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

No. 10 batter Alana King upped the scoring rate in the death overs with an unbeaten 51 off 49 balls as she raised the highest-ever ninth-wicket stand in women’s ODIs by putting on 106 runs with Mooney as Australia eventually finished at a challenging 221-9.

The fast bowling pair of Kim Garth (3-14) and Megan Schutt (2-25) snapped five wickets inside the power play before Pakistan got bowled out for 114 — its third straight loss.

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

Pakistan 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 before bowling out Pakistan in 36.3 overs. Amin was the only Pakistan batter among top six to reach double figures.

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

Left-arm spinner Iqbal found the turn from the word go once Sana introduced the spinners as early as in the fifth over. Captain Alyssa Healy (20) struck three boundaries but flicked Iqbal straight to midwicket in spinner’s second over and Sana followed it up by taking a well judged catch of Phoebe Litchfield’s (10) expansive shot of her own bowling.

Sandhu struck with her fifth delivery when she deceived premier batter Ellyse Perry (5) and got her stumped and then the spinner slipped one past between the bat and pad of Annabel Sutherland to hit the stumps as Australia slipped 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 centurion against New Zealand Ashleigh Gardner chipped an easy catch to midwicket and 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 and raised a masterful century stand.

Mooney, who hit 11 fours, and King rotated strike frequently and waited patiently to see off the threat of Pakistan spinners before cutting lose against the pace of Sana and Baig in the death overs as the final four overs of pace fetched Australia 53 runs.

Mooney successfully overturned lbw decision against her off Iqbal when she was on 85 before completing his well composed century off 110 balls with a single of Sana. King completed his half century with two successive sixes against Sana’s 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 in a rare mis-hit by the left-hander.

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

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