Australia were in real strife against Pakistan in Colombo yesterday, but there was one person who rescued them yesterday and she is Miss Dependable Beth Mooney. Beth Mooney showed her class and looked to be batting on a different wicket as she held the innings together and timed her acceleration to perfection to take Australia from a below par score to a par score. Australia were going nowhere without her, but she stood up when it really mattered for her side.
Beth Mooney bats at a very important position at Number 4 and she may have missed out on the first game against New Zealand but there was no missing out today as she showed all her experience into play in constructing this innings. She curbed her natural instincts and played a knock for the ages to get her side to a competitive total. Yes, she got support from the lower order batters who showed great attitude and determination and fighting spirit that Australia are known for and got the victory in the end.
Beth Mooney’s 5th ODI ton rescues Australia from a precarious position
Beth Mooney walked out to bat when Australia were 30/2 in 7.3 overs as both the Aussie openers were dismissed early in the piece. She joined Ellyse Perry at the crease with both batters on 0* as Australia had to rebuild the innings. No sooner, had Beth Mooney settled at the crease, she started to lose her partners. Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, and Georgia Wareham were dismissed in quick succession to leave Australia at 76/7 in 21 .2 overs and in some trouble.
Kim Garth came in and showed resistance as Mooney was pushed to a corner. It was one battling against all. Beth Mooney weathered the storm and navigated the situation really well. Kim Garth gave her support for a while and took the score from 76 to 115 when she fell. But then the clincher came from the partnership between Beth Mooney and Alana King. Both the batters took their time in and accelerated at the right time towards the end.
Mooney showed her class and paced the innings beautifully while getting good support from Alana King. They slowly built their innings and took the score to 140/8 in 40 overs before they timed their acceleration at the end especially the last 4-5 overs. Mooney was playing exquisite shots and got to her 5th ODI ton while King played some audacious shots and scored her maiden unbeaten fifty at better than run a ball. Mooney eventually fell for 109 off 114 balls at the last ball of the innings as Australia got 21 runs off the final over to get to 221/9 in 50 overs which was too much for Pakistan as they lost badly.
This innings showed the class and brilliance of Beth Mooney and why she is the most dependable and trustworthy player of the Australian team. Someone always steps up for the Women’s team and in Colombo last night it was Mooney’s turn to shine under the lights.
Beth Mooney’s Performance Over the Years and against Pakistan
Beth Mooney has been in sizzling hot form in the recent past and she is like we mentioned Miss Dependable for Australia. Her 109 off 114 balls showcased her talent and champions’ mentality under extreme pressure for the side. She has been in red hot form as can be seen from the performances in the recent past. She may have missed out against New Zealand but before that she had an unbeaten 59 off 42 balls against England in a warm-up game.
Who can forget her match-winning 138 off 75 balls against India in Delhi in the series decider where she showed her class and helped Australia get past 400 runs. She also scored an unbeaten 77 off 74 balls in Mullanpur in the first ODI that Australia won against India. It shows that whenever Mooney has done well, Australia have gone on to do well. It is when she fails, is where the problem arises and Australia tends to struggle at times without her meaningful contribution.
Beth Mooney has done well against Pakistan as well as she in a recent bilateral series in 2023 in Australia scored fifties for fun and scored a ton as well. This Colombo ton was her second against Pakistan. It goes onto show that Pakistan brings out the best in Mooney as the left-hander keeps her best against the Women in Green. She has had a stellar career so far and an experienced campaigner in this particular side. Australia will be hoping she continues her red hot form and if she does so, Australia will be a hard team to stop in this tournament. They may not have been at their best yet, but the Aussies showing glimpses of why they are a quality and champion side at that.
What Lies Ahead
The bandwagon has moved from Colombo to Visakhapatnam for today’s World Cup clash as hosts Women in Blue India are set to lock horns with South Africa at 3 PM IST on October 9th. There is forecast of rain during game time and one hopes that stays away and we get a full game in. But the forecast ain’t encouraging.
We shall see how the game goes and whether the Women in Blue can keep their unbeaten run going or will South Africa hit back and give a good reality check to the Women in Blue. Find out later tonight.
Also Read: ICC Women’s ODI WC 2025: Australia Thumps Pakistan To Go Top Of Table