Clark struck twice in his first two overs as Australia hit back superbly

Australia booked their place in the CB Series final after beating Sri Lanka by 24 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-curtailed encounter.

The hosts struggled to 184-7 after Farveez Maharoof (2-20) and Muttiah Muralitharan (2-37) bowled superbly in overcast conditions at the MCG.

Mike Hussey (64no) and Michael Clarke (50) added 90 to prevent embarrassment.

But Sri Lanka's batsmen slumped, Mahela Jayawardene (27) top-scoring, and had only reached 77-4 when the rain came.

The win puts Australia into the best-of-three games final, having racked up four wins and 22 points from their opening six games.

Sri Lanka will need to win both their remaining games, against India in Hobart and Australia at the MCG, and hope India slip up in their games against the world champions, if they want to reach the final.

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Mahela Jayawardene won the toss and opted to field in overcast conditions after light rain.

His decision soon paid dividends as Adam Gilchrist was clean bowled for six by Chaminda Vaas playing across the line, and Matthew Hayden mis-timed a slower delivery from Maharoof - who bowled his 10 overs unchanged - straight to cover.

Captain Ricky Ponting's slump continued when he was run out for 11 and Andrew Symonds (four) got an inside edge to a Maharoof ball that was taken by wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara.

Hussey and Clarke, who was almost run out for a duck, restored some respectability to the scoreline and finally took the run rate over three in the 38th over.

The in-form Clarke was caught and bowled just after reaching 50 by off-spinner Muralitharan, who also had James Hopes stumped, while Brad Hogg was well caught at point off Lasith Malinga.

Hussey and Clarke's partnership proved a match-winning effort

However, it was the turn of the Sri Lankans to struggle when Stuart Clark had Sanath Jayasuriya snapped up at first slip with his first ball and then trapped Dilruwan Perera lbw at the start of his second over.

Jayawardene and Sangakkara dug in but failed to rotate the strike and found scoring difficult.

And when skipper Jayawardene top-edged a cut off Nathan Bracken to keeper Gilchrist, and Sangakkara mistimed a pull off Hopes to Symonds at cover, the visitors were reeling.

There was still hope of a late-order flurry, but the rain started to fall steadily and the players came off with Sri Lanka well behind the D/L asking rate and never returned.