Glenn Maxwell’s fastest World Cup century off 40 balls and 104 by David Warner led Australia to a record World Cup 309-run rout of the Netherlands on Wednesday for their third straight victory at the tournament.
Maxwell’s 106 off 44 balls laced with nine fours and eight sixes fired Australia to 399-8, a total their bowlers defended easily as the Dutch were dismissed for just 90 in 21 overs in New Delhi.
Five-time winners Australia bettered their previous margin of World Cup victory — against Afghanistan by 275 runs at Perth in 2015.
India holds the ODI record for highest margin of victory when they hammered Sri Lanka by 317 runs in Thiruvananthapuram earlier this year.
“I’m really happy, that’s just about the complete game. It’s as good as I could have hoped for — to put 400 on the board and defend it, I couldn’t be happier,” said Australia skipper Pat Cummins.
It was records galore on Wednesday as Maxwell’s blitz bettered the record of South Africa’s Aiden Markram who blasted a century off 49 balls against Sri Lanka just 18 days ago at the same venue.
He smashed Bas de Leede for two fours and three sixes on successive balls to achieve the feat before departing in the final over.
Warner, who clubbed 163 last time out against Pakistan, reached his second successive ton off 91 balls with 11 fours and three sixes to set the tone for his team’s dominance.
Warner pulled level with India batting great Sachin Tendulkar with six World Cup centuries, but it ws Maxwell who stole the show at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium.
India skipper Rohit Sharma recently surpassed compatriot Tendulkar’s record of World Cup tons to lead the race with seven hundreds.
“They are a quality unit and defending 400, they’ve got world class bowlers and we should’ve been better today,” admitted Dutch skipper Scott Edwards.
The left-handed Warner led the batting with aplomb after Australia elected to bat first.
De Leede misery
Australia lost Mitchell Marsh, for nine, in the fourth over before Warner and Steve Smith hit back in a stand of 132 against a Dutch side who had stunned South Africa earlier in the tournament.
Smith scored his first fifty of this edition before he fell for 71 off spinner Aryan Dutt, but Warner stood firm in another stubborn partnership of 84 with Marnus Labuschagne.
Labuschagne raised his fifty before he fell for 62 off Bas de Leede.
Warner raised the noise with his 22nd ODI hundred at a stadium where he captained the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League.
Logan van Beek sent back Warner after the batsman attempted a paddle towards fine leg but was caught out.
Maxwell started with a string of boundaries including three in one over off De Leede and despite losing partner Cameron Green to a run out flayed the opposition attack.
De Leede went for 2-115 — the worst ever ODI figures.
The Dutch were never in the chase after they lost half their side for 62 runs inside 14 overs.
Opener Vikramjit Singh scored a run-a-ball 25 before being run out by a direct throw from Maxwell.
Leg-spinner Adam Zampa returned with four wickets in his three overs and ended the match with consecutive strikes.
Australia started the tournament with two losses but have bounced back with three victories to consolidate their fourth spot in the 10-team table in the race to the semi-finals.
