Brazil allrounder Laura Cardoso produced a record-breaking bowling performance to become the first player in men’s or women’s T20I history to take nine wickets in a single innings. The 21-year-old dismantled Lesotho in the Kalahari Women’s T20I Tournament 2026, finishing with figures of 9 for 4 from three overs as her side secured a dominant 189-run victory.
The match, played at Botswana Cricket Association Oval 2 in Gaborone on April 9, saw Brazil, captained by Carolina Nascimento, extend their unbeaten run in the tournament and move to the top of the points table with five wins from five matches.
Cardoso’s spell unfolded in dramatic fashion. Introduced in the second over, she struck immediately, claiming a hat-trick with three consecutive deliveries. She returned in the fourth over to take four more wickets, pushing her tally to seven, before adding two further dismissals in the sixth over. At one stage, she took five wickets in five successive deliveries across two overs. The final wicket fell to Marianne Artur as Lesotho were bowled out for 13 in 6.2 overs.
Earlier, Brazil had set the platform with 202 for 8 in their 20 overs. Wicketkeeper-batter Monnike Machado led the scoring with an unbeaten 69 off 41 balls, while Roberta Avery contributed 48 off 35 and Laura Agatha added 26 off 24. The total was further boosted by 32 extras. For Lesotho, Maneo Nyabela (4-0-27-1), Lindiwe Polaki (4-0-43-2), Boitumelo Tlali (4-0-40-1), and Ret’sepile Limema (4-0-40-1) were among the wicket-takers.
Cardoso’s performance surpassed the previous best bowling figures in T20Is, overtaking Bhutan’s Sonam Yeshey, who had recorded 8 for 7 against Myanmar in a men’s match last year. In women’s T20Is, the earlier record belonged to Indonesia’s Rohmalia Rohmalia, who had taken 7 for 0 against Mongolia in 2024.
The result highlighted Brazil’s strong form throughout the tournament, combining an imposing batting effort with a decisive bowling display. Cardoso was named Player of the Match for her outstanding contribution.
