ICC Women's World Cup: Australia humiliate Pakistan; Beth Mooney's century help Aussies top standings

Beth Mooney's spectacular 109, aided by Alana King's 51, rescued Australia from 76/7 to 221/9 against Pakistan. The bowlers then delivered a dominant performance, with Kim Garth taking three wickets, to bowl out Pakistan for 114, securing a commanding 107-run victory. This win keeps Australia unbeaten, while Pakistan faced a third consecutive loss.

Australia clawed their way back from a precarious spot to clinch a second consecutive win in the ICC Women's World Cup over Pakistan on Wednesday (Images via AP)

Beth Mooney produced a batting masterclass to rescue Australia from a perilous position and guide them to a commanding 107-run victory over Pakistan in their ICC Women’s World Cup clash in Colombo on Wednesday. Asked to bat first, the defending champions endured a shocking top-order collapse, slumping to 76 for 7 in the 22nd over as Pakistan’s spinners, led by Nashra Sandhu (3/37), took control of the game. But Mooney, showing remarkable composure under pressure, turned the innings around with a brilliant 109 off 114 balls, which was also her fifth ODI hundred and maiden World Cup ton.

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She found an unlikely ally in Alana King, who struck an unbeaten 51 off 49 balls. Together, the pair added a record 106 runs for the ninth wicket, the highest stand for that wicket or lower in women’s ODIs, lifting Australia to a fighting total of 221 for 9. Australia’s bowlers then completed the turnaround with a ruthless display. Kim Garth (3/14), Annabel Sutherland (2/15) and Megan Schutt (2/25) dismantled Pakistan’s batting lineup, bowling them out for 114 in 36.3 overs.

This was Beth Mooney's maiden ICC World Cup hundred. Her heroics helped Australia claw their way back into the game and comfortably defeat Pakistan to top the points table (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Pakistan’s chase never took shape. They were reduced to 31 for 5 inside nine overs, with Garth removing opener Sadaf Shamas (5) before Schutt joined the party. Sidra Amin (35) fought a lone battle as wickets kept tumbling around her, and once she departed in the 22nd over, Pakistan’s resistance ended. Earlier, Australia’s innings had looked set for collapse after poor shot selection and sharp Pakistani fielding left them in trouble at 60 for 5. Alyssa Healy, Phoebe Litchfield, and Ellyse Perry all fell cheaply as Sandhu and Rameen Shamim (2/29) exploited the turning pitch. However, Mooney held firm amid the chaos, anchoring the innings with precision strokeplay and immaculate shot selection. Her partnership with King not only saved Australia from embarrassment but also set up a total that proved well beyond Pakistan’s reach.

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The win keeps Australia unbeaten in the tournament after their opening victory over New Zealand, with their match against Sri Lanka earlier being washed out. For Pakistan, it marked a third straight defeat, following losses to India and Bangladesh. They remain rooted to the bottom of the table.

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