ICC World Cup 2023: Australia record historic 309-run win over Netherlands

New Dehli: It was the most brutal of one-twos. First came David Warner with the jab, then Glenn Maxwell with the "lights out" uppercut. A 104 from the opener had the Netherlands weary, but it was Maxwell's astonishing 106 from just 44 deliveries that administered the most devastating of knock-out blows.

Australia posted 399 for 8, standing triumphantly at the halfway stage over floored opponents, who were unable to rise off the canvas, eventually succumbing to a chastening 309-run defeat - the largest in margin in men's ODI World Cup history.

Just 18 days after Aiden Markram had seized the record for the fastest century in ODI World Cups, against Sri Lanka at this very ground, Maxwell ripped it off him in nine fewer balls, needing just 40 to pass three figures. It was the culmination of an almighty assault on the Dutch bowlers, most notably Bas de Leede. The talented allrounder now has the ignominy of the most expensive figures in men's ODIs, returning 2 for 115 - 43 of them coming in his last two (including 28 from the last), all courtesy Maxwell.

Beyond saving the blushes of compatriots Mick Lewis and Adam Zampa - previous joint-holders of the most expensive figures in the format - Maxwell's second World Cup century (and third overall) shifted the complexion of the match against a courageous Netherlands outfit. They had broadly kept Australia in check, even while Warner, coming off the back of 163 against Pakistan in the previous match, marched to a 22nd ODI hundred.

Warner's main allies were Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, the more dominant partners in stands of 132 and 84 for the second and third wicket, respectively. Had Max O'Dowd not botched a pick-up at midwicket, Warner might have been run-out on 32 when both he and Smith found themselves at the non-striker's end. Roelof van der Merwe was then adjudged to have grounded a sharp chance at midwicket when Warner had 73, before completing an equally tough grab at backward point to see off Smith for 71.

Biggest margin of victory by runs🏏
Fastest-ever @cricketworldcup century 💥

Read all about Australia’s dominant win in Delhi ⬇️#AUSvNED #CWC23https://t.co/pS9ostDwgt

— ICC (@ICC) October 25, 2023

Labuschagne's dismissal - de Leede's first, caught mid-off - was the first of three to fall for just 23 runs, culminating in Warner's dismissal, paddling Logan van Beek to fine leg, well-taken by Aryan Dutt, two balls after registering a sixth World Cup century off 91. With ten overs to go, Australia were 268 for 5.

Maxwell had come in at the end of the 39th over - the latest an ODI centurion has arrived at the crease - but only faced his first ball midway through the 41st. In retrospect, the back-to-back fours off de Leede to get him off the mark were a sign of things to come.

He was probably culpable for Cameron Green's run-out, pushing for two only for the allrounder - drafted in for Marcus Stoinis, who had a sore calf - to be found short of his ground with a direct hit. After Teja Nidamanuru failed to get to a difficult chance running back from mid-off when Maxwell was on 24, the carnage began.

From 35 off 21 - already a brisk start - Maxwell got out his reverse sweep for the first time to get Paul van Meekeren away over point, before smashing the follow-up slower ball over square leg for the first of eight sixes. Another reverse over point - this time all the way - brought the fifty up in 27 deliveries, before going over third two balls later, both off de Leede.

A brace of conventional sixes followed in the 48TH over, bowled by van Beek, carted over wide mid-on and then sliced over cover point, sandwiching a pull to midwicket by Pat Cummins, possessor of the best seat in the house. Then came de Leede's chastening final set; bunted down the ground for fours to start, before being launched into the stands at wide mid-on, over square leg and then further behind square after bowling an above-waist full toss as Maxwell stormed through to three figures.

From first six to last, the white-ball phenom struck 66 runs from just 19 deliveries. Maxwell celebrated with a baby-rocking celebration, a nod to his wife and first child, Logan, who was born last month, both of whom arrived in India earlier this week.

The free-hit was uncharacteristically scuffed for a single, de Leede getting out of the over with a dot to Cummins. Though Maxwell was able to begin the final over with a fortuitous boundary off van Beek, his innings ended two balls later courtesy of an excellent catch by Sybrand Engelbrecht at long-off. Mitchell Starc came and went for a golden duck - van Beek's fourth - leaving Cummins, who had contributed just eight to the seventh-wicket stand of 104, to close out the innings with just his second boundary, smeared through midwicket.

With 400 to get, Netherlands opener Vikramjit was never going to die wondering, racing to 21 from 13 courtesy five fours. And though he would survive a run-out opportunity after O'Dowd left him high and dry with a dodgy call, saved by Josh Hazlewood's awry throw after fielding in his follow-through, he was less fortunate on 25. A well-timed back-foot punch to mid-off found Maxwell, who had started the chase off the field, and, well…. you know what happened next.

By then, O'Dowd had chopped Starc on to his own stumps. Colin Ackermann then fell lbw to Halzewood, before de Leede's grim day was compounded with an appeal against Cummins for a similar dismissal that Hawkeye suggested was trimming leg stump. Engelbrecht's seemingly perfect pull shot off Mitchell Marsh's second ball nestled into hands of a leaping Warner just in front of the square-leg sponge, leaving Netherlands 62 for 5 at the first drinks break.

The pause on the wickets lasted just 27 deliveries. Nidamanuru was unfortunate enough to glove Marsh down the leg side, then Zampa snared two-in-two, as van Beek cut to Josh Inglis and van der Merwe was trapped in front by a googly. Dutt survived the hat-trick ball - another googly - with a thick inside edge.

He had no such luck when struck in front while on the back foot in Zampa's next over. The legspinner then secured a third four-wicket haul in a row when Inglis managed to shovel the ball back on to the stumps after van Meekeren's back foot had crept in front of the line following an attempted sweep.

With that, Netherlands were 90 all out, their final five batters falling for just six runs. All the while, skipper Scott Edwards cut a forlorn figure at the other end. He will know a defeat of this magnitude will not define his team, though they now occupy an unflattering spot on the wrong side of history.