Australia’s performance in the World Cup is gaining momentum as they dominated the Netherlands with a remarkable 309-run victory in Delhi, led by Glenn Maxwell’s explosive century, which is now the fastest in tournament history.

Australia broke their losing streak at the start of the World Cup in India with three consecutive victories, the latest being against the Dutch on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT). The Dutch, who had previously upset South Africa, were unable to match Australia’s merciless performance.

This victory had the largest margin of runs in World Cup history, surpassing Australia’s 275-run defeat of Afghanistan in 2015.

After facing Australia’s challenging score of 8-399, the Netherlands surrendered at Arun Jaitley Stadium and were dismissed for 90 runs in the 21st over.

Adam Zampa, the spinner, took 4-8 and achieved his third consecutive four-wicket haul as the Dutch tail crumbled, losing five wickets for only six runs, ultimately ending their innings.

Following a lackluster start in the first two matches, Zampa has risen to the number one spot in the tournament for most wickets taken, with a total of 13.

However, it was Maxwell who will undoubtedly dominate the headlines for the next few days, as he constructed an extraordinary innings that even surprised himself.

At the 41st over, the 35-year-old finally stepped up to the crease with the score at 4-266 and quickly scored his third ODI century in only 40 balls.

Maxwell scored 106 runs in 44 balls during the final over, showcasing a dynamic performance with reverse ramp shots, which included nine fours and eight sixes.

Maxwell lived up to his former moniker of “The Big Show” as he shattered the previous record for the fastest World Cup century. This record was previously held by South Africa’s Aiden Markram (49 balls) at the same venue, just 18 days ago.

In the 2015 World Cup match against Sri Lanka, Maxwell achieved the fastest ODI century in Australian history, surpassing his own previous record.

Bas de Leede, a bowler from the Netherlands, faced the brunt of Maxwell’s strong hits, resulting in his figures of 2-115 being the most costly in ODI history.

David Warner’s record-breaking 104 runs in the ODI World Cup were overshadowed by the spectacular fireworks display of the Victorians.

The experienced batsman achieved his sixth century in the top tournament for 50-over games, surpassing Ricky Ponting’s record of five hundreds.

Warner was fortunate enough to score his second consecutive century, just five days after his impressive 163 against Pakistan.

The batter on the left side was fortunate to avoid being run out when he was at 32 runs, as Warner and Steve Smith both ended up at the same base.

It seemed like Roelof van der Merwe had put an end to Warner’s innings at 73, but upon further review, it was determined that the ball had touched the ground while in the possession of the experienced Dutch player.

Smith scored 71 runs before getting out, marking his first half-century of the tournament. Van der Merwe was able to make an impressive catch in the next over.

Marnus Labuschagne, who may soon be replaced by Travis Head, scored 62 runs off of 47 balls for his highest score in the World Cup.

Australia chose to exclude Head from the team after he arrived in India this week following his recovery from a hand injury.

However, Head is expected to be available for the important match against New Zealand on Saturday. The Black Caps currently hold the third spot on the table, one rank higher than Australia.

Source: theguardian.com