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Warner Hits Career-Best Tally For Australia

Warner Hits Career-Best Tally For Australia

David Warner smoked a career-best 178 as Australia posted a World Cup record total of 417-6 in their Pool A clash with Afghanistan at the WACA.

Warner thumped 19 fours and five sixes en route to his maiden World Cup ton as Australia eclipsed India's 413-5 against Bermuda at Port of Spain in 2007.

The left-hander missed out on becoming the second man after Chris Gayle to score a double hundred in the tournament when he looped the 133rd delivery of his innings to Afghanistan skipper Mohammed Nabi at mid-on.

But he did plunder his way to the best individual total by an Australian at a World Cup, beating Matthew Hayden's 158 during a Super Eight clash against West Indies in Antigua in 2007.

The 28-year-old and Steven Smith (95 from 97) also put on a record ODI partnership for the Baggy Greens, with their second-wicket stand of 260 besting the 252 Shane Watson and Ricky Ponting amassed against England in 2009.

Australia, put into bat by Afghanistan in Perth, pushed on after Warner's exit, though, with Smith and Glenn Maxwell (88 off 39), the latter creaming seven sixes during a pulsating knock.

Smith and Maxwell shared a fourth-wicket stand of 65 before the former drove to Najibullah Zadran at mid-off to fall five runs shy of a maiden World Cup century.

Maxwell, however, smashed Afghanistan's bowlers all around the wicket and seemed primed to thump the fastest World Cup century in history, a record currently held by Ireland's Kevin O'Brien, who achieved the feat off 50 balls against England in 2011.

But the Melbourne-born star was eventually deceived by a slower delivery from Dawlat Zadran – the seamer who had removed Aaron Finch (four) with just 14 runs on the board – and clothed to extra cover.

Brad Haddin (20no off nine balls) and Perth boy Mitchell Marsh (8no) then fired Australia past 400 for the second time in one-day international cricket following their record score of 434-4 against South Africa in 2006.