Australia might look back on their hard-fought win over Pakistan in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup with plenty of satisfaction. The defending champions were made to earn every run, relying on Beth Mooney’s composed 109 to steer them to 220, a total that eventually resulted in a 107-run victory, thanks to another Pakistan collapse at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.

It was a performance built on grit rather than dominance, as Mooney held the innings together through testing periods, receiving crucial support from the lower order and tactical guidance from the dressing room.

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“I’m mentally a bit fried now, having spent so much time in my head for the majority of that batting innings,” Mooney admitted after the match.

“We know that teams like Pakis

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