Madison Landsman of South Africa’s U-19 Women’s team created history with a superb and match-winning hat-trick in the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2023. The leg-spinning all-rounder stepped up to bowl the 15th over of the second innings against Scotland, with the run rate climbing but the chase still alive in what had been a tight encounter in Benoni. But the 18-year-old put South Africa on the verge of a superb win, their first of the tournament, with three wickets in three balls to leave the Scots reeling on 60-8.
A flighted delivery with the second ball of the over tempted Maryam Faisal into a big shot, but she was deceived in the air and a top edge looped up to give keeper Karabo Meso a simple catch. Niamh Muir was lured into a drive off the next delivery, spooning the ball into the covers where captain Oluhle Siyo clung on to the catch at the second attempt. And, with expectation rising and the field closing in, Landsman stepped up for the hat-trick ball with a chance to make history. The spinner gave it plenty of flight and again lured the batter into a poor choice of shot, with Orla Montgomery looking for the big heave and completely missing the ball, which clattered into off-stump.
The celebrations were huge, not just for the hat-trick moment but for the impact it had on the game itself and South Africa’s T20 World Cup future. The victory puts the Proteas in a terrific position to qualify for the next round having been on the wrong end of a heavy loss to India first up, with UAE still to play in their final Group D fixture.
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