Brazil’s Laura Cardoso Makes History, Takes 9 Wickets for 4 Runs in T20I — First Ever by Any Cricketer
Brazil’s Laura Cardoso rewrote cricket history on Thursday, April 9, becoming the first cricketer male or female to claim a nine-wicket haul in a T20I match.
The Brazilian all-rounder delivered figures of 9 for 4 in three overs, including two maidens, against Lesotho during the Kalahari Women’s T20I Tournament in Botswana.
A Record That Stood No Chance
Cardoso broke the previous best T20I bowling figures held by Bhutan’s left-arm spinner Sonam Yeshey, who took 8 for 7 against Myanmar last year. In the women’s game, Indonesian off-spinner Rohmalia Rohmalia had held the record with 7 for 0 against Mongolia in April 2024. Both marks are now history.
How the Spell Unfolded
Cardoso came in to bat at number four and scored four runs off two balls before turning to what made the day truly hers. Brought into the attack in the second over of Lesotho’s chase, she took a hat-trick off the final three balls of that over. In her second over, she went further four wickets in five balls. She then returned for a third consecutive over and picked up two more, completing the first-ever nine-wicket haul in T20I cricket.
So Close to 10
Cardoso was one wicket away from a perfect 10. But her teammate Marianne Artur, bowling the seventh over in her first spell of the game, took the final wicket to wrap up Lesotho for just 13 denying Cardoso what would have been an even more extraordinary piece of history.
Brazil’s Dominant Win
Defending a total of 203, Brazil dismissed Lesotho for 13, winning by 189 runs — their third-biggest victory in T20I cricket. Lesotho’s 13 is also the seventh-lowest team total ever recorded in women’s T20Is.