Australia’s title defence at the ICC Women’s World Cup briefly looked in danger when they slumped to 76 for 7 against Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Wednesday. The Pakistani spinners were on fire, and a major upset seemed on the cards.
But Beth Mooney’s masterful century turned the tide, guiding the World Champions to a fighting total before their bowlers sealed a 107-run victory to extend Australia’s unbeaten run to 17 matches.
“One Of The Best Innings I’ve Seen Moons Play” — Healy
Skipper Alyssa Healy was full of praise for Mooney’s composure under pressure. “Two points. We move on. Look, I think that is one of the best innings I’ve seen Moons play in my career so far,” Healy said.
At one stage, we were looking to get to 150–160 and try and defend it, so to get over 200 was a huge effort.
Australia’s total of 221 for 9 looked improbable when Nashra Sandhu (3–37), Rameen Shamim (2–29) and Sadia Iqbal (1–32) had the top order in disarray.
Mooney And King Rewrite The Record Books
Mooney’s sublime 109 off 114 balls was one of the great rescue acts in Women’s World Cup history. She found a determined partner in Alana King, whose unbeaten 51 off 49 balls powered Australia’s recovery.
The pair added 106 runs for the ninth wicket, setting a new record for the highest ninth-wicket stand in Women’s ODIs. King’s innings was also the highest score by a No. 10 batter in the format.
We didn’t adapt and kept getting out similarly. It changed drastically from the last game. We’ll learn from that. We play India next, so we have to switch back on.
Australian Bowlers Seal The Deal
Pakistan’s chase never took off as Kim Garth (3–14) and Megan Schutt (2–25) ripped through the top order, reducing them to 42 for 6 in the Powerplay. Only Sidra Ameen (35) showed any resistance before the innings folded for 114 in 36.3 overs.
It’s a credit to our depth — how everyone can contribute. There are so many positives to take. We won’t dwell on the errors we made tonight.
Among the other wicket-takers were Annabel Sutherland (2–15), Ashleigh Gardner (1–17), Georgia Wareham (1–15), and Alana King (1–19).
“Our Energy Went Down” — Fatima Sana
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana rued her team’s inability to maintain pressure. “We were on top in the first 20 overs; after that, Mooney played well, and our energy went down. If you’re on top, you need to remain there till the last ball,” she said.
The defeat was Pakistan’s third in a row, leaving them on the brink of elimination.
Brief Scores: Australia 221/9 in 50 overs (Beth Mooney 109, Alana King 51; Nashra Sandhu 3–37, Rameen Shamim 2–29) Pakistan 114 all out in 36.3 overs (Sidra Ameen 35; Kim Garth 3–14, Annabel Sutherland 2–15) Result: Australia won by 107 runs.
