History – Netherlands Women’s Cricket Team
The Netherlands cricket team or as they are usually addressed – The Lionesses are managed by the Royal Dutch Cricket Association and have been an associate member of the International Cricket Council since 1966. They played their first-ever ODI in 1984, 12 years prior to the Dutch men’s debut. This was against New Zealand in which they, perversely, lost by 67 runs. Post this, Netherlands must’ve hoped to turn things their way in their next opportunity but ironically, this came 4 years later in the 1988 Women’s Cricket World Cup. Likewise, this also did not go their way as they ended up at the bottom of the table.
Current Status – Netherlands Women’s Cricket Team
Despite having a few wins here and there, the Netherlands’ rocky beginning transformed into a rocky journey altogether as they won only 19 of the 101 ODIs they played. Their previous international appearance was in the ICC Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup. They played their final match on the 30th of August and ended up on the losing side on this occasion too failing to chase what one would call a rather cheap score-112.
Top Players – Netherlands Women’s Cricket Team
1. Heather Siegers
The 25-year-old all-rounder from Haarlem will not only represent the lionesses as an all-rounder but also as their leader. So far, she has played just 22 matches scoring 280 runs and picking up 18 wickets via right-arm medium pace at an average and economy of 14 and 6.22 respectively. These stats are clearly limited and do not reflect her true abilities, especially since she is yet to make her international ODI debut. The Dutch fans will hope that her stunt as captain and debut as an ODI player go hand in hand and contribute to the advancement of the Netherlands team.
2. Frederique Overdijk
Overdijk is a young right-arm-medium bowler who made her debut in just 2019 but has managed to grab the label of a valuable player. She was the highest wicket-taker in the recently concluded Women’s T20 World Cup and overall, she has picked 11 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 14. To add to her ecstasy, she is also the only Dutch cricketer-male or female to pick 7 wickets in a single T20 match which came in the same tournament, against France. Following this, she received undue attention and now has expectations pinned on her to weave her magic again.
3. Marloes Braat
31-year-old Braat from Vlaardigen is one crucial asset for the Lionesses owing to her very valuable experience in international cricket. She made her ODI debut in 2006 and has played just 19 matches since then but is still the highest run-scorer in the team traveling to Zimbabwe for the Qualifier. Subsequently, she has also been on a break from cricket and will be announcing her return internationally in this chief competition.
Importance – Netherlands Women’s Cricket Team
Talking about why the World Cup is paramount for a group of brilliant cricketers is undoubtedly way beyond the scope of this article but honestly, why wouldn’t it be important? Just like the other teams competing in this Qualifier, the Netherlands team is one with splendid talent who has just failed to put it together as a group. Playing more tournaments would not only grant the players with the kind of exposure they require to compete well on the big stage but also allow their fans to watch their role models play passionately, encouraging them to play the sport and more importantly, support those who play it.
Squad – Netherlands Women’s Cricket Team
Heather Siegers (c)
Gwen Bloemen
Marloes Braat
Sterre Kalis
Hannah Landheer
Babette de Leede
Caroline de Lange
Eva Lynch
Frederique Overdijk
Juliët Post
Robine Rijke
Silver Siegers
Jolien van Vliet
Isabel van der Woning
Iris Zwilling
Fixtures
Netherlands vs Sri Lanka – 23rd November
Netherlands vs Ireland – 25th November
Netherlands vs West Indies – 29th November
Student, Athlete, and Cricket Enthusiast.