by Contrary to popular perception, even T20 cricket doesn’t have to be all about boundaries. The final of the Australian innings showed this, in a masterclass organized by Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath. It was even more impressive because Mooney was there for the entire inning. It was, surprisingly, the ninth time she had batted all 20 overs for Australia, almost one in five of her 51 opening innings when she batted first.
It’s an absurd record in such a volatile format, in a position that requires risk-taking from the start. Mooney was never out in the 20th when he batted first, and only twice in the 19th. Add to that the 14 times she opened and didn’t stay out at the end of a chase, some of them deep in an inning. Mooney is famous for overheating on hot days to the point of needing an ice collar, but she clearly has ice in her veins.
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In Adelaide, she allowed Australia to take off as they should with most of the defensive players inside the circle. Three consecutive boundaries from Freya Kemp in the second over, lacing a square drive, then straight, then through the leg side. After Georgia Voll added a few more in the third, the score was 28.
From there, she worked the field, running like flames, always looking for two and sometimes a third, and on a field where timing wasn’t always easy, picked the right balls to hit four. So it came down to the last one, with England’s best bowler, Sophie Ecclestone, dispatching her. Once, twice, three times, Mooney found the gap and stepped back for a second, diving the bat and turning to perfection, without any hesitation, twice reviewed for an out, once on a dive complete, each time succeeding. . McGrath looked cool as a cucumber, Mooney red as a tomato, but even under physical duress she managed to come away undefeated on 94.
It was fitting that another piece of composure from Mooney, this time on the field, highlighted England’s drastic collapse and the ignominy of a six-game losing streak during of this tour. Sticking to leg-spinner Alana King, Mooney took an excellent catch on the leg side and was confident that Alice Capsey had scored a sweep. Pressed on examination, there it was, the tiniest bottom edge of the slanted bat, too small for the umpire to detect.
It was the second wicket, triggering the collapse that reduced England to 39 for five, then 48 for seven, then 90 all out. Heather Knight was the only resistance, the captain was unable to rally her team but did her best to last for 40. It is mystifying how England, with the resources and support at their disposal, was so uncompetitive against a team that is better than them, but shouldn’t be that much better than them.
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England panicked and flailed, with efforts on the infield and missed sweeps at the stumps. Georgia Wareham sent a ball into the pads of Amy Jones and would have had Kemp the same way two balls later but for split-throwing outside leg stump. Voll made a spectacular dive at back point, after Ecclestone looked like he had flicked a Megan Schutt ball over the top.
Ellyse Perry lined up as briskly as she would have 20 years ago, a one-handed tumbling pickup with a forward roll and a fizzing throw for Mooney to once again show off quick hands and exhausts Linsey Smith. Mooney ended the night with the kill of Knight, sealing the victory by 72 points.
For Australia, six matches, six victories. For England, flat as a nail, next week’s Test will be their last chance to avoid a whitewash. For at least five years, still under-celebrated among the champions, Mooney has clearly been Australia’s most consistent player. Once again, even with a red face, she showed her ability to keep a cool head. This is exactly what England have proven incapable of doing.
