Aussie smashes fastest World Cup ton in lopsided win

Glenn Maxwell smashed a 40-ball hundred — the fastest ever at the Cricket World Cup — to help Australia beat the Netherlands by 309 runs today.

Maxwell hit nine fours and eight towering sixes as he scored 106 runs off only 44 balls to propel Australia to 399-8 (50 overs).

Coming in to bat in the 39th over, Maxwell’s feat overshadowed David Warner, who scored a second straight hundred and his 22nd overall in one-day internationals.

Warner scored 104 off 93 balls following his hundred against Pakistan. It was his sixth World Cup century, the most for an Australian batsman.

The Netherlands were bowled out for a paltry 90 runs in 21 overs.

The Dutch team is 1-4, their only win coming in a huge upset victory over South Africa last week.

Wrist spinner Adam Zampa picked four wickets for eight runs in three overs for Australia, as they cemented third place with six points from three wins in five games.

The margin of victory was the largest (by runs) in World Cup history and it sharply elevated Australia’s net run-rate from -0.193 to +1.142.

It was also the second-highest margin of victory (by runs) in ODIs.

The Netherlands dropped from seventh to 10th in the table, with two points and below Sri Lanka, defending champions England and Bangladesh on run rate.

Opting to bat, Australia lost Mitchell Marsh early. Marsh holed out for nine runs and missed out on a good batting surface. Warner and Steve Smith then stitched together 132 runs for the second wicket.

Smith scored 71 runs off 68 balls, his first half-century of the tournament in five innings. He hit nine fours and a six, while reaching 50 off 53 balls.

At the other end, Warner reached 50 off 40 balls. The Netherlands didn’t let the two batsmen run off with some sharp fielding.

Warner and Smith added 100 off 102 balls. Smith was out against the run of play as Roelof van der Merwe completed a sharp catch at backward point.

Marnus Labuschagne joined Warner at the crease then eased his way to 62 runs off 47 balls. He batted with more fluency than Smith, striking seven fours and two sixes.

Labuschagne added 84 off 76 balls with Warner, who slowed down toward his century. He got to the milestone off 91 balls, and is now one behind India’s Rohit Sharma (seven) in the tally of most World Cup hundreds — tied with Sachin Tendulkar on six.

Warner was out caught right after his century — holing out to fine leg off Logan van Beek, who picked 4-74 in 10 overs.

In between, Bas de Leede picked two wickets — dismissing both Labuschagne and Josh Inglis (14). It proved to be a grim evening for the Dutch bowler thereafter as Maxwell arrived at the crease.

He was on nine not out off four balls, and then raced to 50 off 27 balls. Thereafter, he accelerated further and scored the next 50 off only 13 balls. Using a mix of reverse hit sixes to good effect, he punished the Dutch bowling much to the delight of a mid-week crowd at the Kotla.

Australia was 268-5 in 40 overs and smashed 131 runs in the final 10 overs, thanks largely to Maxwell. De Leede returned the most expensive figures in ODI history with 2-115 in 10 overs.

Maxwell’s landmark moment came in the 49th over, as he broke South African Aiden Markram’s record of a 49-ball World Cup hundred. Markram had achieved that feat on the same ground against Sri Lanka 18 days ago.

Overall, Maxwell’s was the fourth-fastest ODI hundred. He was out four balls later and walked off to a standing ovation.

In reply, the Netherlands was down to 62-5 in 13.2 overs. Mitchell Starc (1-22) picked his 56th World Cup wicket when he bowled Max Odowd for six.

Each of the Australian pacers picked wickets against the Dutch top-order, with Maxwell running out opener Vikramjit Singh for 25.

The highlight was Warner’s leaping catch at square leg to send back Sybrand Engelbrecht for 11 off Mitchell Marsh (2-19).

Zampa too got into the act with two wickets in the 19th over, as the Dutch went from 84-5 to 86-8 in the space of six deliveries.

Van Beek was caught behind off Zampa, while van der Merwe was out lbw for a golden duck.

The wrist spinner finished with his third consecutive four-for as he wrapped up the Netherlands’ tail.

What is the fastest ODI hundred by balls?

31 - AB de Villiers, South Africa vs. West Indies, Johannesburg, 2015
36 - CJ Anderson, New Zealand vs. West Indies, Queenstown, 2014
37 - Shahid Afridi, Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka, Nairobi, 1996
40 - Glenn Maxwell, Australia vs. Netherlands, New Delhi, 2023
41 - Asif Khan, United Arab Emirates vs. Nepal, Kirtipur, 2023

What is the biggest win by runs at Cricket World Cup?

309 runs - Australia vs. Netherlands, New Delhi, 2023
275 runs - Australia vs. Afghanistan, Perth, 2015
257 runs - India vs. Bermuda, Port of Spain, 2007
257 runs - South Africa vs. West Indies, Sydney, 2015
256 runs - Australia vs. Namibia, Potchefstroom, 2003

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission