From couch to champion: Mooney revisits classic knock

Australia opener Beth Mooney has revealed the full extent of the two-week illness that confined her to the couch in the lead-up to her now classic match-winning knock for the Brisbane Heat in the final of WBBL04.

Mooney, who last summer switched allegiances to the Perth Scorchers, was the key cog in the Heat's back-to-back titles across consecutive tournaments, and the dashing left-hander spoke at length about her turbulent lead-in to that first final, which is captured in dramatic detail in the new cricket.com.au documentary, The Heat Repeat.

"We had a day off maybe 10 or 12 days prior to the final, a couple of days before the semi-final, and I was down at the beach with a couple of mates and I remember waking up on the Thursday, the day off, and I was thinking, 'Oh God' – I had a sore throat, started getting really congested in the nose.

"Then we played the semi-final against the Thunder on the Sunday, and the (day before) … I went to training and then just didn't move off the couch in the afternoon.

"I was probably still feeling the effects of that … during the week leading into the final, I was struggling to even do my conditioning and running."

Speaking on The Heat Repeat, Australia allrounder Jess Jonassen said the team had been aware of Mooney's illness, which had its origins during the opener's match-winning century against Sydney Thunder in Cairns a full fortnight before the final against the Sydney Sixers.

"We knew she was battling illness that whole week leading into (the final)," said Jonassen. "She started feeling a bit off in the game in Cairns, and our physio thought she may have got a little bit of heat stroke; even though it was a night game, it was extremely hot and humid, so she'd lost a lot of body fluid during that game.

"'Moons' is someone who feels the heat and is impacted by it quite significantly. So she was probably playing catch up from that perspective right back from that Thunder game, even right through the semi and into that final as well."

Mooney knew she was going to have her work cut out for her to make a telling contribution from the moment she began warming up on that Australia Day in 2019.

"I was catching a few balls with my 'keeping coach, Peter Drinnen," she said. "It wouldn't have been more than 8:30 in the morning and I just remember thinking, Holy hell, this is pretty hot.

"It was oppressive and suffocating I found, because I had gloves on, and long pants, I was feeling like, Jeez, it's going to be a tough day.

"So I went and sat in the air con for a bit … and then when I found out we were fielding first I was like, OK, that's not so bad, I can manage myself 'keeping, they'll run out different towels and drinks.

"I remember feeling sick the whole way through the fielding innings, and then the changeover between fielding and batting is not that long.

"I literally just wanted to sit down for half an hour and obviously we don't have that much time. I had to take all my 'keeping gear off, swap shirts, put my batting gear on, and walked out pretending, 'I've got this'.

"Meanwhile my brain was thinking, It's alright, I'll just throw the kitchen sink at it – someone else will do it, we're not chasing that many, we've got a great team, it'll be totally fine."

Despite her hopes, the onus quickly fell on Mooney after the Heat lost two early wickets in their run chase of 132. Between the Australian star and her captain Kirby Short, a meaningful stand was forged. But Mooney was in a world of hurt.

"I got six, seven overs in(to the innings) and I was like, 'I don't know that I can keep doing this'," Mooney said.

"Kirby was really good, we just talked about building a partnership, just keep breathing, it's alright. It's interesting what your body can do when you tell it to do.

"I just thought, You know what, you've just got to face up. Concentrate for 10 seconds, then give yourself an extra 10 seconds between balls, because it wasn't going to be pretty if I didn't give myself that extra time."

In the space of 15 overs, the left-hander defied her illness, dehydration and a stifling Sydney day to put an indelible stamp on the match with 65 from 46 balls, even brushing aside some sledging from her Australia teammate and Sixers 'keeper Alyssa Healy in the process.

"I think I recall hearing 'Midge' (Healy) talking on the mic (during the final) saying, 'I don't know what's wrong with her – it's not even that hot out here'," remembered Jonassen.

"But little did they know what she'd been dealing with for the week leading into it."

As history details, the Heat went on to sneak home by three wickets in the final over to secure their maiden WBBL title, with Mooney named player of the match.

"(It was) probably one of my best (innings)," she said. "It hadn't been a great start to the season. Looking back, I probably wasn't feeling that valuable in the team at that point, so to be able to contribute in a pretty important part of Brisbane Heat's legacy and help us get over the line was something I'm pretty proud of, and to do it under those circumstances as well."

Don't miss The Heat Repeat on Foxtel, coming April 7. The two-part documentary will also be shown on Kayo and cricket.com.au.