NEW DELHI: Glenn Maxwell hit the fastest World Cup century in 40 balls to power Australia to a mammoth 399-8 against the Netherlands on Wednesday.
Maxwell’s knock bettered the record of South Africa’s Aiden Markram who blasted a century off 49 balls against Sri Lanka earlier in the tournament at the same venue in New Delhi.
He smashed Bas de Leede for two fours and three sixes on successive balls to achieve the feat before departing on 106 off 44 balls with nine fours and eight sixes.
David Warner, who clubbed 163 last time out against Pakistan, reached his second successive ton off 91 balls with 11 fours and three sixes and made 104 to set the tone for his team’s dominance.
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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.
“It feels pretty good. I have been pretty cooked today so I wasn’t expecting much but it probably cleared my head a little bit to be able to go out there and play,” said Maxwell.
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“The situation when Warner and Greeny (Cameron Green) both got out probably made me play the situation a little differently.”
The left-handed Warner led the batting with aplomb after Australia elected to bat first.
Five-time winners 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 as he jumped in joy 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 bowling figures of 2-115 after Maxwell’s blitz against him in the penultimate over.
Brief scores: Australia 399-8 (G. Maxwell 106, D. Warner 104, S. Smith 71, M. Labuschagne 62; L. van Beek 4-74)
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