Maher breaks the record as Queensland romp home

Queensland 4 for 405 (Maher 187, Law 95) beat Western Australia 198 (Hussey 66) by 207 runs
Scorecard

Jimmy Maher belted himself, and Queensland, into the record books in their crushing ING Cup win against Western Australia at the Gabba. Maher struck 187 off only 129 balls to help his side charge to a whopping 4 for 405 from their 50 overs, and then storm to a 207-run victory.

Maher's breathtaking knock broke the record for the highest individual score in domestic one-dayers, while Queensland's total was the biggest team innings in the 35 years of the competition. Western Australia, meanwhile, were consigned to the blackest Friday of all.

Queensland smashed records and set countless milestones on the way to becoming the first team in the ING Cup to score two victory bonus points by doubling their opponents' total.

When Chris Simpson scampered a quick single off the last ball of the 49th over Queensland became the first team to pass the 400 barrier in Australia. The previous best total was New South Wales's 4 for 397 against Tasmania at the small Bankstown Oval two seasons ago.

Queensland's astonishing score, the fifth-highest in any 50-over match at first-class level, was built on the back of discarded Australian one-day batsman Maher. In a day when everything he touched turned to gold, Maher blazed 26 boundaries and three sixes in oppressive heat before taking three key catches.

Maher passed the previous-best individual domestic one-day innings, Murray Goodwin's 167 against NSW in Perth at 2000-01, in fine style when he belted successive sixes off Michael Hussey. But Goodwin only had himself to blame for his mark being eclipsed after dropping the simplest of catches at cover off Paul Wilson when Maher was on 105.

The only Australian to have scored more runs in a one-day match was Darren Lehmann, who blazed 191 for Yorkshire against Nottinghamshire in Scarborough, England in 2001.

Queensland's run glut was also a perfect one-day send-off for Stuart Law, who launched proceedings with 95 from 69 balls. Law belted 13 fours and three sixes in his knock and threatened to break his own record for the fastest domestic one-day century (69 balls, set this season against Tasmania) before cutting Aaron Heal to backward point.

He brought up his half-century in only 37 balls and produced a swashbuckling opening with Maher to reap 138 runs from the first 15 overs, including 79 runs from 30 balls between the ninth and 14th overs.

WA didn't help their cause, with some loose bowling and poor fielding assisting Queensland. Things went from bad to worse for them when Andy Bichel had Justin Langer caught by Maher at second slip in the first over. Only Hussey had the better of the bowlers and when he fell at 6 for 170, the Warriors were only batting to deny the double bonus point.