Laura Wolvaardt played one of the great innings of all time in women’s cricket to lead South Africa to an emphatic nine-wicket victory against India in the third T20 International at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Wednesday evening.
Wolvaardt slayed the Indian attack for 115 from just 53 balls with 14 fours and five sixes to chase down an intimidating Indian total of 192-4 with an astonishing 21 balls to spare.
🚨 MATCH RESULT 🚨
— Proteas Women (@ProteasWomenCSA) April 22, 2026
It’s giving DOMINANCE! 🤌🤭#TheProteas complete a comprehensive victory in the third T20I by a commanding 9 wickets! 💪🇿🇦
A third successive win that seals the series 3-0 to the hosts, with two matches still to play! 🏏#Unbreakable pic.twitter.com/3fXIIBRERJ
Sune Luus finished unbeaten on 64 from 42 balls (6x4, 2x6) but her brilliant innings was destined to the shadows during an opening partnership of 183 in just 15 overs with Wolvaardt claiming the lead role.
While the fours were cut, pulled and driven to all parts of the ground Wolvaardt’s recent power saw the sixes driven gloriously over long on, long off and even cover before eventually holing out to long on with just 15 runs required for victory.
Luus’s recent fine form continued with gusto but the night belonged to her captain with her fourth T20 International century which began with her breaking the record for the fastest 50 from just 23 balls – the previous record was hers, too, from 24 balls.
Laura Wolvaardt does it again 🤩🇿🇦
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) April 22, 2026
She picks up the fastest-ever century for the Proteas Women ©️🔥#SAvIND | #SSCricket pic.twitter.com/jFSt4zj6Kg
Tazmin Brits enjoyed the pressure-free privilege of nudging the team over the line with 2* from four balls to leave India wondering how it had all gone wrong after losing the first two matches by 6-wickets and 4-wickets respectively.
MLABA THE BEST SA BOWLER
Earlier Indian captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, lashed an exhilarating 66 from just 38 balls to lead her team to an imposing total of 192-4 and Kaur capitalised superbly on the platform laid by openers Smriti Mandhana (37 from 25 balls) and Shafali Verma (64 from 46) after Wolvaardt had chosen to bowl first.
Mandhana’s innings ended with a diving catch at deep midwicket by Nadine de Klerk off the bowling of left- arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba who followed up with the wicket of Jemimah Rodrigues (0) who top edged a sweep to her first ball to short third as the innings hiccuped from 68-0 to 68-2.
But Verma was staunch in her counter-attack with a series of classy drives and legside boundaries before holing out to Annerie Dercksen at deep midwicket against De Klerk (3-0-27-1) allowing Kaur to unleash her best attacking game with seven fours and three sixes before a run out on the final ball of the innings.
Mlaba was the pick of the attack with 2-31 from her four overs while Dercksen conceded just 13 runs from her two overs and, curiously, was not required again.
It was not an innings to remember for seamer Tumi Sekhukhune (4-0-51-0) or the usually reliable left-arm spinner Chloe Tryon whose two overs cost 22 runs.
The hosts have now won the five-match series which concludes at the Wanderers on Friday and Benoni on Monday.
SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Sune Luus, Tazmin Brits, Annerie Dercksen, Kayla Reyneke, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta (wkt), Ayanda Hlubi, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nonkululeko Mlaba
INDIA: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh (wkt), Deepti Sharma, Kashvee Gautam, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Kranti Gaud