Mooney's memorable 109 earns Australia a big victory over Pakistan at Women’s Cricket World Cup

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Beth Mooney hit one of the most memorable centuries ever in women's one-day cricket as defending champion Australia overcame a top-order collapse and thumped Pakistan by 107 runs at the Women’s Cricket World Cup on Wednesday.

Mooney made a masterful 109 off 114 balls to raise her first World Cup hundred after Australia had wobbled to 76-7 against Pakistan's spin trio of Nashra Sandhu, Rameen Shamim and Sadiq Iqbal.

Tailender Alana King upped the scoring rate late with an unbeaten 51 off 49 balls as she combined with Mooney in a 106-run stand, the highest-ever ninth-wicket partnership in women’s ODIs. Australia eventually finished at a challenging 221-9.

The pace bowling pair of Kim Garth (3-14) and Megan Schutt (2-25) snapped five wickets inside the power play and Pakistan was eventually dismissed for 114 — its third straight loss.

“I was thinking over 200 (team total), we’ve got to win this game,” Mooney said when asked about her approach to the innings. “I’m not here for the hundred, I’m here for the win.”

Australia, which beat New Zealand before its game against Sri Lanka was washed out last Saturday in Colombo, leads the standings with five points.

Pakistan's batting woes continued as its top-order struggled against pace and spin. Sidra Amin, who scored half century against archrival India, top-scored with 35 off 52 balls but Australia kept striking through. Amin was the only top-order Pakistan batter to reach double figures.

The Australian top-order capitulated against three Pakistan spinners, who picked up 6-98 off their combined 30 overs, after skipper Fatima Sana won the toss and elected to field.

Left-armer Iqbal found the turn from the word go once Sana introduced the spinners in the fifth over. Australia captain Alyssa Healy (20) struck three boundaries but flicked Iqbal straight to midwicket in Sana's second over. Sana followed it up by taking a well judged return catch to dismiss Phoebe Litchfield.

Sandhu deceived premier batter Ellyse Perry (5) and had her stumped, and then slipped a delivery between the bat and pad of Annabel Sutherland to hit the stumps as Australia slid to 59-4 in the 15th over.

Off-spinner Shamim, who didn’t concede a boundary in her 10 overs, continued to squeeze Australia when Ashleigh Gardner chipped an easy catch to midwicket. Diana Baig took a smart diving catch of Tahila McGrath to leave Australia in all sorts of trouble at 75-6.

Australia was 115-8 in the 34th over and was in danger of getting bowled out for its lowest ODI total against Pakistan, but Mooney and King stood tall.

Mooney, who hit 11 fours, and King rotated strike frequently and waited patiently to see off the threat of Pakistan spinners before cutting loose against the pace bowlers.

Mooney successfully overturned an lbw decision against her off Iqbal when she was on 85 before completing her well composed century off 110 balls. King completed her half century with two successive sixes against Sana in the last over, which went for 21 runs.

Mooney finally got out of Sana’s final ball of Australia’s innings when she was caught in the covers.

India, which won both its games against Asian rivals Pakistan and Sri Lanka, takes on South Africa at Visakhapatnam on Thursday.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Australia's Beth Mooney, right, celebrates her century with Alana King during the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match between Australia and Pakistan at Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Oct, 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Australia's Beth Mooney, left, and Alana King run between the wickets to score during the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match between Australia and Pakistan at Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Oct, 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Australia's Beth Mooney, right, celebrates her as Alana King watches during the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match between Australia and Pakistan at Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Oct, 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Pakistan's Nashra Sundhu celebrates the wicket of Australia's Tahlia McGrath during the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match between Australia and Pakistan at Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Oct, 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Australia's Beth Mooney, right, celebrates her as Alana King watches during the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match between Australia and Pakistan at Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Oct, 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Australia's Beth Mooney plays a shot during the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match between Australia and Pakistan at Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Oct, 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP) — Floods triggered by torrential rains have killed at least 37 people in the Moroccan coastal city of Safi, the Interior Ministry said Monday.

Authorities said heavy rain and flash floods overnight inundated about 70 homes and businesses and swept away 10 vehicles. The Interior Ministry reported 14 people hospitalized.

Local outlets reported that schools announced three days of closures. Rains also caused flooding and damage elsewhere throughout Morocco, including the northern city of Tetouan and the mountain town of Tinghir.

Safi, a city on Morocco’s Atlantic shore more than 320 kilometers (200 miles) from the capital Rabat, is a major hub for the country’s critical fishing and mining industries. Both employ thousands to catch, mine and process the commodities for export. The city, with a population of more than 300,000 people, is home to a major phosphate processing plant.

Videos shared on social media showed cars stranded and partially submerged as floodwaters surged through Safi’s streets.

Climate change has made weather patterns more unpredictable in Morocco. North Africa has been plagued by several years of drought, hardening soils and making mountains, deserts and plains more susceptible to flooding. Last year, floods in normally arid mountains and desert areas killed nearly two dozen people in Morocco and Algeria.

This week's floods came after 22 people were killed in a two-building collapse in the Moroccan city of Fez. Morocco has invested in disaster risk initiatives although local governments often do not enforce building codes and drainage systems can be lacking in some cities. Infrastructural inequities were a focus of youth-led protests that swept the country earlier this year.

__ Associated Press writer Sam Metz in Rabat, Morocco, contributed to this report.

People inspect the damage caused by flash floods in Safi, Morocco, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Abderrazak Gouach)

People inspect the damage caused by flash floods in Safi, Morocco, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Abderrazak Gouach)

Shoes are left amidst the damage caused by flash floods in Safi, Morocco, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Abderrazak Gouach)

People inspect the damage caused by flash floods in Safi, Morocco, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Abderrazak Gouach)

People inspect the damage caused by flash floods in Safi, Morocco, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Abderrazak Gouach)