At one stage, Australia looked down and out at 76 for 7. But Beth Mooney waged a lone war, scoring her maiden World Cup century.
She didn’t just rescue Australia from embarrassment; she turned the game on its head, paving the way for a crushing 107-run victory over Pakistan in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 at the R Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday.
With this win, Australia climbed to the top of the Women’s World Cup standings, while Pakistan remained rooted at the bottom after their third straight loss.
Australia’s Early Collapse and Mooney’s Rescue Act
It all started shakily for Australia. The openers Alyssa Healy and Phoebe Litchfield added 30 for the first wicket before the collapse began. Healy fell for 20, and Litchfield followed soon after.
Wickets kept tumbling as Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, and Georgia Wareham all departed cheaply, leaving Australia reeling at 75 for 6.
At that moment, Pakistan sensed a golden opportunity to script an upset. But Beth Mooney had other ideas.
Partnering first with Kim Garth and then Alana King, Mooney anchored the innings beautifully. Her partnership of 106 runs for the ninth wicket with King completely deflated Pakistan’s momentum.
Mooney’s 109 off 114 balls, laced with 11 boundaries, was a masterclass in temperament and timing.
King, too, played her part superbly, smashing a brisk 51 off 49 balls with three fours and as many sixes. Together, they carried Australia from despair to dominance, taking the score to a defendable 221 for 9.
Pakistan Let the Advantage Slip Away
If Pakistan’s bowlers had a script, they lost it midway. After reducing Australia to 76 for 7, they simply couldn’t capitalise.
Nashra Sandhu was excellent with the ball, finishing with 3 for 37, while Rameen Shamim and Fatima Sana chipped in with two wickets each. But as the partnership grew, so did Pakistan’s frustration.
For a side desperate for their first win, the missed chance to bowl out Australia cheaply will sting for a long time.
A Familiar Story with the Bat
Chasing 222, Pakistan’s batting lineup once again fell apart. Only Sidra Amin showed any fight, scoring a gritty 35 off 52 balls, but she found little support.
Rameen Shamim (15), Fatima Sana, and Nashra Sandhu (11 each) were the only others to reach double figures.
The rest simply had no answer to Australia’s disciplined bowling attack. Kim Garth led the charge with 3 for 14 in six overs, while Megan Schutt and Annabel Sutherland bagged two apiece.
Gardner, King, and Wareham picked up a wicket each as Pakistan were bundled out for just 114 in 36.3 overs.
Seventeenth Meeting, Seventeenth Defeat
This was the 17th ODI clash between Pakistan and Australia’s women, and the record remains brutally one-sided. Australia have now won all seventeen.
The defeat also underlined Pakistan’s ongoing struggle to close out moments that could turn matches. They had Australia by the throat early on but couldn’t finish the job, a pattern that has haunted them throughout the tournament.
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