Laura Cardoso's Historic 9-Wicket T20I Haul

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-04-10

Let's talk about a moment that just rewrote cricket history. On Thursday, April 9, 2026, something incredible happened in Gaborone, Botswana. Brazilian fast bowler Laura Cardoso, just 21 years old, did what no one—man or woman—had ever done before in a Twenty20 International. She took nine wickets in a single innings. Think about that for a second. In the fastest, most explosive format of the game, she nearly took every single wicket herself. Her final figures? Nine wickets for just four runs in three overs. It's the kind of stat that makes you do a double-take. Because of her heroics, Brazil demolished Lesotho, bowling them out for a paltry 13 runs to win by a massive 189-run margin. This isn't just a new record; it's the best bowling performance in T20I history, period. ### How the Record Fell Before that day in Botswana, the record books said it couldn't be done. The previous world record was eight wickets, held by Bhutan's Sonam Yeshey since 2025. The women's record was seven. Cardoso didn't just break those records; she smashed them to pieces. She entered the record books during the 14th match of the BCA Kalahari Women's T20I Tournament, and instantly became the central figure in what experts are calling a miracle for Brazilian cricket. The International Cricket Council (ICC) quickly recognized it as a landmark moment for the sport. It was a perfect storm of accuracy, speed, and sheer dominance.  ### The Masterclass Unfolded So, how does a bowler take nine wickets in just 18 balls? It started with immediate, overwhelming pressure. Defending a big total, Cardoso began her spell in the second over. And she announced her intentions with a bang—or rather, three bangs. She took a hat-trick with her fourth, fifth, and sixth deliveries. Just like that, Lesotho was reeling. But she was only getting warmed up. In her second over, she was utterly unplayable, snagging four more wickets in just five balls. That meant she had seven wickets after only two overs. She returned for a final over to claim two more, finishing with nine. The control was absolute; the Lesotho batting lineup had no answer. ### The Elusive Perfect Ten Here's the crazy part—she almost got all ten. Lesotho was struggling at 13 runs for nine wickets. Cardoso was on the verge of the unthinkable: a perfect ten-wicket haul. But cricket, like life, has its own quirky timing. Her teammate, Marianne Artur, bowled the next over and claimed the final wicket with a stumping. Cardoso was left with nine, a world record, but tantalizingly close to absolute perfection. As ESPNcricinfo noted, the last batter fell before Cardoso could even bowl her final over. It's a 'what if' that just adds to the legend of this spell. ### Team Effort Secures the Win While Cardoso's bowling was the headline, let's not forget this was a complete team performance. Brazil's batters set the stage first, posting a formidable total of 202 runs. Captain Roberta Avery led from the front with a solid 48 runs off 35 balls. Then, Monnike Machado provided the fireworks, smashing an unbeaten 69 from just 41 deliveries to push the score past 200. Ironically, Cardoso herself had a rough day with the bat, dismissed for just four runs. But as she showed, sometimes you only need one skill to be absolutely world-class on the day. This victory solidified Brazil's position at the top of their tournament table, proving they're a force to be reckoned with. This wasn't a fluke; it was a statement.