Glenn Maxwell on Wednesday showed the world why he’s called “The Big Show”. Initially, it looked like it would be another run-making bonanza by veteran opener David Warner(104, 93b, 11×4, 3×6) as he went on to score an explosive century. But the day belonged to finisher Glenn Maxwell who broke the record for the fastest century in a World Cup by nine balls, that too after arriving in the 40th over. He scored a stellar 106 runs in just 44 balls, smashing nine 4s and eight 6s in the process. This helped the Australians to post an intimidating target of 400 runs, helping them to win by a record margin of 309 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi.
Earlier in the day, Australia won the toss, and skipper Pat Cummins went on the conventional route of batting first at the quick Delhi outfield. David Warner built a solid foundation with his sixth century in the history of the World Cup. The legendary Steve Smith(71 in 68b) and the extravagant Marnus Labuschagne(62 in 47b) played second fiddle in the explosive batting performance by the Kangaroos. The Dutch bowling generally looked clueless with Bas de Leed(10-0-115-2) leaking the most runs. Logan van Beek(10-0-74-4) unsuccessfully tried to provide some succor to his side by picking up 4 crucial wickets.
In response, The Netherlands were sent packing by the mighty Australians for just 90 runs in 21 overs. The Dutch answer was meek and spinner Adam Zampa weaved a web that would entangle the Men in Orange, handing him his third 4-wicket haul in a row. Although Zampa deserves praise, the day belonged to Maxwell and he was rightfully adjudged as the Player-of-the-Match.
With this record-breaking 309-run victory, Australia has given a big boost to their net run rate. Now they sit comfortably on the number four position on the points table, much needed for cementing a position in the playoffs.
Here’s the latest look at the points table after Wednesday’s match:
| Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 5 | 5 | 0 | 10 |
| South Africa | 5 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
| New Zealand | 5 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
| Australia | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Pakistan | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Afghanistan | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Sri Lanka | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| England | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Bangladesh | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Netherlands | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 |