Cricket World Cup 2015: David Warner and Glenn Maxwell fire Australia to record 417

Mitchell Starc continued his good form with the ball in Australia's win over Afghanistan (Getty Images)

Australia gave themselves a confidence boost as they amassed the highest ever World Cup total and beat Afghanistan by a tournament record margin of 275 runs in Perth.

After being put in, opener David Warner scored a career-best 178 off 133 balls and put on 260 for the second wicket with Steve Smith (95) – an Australian record partnership for any wicket. Glenn Maxwell then smashed 88 from just 39 balls with seven sixes to enable the co-hosts to post 417 for 6. Afghanistan were all out for 142 with left-arm paceman Mitchell Johnson taking 4 for 22.

India’s 413 for 5 against Bermuda in 2007 was the previous highest total and their 257-run win the biggest margin.

Having shared the points with Bangladesh in a washout and been pipped by New Zealand in Saturday’s low-scoring thriller, Michael Clarke’s team needed to impose themselves. The win puts them third in Pool A behind New Zealand and Sri Lanka. It was the third total above 400, South Africa making the first two.

Clarke put himself down the order and did not bat despite having only made a dozen runs on his long-awaited comeback against the Black Caps.

“We had an opportunity to try and break our World Cup record, get that highest score,” he said. “I was thinking of coming at No 4. I would have liked to have a bat for my own individual form, to get some runs under my belt, but I think it was best team decision.”

In Pool B Pakistan beat UAE by 129 runs in Napier. Ahmed Shehzad (93) and Haris Sohail (70) added 160 for the second wicket. Misbah-ul-Haq (65) helped his side to reach 339 for 6, Manjula Guruge taking 4 for 56. The Emirates could only muster 210 for 8 in reply, Shaiman Anwar making 62.