DT
26
Sport
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2016
Maxwell fires record breaking Aussies n AFP, Pallekele
Australia’s Glenn Maxwell goes big during their first twenty20 match against Sri Lanka in Pallekele on Tuesday
AP
Opener Glenn Maxwell’s blistering century in Australia’s world record 263 powered the visitors to a comprehensive 85-run win over Sri Lanka in the first Twenty20 international in Pallekele on Tuesday. Australia, who broke Sri Lanka’s nine-year record of 260/6 against Kenya in 2007, restricted the hosts to 178 for nine in 20 overs to take 1-0 lead in the two-match series. Maxwell destroyed the Sri Lankan bowling attack with his unbeaten 145 off 65 balls, which was laced with 14 fours and nine sixes, after the visitors were invited to bat first. Skipper David Warner gave Australia 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, who was dropped from the ODI squad, was just warming up at the
other end. “I thought to give the bloke (Maxwell) an opportunity, I like a right-hand, left-hand combination at the top. Credit to him, he has worked hard at home. Tonight was all Maxi,” said Warner. The opener, who registered his maiden T20 century in his 35th game, found the perfect partner in
BRIEF SCORE, 1ST T20I AUSTRALIA 263/3 (Maxwell 145, Head 45, Khawaja 36) beat SRI LANKA 178/9 (Chandimal 58, Kapugedera 43, Starc 3/26) by 85 runs Usman Khawaja, who scored 36 off 22 balls, as the duo put together 97 runs for the second wicket. Debutant left-arm spinner Sachith Pathirana got Khawaja trudging back to the pavilion, only to see Travis Head join forces with Maxwell. Maxwell and Head, who scored an 18-ball 45, then put on 109 runs for the third wicket as it was raining boundaries at a packed Pallekele International Stadium.l
Run records fuel fears over bat-ball balance n AFP, New Delhi After first England and then Australia rewrote the cricket record books just days apart, some commentators are warning that a glut of runs risks wrecking the art of bowling and turning off fans. Australia cruised to victory on Tuesday in the first match of a
T20 series against Sri Lanka after spanking 263 runs in their innings, breaking the previous best of 260 scored by their hosts against Kenya in 2007. The performance came exactly a week after England posted the highest ever total in a 50-over international, scoring 444 for three against Pakistan. The last fortnight has also seen a
new record for the highest number of runs in a T20 international, with India and the West Indies totalling a combined 489 runs in a match in Florida on August 27. Such run-fests may be great entertainment for spectators, but some commentators say they could end up doing more harm than good. “Bowlers are being reduced to
bowling machines. It is a terribly one-sided affair, there is no contest at all,” Indian spin great Bishan Bedi told AFP. “I don’t mind being hit for a four or a six but it’s being hit so easily and consistently. The charm of true cricket has been thrown out of the window.” In a series of tweets after Tuesday’s carnage in Sri Lanka,
former India international Sanjay Manjrekar urged administrators to “respect the intelligence of fans” who “don’t come to watch just 4s & 6s”. “The lopsided balance between bat & ball in T20s must be monitored” and should not be allowed to “reach ridiculous proportions”, added Manjrekar, who is now a TV commentator. l
Nervy win for ULAB n Tribune Report University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh claimed a nervy one-wicket victory over Assupol Tuks Cricket, University of Pretoria at Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in the Red Bull Campus Cricket yesterday. Taking first guard, UoP registered 152/9 on the board from their stipulated 20 overs, courtesy quickfire knocks by Evan Jones (39) and Tony de Zorzi (37).
BRIEF SCORE UOP 152/9 in 20 overs (Evan 39, De Zorzi 37, Anjum 3/27, Arifur 3/30) lost to ULAB 153/9 in 20 overs (Avishek 50, Kaber 2/16, Ngidi 2/16, Moore 2/35) by one wicket
ULAB’s Anjum Ahmed and Arifur Rahman bagged three wickets apiece while Mohammad Islam and Morsalin Mortaza picked up one each. In reply, ULAB reached their destination in 20 overs with one wicket in hand. Avishek Mitra top-scored with 50, featuring three fours and two sixes. Thomas Kaber, Lungi Ngidi and Vincent Moore shared six wickets between themselves. ULAB, reigning Twenty20 private university champion of Bangladesh, were invited by the tournament organisers as they earlier participated in the same tournament twice in Sri Lanka and England previously. This is the third time ULAB are partaking in the Red Bull Campus Cricket.l
In partnership with Bangladesh Cricket Board, Gazi Tyres has taken an initiative to find the cricket talents nationwide in a talent hunt titled ‘Gazi Tyres Cricketers Hunt’