for a 2-0 lead after a 148-run second-wicket stand between Matthew Hayden (93) and Ricky Ponting (69). But they were restricted to 244 for five with Andrew Symonds and Michael Bevan falling short in the last over.

Sanath Jayasuriya top scored for the hosts with 55, adding 121 in 135 balls for the first wicket with Maravan Atapattu (47).

Sri Lanka’s middle and lower order had collapsed against the occasional left-arm spin of Michael Clarke, who finished with career-best figures of five for 35 from 7.5 overs. Sri Lanka lost their last seven wickets for 29 runs.

Sri Lanka struck early in the Australia innings as Clarke, promoted ahead of Adam Gilchrist to counter the spinners, sliced a catch to backward point off the third ball from Vaas.

But Ponting and Hayden quickly settled down and took the attack to Sri Lanka’s spinners, six of whom were used during the innings.

Ponting passed 7,000 one-day runs shortly before bringing up his 38th one-day fifty off 68 balls.

Upul Chandana eventually broke through in the 32nd over as Ponting top-edged a sweep to be caught at deep backward square.

Vaas took his second wicket shortly after being recalled to the attack as Damien Martyn mistimed a cover drive off a slower ball.

Kumar Dharmasena’s dismissal of Hayden, caught at wide long off, brought the hosts right back into the game with Australia on 190 for four.

Hayden’s 93 came from 116 balls with five fours and a six.

Symonds, on 10, was then given out leg before to Dharmasena by umpire Peter Manuel but was then called back with permission from skipper Atapattu because the ball hit bat first.

Symonds, joined by Bevan after the loss of Gilchrist, caught and bowled by Vaas, helped add 52 off 58 balls for the sixth wicket but the pair fell agonisingly short of the victory target.

Earlier, Jayasuriya and Atapattu had carried the attack to Australia’s bowlers early on, making full use of a crucial toss.

But Australia eventually broke through thanks to an athletic stop and diving flick from Ricky Ponting to run out Atapattu.

Off spinner Symonds trapped Jayasuriya, who had passed fifty for the 55th time in his career, leg before next over to leave Sri Lanka on 122 for two.

Mahela Jayawardene (38) and Kumar Sangakkara (39) then added 70 runs in 98 balls to leave Sri Lanka in a strong position before Clarke ran through the lower-order.