Australia
supplanted Sri Lanka in second spot in World Cup Pool A propelled by a
'big show' ton from Glenn Maxwell before they weathered Kumar
Sangakkara's third consecutive century in Sydney on Sunday.
The
Australians, aiming for a fifth World Cup triumph, amassed 376 for nine,
Maxwell lighting up the Sydney Cricket Ground with 102 off 53 balls,
and then restricted Sri Lanka to 312 for nine to win by 64 runs.
It
was a crucial win by the co-hosts, leapfrogging Sri Lanka into second
spot behind New Zealand with one more group match to play.
Victory secured Australia's place in the last eight and made a quarterfinal against South Africa less likely.
In
a high-scoring match before almost 40,000 fans, plenty of them Sri
Lankans, Maxwell produced one of his famed 'big shows' with a pulsating
maiden one-day international century off 51 balls to leave Sri Lanka
with a massive run chase.
No side batting second have made more
to win a World Cup match than Ireland's 329 for seven against England in
Bangalore four years ago.
The mighty Sangakkara gave it a big
shake, raising his third consecutive ton at the tournament off 100 balls
and his 24th century in his 402nd ODI.
But
the Australians breathed easier when he holed out to James Faulkner for
104 giving Aaron Finch a running catch to end his otherwise chanceless
knock.
Maxwell thrilled the SCG full house with his audacious
reverse sweeps, flicks and powerful hitting in an innings he has
threatened to unleash in his previous 44 ODIs.
'The Big Show', as
he is known, blasted his half-century off 26 balls with a pulled six
off Thisara Perera and was particularly brutal on Seekkuge Prasanna,
hoisting the leg-spinner for 34 off just 12 balls.
Maxwell and
Shane Watson, back in the side after being dropped in Australia's
previous match against Afghanistan for repeated failures with the bat,
plundered 160 runs off 13.4 overs.
The Sri Lankans were at their wits' end trying to find ways to stop the run riot as Maxwell and Watson took the bowlers apart.
Maxwell
narrowly missed out on equalling the 50-ball record for the fastest
World Cup hundred set by Ireland's Kevin O'Brien against England in
2011.
