Laura Wolvaardt led South Africa to a big win over Zimbabwe in the third T20I. Her record-equalling century helped the Proteas take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. South Africa won the match by 80 runs.
Wolvaardt scored an unbeaten 126 off just 62 balls. It was her fourth T20I century. It also took her total international hundreds to 18. That drew her level with India’s Smriti Mandhana for the most centuries in women’s cricket. Her strike rate was 203.22. She hit 16 fours and four sixes.
The knock was her best T20I score, beating her previous unbeaten 115 against Ireland in December last year. It was also the highest individual T20I score by a South African woman. She surpassed Shandre Fritz’s unbeaten 116 against the Netherlands in 2010. Wolvaardt was named Player of the Match. Her innings helped South Africa reach 200 for 1.
Karabo Meso supported her well. The wicketkeeper-batter scored an unbeaten 50 off 51 balls. Her innings included five fours and one six.
Zimbabwe struggled in their chase. South Africa’s bowlers put them under pressure early. Zimbabwe were 29 for 4 at the end of the powerplay. They then slipped to 35 for 6 after wickets in the seventh and eighth overs. Annerie Dercksen led the bowling effort with her first five-wicket haul in T20Is. She finished with figures of 5 for 15. South Africa eventually bowled Zimbabwe out for 120.
Michelle Mavunga top-scored for Zimbabwe with a quick 41 off 23 balls. Nyasha Gwanzura made 28. Christine Mutasa scored 19, and Loryn Phiri added 14. Besides Dercksen, Eliz-Mari Marx, Seshnie Naidu, Luyanda Nzuza, and Ayanda Hlubi each took one wicket for South Africa.
South Africa had already won the first two matches. In the opening game, they bowled Zimbabwe out for 116 and chased the target in just 13.1 overs. In the second T20I, they posted 193 for 6 and restricted Zimbabwe to 129 for 7, winning by 64 runs. The fourth match of the series will be played on September 17.
Smriti Mandhana’s 18 International Centuries: Full Breakdown of Her Record-Equalling Milestone
Smriti Mandhana has 18 international centuries. That is the joint-most in women’s cricket, alongside South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt. Her breakdown is 14 ODI hundreds, 2 Test hundreds, and 2 T20I hundreds.
The 18th came on September 3, 2026, when she scored 124 off 64 balls against Hong Kong in the Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai. That knock took her past Meg Lanning’s 17 centuries. In the same innings, she also went past Mithali Raj’s 10,868 runs to become the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket. She now has 10,880 runs. It was also the highest individual score in Women’s T20 Asia Cup history.
Her T20I centuries are:
– 112 off 62 balls vs England at Nottingham in June 2025
– 124 off 64 balls vs Hong Kong in Dubai in September 2026
In ODIs, her first hundred was 102 vs Australia in Hobart in 2016. She had five ODI tons by the end of 2023. Then she made four in 2024: 117 and 136 vs South Africa, 100 vs New Zealand, and 105 vs Australia. She added five more in 2025. She now has 14 ODI hundreds and 35 fifties.
What changed was her conversion rate. Through 2023, she turned only 16.1% of her fifty-plus scores into hundreds. In 2024 and 2025, that jumped to 52.9%. Her strike rate also rose in T20Is: from 126.53 in 2024 to 135.85 in 2025 and 145.84 in 2026.
Mandhana has said the records are “just a start”.
FAQs
Q. How many international centuries does Laura Wolvaardt have?
A. Wolvaardt has 18 international centuries.
Q. Who does Wolvaardt share the record with?
A. Wolvaardt shares the record with Smriti Mandhana.
Q. How many runs did Wolvaardt score against Zimbabwe?
A. Wolvaardt scored an unbeaten 126 off 62 balls.
Q. How many wickets did Annerie Dercksen take?
A. Dercksen took five wickets for 15 runs.
Q. How many international centuries does Smriti Mandhana have?
A. Mandhana also has 18 international centuries.
Get the Latest Cricket Updates at IceCric.News. Also, Follow Our Social Media for live updates on Facebook and Instagram.
