HARARE: A brutal onslaught by Mitchell Marsh and George Maxwell carried Australia to a total of 350 for six against Zimbabwe in the first game of a one-day triangular series in Harare on Monday.
Marsh stroked 89 from 83 deliveries after coming in at number three, while Maxwell hammered 93 from just 46 balls as the pair put on 109 for the fourth wicket in just nine overs.
Australia hit a record 15 sixes in the innings, with Marsh and Maxwell accounting for nine of them, with the tourists easily beating their previous best of five in an innings against Zimbabwe.
It was also Australia's highest score in an ODI against Zimbabwe, eclipsing the 344 for seven made in Hobart during a triangular series in January 2004.
Although Australia started slowly after they were asked to bat first on a slow pitch, Aaron Finch and Brad Haddin laid a sound platform with an opening stand of 98.
Haddin was bowled by Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura for 46, while Finch went for 67 when he steered a delivery from off spinner John Nyumbu to backward square leg.
Captain George Bailey, who was standing in for the injured Michael Clarke, failed to get going, but his dismissal brought Marsh and Maxwell together and the results were spectacular.
The pair at one point added 63 in four overs, with Maxwell producing the shot of the day when he reverse-swept Sean Williams for six over the longest boundary, and Australia added 147 in the final 10 overs despite both men getting out for career-best scores.
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