Mooney ton powers Scorchers to first win

Beth Mooney recorded the first ton of Women's Big Bash League 2025 as Perth Scorchers registered their first win. Mooney's 73-ball 105, which included 13 fours and three sixes, powered Scorchers to 172 for 3 after they were asked to bat. Brisbane Heat couldn't get anywhere close as they lost regular wickets and eventually finished with 149, suffering their second successive loss.

Mooney set the tempo early with two fours apiece off Sianna Ginger and Lucy Hamilton in the first two overs. She added two more fours as Scorchers moved to 36 for 0 after four overs. Heat did well to pull things back as Scorchers went without a boundary for the next six overs, for the addition of 30 runs. Katie Mack was especially sedate, with her score on 19 off 22 after 10 overs, without a boundary.

Mooney upped the ante again, getting a six off Jess Jonassen en route to a 42-ball fifty. Mack finally got a four but her outing ended when she was bowled by Jonassen. Mooney, meanwhile, continued scoring at a quick rate, including three fours and a six off Nicola Hancock in a 21-run 16th over. Paige Scholfield supported Mooney well in a 77-run stand that came off 44 deliveries. Having scored a four and a six off Jonassen in the 19th over, Mooney took a single that helped her register a 70-ball 100. She added another four to her tally before she fell in the final over to Hamilton, as did Scholfield. But Scorchers got as many as 106 runs in the second half of their innings.

Grace Harris struck two fours in the second over off Sophie Devine but Heat suffered an early setback as Nadine de Klerk fell to Chloe Ainsworth. Harris and Jemimah Rodrigues tried to build a partnership but the Indian batter's outing was cut short by Devine. Harris, though, batted positively and Charli Knott struck a couple of fours as well, taking Heat to 67/2 after 10 overs.

Harris, who hit two fours off Ebony Hoskin in the 11th over, fell four short of fifty as she was bowled in the same over. Jonassen was run out soon after, leaving Heat at 85/4 after 12 overs. A couple of quiet overs added to the pressure before Chinelle Henry struck three fours off Alana King. But the mounting required rate contributed to more wickets as Knott, Georgia Redmayne and Annie O' Neil fell in quick succession. Henry tried to keep the chase alive and even cleared the fence three times, before Chloe Ainsworth ended her outing. Ginger and Hancock were the last two to fall as Heat's chase ended in a tame fashion as they went down by 23 runs.

Brief scores: Perth Scorchers 172/3 in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 105, Katie Mack 31; Lucy Hamilton 2-28) beat Brisbane Heat 149 in 19.1 overs (Grace Harris 46, Chinelle Henry 39; Sophie Devine 2-32) by 23 runs.