Australia recovered from early jitters and trouble to get out of jail and get to a competitive total before the bowlers defended the score. Australia were determined not to surrender as they dug deep and came out of it with flying colours. Put into bat first, Australia were in strife at 76/7 at one stage but recovered to get to 221/9 thanks to a superlative ton her 5th ODI ton from Beth Mooney and a half-century from Alana King a first one at that to take them to a safe total.
Thereafter, the bowlers took over with Kim Garth picking up 3 wickets while Megan Schutt and Annabel Sutherland picked up 2 wickets apiece as Australia showed their class and managed to skittle out Pakistan for 114 in 36.3 overs and giving them their 3rd defeat in as many matches while Australia moved to the top of the points table with this terrific win.
Beth Mooney’s Spectacular Ton Rescues Australia to take them to 221/9
Put into bat first, captain Alyssa Healy came out to bat with Phoebe Litchfield while Diana Baig had ball in hand for Pakistan. Litchfield came down the track and drilled it between cover and mid-off for a boundary. Captain Fatima Sana took the ball from the other end. She bowled a decent over. Diana Baig continued as Healy put the low full toss away wide off deep fine leg for a boundary. Sana continued and kept things under check.
Sadia Iqbal came onto the attack next. Healy got a lucky boundary away with the outside edge past the keeper and off to the slip cordon. Sana continued and bowled a maiden over. Healy took the aerial route and stepped down the ground to loft it over cover point for a boundary. Sadia hit back and provided the breakthrough for Pakistan as Healy was dismissed for 20 off 23 balls with 3 fours to her name.
Sadia bowled full on the leg stump. Healy cleared her front leg and looked to flick but failed to keep it down. She hit it straight to short midwicket. Diana Baig took the catch inside the circle. Ellyse Perry came out to bat next. Sana continued and got rid of Litchfield for 10 off 22 balls with a boundary to her name.
Sana bowled a length ball on the leg stump angling across. Litchfield cleared her front leg and looked to go straight down the ground. She tried to play the no-look shot and didn’t get anywhere close to the pitch of the ball. She got a top edge that went straight up in the air. Fatima backtracked a little and took a fine catch. Beth Mooney walked out to bat next. Mooney got off the mark with a boundary by clipping the ball on the pads to deep backward square leg for a boundary.
Sadia Iqbal continued and bowled a decent over. Rameen Shamim came into the attack to bowl the final over of powerplay. She bowled a decent over as Australia reached 40/2 at the end of the mandatory powerplay of 10 overs. Sadia continued and bowled a decent over. Shamim also bowled a decent over. Nashra Sandhu came into the attack next as Mooney drove her through the covers and point for a boundary to welcome her to the attack. Sandhu got rid of Perry for 5 off 11 balls.
Sandhu bowled from around the wicket a length ball tossed up nicely slower through the air. It pitched just outside off-stump turned away off the surface. Perry stepped down and looked to push at that but got beaten on the outside edge. She tried to get back but Sidra Nawaz was up to the task and whipped off the bails off in a flash. She looked in trouble and TV umpire was called in and Perry was short of her ground. Annabel Sutherland came out to bat next.
Shamim continued and bowled a tidy over. Sandhu got into the act again as she removed Sutherland for 1 off 5 balls. Around the wicket she came to bowl an arm ball around off-stump drifting in with the angle and went through the gap between bat and pad of Sutherland who looked to defend on the front foot. The ball cannoned into the middle and off-stump. Drinks was taken at this point and Ashleigh Gardner came out to bat next. She got off the mark soon.
Shamim then got rid of Gardner for 1 off 5 balls. She bowled full on the stumps. Gardner flicked it away but failed to keep it down. The ball went straight into the hands of short midwicket fielder where Fatima Sana completed the catch. Tahlia McGrath came to the crease next. Sandhu continued as Mooney broke the shackles by backing away and cutting it past cover point for a boundary. Shamim continued and delivered another decent over. Sandhu too kept things tight. Shamim bowled another miserly over as Australia reached 74/5 in 20 overs.
Sandhu then got rid of McGrath for 5 off 20 balls. She bowled a good length delivery tossed up on the off-stump. McGrath played an uppish drive in front of cover, where Baig put in a well timed drive to grab the ball with both hands.
Georgia Wareham came out to bat next. Shamim struck again getting rid of Wareham for a duck. Shamim bowled a length delivery on the stumps. Wareham could only manage a chip back to the right of Shamim who moved across swiftly and took a one-handed catch off her own bowling. Kim Garth came out to bat next and got off the mark.
Sandhu thought she had dismissed Garth as the finger went up. But Garth used DRS to reverse the decision to NOT OUT. Sadia continued and delivered yet another maiden over. Sandhu kept things under check as at the halfway stage of the innings, Australia were tottering at 83/7 in 25 overs. Sadia bowled another maiden over. Mooney pulled Sandhu through square leg for a boundary. Mooney got to his 300th four with this hit.
Fatima Sana came back into the attack and kept things tight even though a run out chance went begging against them. Sadia bowled another decent over while Sana was giving nothing away. Australia crawled their way to 94/7 in 30 overs. Shamim continued and bowled a decent over. Diana Baig came back into the attack next. The 100 finally came up for Australia in 31.5 overs. Drinks was taken again at the score of 100/7 in 32 overs.
Shamim continued after the break and bowled a decent over. Beth Mooney reached her 20th ODI fifty and one of her most important ones at that off 63 balls. Mooney crisply drove it through the covers off Baig for a boundary. Baig finally got a lucky break as Garth was stumped off a wide ball.
Baig bowled it full and down the leg side, Garth missed the flick on the inside edge and lost her shape. Nawaz was alert to the situation and whipped the bails off in a flash. Replays showed that Garth was out of her crease. Wide was given. Alana King came out to bat next. Lots of wide balls were being sprayed down the leg side. Shamim continued and kept things under check. Shamim continued her impressive spell as well. Diana continued and bowled another tight over.
Nashra Sandhu returned to the bowling crease. She too bowled a decent over and kept the scoring under check. Sana continued and bowled another miserly over. King broke the shackles this time and went over the infield at backward point as the ball went away to the fence. Sandhu has also finished her spell. Fatima Sana continued and bowled a decent 40th over as the score read 140/8 in 40 overs.
Mooney then took the attack to Diana Baig and leaned into the drive through the covers for a boundary. Sadia came back into the attack and bowled a maiden over. Mooney then hit Baig by piercing the gap through extra cover for a boundary. Sadia kept things under check as well. Baig too bowled a quiet over as Australia reached 162/8 in 45 overs.
Sadia continued and thought she had got rid of Beth Mooney but the southpaw reviewed and got the decision overturned in her favour. Alana King took the attack to Iqbal by playing a cracker through the covers for a boundary. Mooney then took the attack to Mooney by swivelling and helping on its way to deep backward square leg for a boundary. Mooney was not in the mood to let go as she hit Baig for a boundary between gully and third man.
Fatima Sana came back into the attack. Soon, Beth Mooney reached her landmark and got past three figures and her second world cup hundred with the first coming against Australia. She got there in 110 balls, her 5th ODI ton. Six then took the attack on Baig by freeing her arms and played a powerful shot over deep midwicket for the maximum. Another ball meant that King pulled it away through square leg for a boundary. The 200 came up for Australia in 49 overs.
Sana came to bowl the final over of the innings and King took him on by smashing back-to-back sixes off the Pakistan captain. King got to her maiden half century off 48 balls. Mooney managed to get a boundary by hooking it over short midwicket to send it crashing into the ropes. The 100-run stand came up between the duo. Mooney hit another boundary by backing away and she managed to punch it into the gap at point for a boundary. Sana eventually got Mooney for 109 off 114 balls with 11 fours to her name.
Short of the wicket outside the off-stump. Mooney miscued it up in the air and straight to backward point region. Mooney fell for 109 off 114 balls as Australia finished with 221/9 in 50 overs with King remaining unbeaten on 51 off 49 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes to her name. 8 extras given by the fielding side.
Nashra Sandhu was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan with 3/37 in 10 overs. Fatima Sana chipped in with 2/49 in 10 overs. Rameen Shamim bowled 1/29 in 10 overs. Sadia Iqbal chipped in with 1/32 in 10 overs. Diana Baig was expensive as she gave away 74 runs in 10 overs and picked up a wicket as well. This meant Pakistan needed 222 to win this game and upset Australia.
All-round bowling performance helps Australia skittle Bangladesh out for 114
Chasing 22 for the win, Sadaf Shamas and Muneeba Ali came out to open the batting for Pakistan while Kim Garth had ball in hand for Australia. Garth bowled a miserly first over. Megan Schutt got the ball from the other end. Shamas got a streaky boundary past the keeper for a boundary. Garth provided the breakthrough for Australia removing Shamas for 5 off 10 balls.
Garth bowled a good length delivery outside off-stump. Shamas drove and appeared to have edged it as there was a sound as the ball as it passed the bat. Sidra Ameen came out to bat next. Ameen then took the attack to Schutt by hitting a boundary by pulling to deep square leg. Few balls later, Ameen dispatched the ball over midwicket region for a boundary. Garth continued and bowled a miserly spell. Schutt gave Australia the other wicket as she dismissed Muneeba Ali for 3 off 12 balls.
Schutt bowled a back of a length ball outside off-stump. Ali shimmied down the wicket and miscued the slap in front of mid-off where Sutherland took a diving catch and the TV umpire was called up. The catch was clean as the umpire gave it OUT in the end. Sidra Nawaz entered the fray and got off the mark by driving it through cover point for a boundary. Garth then got another one as she removed Nawaz for 5 off 5 balls with a boundary to her name.
Garth bowled a length delivery on the off-stump that nipped away a tad. Nawaz poked at it away from her body and the ball kissed the outside edge and flew towards Healy to her right. The ball dipped at her but she kept her eyes on the ball to complete a fine low catch. Natalia Pervaiz came out to bat next. She got off the mark soon. Schutt got another as Pervaiz fell for 1 off 6 balls.
Schutt bowled a length delivery outside the off-stump. Pervaiz tried to play it late but the ball bounced off her edge for a simple catch to Mooney at first slip. Eyman Fatima came to the crease next. Garth got Fatima for a bronze duck. She bowled the perfect yorker on the stumps.
Fatima played an awful slog across the line and missed it. The ball sneaked through to crash into the stumps. Fatima Sana came out to bat next. She got off the mark soon. Megan Schutt continued as Ameen broke the shackles by getting a thick edge past gully and away to the fence for a boundary. At the end of 10 overs, Pakistan were reeling at 37/5 as the powerplay came to an end.
Garth continued after the powerplay and bowled another decent over. Alana King was introduced into the attack next. Sana took the attack to her by rocking back and cutting the ball through backward point for a boundary. Sana swept a bad ball through backward square leg for a boundary. Annabel Sutherland came into the attack now. She struck straightaway as Fatima Sana went for 11 off 12 balls with 2 fours to her name.
Sutherland bowled a back of a length delivery on the off-stump. Sana cut it and got a thick inside edge to crash back onto the stumps. Sana had to depart now. Drinks was taken at this point and after which Rameen Shamim came to the crease. King continued as Ameen got a top edge over the keeper for a boundary as the 50 came up for Pakistan with this hit in 13.3 overs. Sutherland continued and bowled another quiet over. King bowled well as well and gave nothing away. Sutherland too kept the scoreboard to a trickle.
Ashleigh Gardner came into the attack soon. Gardner injured her hand but recovered soon after. She bowled a good first over. Sutherland conceded 4 leg byes to the batting side. Gardner continued and kept things tight as Pakistan reached 68/6 in 20 overs. Sutherland then gifted 4 byes to the batting side yet again. Ameen managed to get a top edge over the keeper for a boundary. Gardner broke the budding stand as Ameen gave her wicket away for 35 off 52 balls with 5 fours to her name.
Gardner bowled full and outside off-stump tossing it up. Ameen looked to clear the fielder at mid-on, and didn’t get to the pitch of it but went through with the shot. The ball went straight down the throat of Annabel Sutherland who took a fine catch at the circle. Diana Baig walked out to bat next. Georgia Wareham came into the attack next. Baig drilled her down the ground for a boundary. But Wareham hit back getting rid of Baig for 7 off 8 balls with a boundary to her name.
Wareham bowled it full and tossed up on the stumps, Baig got down on one knee and played the sweep shot but missed and got wrapped in the pads right in front of the stumps. Looked OUT. The batter reviewed in hope and saw three reds to lose the review for her side. Nashra Sandhu came out to bat next. Gardner continued and Australia wasted a review as well against Sandhu. Wareham bowled a miserly over as Pakistan reached 91/8 at the halfway stage of the chase.
Gardner continued and kept the stranglehold going for Pakistan. Wareham bowled another miserly over. Gardner bowled a maiden over. Australia burnt their second review against Shamim as they were down to 0 reviews. The 100 came up for Pakistan in 29.3 overs. Sandhu broke the shackles and got herself a welcome boundary through backward point as Pakistan reached 107/8 in 30 overs. Drinks was taken at this stage as well.
Sutherland kept things under check. Alana King returned to the bowling crease. She too kept things tight. Sutherland delivered yet another maiden over. King then finally broke the stubborn stance as she removed Sandhu for 11 off 41 balls with a boundary to her name. King bowled a good length delivery outside the off-stump, Sandhu drove and the ball kissed her edge to nestle into Healy’s gloves as King reached 50 ODI wickets. Sadia Iqbal came out to bat next. ‘
Sutherland bowled another quiet over. King too kept things under check. Sutherland finished things off by dismissing Shamim for 15 off 64 balls. Sutherland bowled a length ball around middle and off-stump, holds its line after pitching. Shamim played down the wrong line, expecting the ball to come in with the angle. She got beaten on the outside edge and the ball hit the top of the middle stump. Sadia remained unbeaten on 2 off 6 balls as Pakistan folded for 114 in 36.3 overs. 19 extras gifted by Australia.
The Australian bowlers fired in all cylinders with Kim Garth picking up 3/14 in 6 overs. Megan Schutt chipped in with 2/25 in 5 overs. Annabel Sutherland chipped in with 2/15 in 8.3 overs. Alana King chipped in with 1/19 in 6 overs. Ashleigh Gardner finished with 1/17 in 7 overs. Georgia Wareham chipped in with 1/15 in 4 overs. So, Australia win this contest by a comprehensive 107 runs and for her superlative innings under pressure, Beth Mooney was awarded the Player of the Match Award.
What Lies Ahead
Next up in the Women’s World Cup will be India in action as the Women in Blue will clash with South Africa from Visakhapatnam on 9th October, 2025 at 3 PM IST. Both teams are evenly matched and we expect a cracker of a contest. Which team will come out on top? Only time will tell.
Also Read: ICC Women’s ODI WC 2025: Beth Mooney’s Magnificent Ton Helps Australia Get To 221/9