Perth: David Warner’s dominant 178 took Australia to a record 275-run win over Afghanistan at the Western Australia Cricket Association (WACA) ground.
Warner dominated the Afghanistan bowling attack from the start until the 38th over and hit 19 fours and five sixes from the 133 balls he face.
He put on a mammoth 260 for the second wicket with Steven Smith, who hit 95 off 98 balls with eight fours and a six.
Glenn Maxwell and Smith swelled the total further with a 65-run partnership for the third wicket. Maxwell cracked 88 runs off just 39 balls with six fours and seven sixes to help Australia post 417 for 6 in 50 overs, a record for the Cricket World Cup.
In reply, Afghanistan were bowled out for 142 runs in 37.3 overs with Mitchell Johnson taking four wickets for 22, backed by Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood with two scalps each.
The 275-run margain is the biggest win in terms of runs in Cricket World Cup history and the second-biggest in any One Day International.
Afghanistan won the toss and surprisingly elected to field. Skipper Mohammad Nabi wanted to use the moisture in the wicket to take some early wickets. His opening bowler Dawlat Zadran dismissed Aaron Finch with a beautiful outswinger that forced the batsman to edge to Nawroz Mangal for 4.
Warner took charge and virtually dominated the bowling attack. Smith providing strike for Warner, who began with a four pulling Shapoor Zadran. In the fourth over, Shapoor bounced again and Warner effortlessly pulled him to mid-wicket for another four.
In the ninth over, Warner cracked a wide length ball through the covers for a sparkling boundary. He also hit the last ball of that over for a boundary through long on.
Hamid Hassan got a taste of Warner’s aggression in the 10th over, getting hit for two consecutive fours, one a waist-high pull and another lofted over mid-off. The fifth ball of that over also went back over Hamid’s head to the boundary.
Though the Afghanistan bowlers realised that anything short would race to the boundary, they still bowled back of a length to Warner, who kept pulling with ease. Out of Australia’s total of 100, Warner scored 73 and all the nine fours of the innings were from him.
Warner reached his century in 25th over off just 92 balls. Smith provided good support, moving to 40 at the half way mark with Australia 151 for 1.
Smith reached his half century by cutting Nabi past point for a sizzling boundary. In the 30th over Warner hit Dawlat for two consecutive sixes. Two overs later, he also hit Shapoor for consecutive sixes over long on and deep mid-wicket.
Warner and Smith’s 260-run partnership ended when the former fell to Shapoor while attempting a massive six, only lofting the ball to Nabi at mid-on. Shapoor also dismissed Smith, having him caught at mid-on by Najibullah Zadran.
Chasing the total, the Afghanistan openers put on 30 runs before Mitchell Johnson had Usman Ghani caught at short mid-wicket by James Faulkner for 12. Two overs later, Josh Hazlewood forced Javed Ahmadi to play into the hands of skipper Michael Clarke at second slip for 13.
In the tenth over, opener Nawroz Mangal hit Hazlewood for two consecutive boundaries. Johnson removed Asghar Stanikazi who went for a big hit and thick edged to Smith at third man for 4.
In the 13th over, Mangal hit Marsh for two consecutive sixes, one over mid-wicket and another over square leg to win loud cheers from the Afghanistan fans. Samiullah Shenwari provided good support to Mangal and the pair had put on 48 runs for the fourth wicket when Clarke forced Shenwari to top edge to Johnson at short fine leg for 17.
In the 21st over, Mangal, who was batting beautifully, departed to a short pitched lifting delivery from Johnson. Mangal virtually guided the ball to Finch at first slip for 33.
After Nabi became a Maxwell victim for 2, top edging to Clarke while going for a sweep, Starc struck twice to hasten the end of Afghanistan innings.
