David Warner made mincemeat of an inexperienced Afghanistan bowling attack with a magnificent 178 as hosts Australia thrashed Afghanistan by 275 runs after piling up a tournament record 417 for six in a group league match of the cricket World Cup here on Wednesday.
Batting first,
The pace and bounce extracted by Mitchell Johnson (4/22) was too much for the Afghans to handle as Australia went into the match with business like precision after their one-wicket defeat to New Zealand in a low-scoring tie.
Mitchell Starc (2/18) and Josh Hazlewood (2/25) were also impressive while skipper Michael Clarke did roll his arm over for five overs to get a wicket in the process.
For Afghanistan Nawroj Mangal (33) hit two huge sixes off Marsh before Aaron Finch's brilliant catch off Johnson ended his stay.
Earlier, courtesy Warner's career-best innings off 133 balls and an attractive 95 off 98 deliveries from Steven Smith, Australia dominated with the duo adding a record 260 runs for the second-wicket partnership.
While Warner's fourth ODI hundred was studded with 19 boundaries and five sixes, Smith's innings had eight boundaries and a six.
The stage was then set for Glenn Maxwell to give the final flourish with a scintillating 88 off only 39 balls, joining the run feast by sending the bowlers on a leather hunt. There were 14 sixes in all in the innings.
Maxwell hit six boundaries and seven sixes in his brief innings that was high on entertainment quotient.
After a disappointing batting show against
Maxwell played some amazing reverse flicks along with old fashioned thwacks over extra cover and deep fine leg to completely deflate the Afghan attack. — PTI