CWC2023 : Warner , Maxwell , bowlers helps Australia slaughter helpless Netherlands

 

Australia beat the Netherlands by a record run margin.  David Warner and Glenn Maxwell scored a couple of centuries in contrasting styles  to take Australia to a huge  399 for 8.  In reply, Netherlands' innings ended with 90 runs in 21 overs.  Australia won by 309 runs.  India holds the world record for victory by runs in one-day cricket.  That example of Rohit Sharma's team survived by just 8 runs.

 India holds the record for the largest margin of victory (in terms of runs) in ODI cricket.  On January 15, India beat Sri Lanka by 317 runs in Thiruananthapuram.  In reply to India's 390 for 5, Sri Lanka's innings ended on 73 runs.  However, this is the precedent for winning by the most runs in a one-day World Cup.  The previous record was also held by Australia.  Australia defeated Afghanistan by 275 runs in the 2015 World Cup.

 After winning the toss, Australia captain Pat Cummins decided to bat first in Delhi's 22 yards.  Warner started playing aggressively from the start.  The other opener Mitchell Marsh (9) did not get many runs but Smith  played a steady knock .He was picking the gaps well for his boundaries and showed aggression.  Smith was confidently moving towards his hundred but at 71 his cut shot was well caught at point . Smith played 68 balls and hit 9 fours & one six . After Smith's dismissal Marnus Labuschagne came out and played a confident innings. He was stroking the ball crisply and had a great partnership with Warner . Labuschagne finally fell for 62 off 47 balls with 7 fours and 2 sixes. Josh Inglis(14) played well during his brief stay but the moment belonged to David Warner who played a solid innings and raised his tempo as the innings progressed . Finally he reached his  6th World cup hundred . His innings of 104 runs off 93 balls included 11 fours and 3 sixes.  With this, he reached the pinnacle of Sachin Tendulkar by scoring the sixth century in the World Cup.  

However the final explosion was still to come .

 Glenn Maxwell stepped in and  took Australia's run out of the opponent's grasp.

India's son-in-law literally stormed the Delhi field with the bat.  He made a new record in an innings of 106 runs off 44 balls.  Maxwell was not very aggressive in the beginning.  He scored 34 runs off the first 20 balls and initially played safe shots but then he reached his hundred in the next 20 balls with explosive hitting .  He hit 9 fours and 8 sixes.  Maxwell took Australia to 399 runs.  Aiden Markram held the record for the fewest balls in the World Cup.  Maxwell broke the record  within 18 days.  

 A shameful example has been created by the power of Australia's batters.  That was done to the Dutch bowler Bass de Leed.  He conceded 115 runs in 10 overs against Australia.  No bowler has given so many runs in a one-day cricket match before.  The lead broke the record of Australia's Mick Lewis.  Lewis conceded  113 against South Africa in Johannesburg on 22 March 2006.  Australian spinner Adam Zampa is joint second with him.  He also conceded  113 against South Africa in Centurion last September 15.  On this day, the most successful bowler of the Netherlands, Logan van Beek, took 4 wickets with 74 runs.

 The Dutch batsmen were under pressure from the start as they set out to bat with a target of 400 runs to win.  No one could stand on the wicket.  Vikramjit Singh's highest score for Netherlands is 25 runs.  He hit 6 fours in a 25-ball innings and then he was runout .  No other Netherlands batter could do anything of note.  Zampa took 4 wickets for just 8 runs.  2 wickets with 19 runs went to Mitchell Marsh.  Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc got 1 wicket each.  Australia won the match by 309 runs as Netherlands' innings ended on only 90 runs.

Maxwell for his record shattering hundred was the player of the match .