Glenn Maxwell broke a record, battered Sri Lanka’s attack and brought up his maiden ODI ton as Australia posted a total of 9-376 in Sunday’s crunch World Cup pool clash at the SCG.

Michael Clarke and Steve Smith laid the platform in a 134-run stand, but it was Maxwell who supplied the panache in his sparkling knock of 102.

“Hopefully it’s the first of many,” Maxwell said of the milestone he has been waiting for since debuting in 2012.

Maxwell registered his third half-century of the tournament in 33 minutes, launching a six off Thisara Perera during the batting powerplay.

AB de Villiers’ claim to the fastest ODI ton, scored off just 31 balls in January, was never in doubt.

But Maxwell’s potent mix of power-hitting and audacious strokeplay meant the same could not be said of Irishman Kevin O’Brien’s record for the fastest century at a World Cup – 50 balls.

Maxwell looked to have equalled O’Brien’s mark when he scampered off strike after Lasith Malinga’s lbw appeal was turned down by umpire Ian Gould in the 45th over.

But the 26-year-old was too honest for that – he had a quick discussion with Gould and the official called leg-bye after a significant delay.

Maxwell, who reached triple figures the next delivery he faced, did however better James Faulkner’s mark for the fastest ODI century by an Australian.

His 160-run stand with Shane Watson, recalled at the expense of Mitch Marsh and demoted to No.6, was the difference between a middling and monster score.

Clarke won the toss and was in sooner than he would have liked when Aaron Finch was stumped in the ninth over.

It brought together Australia’s two best players of spin on a pitch so dry it prompted selectors to pick Xavier Doherty ahead of Josh Hazlewood.

Clarke and Smith were typically classy, steering Australia from 2-41 to 3-175.

They regularly danced down the wicket to tweakers Sachithra Senanayake and Seekkuge Prasanna, scoring singles with comfort and easing the odd boundary.

Yet the game was in the balance when they were dismissed in consecutive overs – Clarke’s stumps rattled by slinger Lasith Malinga and Smith the victim of a spectacular catch in the deep by Perera.

It didn’t stay that way for long.

Kumar Sangakkara will be cursing the catch he put down when Maxwell was on 93 and skied a swirling edge over the keeper’s head.

Watson started relatively cautiously, but scored 67 off 41 in a sign his international career is far from over.