After a mixed introduction to St. Vincent that saw moments of brilliance mixed with others that Australia would rather forget, Beth Mooney says there is plenty to draw on as they reset for Saturday’s second game.
Mooney was the star of Australia’s batting innings, scoring 79 off 55 balls and looked like the only batsman to find rhythm on the Arnos Vale Stadium surface.
In a curious innings that saw Australia struggle at 2-57 at the mid-point of their innings, Mooney alongside Ellyse Perry flipped the switch dramatically after the drinks break, amassing 84 runs in the next seven overs.
Once the pair were dismissed, the runs ran out and Australia added just 23 from the last three.
Reflecting on the innings, Mooney said it had been difficult to get started and, although perhaps the climb could have come sooner, she was pleased with the result.
“I thought when the ball was a little newer, it was probably a little harder,” he said.
“He skated a little more and probably challenged us a lot on the field.
“At the drinks break, we got together and talked about what our options were for each of the players, and then where we were going to set our limits and… it was nice to get some momentum back in the innings that way.
“Ideally we would like to get off to a fairly quick start in T20 cricket.
“But sometimes the conditions don’t allow it, and you really have to adapt on the fly and I thought we did very well in tenth place.
“But maybe in the future we can get it right a little sooner… but these things happen and we’re very happy with that result.”
While Australia would no doubt prefer to be a well-oiled machine when it comes to building an innings, that adaptability will be crucial in a few months’ time at the T20 World Cup in England, where they will face unfamiliar venues in Leeds and Manchester in particular.
Their fielding innings were equally mixed, with Alana King’s brilliant return to the T20I format, in which the player took 3-14, marred by six dropped catches.
“He’s got a lot of energy, King, and he gets along great with the group,” Mooney said.
“I thought she executed very well, she adapted to the conditions…there’s a nice breeze here too and it was nice to see her reap the rewards tonight.
“(Dropped catches) can be a little bit contagious, no one intends to do that.
“We’re human and sometimes these things happen: (it’s our) first time playing this venue and the lights are always a little different wherever you go.
“So there will be some players disappointed with the missed catches, but at the end of the day, it didn’t cost us.”
The match was also a major milestone for new captain Sophie Molineux, who returned from a back injury to lead Australia on Thursday.
She didn’t bowl (which was expected, given she hadn’t been bowling in the nets during training), but with the World Cup approaching, the selectors made the unorthodox decision to play the 28-year-old essentially as a specialist captain, in order to adapt to the new role.
“She took on the role seamlessly and garnered a lot of respect and sympathy within the group,” Mooney said of Molineux.
“Watching her tonight making some decisions, at times I felt like they were outplaying us, even though they were only going at six, six-thirty and I thought she stayed nice, calm and collected, made great decisions tactically, with the ball and also with the field.
“For us, going into a T20 World Cup, and she’s new on the scene in that pack leader role, I think it’s very important for her to be there and, you know, with the right people around her to help her as well.”
Qantas West Indies Tour 2026
First T20I: Australia won by 43 runs
Second T20I: March 22, Arnos Vale, St Vincent, 9:30am AEDT (March 21, 6:30pm local)
Third T20I: March 24, Arnos Vale, St Vincent, 9:30am AEDT (March 23, 6:30pm local
First ODI: March 28, Warner Park, St Kitts, 5am AEDT (March 27, 2pm local)
Second ODI: March 30, Warner Park, St Kitts, 5am AEDT (March 29, 2pm local)
Third ODI: April 3, Warner Park, St Kitts, 5am AEDT (April 2, 2pm local)
West Indies Team: Hayley Matthews (c), Chinelle Henry (vc), Aaliyah Alleyne, Eboni Brathwaite, Shemaine Campbelle, Jahzara Claxton, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Jannillea Glasgow, Shawnisha Hector, Zaida James, Qiana Joseph, Mandy Mangru, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor
Australia team: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham, Tahlia Wilson
All games will be broadcast on ESPN only through Disney+
