WATCH. AUS-W vs ENG-W | Ecclestone plays hide and seek to enforce shrewd tactics in Mooney's dismissal
Incredible skills and great match awareness can be a deadly mixture to outfox the opposition in sports. England all-rounder Sophie Ecclestone incorporated a similar blend into her game to outfox a well-set Beth Mooney in the second T20I against Australia Women at the Manuka Oval.
Winning the coin-flip and choosing to field first, the England side got the first wicket due to a run-out, affected by Maia Bouchier as Georgia Voll fell early. However, Beth Mooney’s batting flair dominated the 46-run powerplay, steering Australia well in the game. Just when England were reeling behind due to the southpaw, Ecclestone unleashed a pack of shrewd tactics to outsmart her in the eighth over.
Realising Mooney's premeditative nature of shimmying down the ground against spin, Ecclestone gestured to wicketkeeper Amy Jones that she was going to spray one down the leg stump. The spinner cunningly waved her left hand when Mooney was looking down to adjust her batting stance. Right after, the orthodox spinner dished a quicker one down the leg stump and the left-hander did come down the ground to work. Jones grabbed the ball firmly and whipped the bails in a jiffy, enforcing the much-needed breakthrough. The incident resonated a hide-and-seek ploy with Mooney, causing her downfall.
Mooney Eccle-STONED!
Plan executed ✅
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 23, 2025
Sneaky from Sophie Ecclestone, signalling she'll bowl down the leg side while Beth Mooney looks elsewhere 👏#Ashes pic.twitter.com/SEE5nx5vwy