Mooney hitting sweet spot with World Cup around the corner

The format was different, but early signs suggest Beth Mooney could be in for a big T20 World Cup if her career-best knock at North Sydney Oval on Saturday was anything to go by.

Mooney’s 133 off 103 balls featured four sixes – doubling her career tally of maximums in the format – including two enormous blows off leg-spinner Tuba Hassan that struck the roof of the O’Reilly stand.

The left-hander moved to the top of Australia’s one-day order for the three-game series against Pakistan, replacing the retired Rachael Haynes, and seized her chance, named player of the series after knocks of 1, 57no and 133.

Mooney was player of the tournament in Australia's 2020 T20 World Cup triumph and will again be crucial at the top of the order at next month’s tournament in South Africa.

"Any opportunity we get to be out in the middle is crucial coming into that T20 World Cup in South Africa," Mooney said after Australia sealed a 101-run win.

"It's going to be one of the most tightly contested World Cups going around.

"To be able to get a bit of form ... and spend a bit of time out in the middle this series has been nice.

"I think I had all things going my way (hitting sixes onto the roof) with the wind, and a leg-spinner coming into my arc and tossing them up ... doesn't always happen like that for me, I'm not known to be hitting them like but that I’ll certainly take them on a ground like North Sydney."

Opener Alyssa Healy’s calf injury meant Australia fielded a completely new-look opening pair in the one-dayers, with Mooney joined by rookie Phoebe Litchfield.

Mooney had long appeared the heir apparent to Haynes at the top of the one-day order, but Litchfield’s twin unbeaten half-centuries will create other options when Australia play their next ODI series, against England during the multi-format Ashes in June and July.

"I've told T-Mac (Tahlia McGrath) not to get too comfortable there in my number five spot, I think I might enjoy going back to that in England when the ball's nipping around a bit more," Mooney laughed.

"But you always want to challenge yourself and certainly opening the batting is probably the toughest spot in one-day cricket and Test cricket because the ball is at its hardest and swinging around a bit.

"I guess there's a few questions to be answered across the next couple of years with that.

"The great thing is I've got an awesome relationship with Shell (Nitschke) to be able to work through that and she’s someone I trust implicitly to be able to help me make those decisions and work with what's best for the team.

"We're really lucky in Australian cricket, we've got batters knocking on the door left, right and centre so I'll play whatever role the team needs me to.

"Phoebe's a great young kid, she’s got a huge amount of talent and certainly a great head on her shoulders as well.

"She's just slotted in beautifully, like she's been here for years."

Australia now switch to T20 mode and will play three matches against Pakistan in Sydney, Hobart and Canberra before they fly to South Africa at the end of the month.

Healy will miss those three matches as she continues her recovery, with Mooney tipping skipper Meg Lanning to join her at the top of the order.

"I'd assume Meg but that would be an assumption," Mooney said. "Obviously Midge will slot back in when she's fit and firing … it's been a bit weird without her, to be honest, she's been part of the fabric of the Australian women's group for a long time and part of the furniture.

"I hope she's going well and her calf is recovering very well, because she's an important cog in this machine for sure.""

CommBank ODI Series

Monday Jan 16:Australia won by eight wickets (DLS method)

Wednesday Jan 18:Australia won by 10 wickets

Saturday Jan 21:Australia won by 101 runs

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Australia ODI squad: Meg Lanning (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland

Pakistan ODI squad: Bismah Maroof (c), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali, Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz, Tuba Hassan