
Mooney stars with gloves and bat in Hundred drubbing
Mooney made 47 off 37 balls and Scotland's Kathryn Bryce 61 off 45 as the pair chased down a victory target of 112 with 18 balls to spare in Nottingham.
That came after Mooney's quick hands had secured the stumping of Rockets dangerwoman Nat Sciver-Brunt, putting the brakes on the home side's innings.
Asked to bat by Mooney on Tuesday Rockets had began solidly, being 2-78 with captain Ash Gardner and Sciver-Brunt at the crease and 40 balls remaining.
Mooney, who had stumped Nat Wraith (17) from Sophie Ecclestone's first ball, now brought back the England spinner to break the pair.
Second ball Ecclestone beat the advancing England captain with turn and bounce and Mooney fetched the ball high to her right one-handed before whipping off the bails.
Thereafter Rockets failed to fire, scoring 5-33 off those last 40 balls with Gardner (17) caught at mid-on trying to slap Lauren Filer. Heather Graham made eight.
Ecclestone finished with 2-12 off 20 balls while Filer, reaching 117 kph, took 3-23 off 20 and Bryce 2-19 off 20.
The home side's 7-111 looked below par and Mooney and Bryce quickly confirmed that. Neither Alana King (0-24 off 20) nor Gardner (0-28 off 15) were able to repeat Ecclestone's impact
Mooney had come into the match off a pair of low scores, and averaging 21.60 in her five visits to the crease this Hundred.
But she hit her third and fourth balls for four, either side of the wicket, then took nine off Gardner's first five-ball set, racing to 18 off 11.
With Bryce looking in good touch the pair reached 59 at the halfway mark, accelerating further with Mooney lifting Australian teammate King for six over long off.
King did find her length late on, beating the bat then - off a full toss - dropping a return catch from Mooney. But it was too late.
"Pretty clinical in the end, to keep that batting line up to 111 was an amazing effort from the bowling group," said Mooney.
"I joked at the break one big partnership would be enough - I didn't think it would be the first one,."
Originals moved up to third, which would earn them a place in the eliminator on August 30 while Rockets chances of progressing, after one win in five, are slim.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


West Australian
2 hours ago
- West Australian
Nick Kyrgios withdraws from US Open in latest injury blow
Nick Kyrgios has suffered another predictable blow in his ailing tennis career, having to pull out of the US Open men's singles with injury. It's the third successive year that the 30-year-old Australian has withdrawn from the New York grand slam and he has now missed the season's final three majors after getting knocked out in the first round at his home Open in Melbourne in January. Kyrgios, the Wimbledon finalist in 2022, went on to reach the quarter-finals at the US Open that year but has struggled ever since then with a catalogue of foot, knee and wrist injuries. While vowing to try to get back to his best, he's managed to win just one singles match while losing four in his comeback 2025 campaign. He didn't play at all last year and had just one match in 2023, and has now missed 11 of the last 12 grand slams. Kyrgios hasn't played any singles match since being beaten by Karen Khachanov at Miami five months ago, with his long-term wrist trouble still a problem while he also reported in July that his knee was still 'cooked'. He last played — and lost — in a doubles match with veteran Gael Monfils in Washington in July as he sought to rekindle his career, first in the much-hyped mixed doubles competition with Naomi Osaka at Flushing Meadows. But after withdrawing from that, organisers announced, to no great surprise, on Thursday that the maverick seven-time tournament winner would now also not feature in the men's singles, which starts on Sunday. His place will be taken in the draw by a 'lucky loser' from the final round of qualifying.


West Australian
2 hours ago
- West Australian
Aussie ace Gardner fires Rockets again in England
Ash Gardner briefly held her head in her hands as she feared she may have blown her side's chances of survival in the Hundred, but ultimately it was her captain's hand that kept the Trent Rockets' flickering hopes alive. The star Australian allrounder's brilliant spin control, taking 2-10 off her 20 balls including the key wicket of Meg Lanning, eventually proved enough to pave the way for the Rockets' six-wicket win at the London home of the Oval Invincibles on Thursday. It was only the Nottingham-based side's second win of the campaign and still may not be enough to help them edge their way into the playoffs. But, ultimately, the skipper was relieved they're still in the tournament at all after she gave away her wicket cheaply while the Rockets attempted to chase down the Invincibles' modest 7-109. With the chase seemingly under control and having just struck a couple of sweet boundaries, Gardner holed out inexplicably to long-on for 11 off the tricky spin of her compatriot Amanda Jade Wellington (1-15) to suddenly plunge her side into a dog-fight. Clearly mad with herself, she had head gloomily in hands in the dugout, knowing defeat would eliminate the Rockets, which looked a distinct possibility when they then slipped to 4-75. But a cool unbroken partnership between another Australian international Heather Graham (19no off 11 balls, including a six and two fours) and Jodi Grewcock (21no off 14) took the Rockets to victory with 16 balls to spare. Lanning, Australia's greatest women's captain who's enjoying a pressure-free spell without the skipper's armband for the Invincibles, had been fuming at herself too earlier when she looked to be guiding the home side to a decent total. Going well on 45 off 35 balls, featuring one six and six fours, Lanning, the competition's top-scorer with 247 runs, looked disgusted when she tried to clear the ropes off Gardner, only to get caught at long-on by England international Nat Sciver-Brunt. Straight after, Gardner also captured the other key batter, South African star Marizanne Kapp, who chipped one straight back to her for a soft caught and bowled. Wily Aussie legspinner Alana King then got in on the act, having Wellington stumped off her legspin. Graham, who had a fine allround game, also chipped in with a wicket (1-27). Both the Rockets and the Invincibles must now win their remaining two matches and hope results go in their favour elsewhere to finish in the top-three in the group stage.


Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Aussie ace Gardner fires Rockets again in England
Ash Gardner briefly held her head in her hands as she feared she may have blown her side's chances of survival in the Hundred, but ultimately it was her captain's hand that kept the Trent Rockets' flickering hopes alive. The star Australian allrounder's brilliant spin control, taking 2-10 off her 20 balls including the key wicket of Meg Lanning, eventually proved enough to pave the way for the Rockets' six-wicket win at the London home of the Oval Invincibles on Thursday. It was only the Nottingham-based side's second win of the campaign and still may not be enough to help them edge their way into the playoffs. But, ultimately, the skipper was relieved they're still in the tournament at all after she gave away her wicket cheaply while the Rockets attempted to chase down the Invincibles' modest 7-109. With the chase seemingly under control and having just struck a couple of sweet boundaries, Gardner holed out inexplicably to long-on for 11 off the tricky spin of her compatriot Amanda Jade Wellington (1-15) to suddenly plunge her side into a dog-fight. Clearly mad with herself, she had head gloomily in hands in the dugout, knowing defeat would eliminate the Rockets, which looked a distinct possibility when they then slipped to 4-75. But a cool unbroken partnership between another Australian international Heather Graham (19no off 11 balls, including a six and two fours) and Jodi Grewcock (21no off 14) took the Rockets to victory with 16 balls to spare. Lanning, Australia's greatest women's captain who's enjoying a pressure-free spell without the skipper's armband for the Invincibles, had been fuming at herself too earlier when she looked to be guiding the home side to a decent total. Going well on 45 off 35 balls, featuring one six and six fours, Lanning, the competition's top-scorer with 247 runs, looked disgusted when she tried to clear the ropes off Gardner, only to get caught at long-on by England international Nat Sciver-Brunt. Straight after, Gardner also captured the other key batter, South African star Marizanne Kapp, who chipped one straight back to her for a soft caught and bowled. Wily Aussie legspinner Alana King then got in on the act, having Wellington stumped off her legspin. Graham, who had a fine allround game, also chipped in with a wicket (1-27). Both the Rockets and the Invincibles must now win their remaining two matches and hope results go in their favour elsewhere to finish in the top-three in the group stage.