Aravinda De Silva hit an impeccable 143 not out to steer Sri Lanka to a comfortable five-wicket victory on the fifth day of the second and final Test against Zimbabwe on Sunday.

De Silva, who was supported by an injured Arjuna Ranatunga, hit the part-time bowler Murray Goodwin through mid-wicket for four, to help Sri Lanka take the series 2-0 some 30 minutes before tea.

Sri Lanka had needed 326 to win the match.

Ranatunga and De Silva added 189 runs for the sixth wicket after Zimbabwe's bowlers had torn through the top half on the penultimate day, putting Sri Lanka on the defensive.

But the two batsmen continued on to create a sixth-wicket partnership record for Sri Lanka against any country.

The pair came together when Sri Lanka were struggling at 130-5 and stayed on to carve out the victory, with Ranatunga, who used a runner due to a strained back, remaining not out on 87.

Ranatunga batted for 309 minutes, faced 232 balls and hit 12 fours despite his injury. It was his 30th half century in 76 tests.

After the game Ranatunga said: "The task of achieving the target was made easier by Aravinda's excellent knock. Despite my back injury I gained a lot of confidence when I saw Aravinda playing the shots."

It was De Silva's 16th Test century and his fifth in the last six Test innings he has played at the Singhalese Sports Club ground.

His match-winning innings lasted 313 balls and 459 minutes.

He hit two sixes and 16 fours and his efforts won him the Man of the Match award.

The off-spinner Muthiah Muralitharan, who took 17 wickets in the two Tests, was named Man of the Series.

The Zimbabwe captain, Alistair Campbell, said both sides played well.

"We want to carry the form that we have shown in the two tests into the one-day series," Campbell said.

Sri Lanka also won their previous 1996-97 series against Zimbabwe 2-0.

Scoreboard

Zimbabwe first innings 251
Zimbabwe second innings 299
Sri Lanka first innings 225
Sri Lanka second innings (209-5 overnight)

• S Jayasuriya c A Flower b Streak 68
• M Atapattu c A Flower b Streak 0
• R Mahanama lbw b Mbangwa 0
• A de Silva not out 143
• H Tillekeratne lbw b Streak 0
• R Kaluwitharana c Campbell b Streak 4
• A Ranatunga not out 87

  Extras (b-11, lb-13) 24
  Total (for five wickets) 326

  Fall of wickets: 1-1 2-10 3-115 4-115 5-137
  Bowling: Streak 24-5-84-4, Mbangwa 14-4-34-1, A Whittall 43-10-93-0, Strang 24-4-75-0, G Whittall 7-1-12-0, Goodwin 0.5-0-4-0.

  Man of the Match: Aravinda de Silva.
  Man of the Series: M Muralitharan.

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