Australia opener David Warner smashed a brilliant 163 and the hosts then survived an incredible Sri Lanka fightback to win the first Commonwealth Bank Series final by 15 runs in Brisbane.
Australia bowled their opponents out for 306 in the 50th over after Warner's magnificent 157-ball knock, the highest ever one-day international total at the Gabba, had helped them to an imposing 321 for six.
The Sri Lankans looked dead and buried at 144 for six in the 30th over only for Upul Tharanga (60) and Nuwan Kulasekara (73) to drag them back into the match.
By far the best of the visitors, the pair put on a defiant 104-run seventh-wicket stand at an incredible nine runs per over to give Australia cause for concern.
When both fell in quick succession, Dhammika Prasad and Rangana Herath kept on hitting big, taking the equation down to 22 from 16 balls before Herath was caught on the boundary.
Prasad and number 11 Lasith Malinga swung valiantly to the death, but 16 from the final over was too much to ask and, after missing the first delivery, Malinga swung the second ball from Shane Watson into Mike Hussey's hands at deep square-leg.
Having snuck across the line, Australia will now have two chances in Adelaide to seal the best-of-three final.
Quick Brett Lee (three for 59) and David Hussey (four for 43) split the first six wickets as the visitors' top order struggled to keep up with the run rate.
The top three of Mahela Jayawardene (14), Tillakaratne Dilshan (27) and Kumar Sangakkara (42) all fell after getting starts.
Kulasekara needed just 34 deliveries to raise a half-century, but he was dropped twice in his knock, once early on by Watson and again on 58 by Matthew Wade.
He looked set on making the Australians pay for those mistakes, following Wade's drop with two massive sixes from the first two balls of the next over from David Hussey, but he tried his luck one time too many, picking out Xavier Doherty from the fourth delivery.
Tharanga, who was only recalled to replace injured all-rounder Angelo Matthews, was eventually caught on the boundary in the 46th over, still spiritedly gunning for the most improbable of victories.
Earlier, Warner, who was bowled attempting to slog away the final ball of the innings, registered 13 boundaries and two sixes on his way to becoming only the sixth Australian to pass 150 in an ODI.
The innings was full of the powerful and aggressive hitting which has become the opener's trademark, but he was ably supported by fellow opener Wade (64), Watson (21) and skipper Michael Clarke (37).
Warner and Wade set the platform, putting on 136 for the first wicket at just under a run a ball, giving Australia the chance to cut loose with 91 from the final 10 overs.
Wade in fact overshadowed Warner early on, ensuring a flying start for the hosts as he made 28 from Malinga's first three-over spell and propelled the score to 41 without loss after five overs.
The wicketkeeper-batsman was eventually removed for 64, with Rangana Herath taking a sensational one-handed catch on the boundary, giving Kulasekara the first wicket in the 23rd over.
