Mooney's memorable 109 earns Australia a big victory over Pakistan at Women’s Cricket World Cup

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Beth Mooney hit one of the most memorable centuries ever in women’s one-day cricket as defending champion Australia overcame a top-order collapse and thumped Pakistan by 107 runs at the Women’s Cricket World Cup on Wednesday.

Mooney made a masterful 109 off 114 balls to raise her first World Cup hundred after Australia had wobbled to 76-7 against Pakistan’s spin trio of Nashra Sandhu, Rameen Shamim and Sadiq Iqbal.

Tailender Alana King upped the scoring rate late with an unbeaten 51 off 49 balls as she combined with Mooney in a 106-run stand, the highest-ever ninth-wicket partnership in women’s ODIs. Australia eventually finished at a challenging 221-9.

The pace bowling pair of Kim Garth (3-14) and Megan Schutt (2-25) snapped five wickets inside the power play and Pakistan was eventually dismissed for 114 — its third straight loss.

“I was thinking over 200 (team total), we’ve got to win this game,” Mooney said when asked about her approach to the innings. “I’m not here for the hundred, I’m here for the win.”

Australia, which beat New Zealand before its game against Sri Lanka was washed out last Saturday in Colombo, leads the standings with five points.

Pakistan’s batting woes continued as its top-order struggled against pace and spin. Sidra Amin, who scored half century against archrival India, top-scored with 35 off 52 balls but Australia kept striking through. Amin was the only top-order Pakistan batter to reach double figures.

Australia’s shaky start

The Australian top-order capitulated against three Pakistan spinners, who picked up 6-98 off their combined 30 overs, after skipper Fatima Sana won the toss and elected to field.

Left-armer Iqbal found the turn from the word go once Sana introduced the spinners in the fifth over. Australia captain Alyssa Healy (20) struck three boundaries but flicked Iqbal straight to midwicket in Sana’s second over. Sana followed it up by taking a well judged return catch to dismiss Phoebe Litchfield.

Sandhu deceived premier batter Ellyse Perry (5) and had her stumped, and then slipped a delivery between the bat and pad of Annabel Sutherland to hit the stumps as Australia slid to 59-4 in the 15th over.

Off-spinner Shamim, who didn’t concede a boundary in her 10 overs, continued to squeeze Australia when Ashleigh Gardner chipped an easy catch to midwicket. Diana Baig took a smart diving catch of Tahila McGrath to leave Australia in all sorts of trouble at 75-6.

Australia was 115-8 in the 34th over and was in danger of getting bowled out for its lowest ODI total against Pakistan, but Mooney and King stood tall.

Mooney, who hit 11 fours, and King rotated strike frequently and waited patiently to see off the threat of Pakistan spinners before cutting loose against the pace bowlers.

Mooney successfully overturned an lbw decision against her off Iqbal when she was on 85 before completing her well composed century off 110 balls. King completed her half century with two successive sixes against Sana in the last over, which went for 21 runs.

Mooney finally got out of Sana’s final ball of Australia’s innings when she was caught in the covers.

Next up

India, which won both its games against Asian rivals Pakistan and Sri Lanka, takes on South Africa at Visakhapatnam on Thursday.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket