Australia prevails over Sri Lanka in run-fest

Australia have taken one giant stride to securing second place in World Cup Pool A with an entertaining and ultimately convincing 64-run win over Sri Lanka at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Glenn Maxwell blasted his maiden ODI hundred from an Australian record 51 deliveries to propel the tournament co-hosts from a strong total to a monstrous one, and the likelihood of Sri Lanka chasing the required 377 to win always appeared remote, despite a third-straight century from the peerless Kumar Sangakkara.

Quick single: Magic Maxwell smashes records

For the second match in a row, Shane Watson was the talking point before a ball had been bowled, this time for his surprising recall at the expense of Mitchell Marsh.

Word from the Australian camp was that Watson’s selection had to do with his bowling experience, but the allrounder played a telling hand with his stronger suit at the back-end of the innings which will only muddy the waters further when it comes to determining Darren Lehmann’s ideal XI.

The other change was the inclusion of spinner Xavier Doherty for paceman Josh Hazlewood, labelled a “horses for courses” move by Clarke at the toss, which the Australian won and elected to bat. 

Maxwell's marvelous World Cup continues 

Sri Lanka were also fielding a new-look side, bringing in Upul Tharanga, Sachithra Senanayake and Seekkuge Prasanna for Suranga Lakmal and injured pair Dimuth Karunaratne and Rangana Herath.

And it was the visitors who had the early running, as Lasith Malinga fooled David Warner (9) with a slower ball that the last-start centurion miscued completely to Prasanna at extra cover.

Aaron Finch (24) followed in the ninth over, deceived by Prasanna as he advanced down the wicket and Sangakkara completed an easy leg-side stumping.

It brought together Clarke, the best batsman for Australia in the past five years, with Steve Smith, the best of the past five months, and the two New South Wales right-handers quickly settled into their work. 

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Clarke on the drive // Getty Images

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews’ decision to offer the pair spin from both ends upon Clarke’s arrival at the crease was more curious still, and for the next 23.1 overs, the country’s two most stylish batsmen went about their business almost completely untroubled.

Contrary to the usually sedate middle-over period, the duo upped the ante, hurtling along at more than six an over thanks to some exquisite driving on either side of the wicket, both over and through the field.

Thisara Perera and Senanayake looked deliberate targets of the assault, and despite rotating his bowlers regularly, Mathews was left kicking the ground in frustration as some poor ground fielding only compounded his woes.

When the breakthrough came, it was from a familiar source. Malinga pitched full to Clarke (68) who was castle as he attempted to on drive.

Four balls later, Smith (72) skied Tillakaratne Dilshan’s offering back past the bowler and Perera did extremely well to hold a tough chance running back.

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Smith played all around the ground // Getty Images

There is something to be said for the depth of the Australian team now that, with the loss of both Clarke and Smith in such quick succession, they barely skipped a beat.

In fact, in the 105 deliveries after their departure, Australia piled on a staggering 196 runs.

Maxwell recently explained that his greatest bugbear with the new fielding restrictions in the 50-over game was that he now has too much choice for where to hit the ball.

Today, there was no such concern.

Rarely has a group of outfielders looked so inadequate, as the Victorian found and cleared the fence in such a routine manner that Mathews must have wondered if he was a man or three short.

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Maxwell playing a trademark reverse sweep // Getty Images

He sped to 50 in 26 balls – five slower than against Afghanistan last Wednesday – and the next half-ton came from 25 as he wiped James Faulkner’s 57-ball century in 2013 from the record books.

It was Maxwell’s maiden ODI hundred and one that few in a full house at the SCG will forget in a hurry.

He was out two balls later for 102 after he hit another full toss from the hapless Perera straight to Malinga at mid on, but only after referring the decision to the third umpire because he suspected a no-ball.

It was to no avail, and his departure made Watson the main man for the final four overs.

The 33-year-old duly stood up and delivered, crashing seven fours and two sixes in a brilliantly paced 67 from 41.

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Batting at No.6, Watson was back among the runs // Getty Images

With Maxwell, he had put on 160 in a tick under 14 overs, and he continued to monster the Sri Lankans as together with Brad Haddin (25 off nine) he ensured the total flew past 350, before a flurry of late wickets in the closing stages saw the total finish at 9-376.

In reply, Sri Lanka’s chase strategy would’ve likely revolved around the need to keep wickets in hand.

Mitchell Johnson put a dent in those plans in his opening over, the second of the innings removing, in-form opener Lahiru Thirimanne with a snorter of a delivery that caught the shoulder of the bat and was well caught by wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.

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Johnson was jumping with joy when he removed Thirimanne // Getty Images

The bigger danger for the Australians came in the form of veteran opener Dilshan, who appeared very much up for the occasion.

Employing the ‘Dil-scoop’ and an array of other attacking strokes all around the SCG, he pasted Johnson for six consecutive fours and in doing so, got the Sri Lankans off to a rollicking beginning.

At the other end, Mitchell Starc (2-25 off eight) was superb, continuing his rise as one of the world’s preeminent limited-overs bowlers and one of the few who could lay claim to genuinely worrying Sangakkara at any point throughout this tournament.

Doherty was introduced in the 11th over, and Maxwell made it spin from both ends in the 12th, and the change of pace looked set to reap massive dividends when the former coaxed a false stroke out of Dilshan, who skied an attempted slog-sweep.

Clarke, running back toward deep midwicket, got to the ball just in time but spilled the chance.

With more than 700 ODIs of experience between them, the ageless pair launched into the massive chase with vigour, motoring along at better than a run a ball, and the Sri Lankan portion of the crowd on the ground’s eastern side rode their every move.

With the second-wicket stand at 130 from 119 balls, Dilshan looked to force a James Faulkner (3-48) delivery across the line and was struck plumb in front.

He reviewed, but replays showed Faulkner’s clever slower ball to be pitching in line with leg stump.

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Faulkner with the big wicket of Dilshan // Getty Images

In the face of an imposing target, the diminutive figure of Mahela Jayawardene strolling to the middle must be one of his country’s most reassuring sights.

That he was joining a set Sangakkara would’ve only added to that feeling of relative comfort.

Yet just as he began to settle, Jayawardene – who in this match became the second-most capped ODI player of all time – opted to chance his luck on the arm of Clarke at mid on and was run out for 19.

It was a foolhardy move, and beautiful redemption for the captain who would have still been ruing his uncharacteristic drop from Dilshan.

It was also a game-changer.

Moments later, attention turned back to Sangakkara, who had earlier become just the second man to pass 14,000 ODI runs.

Now, with a clip to backward square for two, he became the first to score three consecutive World Cup hundreds.

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Three in a row for Sangakkara // Getty Images

But even legends are susceptible to that phenomenon known as scoreboard pressure, and with 176 still required from just 97 deliveries, the left-hander (104) attacked a Faulkner back-of-the-hand slower ball and holed out to Finch, who took a good catch running in from deep cover.

Railing against the theory that Sri Lanka’s top four batsmen masked a weak underbelly, Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal wasted no time in producing a stirring fifth-wicket stand of 79.

Chandimal was particularly savage on both Watson and Doherty, racing to 50 from just 22 deliveries to suddenly breathe life back into what had looked a lost cause.

His contribution came to a sudden end however, when shortly after receiving treatment for a hamstring problem, he was forced to retire hurt.

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Chandimal was severely hampered during the run chase // Getty Images

The delay clearly upset the rhythm of Mathews, who was out the very next ball attempting to hook a Watson short ball that he edged through to Haddin.

Perera’s forgettable day continued when he holed out for eight to Doherty at long-on from Johnson in the 43rd over, and from there it was a matter of course for the Australians.

The Sri Lankan tail valiantly raised the 300 but Maxwell’s earlier damage was too great – only once in ODI history has a team managed to chase down a target of more than 362, and tonight was to be no repeat of The Wanderers 2006, as Starc (2-29) returned to mop up the final two wickets and round out a comprehensive Australian success. 

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Watson celebrating the key wicket of Mathews // Getty Images