In Match No. 15 of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 between hosts UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants, opener Beth Mooney came inches close to etching history by becoming the first-ever centurion in the history of the WPL, but the Giants’ ex-skipper was stranded on 96* at the other end as her team posted a competitive 186/5 after the completion of 20 overs in the first game played at Lucknow.
Portraying remarkable stroke play and composure, the 31-year-old played a flawless innings, blending aggression with the subtleness to nail boundaries in the open regions. Despite her tremendous efforts throughout the play, the Australian fell just four runs short of a milestone that has been achieved by none in the tournament’s 3-year history.
Nonetheless, her masterclass at the 22-yards not only set the foundation for Gujarat’s massive total on a tricky wicket but also reinforced her reputation as one of the finest batters in the game.
Phoebe Litchfield was dismissed on the last ball of the penultimate over by Deepti Sharma, which meant that Mooney would regain the strike for the final over. Facing Sophie Ecclestone, Mooney rotated the strike on the first ball and so did her partner Bharti Fulmali on the very next ball.
On the third delivery of the 20th over, the left-hander cleared her front leg and drilled the leg stump delivery straight to the fence, taking her to a score of 95. On the fourth ball, Mooney got too close to the pitch of the ball and could just afford a single towards the long-off region.
The crowd in the stadium and everyone glued to the TV sets had their eyes on Bharti Fulmali, who was easily expected to rotate the strike and move to the non-striker’s end to possibly be a part of one of the most special moments of the blockbuster tournament. However, Fulmali tried for the heavy slog, only to get an inside-edge onto the pads, which would’ve possibly broken the heart of Beth Mooney and thousands of people worldwide.
An innings of masterclass that comprised 17 boundaries by Mooney would be remembered for seasons to come. Fans took to social media platform X to share their take on the innings.
Here are some of the reactions:
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