Pace in South Africa Shabnim Ismail etched her name in the record books by becoming the first bowler to take 50 wickets in Women’s T20 World Cup history during the semifinal against England at The Oval on Thursday.The landmark came in Ismail’s 38th Women’s T20 World Cup appearance when she dismissed England opener Amy Jones on the very first ball of her opening match. Jones managed just two runs before running out Annerie Dercksen, handing the veteran fast bowler her historic 50th wicket of the tournament.Ismail wasn’t done there, scoring his second again to leave England reeling at 23/3 and put South Africa firmly in control early in the semifinal.However, England bounced back with a brilliant century partnership between captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and former captain Heather Knight before securing a 40-run victory to book the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup against Australia.
Ismail achieved an unprecedented milestone in the World Cup
The 37-year-old from Cape Town entered the semifinal needing just one wicket to reach the unprecedented landmark and wasted little time in achieving it.Her early successes highlight why she remains one of the most feared fast bowlers in women’s cricket. Ismail now sits alone at the top of the all-time Women’s T20 World Cup wicket charts with 51 scalps, extending her lead over Australia’s Megan Schuttwho has 48 wickets.Australia’s all-rounder Ellyse Perry occupies third place with 44 wickets, followed by England’s Anya Shrubsole (41) and fellow South African Marizanne Kapp (39).Already South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in international cricket, Ismail has again amassed 191 wickets in 127 Women’s ODIs and 131 wickets in 119 T20Is, highlighting her remarkable longevity and consistency across formats.Most wickets in Women’s T20 World Cups:
- 51 – Shabnim Ismail (SA)*
- 48 – Megan Schutt (AUS)
- 44 – Ellyse Perry (AUS)
- 41 – Anya Shrubsole (ENG)
- 39 – Marizanne Kapp (SA)
England recovered after a fiery opening spell
Reflecting on his memorable opening spell, Ismail admitted that dismissing Jones off a delivery that did not go as planned.“We know he wants to dominate the side. Obviously, it’s not my best ball, really, but I’ll take it any day,” he said.Although South Africa reduced England to 33/3 in the powerplay, Ismail acknowledged the game-changing partnership between Sciver-Brunt and Knight.“If we’re talking about 33 in three, we’ll take that powerplay any day. Then, obviously, we’ve got Heather Knight and we’ve got the captain there.Asked what continues to motivate him after an illustrious international career, the veteran pacer paid tribute to those closest to him.“I think my family and teammates keep me young and keep me going,” he said.While his historic milestone was one of the best moments of the semifinal, England ultimately had the final say. Led by Sciver-Brunt’s brilliant 75, they recovered from an early collapse to post 169/5 before restricting South Africa to 129/8, ending the Proteas’ campaign and setting up a title showdown with unbeaten Australia at Lord’s.