Women’s Ashes: Beth Mooney Scripts History With Century At MCG

February 1, 2025: Australian wicketkeeper-batter Beth Mooney made history on Saturday by scoring her maiden Test century and becoming the first-ever female cricketer from Australia to have centuries across all formats. Mooney achieved this remarkable feat during the one-off Women’s Ashes Test against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

In response to England’s first innings score of 170, Mooney helped Australia recover by scoring 106 runs from 173 balls, including seven boundaries. Her century not only helped Australia take control of the match but also earned her a place in history, as she became the first Australian woman to score centuries in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. Mooney’s Test century was a pivotal contribution, as it brought Australia closer to taking the lead in the match.

Mooney’s international cricket career has been outstanding across formats. In her eight Test appearances, she has accumulated 559 runs at an average of 43.00, with one century and four half-centuries. In ODIs, Mooney has scored 2,553 runs in 82 matches at an average of 47.27, including three centuries and 18 half-centuries. Her T20I career has also been remarkable, with 3,215 runs in 109 matches, including two centuries and 25 fifties. With a total of six international centuries, Mooney has firmly established herself as one of the top players in women’s cricket.

With this century, Mooney joins an elite group of women cricketers who have centuries in all formats—England’s Heather Knight, Tammy Beaumont, and South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt. Mooney is also only the fourth Australian cricketer to achieve this feat, following in the footsteps of Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, and David Warner.

Mooney’s century, combined with Annabel Sutherland’s spectacular knock of 163 runs, helped Australia build a massive total of 440 runs, giving them a 270-run lead over England. This partnership of 154 runs for the fourth wicket was a key moment in Australia’s domination of the match.

On the bowling front, Australia’s Alana King was the standout performer, taking four wickets for 45 runs in England’s first innings. Kim Garth and Darcie Brown also contributed with two wickets each. England’s response was limited, with Nat Sciver-Brunt (51) being the only notable performer with the bat.

As the match progresses, England is on the brink of a rare series whitewash, having already lost all the ODIs and T20Is in the multi-format Ashes series. Australia’s strong position, built on solid batting performances and excellent bowling, has put them in control as they look to complete a dominant series victory.