Angsty Mooney mulled retiring early in match-winning knock

Beth Mooney was sufficiently frustrated at the midway point of her match-winning innings during Australia’s T20 World Cup final triumph that she sent a message back to the dressing room asking coach Shelley Nitschke to retire her.

Of course, drinks carrier Kim Garth kept that request to herself and it never made its way to Australia’s head coach.

Mooney was on 25 from as many deliveries at the time and feeling frustrated with her team 1-73, concerned they were off the pace when it came to setting South Africa an unreachable target on a tiring Newlands pitch.

Image Id: 212860AD869F48B28E1CFA1964C3FF4B Image Caption: Mooney with Alyssa Healy prior to the first ball // cricket.com.au

Fortunately she persisted, finishing unbeaten on 74 from 53 deliveries, with her massive final-over six off Shabnim Ismail helping to push her side to 6-156, a total that proved 19 runs too many for the Proteas.

"I actually asked one of the girls who ran out if she could ask Shell if she wanted to retire me because I was hitting it that bad," Mooney said.

"But it just goes to show if you hang in there long enough and get the pace of the wicket … I probably didn't have a great plan through the middle there, I was stepping across and trying to hit it too square, but once I stayed a bit stiller and hit it a bit straighter it wasn't too bad."

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Mooney’s match-winning knock continued what has quickly become a tradition of big innings in big matches for the left-hander.

She hit an unbeaten 78 in the last T20 World Cup final in 2020, and 62 in the final of the one-day version in New Zealand last April.

Several months later, it was a critical innings of 61 as Australia won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

And no Brisbane Heat fans will forget her back-to-back player-of-the-match performances in their twin WBBL titles in 2018-19 and 2019-20.

"There is just this steely determination," coach Shelley Nitschke said of Mooney.

"She's obviously highly skilled but there's just this real determination and an ability to read the game and today she, by her own admission, probably struggled a little bit early.

"But it was really important for us in the context of the game that she stayed there and went on to make a big score and she was striking really well at the end.

"I'm not sure if you can teach that but it's an amazing ability that she's got to be able to just hang in when the going is tough in tough conditions, and make it up and make winning contributions."

Image Id: 93394B6D219E421F9FD3D4B46E619A78 Image Caption: Mooney flicks during her match-winning innings // Getty

Mooney ended the World Cup with 206 runs from six innings including three half-centuries, to sit third on the overall runs tally behind Laura Wolvaardt (230) and Natalie Sciver (216).

The 29-year-old had started the tournament on an uncharacteristically quiet note with knocks of 0 and two, but by the end of the tournament was displaying the sort of form that has seen her evolve into one of the most consistent and dominant T20 batters in world cricket.

"I think I've gotten to a bit of a sweet spot with how I prepare and how comfortable I am with my game," Mooney said.

Image Id: E8C99723E08744ABA4D8816F3FCAC7DA Image Caption: Mooney is congratulated by Alana King // cricket.com.au

"I’ve got great support around me with the coaching staff and people I work with back home too.

"I think I just strive off being able to grit and fight and go through those tough innings that don't feel as good, but perhaps get teams over the line.

"Hopefully I've still got a few years left in me and can score a few more runs but at the moment I'm loving it."

ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Alyssa Healy (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

Australia's T20 World Cup 2023 fixtures

Feb 11: beat New Zealand by 97 runs

Feb 14: beat Bangladesh by eight wickets

Feb 16: beat Sri Lanka by 10 wickets

Feb 18: beat South Africa by six wickets

Semi-finals

Feb 23: Australia beat India by five runs

Feb 24: South Africa beat England by six runs

Final

Feb 26: Australia beat South Africa by 19 runs