Adam Gilchrist revealed the secret behind his record-breaking innings of 149 in Australia's ICC CWC final victory against Sri Lanka - a squash ball in his glove.

Normally just a training aid suggested by his batting coach and former Western Australia cricketer Bob Meuleman, also a noted squash player, Gilchrist took it one stage further during the ICC CWC.

"I had a squash ball in my bottom-hand to help with my grip in training and I decided in this World Cup to use it in a match.

"His (Meuleman's) last words to me when I left the training centre in Perth were that if I was going to use it to make sure it was to score a hundred in the World Cup final and to prove it was in there," explained Gilchrist, who gestured to the dressing room with his glove when he got his hundred.

The 35-year-old keeper's innings was the highest individual score in a World Cup final, surpassing the 140 not out made by Australia captain Ricky Ponting four years ago in Johannesburg.

It meant Australia, victors by 53 runs on the Duckworth/Lewis method, had become the first side to win three successive finals and had now gone 29 games unbeaten at the tournament.

Gilchrist's astounding display saw him strike eight sixes and 13 fours in just 104 balls, the Western Australia gloveman justifying his reputation as the most dangerous batsman currently in the one-day game after being outshone by opening partner Matthew Hayden, this ICC CWC's leading scorer, for much of the time in the Caribbean.

"It meant a great deal," said Gilchrist, now only one of three players along with Ponting and retiring Australia quick Glenn McGrath to have won three ICC CWCs after starring in the side's 1999 and 2003 triumphs.

"It's been a bit of a frustrating tournament for me personally. I've got a lot of 30s and 40s and a few low scores so I'd been contributing to a partnership without really nailing a big one myself."