Scores: West Indies 191 and 212 for 3 (Sarwan 82, Lara 80*) beat Sri Lanka 208 and 194 (Collymore 7-57) by seven wickets.

Sarwan, who had come to the crease at 1 for 1 in the third over, played a scintillating innings of 82, studded with 13 fours all around the wicket and a six over backward square-leg, and for once even Lara was overshadowed by his stroke-play.

The match ended on a note of anticlimax for a frenzied Kingston crowd, when Sarwan holed out to cover with the scores level, but fittingly it was left to Lara to nudge the winning runs off Muttiah Muralitharan, with whom he had enjoyed a fascinating tussle in the early part of his innings, but over whom he once again established his mastery.

Lara was left not out on 80, taking his series aggregate to 299 runs.

In what had effectively become a one-innings contest, Sri Lanka had resumed in the morning on their overnight 129 for 5 - a lead of 146 - but had no answer to an extraordinary spell of bowling from Corey Collymore, who had been ignored by the Test selectors for four years, but responded with career-best figure of 7 for 57, including all five of the remaining wickets in an eight-over spell.

It took just three overs of the third day for Collymore to make the breakthrough - Sri Lanka's captain, Hashan Tillekeratne, who played loosely across the line to a length delivery, and lost his off stump for 7 (138 for 6). With every run crucial on a tricky pitch, Chaminda Vaas restored Sri Lanka's fortunes with a volley of boundaries in a brisk counterattack, but Collymore struck back for West Indies with two wickets in an over.

First he tempted Kumara Dharmasena into nibbling a simple catch to Lara at first slip (173 for 7), then followed up with a superb delivery, angled across Vaas's body, which was athletically caught by Lara, diving forward from slip (176 for 8). Muralitharan then spooned a brainless curve straight to Sarwan at mid-off for 6 (184 for 9), before Thilan Thushara edged an accurate lifter, for Lara to complete his third catch of the morning.

The target was less than half than that achieved against Australia in Antigua in May, but it threatened to be a tense run-chase nonetheless, especially when Chris Gayle was unluckily adjudged lbw for 0 in Vaas's second over (1 for 1).

But Sarwan emerged from the pavilion in a blaze of attacking strokes all around the ground, and Wavell Hinds joined him in a vital second-wicket partnership of 49, before being bowled, sweeping at Muralitharan's arm-ball, for 29 (50 for 1).

Nobody in world cricket, though, is better equipped than Lara to combat Muralitharan, and he stamped his authority on the contest by sweeping Murali's first ball for four, for the third innings running. It wasn't all one-way traffic however, and Murali might have pinned him lbw with a superb doosra, but umpire Tiffin reckoned the ball was slipping down leg.

But Murali's support act was flagging, and Prabath Nissanka was treated especially brutally, conceding 64 runs in his eight overs. The end came in an absurd blizzard of boundaries, with the last 91 runs coming from 11 overs as Sarwan and Lara raced each other to the tape.

It was a suitably upbeat finish to one of the most uplifting seasons that the Caribbean has enjoyed for many a year. (Wisden CricInfo Ltd)

SRI LANKA 1st innings 208 (K.Sangakkara 75; F.Edwards 5-36)

West Indies 1st innings 191 (P.Nissanka 5-64)

Sri Lanka 2nd innings (o/n 129-5)

M.Atapattu c Jacobs b Taylor 28

S.Jayasuriya lbw b Collymore 13

K.Sangakkara c Jacobs b Collymore 12

M.Jayawardene c Jacobs b Edwards 32

R.Kaluwitharana b Taylor 23

H.Tillekeratne b Collymore 7

K.Dharmasenan c Lara b Collymore 20

C.Vaas c Lara b Collymore 21

T.Thushara c Lara b Collymore 13

M.Muralitharan c Sarwan b Collymore 6

P.Nissanka not out 0

Extras: (b-4, lb-6, w-2, nb-7) 19

Total: (all out, 54 overs) 194

Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-43, 3-80, 4-118, 5-118, 6-138, 7-173, 8-176, 9-184.

Bowling: Edwards 15-2-54-1 (nb-1, w-1), Collymore 16-2-57-7 (nb-3), Drakes 11-3-29-0 (nb-3, w-1), Taylor 10-1-38-2, Banks 2-0-6-0.

WEST INDIES 2nd innings

C.Gayle lbw b Vaas 0

W.Hinds b Muralitharan 29

R.Sarwan c Jayasuriya b Vaas 82

B.Lara not out 80

M.Samuels not out 0

Extras: (lb-3, w-4, nb-6, b-8) 21

Total: (for three wickets, 42.4 overs) 212

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-50, 3-211.