Trailing by 266 runs, Bangladesh were bundled out for 197 in their second innings before lunch on the third day.

It was Bangladesh's 35th defeat in 40 matches since gaining Test status in 2000. The loss was their 24th by an innings margin.

Left-arm spinner Herath finished with 3-52 and left-arm fast bowler Vaas with 3-36, including one wicket on Wednesday.

Resuming at 131-4, Bangladesh lost their remaining six wickets in less than 27 overs. The entire innings lasted 60.4 overs, the first time in two Tests the tourists had batted more than 50 overs.

"We did not bat well in the series," said Bangladesh skipper Habibul Bashar, whose side failed to cross the 200-mark in four Test innings and lost both the matches inside three days.

"We needed long innings from our top-order batsmen, but it did not happen. We got starts but could not convert them into big scores. That made it harder for us.

"We had chances to restrict Sri Lanka in the first innings when we reduced them to 48-4, but Tillakaratne Dilshan and Thilan Samaraweera took the game away from us."

Dilshan and Samaraweera scored centuries to help Sri Lanka post a massive 457-9 declared. Samaraweera was named man of the match and Dilshan man of the series.

Vaas dashed Bangladesh's hopes of avoiding a second successive innings defeat when he dismissed key batsman Mohammad Ashraful in his second over.

Ashraful added five to his overnight score of 21 before falling to a low catch at first slip by Samaraweera. The paceman then bowled nightwatchman Shahadat Hossain for one.

Herath got his first wicket when he had Aftab Ahmed (25) caught by Samaraweera at lone slip. He completed the job when he had last-man Syed Rasel caught at mid-off by Sanath Jayasuriya, playing his 100th Test.

"It is nice to finish the home season with a victory," said Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu, whose side also won a two-Test series against the West Indies and a triangular one-day tournament before demolishing Bangladesh.

"Team effort was the key to our success as we have been putting in a good all-round performance in recent months. But I still feel our top-order batsmen are capable of doing better."

Atapattu was all praise for fast bowler Dilhara Fernando who finished the match with seven wickets for his best-ever performance in a Test.

"He has contributed a lot to our victories. It was good to see him among wickets in this game," said the Sri Lankan captain.

(Article: Copyright © 2005 AFP)