Pallekele:
Australia scored 263/3 in 20 overs as they now hold the highest team score in T20I cricket.
Glenn Maxwell, who scored his maiden Twenty20 international century helped the Kangaroos to achieve this feat.
The 27-year-old Australian all-rounder composed his century in just 49 balls. He is the third Australian to score a hundred in t20 international.
Maxwell struck 14 fours and nine sixes during his 65-ball stay to help Australia break a nine-year record held by Sri Lanka, who scored 260/6 against Kenya in 2007.
Skipper David Warner gave the visitors a fiery start with his 28 runs off 12 balls as he put on a 57-run opening partnership with Maxwell to lay a solid foundation.
Off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake bowled Warner on a looping delivery that held its line to take the off stump, but Sri Lanka’s joy was shortlived as Maxwell was just warming up at the other end.
The opener, who registered his maiden T20 century in his 35th game, found the perfect partner in Usman Khawaja, who scored 36 off 22 balls, as the duo put together 97 runs for the second wicket.
Maxwell fell 11 runs short of teammate Aaron Finch’s top T20 score of 156 as he faced a single ball in the final over of the innings.
