Vaas bowled a vital final over to keep Australia to six runs

The 30-year-old left-armer took 3-48 but, most importantly, kept the tourists to just six runs in the final over, when they needed eight to win.

"Marvan Atapattu asked me to bowl and I just tried to use all my experience to bowl six yorkers," said Vaas.

"I have played 220-odd matches but I think this was the best match that I have played."

Skipper Atapattu considered bowling leg-spinner Upul Chandana in the final over but instead handed the ball to Vaas.

Andrew Symonds and Michael Bevan scored just two runs off the first four balls and could not hit a boundary off the last two.

The guys will take a lot of confidence out of knowing that we can perform as well as we did Ricky Ponting

In a career spanning 229 one-day internationals, Vaas has claimed a world record 8-19 against Zimbabwe in 2001 and a hat-trick against Bangladesh in the 2003 World Cup.

Atapattu praised his veteran opening bowler, saying: "You can't ask more than that."

However, the Sri Lanka captain was disappointed with way in which the hosts lost seven wickets for 29 runs at the end of their innings.

"Having scored 245, we thought it was a good score but the way we finished the innings was not too good," he said.

"We did not plan enough at the end and if we had concentrated on getting ones and twos we would have got around 270-odd."

Australia skipper Ricky Ponting was still upbeat despite the narrow defeat.

"The guys will take a lot of confidence out of knowing that we can perform as well as we did today on a very worn Sri Lanka wicket," he said.

"You are always disappointed when you lose a close game but we are not going to point the finger at any individuals."