Marizanne Kapp became the second South African, after Shabnim Ismail, to reach 100 T20I wickets and the first from her country to combine 1,000-plus T20I runs with 100 wickets, achieving the feat in South Africa’s must-win Group A clash against Bangladesh at Lord’s on 28 June 2026.
Already one wicket shy before the match, the 36-year-old veteran delivered a textbook all-round performance, a miserly new-ball spell (4-0-9-1) that included the prized breakthrough on the first ball, and a composed middle-order contribution with the bat (16 off 21), to steer Laura Wolvaardt’s side to a nervy four-wicket victory with four balls to spare. The landmark and the match were fittingly capped with Kapp being named Player of the Match.
On a typical Lord’s morning, Bangladesh’s skipper Nigar Sultana Joty elected to bat. Kapp opened the bowling and wrapped up her quota in one spell (4-0-9-1), and, alongside the searing pace of Shabnim Ismail, strangled the early momentum. Kapp’s first-ball scalp, Juairiya Ferdous out for a platinum duck, set the tone, and after seven overs, Bangladesh were 26 for 2, reeling from disciplined new-ball bowling. Bangladesh rebuilt enough to finish 117 for 5, thanks to a late, unbeaten cameo from skipper Nigar Sultana Joty (32* off 20), but the total always felt reachable for a South African side that needed the win to keep semi-final hopes alive.
Chasing 118 proved a tricky assignment as Bangladesh’s bowlers fought tooth and nail. Kapp, coming in at No. 5, absorbed pressure and provided a useful 16 off 21, helping to steady the innings when boundaries were hard to come by. The match ebbed and flowed to the final over, but South Africa held their nerve and crossed the line with four wickets in hand, preserving their campaign with a crucial victory. Simultaneously, Australia’s win later in the day, over India, confirmed South Africa’s progress to the semis as Group A’s 2nd-placed side.
Marizanne Kapp’s milestone is as much a testament to longevity as it is to adaptability. Since her international debut in an ODI against Australia in Newcastle on 10 March 2009 and her T20I debut three months later at Taunton on 16 June 2009, she has built a trophy case of performances. The 36-year-old reached 100 T20I wickets in 125 matches and 111 bowling innings at an impressive average of 20.56 and an economy of 5.54.
Her T20I career includes a four-wicket haul and a standout spell against Bangladesh on 14 September 2013, a 4-1-6-4 performance that featured a hat-trick and secured a 9-wicket win. With the ball in ICC Women’s T20 World Cups, Kapp sits as South Africa’s second-highest wicket-taker after Shabnim Ismail and is fifth overall in tournament history with 38 wickets at 17.13 and an economy of 5.14 in 37 matches.
With the bat, Kapp’s evolution into a genuine all-round match-winner is clear. She crossed the 1,000-run mark in T20Is and now has 1,769 runs at a strike rate of 107.21 and an average of 21.05 in 103 innings, including six fifties. This edition of the World Cup has underlined her dual value; a career-best 81* (45) against India in Manchester, earlier in the tournament, she has collected 119 runs at a strike rate of 148.75 and seven wickets at 14.14 in five matches this edition.
Kapp is playing in her ninth World Cup edition, missing only the 2010 tournament, and remains as pivotal as ever to South Africa’s balance. Her Lord’s landmark, the rare 1,000+ runs and 100 wickets double in T20Is, cements her status among the format’s enduring elite: a frontline seamer who can steady an innings and tilt close encounters with both bat and ball.
South Africa now heads into the semi-final against hosts England at The Oval on 2 July, buoyed by experience, resilience and Kapp’s continuing knack for headlining performances when it matters most. Would South Africa’s seasoned campaigner produce another match-defining spell on the big stage? The answer could determine their path to a potential first World Cup title.
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