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)

PARIS (AP) — Ukraine on Monday signed a letter of intent to buy up to 100 Rafale warplanes from France, the Ukrainian Embassy and the French president’s office said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron signed the document stating that Ukraine is considering the possibility of buying French defense equipment, including Rafale jet fighters, Macron’s office said. It did not provide further details.

Zelenskyy was on his ninth visit to Paris since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. His talks are meant to strengthen Ukraine’s defenses as the country enters another winter under Russian bombardment of its energy infrastructure and other targets.

On Monday morning, Macron and Zelenskyy visited an air base in the Paris outskirts, before heading to the headquarters of a multinational force, dubbed the “coalition of the willing,” that France and Britain have been preparing with more than 30 other nations to police an eventual ceasefire in Ukraine.

French officials say the force could be deployed immediately after a ceasefire and would be stationed away from the front lines in an effort to help dissuade renewed Russian attacks. Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far rejected calls for a ceasefire as his troops make creeping gains on the battlefield.

Zelenskyy wrote on X on Sunday that he looked forward to a “historic deal with France in Paris to strengthen our combat aviation and air defense." He made a stop to Greece on his way to France to sign an agreement to supply Ukraine with U.S. liquefied natural gas.

Last month, Ukraine and Sweden signed an agreement exploring the possibility of Ukraine buying up to 150 Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets over the next decade or more. Ukraine has already received American-made F-16s and French Mirages.

France is among major suppliers of defense assistance to Ukraine, including air defense systems and fighter jets.

The chief of the French defense staff, Air Force Gen. Fabien Mandon, this month told French senators that Ukraine needs immediate additional air defenses because Russia is on average targeting the country with about 1,700 drones per week and also hitting it with missiles.

He said that European-made SAMP/T ground-to-air systems that France provided are proving more effective than U.S.-made Patriot batteries against hard-to-hit Russian missiles.

“We helped Ukraine by deploying missile and drone interception systems called the SAMP/T system. The Russians adapted the flight profiles of their most advanced missiles because they realized they were being intercepted by Ukrainian defenses. Today, the Patriot system is struggling to intercept them, but the SAMP/T is intercepting them,” Mandon said.

Associated Press writer John Leicester contributed to the report.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron, left, welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 before a joint press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

French President Emmanuel Macron, left, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, visit the offices of the future international force known as the coalition of the willing, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Mont Valerien in Suresnes, outside Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)

French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands after signing an agreement Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)

French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sign an agreement Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)

French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hug after signing an agreement Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)

A Rafale jet fighter is seen before the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)

A Rafale jet fighter, drones and ammunitions are seen before the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)

A Rafale jet fighter is seen before the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)