She was also able to pierce the field on the off side and straight, while several leg side deliveries were worked nicely to the rope around the corner.
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Australia’s score ceiling was limited, though, by struggles at the other end. Beth Mooney played a sheet anchor role in a century opening stand, but struggled to accelerate as she has done on many other occasions.
Mooney’s exit, clunking one to mid on, was followed by four more wickets in the final five overs, with the remainder of the batters managing just two boundaries from a collective 24 balls faced.
The last two balls of the innings summed up the lost momentum. Ellyse Perry was run out when she was unable to ground her bat during a dive, then Ash Gardner’s miscued hit down the ground was snapped up by Shree Charani to easily run out non-striker Georgia Wareham for a diamond duck.
In all, Australia returned 5-35 from the final 31 balls of the innings, turning a big score into one that would take some defending. To Molineux’s delight and doubtless relief, the defence was a grand one.
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