/ 4 March 2015

Australia hits new World Cup record

David Warner made Australia's highest World Cup individual score of 178 during the game.
David Warner made Australia's highest World Cup individual score of 178 during the game.

Australia made the highest World Cup score in tournament history on Wednesday with a score of 417-6 against Afghanistan.

At the Waca in Perth, four-time champions Australia surpassed the previous World Cup best of 413-5, made by India against Bermuda in 2007.

It was the third 400-plus run total made in the past six days, after South Africa made 408-5 against the West Indies and 411-4 in the game against Ireland.

David Warner made Australia’s highest World Cup individual score of 178, beating Matthew Hayden’s 158 runs against West Indies at Antigua in 2007.

He was just seven short of Shane Watson’s national record in all one-day internationals of 185 not out against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2011.

Warner’s 260-run, second-wicket partnership with Steve Smith, who went on to make 95, was also an Australian ODI record, beating the 252-run partnership between Ricky Ponting and Shane Watson against England at Centurion in 2009.

Quick knock
Glenn Maxwell hit a rapid 88 off 39 balls, including six fours and seven sixes, on another record-shattering day that will prompt additional calls for an overhaul of the regulations, which many say are too heavily weighted in favour of batsmen.

“We just went out there to try to get a good total. When a guy gets nearly 180, you’re always going to get a pretty good score,” said Smith.

“It was easy for me with Dave going so well and it was a nice little partnership we had there. When you get 400 on the board, you’re always in a pretty good position. Hopefully, we can have a complete performance and bowl pretty well to finish the job.”

Australia went into the game after a one-wicket loss to New Zealand in Auckland, which followed an opening win over England and a no-result washout against Bangladesh in Brisbane.

Afghanistan, which only formed a national team in 2001, won its first World Cup cricket match against Australia on February 25. – AFP