Beth Mooney’s elevation to Australian one-day opener has paid dividends, with the 29-year-old smacking her third ODI century at North Sydney Oval on Saturday afternoon.
The left-hander reached triple figures in just 91 deliveries during the dead rubber against Pakistan, helping the hosts register 9-336 from their 50 overs, Australia’s fourth-highest ODI score in history.
Mooney plundered 14 boundaries and four sixes before she was stumped in the 36th over for 133 (105), her highest score in ODI cricket. It was also the highest individual score in women’s ODIs at North Sydney Oval.
MATCH CENTRE: Australia vs Pakistan third ODI scorecard
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AUSTRALIA’S HIGHEST TOTALS IN WOMEN’S ODIS
412/3 vs DEN, Dec 1997 in Mumbai
397/4 vs PAK, Feb 1997 in Melbourne
356/5 vs ENG, Mar 2022 in Christchurch
336/9 vs PAK, Jan 2023 in Sydney
332/7 vs IND, Mar 2018 in Vadodara
Mooney has spent most of her ODI career in the middle order, but the retirement of former Australian captain Rachael Haynes created a vacancy at the top. Having already flourished as a T20 opener, Mooney’s elevation came as no surprise.
Pakistan seamers Diana Baig and Fatima Sana bowled a near-faultless opening spell on Saturday, with the latter dismissing teenage prodigy Phoebe Litchfield for 9 with an absolute peach that pitched on off stump and held its line, crashing into the pegs.
Mooney was initially patient in the middle, scratching her way towards 10 off 30 balls before accelerating after the Powerplay.
She combined with captain Meg Lanning for a 160-run partnership for the second wicket; they were powerful on the back foot and safe as bricks on the front foot, taking advantage of the picturesque venue’s short square boundaries.
Lanning, who recently returned from a six-month hiatus to focus on her mental health, brought up her half-century with a thumping six over the long-on boundary, hitting Pakistan leg-spinner Tuba Hassan onto the roof of the Millie Dive Stand.
The adjacent Duncan Thompson Stand had been rebranded as the ‘Meg Lanning Stand’, with a group of ecstatic fans plastering a yellow cardboard sign onto the structure.
“We’re just so happy she’s back,” one of them beamed.
Lanning’s knock ended on 72 (70) when she tried to cut a Baig delivery close to her body, only managing to feather a catch through to the wicketkeeper. The Australian skipper returned to the dugout, whipped off her pads and immediately started signing autographs for the young fans in attendance.
Mooney continued on her merry way, reaching her century in the 33rd over with a pull shot towards fine leg. Her celebration was subdued, sheepishly taking off her helmet and acknowledging the crowd.
The World Cup champion then switched to T20 mode, slapping three consecutive sixes off Hassan over the mid-wicket boundary to start the 35th over, but her masterclass ended a few minutes later, with veteran all-rounder Nida Dar creating the much-needed breakthrough for Pakistan.
HIGHEST BATTING AVERAGE IN WOMEN‘S ODIS
53.51 – Meg Lanning (AUS)
52.45 – Beth Mooney (AUS)
50.68 – Mithali Raj (IND)
50.47 – Ellyse Perry (AUS)
48.14 – Karen Rolton (AUS)
* Minimum 50 innings
Tahlia McGrath (30 off 30 balls) and Annabel Sutherland (26 off 13 balls) provided some late fireworks at the death, with Australia smacking 84 runs from the last 10 overs.
Sutherland’s dismissal sparked a frantic collapse of 3-1 from five deliveries, with Alana King clean bowled by Sana (3-53 from 10 overs) for a golden duck, but despite the late drama, Australia finished with its second-highest ODI score on home soil.
Pakistan will chase a 337-run target at North Sydney Oval for an unlikely victory.
