Australia' broke nine-year record in T20 cricket

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. 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 the lead in the two-match series. Maxwell decently manage 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 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. 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. 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. In reply, Sri Lanka were never in the chase after losing openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kusal Perera (4) in the first two overs of the innings. Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc struck in his very first over to get Dilshan, who is set to retire from international cricket after the second T20, bowled for four. The pressure of scoring at over 13 runs an over proved just too much for an inexperienced Sri Lankan batting side as the Aussie bowlers kept picking wickets at regular intervals. Skipper Dinesh Chandimal top-scored with 58 runs, his fourth T20 half-century, before falling to medium-pacer Scott Boland. Chamara Kapugedara also hit a 25-ball 43, studded with three fours and three sixes, to give some respect to the Sri Lankan total. Starc and Boland claimed three wickets each as James Faulkner, Moises Henriques and Adam Zampa took one each.

Tennis: Andy Murray pulled victory for Great Britain

Second seed and 2012 champion Andy Murray enjoyed Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov game by 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 to reach a sixth US Open quarter-final Monday, clocking up a personal fast serve record in the process. The 29-year-old reigning Wimbledon and Olympic champion stormed to an impressive seventh win in 10 meetings against the 22nd-seeded Dimitrov. From the moment Murray broke for a 3-1 lead in the first set, on the back of a lung-busting 32-shot rally, the outcome of the Arthur Ashe Stadium clash was never in doubt. For good measure, Murray sent down his fastest ever serve of 141mph (226.9 km/h) at the end of a set where he allowed Dimitrov just five points on his service. “I once hit a 145mph serve in San Jose but they recalibrated the machine the next day so it didn't count. Tonight was the first time I have gone above 140,” said the 29-year-old. “It was lucky and I doubt I'll ever do it again.” Dimitrov broke only once in the match in the fourth game of the second set but it was a brief respite as Murray quickly reclaimed it before taking 10 of the next 12 games to seal the rout. Dimitrov committed 43 unforced errors as Murray set up a last-eight clash with Japanese sixth seed Kei Nishikori, the 2014 runner-up who downed 37-year-old Ivo Karlovic 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4). Karlovic fired 21 aces in the contest but Nishikori's 44 winners and a miserly seven unforced errors proved the key. “It's never easy facing someone serving like Ivo, never easy to return those kind of serves,” said Nishikori. “But I tried to stay down. I have been returning well, so that also helped today. I think I played one of the best matches — serve, return, ground strokes.”