SYDNEY, (Reuters) – While Ricky Ponting and co were boarding a plane for the World Cup on Wednesday evening, lesser known Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell was blasting his way into the record books with a 19-ball half century.
Maxwell’s knock, the quickest in Australian domestic cricket, sparked a stunning run chase for Victoria, who scored 102 runs off the last nine overs to secure a one wicket victory over Tasmania in the interstate one-dayer in Hobart.
The 22-year-old, playing just his sixth match at state level, slowed down after reaching the half century but still made 61 from 27 balls, including eight fours and three sixes, before he was caught off the bowling of Ben Hilfenhaus.
“Vics never say die,” Maxwell told reporters. “It’s the thing we always try to live by, and we showed that tonight and we’ve showed it a few times in the past few years.”
The fastest half century in one day internationals was scored off 17 balls by Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya against Pakistan in 1996 and included five sixes and eight fours.
