Beth Mooney smashes highest WPL score by GG batter: Stats
Beth Mooney played a captain's knock for Gujarat Giants against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2024 Women's Premier League (WPL) encounter in Delhi. Mooney smashed an unbeaten 85(51), guiding GG to 199/5 (20). The Aussie batter slammed her maiden WPL half-century and now has the highest score in the tournament by a GG batter. Mooney shared a 140-run opening stand with Laura Wolvaardt.
A blistering knock from Mooney
Mooney and Wolvaardt came out all guns blazing after the Giants elected to bat first. The latter ruled the roost in the first half, while Mooney was at her absolute best thereafter. Mooney couldn't retain strike in the death overs as GG lost successive wickets. She ended up scoring 85* off 51 balls (12 fours and a six). It was her maiden WPL fifty.
Mooney goes past Wolvaardt
As mentioned, Mooney has registered the highest score in the WPL by a GG batter. Before this match, Wolvaardt held this record as she scored 68 against RCBW in Brabourne last season. Notably, Wolvaardt topped her own mark with a 77-run knock in the Delhi encounter. However, Mooney went past both these scores by the first innings' end.
Mooney shines in her sixth WPL game
GG bought Mooney for Rs. 2 crore for the inaugural WPL season (2023). However, she played only one game after suffering a calf injury. Before the RCBW game, Mooney featured in just five games and scored 60 runs. A scintillating fifty has taken her overall WPL score to 145. Mooney has an incredible T20I record, having scored over 2,700 runs.
Other feats attained by Mooney
Mooney now has the fourth-highest individual score in WPL history. She is only behind Sophie Devine (99), Alyssa Healy (96*), and Tahlia McGrath (90*) in this regard. Only two other batters own 80+ scores in the tournament. As per cricket statistician Kausthub Gudipati, Mooney has become the first player to stay unbeaten in all 20 overs of a WPL innings.
A record-breaking opening stand
Mooney added 140 runs for the opening wicket along with Wolvaardt. This is now the second-highest partnership in WPL history. They are only behind Shafali Verma and Meg Lanning, who shared a 162-run opening stand for DCW against RCBW last season. These are the only two 140+ partnerships in the tournament. DP Vaidya and Healy (139* vs UPW, 2023) are next on the list.
