Glenn Maxwell achieved the fastest century in a Twenty20 international match on Australian turf, leading his team to victory against the West Indies in the series. Maxwell hit an impressive 120 runs in just 55 balls at Adelaide Oval.

His impressive batting performance, which included hitting eight sixes and 12 fours, helped Australia reach a score of 241 while the West Indies only managed to score 207 in response. This 34-run win secures a 2-0 lead for Australia in the three-game series.

Maxwell achieved his 100 runs in 50 balls, which is two balls faster than the previous record for the fastest century in a T20I in Australia. This record was held by South African player Rilee Rossouw with a 52-ball century against Bangladesh in Sydney during the 2022 World Cup.

The record for the fastest T20I centuries by Australians has been achieved by Maxwell, Aaron Finch, and Josh Inglis, all in overseas matches, taking only 47 balls.

Maxwell, who is 35 years old, matched India’s Rohit Sharma with the most T20I centuries at five. His performance for Victoria was a skillful counterattack, rescuing Australia from a shaky start of 3-64 in the seventh over.

Maxwell expressed his enjoyment of cashing in and spending a majority of his time out on the field to Fox Sports. He also noted that when the ball isn’t behaving too unpredictably, it’s important to take advantage of the opportunity.

“In T20 cricket, it is rare to have short square boundaries and a well-maintained wicket, which provides a strong foundation. Therefore, I was focused on maintaining my position for as long as possible.”

Maxwell, at the fourth batting position, was the standout performer in the Australian innings. Tim David also made a quick contribution of 31 runs off 14 balls, followed by Mitchell Marsh with 29 runs off 12 balls and David Warner with 22 runs off 19 balls.

Maxwell achieved a score of fifty runs in 25 deliveries and maintained that speed until he reached 100 runs, combining daring shots with refined strokes. He successfully hit two switch-hits over the boundary and also hit a six that traveled 109 meters, as measured by ball tracking, over wide long-on.

“I have always counted on my fast hand movement to help me out when my footwork is not up to par,” stated Maxwell. “Therefore, I was attempting to optimize my chances of using my hands to steer the ball into an open space or over the infield, and it proved to be successful for me.”

The highest T20 score for Australia ranks at fourth place in their nation’s history. This was achieved with a total of 3-263 against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in 2016, during which Maxwell scored his personal best of 145 not out.

The West Indies were unable to keep up with the chase, as they lost five wickets in the first seven overs. The team’s captain, Rovman Powell, had the highest score of 63 runs from 36 balls, while Andre Russell contributed 37 runs from 16 balls. Marcus Stoinis, an all-rounder from Australia, took 3 wickets for 36 runs.

The left-arm quick Spencer Johnson (2-39) replaced Sean Abbott who has also been ruled out of Tuesday’s series finale because of a shoulder injury.

Source: theguardian.com