In a match that swung wildly from crisis to triumph, Beth Mooney’s masterful unbeaten 109 propelled 
Australia to a commanding 107-run victory over 
Pakistan in the ninth match of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 at the R. Premadasa Stadium.
What began as a potential upset with Australia slumping to 76/7 quickly transformed into a testament to the defending champions’ resilience,
As Mooney and tail-ender Alana King forged a record-breaking 106-run ninth-wicket partnership to post 221/9.
Pakistan’s chase crumbled under Australia’s disciplined bowling, folding for 114 in 36.3 overs, handing them a third straight defeat and leaving their semi-final hopes in tatters.
The win catapults Australia to the top of the points table with two victories and a washout for five points, while Pakistan languish at the bottom with zero points from three outings.
Mooney, named Player of the Match, continued her red-hot 2025 form—averaging 63.42 across formats—with an innings of poise and power on a slow, turning track that tested every batter’s patience.
Women’s World Cup: Australia’s Batting Rollercoaster
Opting to bowl first under cloudy skies, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana’s decision paid early dividends as her spinners exploited the dry Colombo pitch.
Nashra Sandhu, the left-arm orthodox maestro, led the charge with 3/37, dismissing key threats Ellyse Perry (18) with her subtle variations.
Australia, rusty after a week’s rain-enforced break following their washout against Sri Lanka, lost momentum rapidly.
Opener Phoebe Litchfield (10) fell to a sharp catch by Sana off her own bowling, and middle-order anchors Annabel Sutherland (1) and Ashleigh Gardner (1) perished to spin, leaving the scoreboard reading a precarious 76/7 in the 23rd over.
Enter Mooney, dropped on 12 but otherwise unerring, who rebuilt with gritty determination.
The 30-year-old right-hander, batting at No. 4, anchored the innings with precise footwork against the turning ball, picking singles and rotating strike masterfully.
Her partnership with King—a No. 10 with a highest score of 1 in ODIs prior to this—will be etched in history as the highest ninth-wicket stand in women’s ODIs (106 runs).
King, promoted for her off-spin utility, rose to the occasion with a fearless 51* off 49 balls, including three boundaries and three sixes smashing records for the highest score by a batter at No. 10 or lower.
The duo’s defiance turned the tide: Australia accelerated in the death overs, plundering 81 runs in the last 10, with 53 coming off the final four.
Diana Baig bore the brunt, leaking 74 runs in her 10 overs, as Mooney reached her century off 114 deliveries (11 fours) with a classy cover drive.
“It was about staying in and building partnerships. Alana was brilliant— she gave me the license to free my arms,” Mooney reflected post-match.
Pakistan’s Chase: A Tale of Promise and Peril
Needing 222 on a wearing pitch, Pakistan’s openers Sadaf Shamas (5) and Muneeba Ali (2) started cautiously but succumbed to Kim Garth’s new-ball swing—Garth finishing with 3/14 in a spellbinding return to the XI.
The middle order offered flickers of resistance: Sidra Amin top-scored with a patient 35, but Australia’s seamers struck relentlessly.
Annabel Sutherland (2/15) and Megan Schutt (2/25), recalled after being benched, dismantled the batting with probing lines, while Gardner’s off-spin (1/17) added turn and guile.
Captain Sana (11) and lower-order hopes like Rameen Shamim (15) couldn’t build, as Pakistan lost their wickets in the constant interval.
The collapse, highlighted familiar frailties: poor shot selection on a turner and inability to rotate against a world-class attack.
Garth’s early breakthroughs set the tone, with Sutherland’s middle-stump yorker to Rameen Shamim sealing the rout in the 37th over.
Post-Match Reflections: Resilience and Regret
Australia captain Alyssa Healy praised her team’s depth: “We were in a hole at 76/7, but Beth and Alana showed why we’re champions.
The bowlers were clinical— that’s how we defend totals.” Sana, gutted by the loss, admitted, “We dominated for 20 overs, but our energy dipped after Mooney settled.
Credit to her; we need to learn from this.” The defeat extends Pakistan’s winless streak against Australia across formats—never have they tasted victory in 16 ODIs
Complicating their path forward against tougher foes like England and South Africa.
Women’s World Cup Implications: Australia Cruise, Pakistan Stutter
This result reinforces Australia’s stranglehold: unbeaten in 27 of 32 ODIs since the last World Cup, they now eye a semi-final spot.
Pakistan, with losses to Bangladesh and India preceding this, face an uphill battle for survival in the eight-team league.
As the World Cup progresses in Colombo’s spin-friendly confines, today’s thriller reminds us: in women’s cricket, heroes emerge from the unlikeliest depths.
Mooney’s knock wasn’t just a century—it was a statement of unbreakable spirit.
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