Babette de Leede reached the 2,000 international runs milestone dramatically, anchoring a gallant but ultimately losing chase against Australia with an unbeaten 56* (57) at the Rose Bowl, Southampton, on 20 June 2026.
The 26-year-old wicket‑keeper batter and Netherlands captain entered the contest just eight runs shy of the landmark and secured it in the 14th game of the T20 World Cup, becoming the latest exemplar of how associate‑nation talent is reshaping the women’s game even as the Netherlands make their debut at this 10th edition in England and Wales.
Australia, led by Sophie Molineux, set the tournament alight by posting 219/6, their highest total of this World Cup and a joint‑highest in the competition’s history, after skipper de Leede elected to field. Chasing a challenging 220, the Netherlands were pegged back early to 17/2 inside the fourth over. It was de Leede who steadied the innings, arriving at No. 3 and combining with Sterre Kalis to construct a record third‑wicket partnership for the Netherlands in T20Is worth 96 runs.
Her measured 56*, featuring five boundaries, proved both resilient and classy: it was the first half‑century by any associate‑nation player against Australia in women’s internationals, and it completed the personal milestone that marks a major chapter in de Leede’s rapidly maturing career.
Despite de Leede’s heroics, the Netherlands finished on 121/3 in their 20 overs, falling 98 runs short of the target. The result leaves the Dutch side still searching for their first win at a maiden World Cup appearance; they have lost all three pool matches so far, by six wickets to Bangladesh, by 95 runs to India, and now by 98 runs to Australia. Even so, de Leede’s presence with the bat has been a consistent bright spot.
She leads her team’s scoring in the tournament and sits second overall in tournament runs with 134 at a strike rate of 103.87 and an impressive average of 67 from three innings, already producing two half‑centuries in three matches, for a side finding its feet on the global stage.
Babette De Leede’s journey to this milestone is rooted in steady growth and adaptability. She debuted in T20Is on 7 July 2018 against the UAE in Utrecht and has since become a reliable run‑getter and dependable wicket‑keeper for the Netherlands. She has 1,759 T20I runs at a strike rate of 97.72 and an average of 22.55 from 94 innings in 100 matches, including nine half‑centuries.
Her best T20I innings remains an 82* off 42 balls against Italy on 28 May 2024, a match in which she struck ten boundaries and earned Player of the Match honours as the Netherlands posted 178/4 and won by 94 runs. She also made national strides in leadership when she succeeded Heather Siegers as full‑time captain in October 2024.
De Leede’s record is not confined to the shortest format. Since her ODI debut on 22 August 2022 versus Ireland at Amstelveen, she has added 289 ODI runs at a strike rate of 70.48 and an average of 22.23 across 13 innings. Her growth across formats underscores why her 2,000‑run landmark is both personal and symbolic: it marks the rise of a player who carries the workload for an emerging side and keeps producing individual excellence against the very best.
At 26, Babette de Leede has already carved out a place in Dutch cricket history and sent a clear message to the wider game: associate nations possess batters capable of producing moments of genuine international significance. While the Netherlands chase their first World Cup victory, de Leede’s milestone and her match‑winning temperament offer a foundation on which the side can build as the tournament and her career progress.
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