Netherland’s women’s team marked their return to One-day International (ODI) cricket after 3924 days or say it 10 years, 8 months, and 29 days on 22nd August 2022 against Ireland that they’d last played way back on the 24th of November 2011. The recently concluded 3-match ODI series saw them make little progress as the series went on but couldn’t get a win they would have loved having.
1st ODI – Ireland vs Netherlands Women
Netherland put in to bat first had the Irish bowlers rolling in and repeatedly breach through their defenses and soon found half their team back in the shed in only 13.2 overs of play with as little as 21 runs on the board. To help Netherland in the middle, Frederique Overdijk made it to the 22-yards and got a little resistance for the side with her unbeaten knock of 38 off 65 balls and wickets cheaply fell on the other end which saw the Netherlands bowled out for 84. Ireland had Arlene Kelly and Rachel Delaney with 3 wickets each. Netherland found success in making early inroads but Gaby Lewis and Orla Prendergast top scored with 25(32) and 24*(35) which saw the comfortably get to the required but for the loss of 5 wickets as Iris Zwilling and Silver Siegers bagged a couple of wickets each.
2nd ODI – Ireland vs Netherlands Women
Netherland invited Ireland to have a bat first and lost a couple of batters after having decent starts as Gaby Lewis on 15(19) and Amy Hunter on 22(23) made their way back. Opener, Leah Paul alongside skipper, Laura Delany put on a 236-run stand which saw curtains with the wicket of Laura runout on 109(102). Leah Paul soon was runout on 137(138) and a few more late scalps had Netherland strike 8 Irish wickets but had a total of 338 to chase down. Netherland in reply lost skipper, Babette de Ledee early on 6 and then the rest of the top 6 departed after having starts. A lower middle order and tailenders collapse had Netherland bowled out for 127 which saw Cara Murray with a fifer.
5/39
21-year-old Cara Murray, playing just her 12th ODI match today, picked a 5 Wicket Haul, her 1st in ODIs
Ireland: 337/8
Netherlands: 127/10 #CricketTwitter #NEDvIRE pic.twitter.com/MNZX8As2WJ— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) August 24, 2022
3rd ODI – Ireland vs Netherlands Women
Netherland again won the toss and opt to bat first. Skipper, Babette de Ledee this time around was among runs but the rest in the top 5 departed early on scores of 2, 0, 1 and 7. Robyn van Oosterom stitched a little partnership alongside Babette before departing on 14. Frederique Overdijk made her way to the middle and as she did in the 1st ODI settled the chaos in the middle and alongside Babette stitched a crucial 75-run stand that came to an end with Cara Murray dismissing Babette on 76(98). The tailenders couldn’t hang on for long and with Overdijk unbeaten on 47(88), the Netherlands were all-out for 185.
Ireland in reply had a very good start and it was Leah Paul’s wicket on 27(63) which brought put an end to the 75-run opening stand. Gaby Lewis and Amy Hunter went exceedingly well about their business and a century stand was on board. Ireland inching close to victory lost Gaby Lewis on 92(98) and the 107-run stand saw curtains. Unbeaten pair of Laura Delany on 4(3) and Amy Hunter on 53(50) sealed the win for the side by 8 wickets marking a clean sweep 3-0 series win over the Netherlands.
Netherland on their return played the catching-up game but as the series progressed looked a touch better and one does believe that with more game sense and time the side will get to what’s required in challenging oppositions in international cricket.