Babette de Leede and Robine Rijke set to become the first Netherlands players to reach 100 T20Is in the World Cup clash with Australia at Southampton.
The Netherlands will mark an epoch moment in their cricketing history on 20 June 2026 at The Rose Bowl, Southampton, when skipper-wicketkeeper Babette de Leede and all-rounder Robine Rijke each make their 100th T20I appearance.
The milestone arrives in the women in orange’s third match of a maiden ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign, a tournament that has already tested them against Bangladesh and India, and it comes as a fitting reward for two players who debuted together on 7 July 2018 and have since been the backbone of Dutch white-ball cricket.
Babette de Leede: The Heartbeat of the Netherlands Lineup
De Leede’s rise from a promising debutant in Utrecht to Netherlands captain has been both steady and substantive. Since her T20I debut, she has become the side’s second-highest run-scorer in the format, accumulating 1,703 runs from 93 innings (99 matches) at a strike rate of 97.70 and an average of 21.83.
She has posted eight half-centuries, the highest of which, an unbeaten 82 off 42 balls against Italy on 28 May 2024 at Sportpark Harga, Schiedam, remains a blueprint for how she anchors the innings: composed, inventive and capable of accelerating. That 82* included 10 boundaries and powered the Netherlands to 178/4, a match they won by 94 runs; de Leede was rightly adjudged Player of the Match.
In October 2024, she assumed the full-time captaincy from Heather Siegers, and under her stewardship, the Netherlands are experiencing a historic first T20 World Cup. In this tournament, de Leede is currently the team’s leading batter with 78 runs from two innings at a strike rate of 108.33 and an average of 39, including the Netherlands’ first-ever T20 World Cup half-century, 50 off 45 in their opener against Bangladesh.
Her role goes beyond runs: as a glove woman and leader, she marshals a young, spirited unit on unfamiliar global stages. Reaching 100 T20Is will recognise not just longevity but consistent impact, run accumulation, tactical nous and a calming presence behind the stumps.
Robine Rijke: The multi-dimensional match-winner
Robine Rijke’s value lies in her ability to alter games with bat, ball and attitude. Also making her debut on 7 July 2018, Rijke has grown into one of the Netherlands’ most dangerous all-rounders. She is the third-highest T20I run-scorer for the Netherlands with 1,488 runs from 92 innings (99 matches) at a striking 101.22 and an average of 20.66, featuring three half-centuries.
Her best batting display in the format, an unbeaten 84 off 51 against Hong Kong at Utrecht on 19 June 2024, included a dozen boundaries and a six, and helped the Netherlands post 169/5 in an 83-run victory; she took the Player of the Match award for that defining contribution.
With the ball, Rijke has been equally influential: 31 wickets in 34 T20I bowling innings at an exceptional average of 14.96 and an economy of 5.27, including notable four-wicket hauls. Her best bowling figures, 4-0-7-4 against France on 10 September 2023 in Almeria, illustrated her capacity to dismantle batting lineups and swing momentum. In the current World Cup campaign, she has contributed 21 runs at a strike rate of 95.45 across two innings; more broadly, her presence gives the Netherlands balance, a finisher who can also provide crucial overs and breakthroughs.
A milestone amid growing pains and learning curves
The context of this landmark is important. The Netherlands have lost their opening two matches in the group stage, by six wickets to Bangladesh and by 95 runs to India, and the tournament has exposed the gulf in experience and resources compared with established sides.
Still, the fact that de Leede and Rijke will reach 100 T20Is together underlines how much the Netherlands’ team identity has been built around a core that has shouldered campaigns and qualifiers for several years. Their century of appearances signals both personal durability and the maturation of Dutch women’s cricket from occasional competitors to regular international protagonists.
Beyond personal honours, this joint milestone has narrative and inspirational value. For a nation making its World Cup debut, seeing two homegrown players reach 100 caps captures a pathway for younger Dutch cricketers, proof that sustained international careers are attainable. For opponents and spectators at The Rose Bowl, the sight of de Leede’s assertive batting and tactical captaincy alongside Rijke’s multi-dimensional contributions will be a reminder that milestones often coincide with moments when teams are learning, growing and laying foundations for the future.
On 20 June, when the Orange army takes the field against Sophie Molineux’s Australia, the scoreboard will record more than runs and wickets. It will record a pair of personal landmarks woven into the Netherlands’ wider story: two players reaching 100 T20Is, two careers that trace the rise of Dutch women’s cricket onto the world stage.
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