Beth Mooney’s contact lens troubles led to a hilarious moment involving Phoebe Litchfield during the Australia-New Zealand 1st T20I.

Australia defeated New Zealand by two wickets in a thrilling series opener at North Sydney Oval.

Australian wicketkeeper-batter Beth Mooney found herself at the centre of a hilarious moment during the first T20I against New Zealand at North Sydney Oval on October 18. While batting in the third over, Mooney had to pause briefly after experiencing discomfort from her contact lenses. The incident took an amusing turn when teammate Phoebe Litchfield was caught on camera mimicking Mooney’s facial expressions from the dugout.

The moment quickly became a talking point, with Litchfield appearing to copy Mooney’s eye adjustments before realizing that the cameras were capturing her actions. Mooney later provided another amusing moment in the dugout while trying to soothe her irritated eyes.

Phoebe Litchfield hilariously mimics Beth Mooney

Mooney was adjusting her contact lenses in the middle when the broadcast camera shifted towards the Australian dugout. Litchfield, who was watching the incident unfold, began mimicking Mooney’s facial expressions and movements as she tried to fix her eyes. The Australian youngster appeared to imitate her teammate in perfect sync before noticing that she was on camera. The sequence added a light-hearted moment to the contest.

Mooney’s troubles continued after she returned to the dugout. She picked up a bottle of lubricating eye drops to relieve the irritation but seemingly forgot to remove its plastic cap. She repeatedly squeezed the closed bottle towards her eye before the mix-up became apparent.

Here’s the video:

Poor Beth Mooney couldn't catch a break from her teammates 😂 pic.twitter.com/iQoI7DIjOJ

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) October 18, 2026

Ellyse Perry powers Australia to thrilling victory

Away from the amusing incident, Australia secured a two-wicket victory after chasing down New Zealand’s target of 163 with seven balls remaining. Ellyse Perry starred with a quickfire 52 off 30 deliveries, while Mooney contributed 38 during an 86-run partnership that helped Australia recover from an early setback.

New Zealand had posted 162/2 after Georgia Plimmer scored an unbeaten 85 off 68 balls and Maddy Green added 56 not out off 37 deliveries. The pair shared an unbroken 129-run stand to give the visitors a competitive total. However, Jess Kerr claimed three wickets to keep New Zealand in contention as Australia lost regular wickets during the chase. The hosts eventually crossed the finish line to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.