Maxwell stars as Australia hand Dutch record World Cup rout

NEW DELHI: Glenn Maxwell's fastest World Cup century off 40 balls and 104 by David Warner led Australia to a record World Cup 309-run rout of the Netherlands on Wednesday for their third straight victory at the tournament.

Maxwell´s 106 off 44 balls laced with nine fours and eight sixes fired Australia to 399-8, a total their bowlers defended easily as the Dutch were dismissed for just 90 in 21 overs in New Delhi.

Five-time winners Australia bettered their previous margin of World Cup victory -- against Afghanistan by 275 runs at Perth in 2015. It was records galore on Wednesday as Maxwell´s blitz bettered the record of South Africa´s Aiden Markram who blasted a century off 49 balls against Sri Lanka just 18 days ago at the same venue.

He smashed Bas de Leede for two fours and three sixes on successive balls to achieve the feat before departing in the final over. Warner, who clubbed 163 last time out against Pakistan, reached his second successive ton off 91 balls with 11 fours and three sixes to set the tone for his team´s dominance.

Warner pulled level with India batting great Sachin Tendulkar with six World Cup centuries, but it ws Maxwell who stole the show at Delhi´s Arun Jaitley Stadium. "They are a quality unit and defending 400, they´ve got world class bowlers and we should´ve been better today," admitted Dutch skipper Scott Edwards.

The left-handed Warner led the batting with aplomb after Australia elected to bat first. Australia lost Mitchell Marsh, for nine, in the fourth over before Warner and Steve Smith hit back in a stand of 132 against a Dutch side who had stunned South Africa earlier in the tournament.

Smith scored his first fifty of this edition before he fell for 71 off spinner Aryan Dutt, but Warner stood firm in another stubborn partnership of 84 with Marnus Labuschagne. Labuschagne raised his fifty before he fell for 62 off Bas de Leede.

Australia won the toss

Australia innings

Marsh c Ackermann b Beek 9

Warner c Dutt b Beek 104

Smith c Merwe b Dutt 71

Labuschagne c Dutt b De Leede 62

Inglis c Engelbrecht b De Leede 14

Maxwell c Engelbrecht b Beek 106

Green run out 8

Cummins not out 12

Starc c Ackermann b van Beek 0

Zampa not out 1

Extras: (nb 1, w 11) 12

Total: (8 wickets, 50 overs) 399

Did not bat: Hazlewood

Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-160, 3-244, 4-266, 5-267, 6-290, 7-393, 8-393

Bowling: Dutt 7-0-59-1, Ackermann 4-0-19-0, Van Beek 10-0-74-4, Meekeren 10-0-64-0,

Vikramjit 4-0-27-0, Merwe 5-0-41-0, De Leede 10-0-115-2