Australia’s David Warner celebrates after scoring 150 runs during their Cricket World Cup Pool A match against Afghanistan
David Warner posted a career-high 178 and Mitchell Johnson took four wickets as four-time champion Australia set World Cup records with its innings total and 275-run winning margin in a ruthless victory over tournament newcomer Afghanistan yesterday.
Coming off a one-wicket loss to New Zealand and with a match against 1996 champion Sri Lanka in Sydney on Sunday, the Australians were always going to use the match at the WACA ground in Perth as a chance to regain momentum.
Warner and Steve Smith (95) shared a record second-
wicket stand of 260 runs off just 209 balls to set Australia on course for its mammoth 417-6, surpassing India’s 413-5 against Bermuda in 2007 as the highest total ever at a World Cup.
Afghanistan was dismissed for 142 in 37.3 overs in reply, with Johnson snaring 4-22 on his home turf. It was the biggest World Cup win in terms of runs, surpassing India’s 257-run victory over Bermuda at Trinidad in 2007, and South Africa’s win over West Indies in Canberra last week for the biggest winning margin in tournament history.
It was the seventh-highest innings total ever in a one-day international, and Australia’s second-best of all time after its 434 in a loss to South Africa in 2006.
Warner smashed 5 sixes and 19 boundaries off 132 balls to get the innings away to a rapid start after Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bowl first.
Afghanistan, fresh from its maiden World Cup win — a one-
wicket victory over Scotland — was virtually out of the contest after Australia batted.
Nawroz Mangal top scored with 33 runs, including successive sixes off medium paceman Mitchell Marsh, before an acrobatic slips catch by Aaron Finch cut short the innings. Nawqroz shared 48 runs for the fourth wicket with Samiullah Shenwari (17).
Johnson c put behind the disappointment of being hit around Eden Park for 68 runs in six overs by New Zealand last week with his destructive spells of sheer pace against Afghanistan. Fellow pacemen Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood claimed two wickets each.
Warner and Smith came together with the total at 14 after Finch was dismissed in the third over. They dominated the attack until Warner was eventually caught when skipper Mohamed Nabi held onto a skier. It was Warner’s fourth century in 57 ODIs, and his first in the World Cup.
Glenn Maxwell belted 88 off just 39 balls, hitting seven sixes and six boundaries with ingenious shot-making that confounded the Afghan bowlers.
Dawlat Zadran and Shapoor Zadran took two wickets each for Afghanistan, but at a cost of 101 and 89 runs, respectively.
The day began with Australia dropping long-time all-rounder Shane Watson to make room for James Faulkner, who had recovered from a side strain.
Rod Marsh, the Australian chairman of selectors, said dropping Watson was a tough call.
“But it’s one we thought we had to make because in Shane’s last 10 one-day games, he’s got 220 runs at an average of 22,” Marsh said. “Unfortunately he’s been getting starts but he hasn’t been going on with it. We had to fit James (Faulkner) in and someone had to go.” Ihithisham Kamardeen, Perth, AP
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