Sydney, Mar 8:
All-rounder Glenn Maxwell led a brutal Australian assault with his maiden ODI hundred as the four-time winners overcame a spirited Sri Lanka by 64 runs and inched closer to securing a quarterfinals berth in the cricket World Cup, here today.
Opting to bat in the Pool A match, Australia posted a mammoth 376 for nine against a hapless Sri Lanka side, before the islanders’ innings ended at 312 in 46.2 overs.
Kumar Sangakkara tried to make a match of it, notching up his 24th ODI ton during an innings that saw him complete 14,000 runs in this format, only the second player after Sachin Tendulkar to reach the milestone.
After the veteran Sangakkara’s dismissal, Dinesh Chandimal kept Sri Lanka alive with a swashbuckling 24-ball 52, but the islanders were rocked after the batsman was forced to retire hurt at a crucial juncture due to a hamstring injury.
Earlier, besides Maxwell’s swashbuckling 53-ball 10, which was the second fastest World Cup hundred, the Australian scorecard was studded with three fluent half-centuries in a formidable middle-order batting performance.
Maxwell got to the three-figure mark in just 51 balls, just one short of the World Cup record held by Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien.
Skipper Michael Clarke (68), Steve Smith (72) and all-rounder Shane Watson (67) showed rampaging form during the course of their fifties as Australia sent the Lankans on a leather hunt in front of a packed house at the historic Sydney Cricket Ground.
When their turn to bat came, Sri Lanka were served well by Sangakkara’s 24th ODI century, Tillakaratne Dilshan (62) and Chandimal. Sangakkara hit 11 boundaries while Chandimal struck eight fours and a six.
But in the end their efforts proved to be much less than what was required, with the asking rate heading north with each delivery. (PTI)
SCOREBOARD
Australia innings:
Aaron Finchst Sangakkara b Prasanna 24
David Warner c Prasanna b Malinga 9
Steve Smith c Perera b Dilshan 72
Michael Clarke b Malinga 68
Glenn Maxwell c Malinga b Perera 102
Shane Watson c Chandimal b Perera 67
James Faulkner run out (Mathews/Perera) 0
Brad Haddin c Perera b Mathews 25
Mitchell Johnson not out 3
Mitchell Starc run out (Perera/Mathews) 0
Xavier Doherty not out 0
Extras: (B-1, LB-1, W-4) 6
Total: (for 9 wickets in 50 overs) 376
Bowling: Malinga 10-0-59-2, Senanayake 9-0-59-0, Mathews 7-0-59-1, Prasanna 10-0-77-1, Perera 9-0-87-2, Dilshan 5-0-33-1.
Sri Lanka innings (Target: 377 runs from 50 overs):
Lahiru Thirimanne c Haddin b Johnson 1
Tillakaratne Dilshan lbw b Faulkner 62
Kumar Sangakkara c Finch b Faulkner 104
Mahela Jayawardene run out (Clarke) 19
Angelo Mathews c Haddin b Watson 35
Dinesh Chandimal retired hurt 52
Thissara Perera c Doherty b Johnson 8
Upul Tharanga c Warner b Faulkner 4
Seekkuge Prasanna b Starc 9
Sachitra Senanayake c Doherty b Starc 7
Lasith Malinga not out 0
Extras: (B-2, LB-5, W-4) 11
Total: (all out in 46.2 overs) 312
Bowling: Starc 8.2-0-29-2, Johnson 9-0-62-2, Watson 7-0-71-1, Doherty 7-0-60-0, Maxwell 6-0-35-0, Faulkner 9-0-48-3.
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