Ellsbury’s 3 RBIs Infantino open to back Tanaka as 40-team World Cup Yanks beat Blue Jays 5-317 18 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 Rory McIlroy ends drought with Deutsche Bank crown Page 15 PALLEKELE: Australia’s Moises Henriques (L) throws the ball in an attempt to run out as Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis (R) successfully dives and avoids being run out during the first T20 international cricket match between Sri Lanka and Australia at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele yesterday. — AFP Australia breaks record, beat S Lanka in first T20 PALLEKELE: Australia broke the world scoring opportunity, I like a right-hand, left-hand com- “Nice to get an opportunity to bat at the top, SCOREBOARD record in Twenty20 internationals yesterday as bination at the top. Credit to him, he has slightly easier place to bat.” an unbeaten century by opener Glenn Maxwell worked hard at home. Tonight was all Maxi,” PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka: Final scoreboard of the first Twenty20 international between Sri Lanka helped the tourists to 263 -3 and an 85-run vic- said Warner. ‘REALLY DISAPPOINTED’ and Australia in Pallekele yesterday: tory in the first match against Sri Lanka. The opener, who registered his maiden T20 The economy rates of Sri Lankan bowlers Australia, who broke Sri Lanka’s nine-year century in his 35th game, found the perfect went for a toss as Senanayake, Thisara Perera Australia D. Chandimal c Henriques b Boland 58 G. Maxwell not out 145 K. Mendis c maxwell b Henriques 22 record of 260/6 against Kenya in 2007, restrict- partner in Usman Khawaja, who scored 36 off and Pathirana took a wicket each but gave D. Warner b Senanayake 28 T. Perera c Boland b Zampa 7 ed the hosts to 178 for nine in 20 overs to take 22 balls, as the duo put together 97 runs for the away too many runs. U. Khawaja c T. Perera b Pathirana 36 C. Kapugedara c Bailey b Starc 43 1-0 lead in the two-match series. second wicket. “I’m really disappointed with the way we T. Head c de Silva b T. Perera 45 S. Pathirana c Head b Boland 2 Maxwell destroyed the Sri Lankan bowling Debutant left-arm spinner Sachith Pathirana bowled. If we restricted them to under 200, we Extras (b4, lb2, w2, nb1) 9 S. Senanayake not out 6 attack with his unbeaten 145 off 65 balls, which got Khawaja trudging back to the pavilion, only would have had a chance,” Sri Lankan skipper Total (3 wickets; 20 overs) 263 S. Lakmal c&b Starc 1 was laced with 14 fours and nine sixes, after the to see Travis Head join forces with Maxwell. Dinesh Chandimal said. Fall of wickets: 1-57 (Warner), 2-154 (Khawaja), 3- K. Rajitha not out 0 263 (Head) Extras (b8, lb 8, w3) 19 visitors were invited to bat first. Maxwell and Head, who scored an 18-ball Sri Lanka were never in the chase after losing Bowling: Senanayake 4-0-49-1, Lakmal 4-0-51-0, Total (9 wickets; 20 overs) 178 Skipper David Warner gave Australia a fiery 45, then put on 109 runs for the third wicket as openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kusal Perera Rajitha 3-0-46-0, T. Perera 4-0-58-1, de Silva 1-0-8- Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Dilshan), 2-15 (K. Perera), 3-45 start with his 28 runs off 12 balls as he put on a it was raining boundaries at a packed Pallekele (4) in the first two overs of the innings. 0, Pathirana 4-0-45-1 (de Silva), 4-76 57-run opening partnership with Maxwell to lay International Stadium. Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc struck in his Did not bat: G. Bailey, M. Henriques, P. Nevill, J. (Mendis), 5-94 (T. Perera), 6-138 (Chandimal), 7- a solid foundation. Maxwell fell 11 runs short of teammate very first over to get Dilshan, who is set to retire Faulkner, M. Starc, A. Zampa, S. Boland 142 (Pathirana), 8-174 Off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake bowled Aaron Finch’s top T20 score of 156 as he faced a from international cricket after the second T20, (Kapugedara), 9-177 (Lakmal). Sri Lanka Bowling: Starc 4-0-26-3, Boland 4-0-26-3, Warner on a looping delivery that held its line single ball in the final over of the innings. bowled for four. The pressure of scoring at over K. Perera c Starc b Boland 4 Faulkner 4-0-38-1, Henriques to take the off stump, but Sri Lanka’s joy was “A little bit instinctive, tried to hit my areas 13 runs an over proved just too much for an T. Dilshan b Starc 4 2-0-24-1, Zampa 4-0-27-1, Maxwell 2-0-21-0. shortlived as Maxwell, who was dropped from based on the field. Been playing really well in inexperienced Sri Lankan batting side as the D. de Silva b Faulkner 12 Result: Australia beat Sri Lanka by 85 runs. the ODI squad, was just warming up at the oth- the T20 format over the last 12 months,” Aussie bowlers kept picking wickets at regular er end. “I thought to give the bloke (Maxwell) an Maxwell said of his epic knock. intervals. — AFP Kerber into second US Open semi-final Murray, Djokovic close NEW YORK: Angelique Kerber reached her sec- in on US Open final duel ond US Open semi-final yesterday with a 7-5, 6-0 victory over 2015 runner-up Roberta Vinci which NEW YORK: Andy Murray contests his sixth sets on Sunday, faces French compatriot also edged her closer to the world number one US Open quarter-final today looking to Gael Monfils. spot. The German second seed showed remark- maintain his stranglehold over Kei Nishikori able powers of resilience to retrieve three breaks and take a step closer to a dream title TRIPLE FRENCH THREAT of serve against the Italian 33-year-old in the first showdown with Novak Djokovic. It is the first time since 1927 that three set. She will face either two-time runner-up Murray won the first of his three career Frenchmen have reached the last-eight in Caroline Wozniacki or shock quarter-finalist majors at the US Open in 2012 and will be New York. Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia for a place in the favourite to make a fourth semi-final at Djokovic, looking for his third major of Saturday’s championship match. the season’s last Grand Slam. The world 2016, boasts a remarkable record in New In a powerful demonstration of her title cre- number two has a 7-1 record against York. As well as his two titles, the 29-year- dentials, 28-year-old Australian Open champion Nishikori whose only win over the Briton old was runner-up in 2007, 2010, 2012 and came at the World Tour Finals in 2014. 2013. He was a semi-finalist in 2005, 2006 Kerber wrapped up the second set by allowing This year, Murray came out on top in five and 2014. Vinci just five points on her serve. sets to help steer Britain past Japan in the The Serb has a 15-6 winning record “It’s always tough to play Roberta, she always Davis Cup before cantering to a straight against ninth seed Tsonga, a run stretching comes out to play great tennis,” said Kerber, who sets win in the Olympics semi-finals. back to their first meeting in the 2008 last made the semi-finals in New York in 2011. “I All in all, Murray is on a 26-1 run since Australian Open final. am happy to win in two sets which means a lot losing the French Open final to Djokovic in “I’m feeling very good. I didn’t have to me.” Kerber could dethrone Serena Williams, June, collecting the Queen’s Club, much time on the court overall before the who she has already faced in the Australian Wimbledon and Olympic titles on the way. fourth round,” said Djokovic who came into Open and Wimbledon finals this year, on top of But he won’t under-estimate the threat the tournament suffering from a wrist the world rankings if results go her way. posed by Nishikori, who made the final in injury. “Considering I had some struggles But she insists she is not looking that far New York in 2014 having knocked out before the tournament, I feel great at this ahead. “I try to stay in the moment, be posi- Djokovic in the semi-finals. “He played moment physically; mentally as well I’m tive and go match by match,” said the world NEW YORK: Angelique Kerber of Germany reacts during her game against Roberta Vinci of some good stuff at the Olympics and won motivated.” Monfils beat Pouille in their number two. Vinci, bothered by a foot injury Italy during their 2016 US Open Women’s quarterfinals match at the USTA Billie Jean King the bronze,” said Murray who reached the only meeting-in five sets in the first round this tournament and playing with her left calf National Tennis Center in New York yesterday. — AFP quarter-final with a brutal dismissal of of the Australian Open in 2015. strapped yesterday, was ahead with a break 2015 has been richly rewarded with a shock vic- became the first Croatian woman to reach the Grigor Dimitrov where he lost just five But 22-year-old Pouille is now Grand games. “I played a really good match Slam hardened having made a maiden on three occasions in the opening set for tory over French Open champion Garbine quarter-finals at a US Open, was spurred on by a leads of 1-0, 3-2 and 5-4.