The 24-year-old South African left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba shined in their first game of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 against West Indies Women. 

After South Africa Women chose to bowl first at Dubai, West Indies Women managed to score 118/6. Nonkululeko Mlaba played a vital role in restricting the 2016 champions to less than 120 runs. 

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Nonkululeko Mlaba took four wickets

The left-arm spinner Mlaba was the best bowler for South Africa, as she picked up four wickets. Mlaba started her first spell in the fifth over of the first innings, where she bowled the opener Qiana Joseph (4). 

Mlaba returned in the 12th over, where she picked up two wickets in back-to-back deliveries before conceding five wide runs on her hat-trick delivery. After she bowled Shemaine Campbelle (17), Mlaba also dismissed Chinelle Henry (0) on her next delivery. While her next over was wicketless with five runs, she ended with a wicket for ten runs in her last over.

Aaliyah Alleyne (7) was out during Mlaba’s final over. The South African spinner ended the innings with the bowling figures of 4-0-29-4. 

Mlaba became the third South African bowler to pick up four wickets in a Women’s T20 World Cup match. Previously, Sune Luus and Ayabonga Khaka achieved this feat for South Africa Women. 

Best bowling figures for South Africa in the Women's T20 World Cup

Second-best WT20 WC bowling figures against West Indies Women

Meanwhile, Mlaba’s bowling figures were the second-best bowling figures against West Indies Women in the Women’s T20 World Cup history. Pakistan Women’s Anam Amin holds the record with 4/16 during the 2016 edition. 

Four-wicket haul against West Indies in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup