Australian cricketers set record

12:41 pm on 5 March 2015

The Australian cricketers flexed their batting muscles to rack up the highest-ever World Cup total as they crushed Afghanistan by a tournament record margin to revive their stuttering campaign.

Opener David Warner's career-best 178 and middle order batsman Glenn Maxwell's 88 from a 39-ball blitz powered the four-time champions to 417 for six wickets at the WACA ground in Perth.

David Warner

David Warner Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Michael Clarke's men returned to bowl out Afghanistan for 142 in the 38th over for a 275-run victory in a mismatch between the most successful World Cup team and the tournament debutants.

India's 413 for five against Bermuda in 2007 was the previous highest World Cup total with their 257-run win the biggest margin.

Nawroz Mangal (33) top scored for Afghanistan before Mitchell Johnson (4-22) and his fellow bowlers got them out.

Having shared the points with Bangladesh after a washout in Brisbane and been pipped by New Zealand in Saturday's low-scoring thriller, Australia needed a big win to revive their campaign and Afghanistan were easy meat for the world's number one team.

Warner forged a 260-run partnership with Steve Smith (95), an Australian record for any wicket, and Maxwell dazzled down the order in an amazing display of batting pyrotechnics by the tournament co-hosts.

Warner hit five sixes and 19 fours in his belligerent knock before being dismissed in the 38th over.

This was the third 400-plus total of this year's World Cup after South Africa posted the first two.

In the other match on Wednesday, Pakistan's hopes continued for another day with a 129-run victory over UAE at McLean Park in Napier.

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