Last Updated on 11 seconds ago by Charbel Coorey
Cometh a final, cometh Beth Mooney. Australia’s superstar left-hander delivered again when it mattered most, hitting 64 off 49 balls against England to lead her team to a seventh Women’s T20 World Cup title.
Mooney, as she often does, timed her run of form to perfection. After a quiet group stage (113 runs with 74 coming against debutants Netherlands), the keeper-batter burst into life in the knockouts.
Australia’s great opener smashed 61* off 36 balls as Australia demolished West Indies in the semi-final. Five days later, she, along with Phoebe Litchfield, ensured there were no hiccups after Georgia Voll was dismissed in the second over.
Why does Beth Mooney deliver so often in tournament finals?
Mooney’s 64 against England is her third-straight half-century in T20 World Cup Finals. She struck 78* off 54 balls against India in the record-breaking final of 2020 and 74* off 53 balls against South Africa in 2023.
If that wasn’t enough, Mooney also hit 61 in the 2022 Commonwealth Games Final against India.
But why does Mooney perform so well when it counts? According to the superstar, it’s her mindset that counts.
“I just hate losing, to be honest,” Mooney said, as quoted by cricinfo.
“I know what it feels like at times. I see a bit of red out there when the game’s on the line as well. It’s really important to go out there and make sure you do your job and do it when it counts.”
Australia captain Sophie Molineux said Mooney has “nerves of steel” and “one of the smartest cricketers she has played with.” In response, the left-hander says keeping things as simple as possible is key.
“It’s a great compliment from Soph, but I think I’m a little bit of a fraud,” Mooney said. “I might be much better if I started looking at the analyst packs and worked out where the bowlers were bowling at me. I just enjoy the contest, enjoy getting better and evolving my game and enjoy contributing to team success, whatever team that is.”
Mooney’s brilliance can be summed up by Broken Cricket Dreams’s Nitesh Mathur. It is quite remarkable that after just 113 runs in the first five matches, the keeper-batter went on to win player of the tournament.
“Player for the big moments. She usually goes under the radar with the other stars in the team, but is the consistent engine upon which Australia’s excellence is built,” wrote Mathur on X (formerly Twitter).
And how true. With the 32-year-old still performing brilliantly on the grand stage, she may lead this great Australian team to quite a few more titles yet.
