| By David Ornstein |
Australia 253-6 (50 overs) beat Sri Lanka 125 (31.3 overs) by 128 runs
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Adam Gilchrist made a quick-fire 61 before Clarke (77) put the hosts on course for a solid total of 253-6.
In response, Sri Lanka's batting line-up crumbled as Bracken took 5-46.
Kumar Sangakkara top-scored with 42 but the tourists were never likely to meet their target and lost by 128 runs.
Meeting for the first time in an ODI since their World Cup final encounter in Barbados in April 2007, Australia made a promising start in their pursuit of quick runs.
Matthew Hayden, returning to partner Gilchrist at the top of the order following his hamstring injury, looked in particularly good knick.
While less emphatic, Gilchrist looked steady and burst into life in the seventh over when he smashed Lasith Malinga over midwicket for six.
But just as Gilchrist appeared to have settled into a groove alongside Hayden, bludgeoning Ishara Amerasinghe for a pair of fours through cover in the 13th over, he lost his opening partner.
Hayden came down the wicket to Amerasinghe and mishit his drive to Mahela Jayawardene at short midwicket and Australia captain Ricky Ponting prodded Chaminda Vaas to Jayawardene at first slip soon after.
But that brought Michael Clarke to the crease and he built a fine 51-run partnership with Gilchrist before the latter fell leg before wicket to Chamara Kapugedera.
Gilchrist's prized scalp was a crucial breakthrough for Sri Lanka and, although Clarke continued to frustrate their bowling attack, their targeting of Andrew Symonds paid off when the all-rounder was caught expertly by Kapugedera off the bowling of Vaas.
Mike Hussey cut Amerasinghe to Tillakaratne Dilshan at backward point to fall cheaply but Clarke and James Hopes guided Australia past 250.
Sri Lanka's top order, who coped terribly with the pace of Brett Lee and swing of Bracken, was stung by the loss of Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga early on.
Jayasuriya, scorer of three centuries and a half-ton in his previous five innings' at the SCG, inside-edged Lee onto his off stump with the final ball of the fifth over and then Bracken had Thuranga caught behind with the first ball of the sixth to leave Sri Lanka reeling.
Sangakkara and Jayawardene ground out a 39-run stand but Australia's pressure was relentless and Mitchell Johnson had the latter taken by Gilchrist before Bracken trapped the former lbw.
At 77-4, a solid batting display could still have seen Sri Lanka challenge their opponents' total but their run rate plummeted as wickets tumbled.
Bradd Hogg coaxed Chamara Silva into nicking to Gilchrist and then Kapugedera flicked Bracken to Hayden at first slip for a duck.
With a bonus point victory in sight, Australia upped the intensity.
Dilshan lofted an easy catch to Lee off Bracken and Symonds ran out Malinga in comical fashion.
Having taken a run with Vaas, Malinga made his ground but dropped his bat and Symonds' throw hit the stumps with both of the 24-year-old's feat airborne.
Bracken had Muttiah Muralitharan snapped up by Symonds at midwicket to seal his best ODI figures.
After the first two matches of the Commonwealth Bank triangular series were washed out in Brisbane, Australia now top the group ahead of their meeting with India in Melbourne on Sunday.
"Gilly (Gilchrist) played really well, and Clarke played a sensible knock. We got to 250 and I knew that as the game wore on our bowlers would be able to take the pace off the ball."
"We knew it wasn't going to be easy. A slowish wicket, we knew 240 would be a good score.
"We were trying to get a good start but lost too many wickets first up. It's a very disappointing day.
"We need to concentrate on our basics, come back strongly and show our character."
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