9 Wickets for 4 Runs! – Brazil’s Laura Cardoso Makes World Record With Greatest Bowling Spell in T20I History

GABORONE: Brazil pacer Laura Cardoso produced a record-breaking spell in the Kalahari Women’s T20I, finishing with nine wickets for four runs against Lesotho women's cricket team at the Botswana Cricket Association Oval 2 on Thursday.

The performance is now the best bowling return recorded in T20I cricket, across both men’s and women’s formats. Cardoso went past Sonam Yeshey, who had claimed eight wickets in a men’s T20I earlier this year. In women’s matches, the previous benchmark belonged to Rohmalia Rohmalia.

Record Spell Turns Match

Cardoso made an immediate impact after being introduced into the attack, striking three times in succession to claim a hat-trick. She followed that with a four-wicket burst in her next over, reducing the opposition significantly before adding two more wickets to complete her nine-wicket haul.

Her figures dismantled Lesotho’s chase as they were bowled out well short of the target. The spell proved decisive in shaping the outcome of the match.

Brazil Post 202 Before Bowling Dominance

Earlier, Brazil set up the win by posting 202 for 8 in their 20 overs. Wicketkeeper-batter Monnike Machado led the scoring with an unbeaten 69 from 41 balls. She was supported by Roberta Moretti Avery, who contributed 48 off 35 deliveries.

The pair added a crucial 97 runs for the fifth wicket, helping Brazil recover and push past the 200 mark. The total proved more than enough once Cardoso took charge with the ball.

Brazil eventually secured a 189-run win, with Cardoso’s nine-wicket haul standing out as the defining performance of the match and a new benchmark in the format.