Mooney guides Australia to fighting 156 against South Africa in final
Cape Town, Feb 26: Beth Mooney struck a fine unbeaten half-century to guide five-time champions and title holders Australia to 156 for 6 against hosts South Africa in the final of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup here on Sunday.
Mooney remained unbeaten on 74 off 53 balls during which she struck nine boundaries and one hit over the fence.
Electing to bat, Australia lost Alyssa Healy (18) early, caught at covers by Nadine De Klerk off the bowling of Marizanne Kapp (2/35) in the fifth over.
Then Ashleigh Gardner (29 off 21) joined hands with Mooney and the pair's 46 runs for the second wicket stabilised the innings before the former was brilliantly caught at long-off by South Africa skipper Sune Luus off the bowling of left-arm spinner Chloe-Lesleigh Tryon.
But Mooney went about her business in blistering fashion and dispatched the bad deliveries to the fence to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Grace Harris tried to up the scoring rate but was cleaned up by left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba in the 14th over as the batter went for a wild heave over the square-leg boundary.
Next in, skipper Meg Lanning showed intent from the word go, scoring her first runs from a boundary through the point region before being brilliantly caught by Tyron at deep backward square leg off the bowling of Kapp.
Mooney, however, remained unperturbed as she kept consolidating the Australia innings, picking up boundaries with ease.
Even as Mooney held one end up, wickets kept tumbling at the other side as Australia tried to find boundaries towards the end of the innings.
South Africa brilliantly pulled things back towards the end of the innings by picking up wickets at regular intervals with Mooney remaining stranded at the other end.
South African pacer Shabnim Ismail (2/26) had a big role to play in restricting Australia to an achievable total, claiming the wickets of Ellyse Perry and Georgia Wareham off consecutive balls. She was on a rare hat-trick in the final over but Tahlia McGrath denied Ismail the feat, managing a single off the last delivery of the innings.
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NRI Kannadiga community should achieve greater accomplishments: Dr. Arathi Krishna
Bahrain: Dr. Arathi Krishna, Vice President of the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Forum, Government of Karnataka, participated as the Guest of Honour at the prestigious Global Women’s Economic Forum and Exhibition held on January 13, 2025 in Bahrain.
The international event, known for its pivotal role in empowering women entrepreneurs and professionals, provided a unique platform for showcasing business innovations and fostering leadership among women.
During the event, Dr. Krishna emphasized the significance of women’s contributions to entrepreneurship and technological advancements. She noted that the forum's dynamic workshops, panel discussions, and expert speeches offered specialized insights into innovative practices, financial management, and the adoption of new technologies. These knowledge-sharing opportunities are designed to support emerging women entrepreneurs, enabling them to thrive in a competitive global marketplace.
Highlighting the transformative power of such initiatives, Dr. Krishna remarked on the growing achievements of women entrepreneurs in traditionally male-dominated sectors. She acknowledged that the event not only celebrated success stories from across the globe but also inspired young women to pursue entrepreneurship and leadership roles. The participation of women-led businesses from diverse nations underscored the universal nature of entrepreneurial spirit and innovation.
Dr. Krishna also engaged in thoughtful discussions with successful women leaders and interacted with representatives of various Kannada associations in Bahrain. She reiterated her appeal to the global NRI Kannada community to strive for excellence and greater accomplishments in their respective fields.
