The national women’s teams of the Netherlands and Hong Kong are slated to lock horns in their first-ever Twenty20 International (T20I) on the 17th of June 2024. The game will be held at Sportpark Maarschalkerweerd, Utrecht, and the live-action gets underway at 5:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Squads:
Netherlands – Babette de Leede, Robine Rijke, Iris Zwilling, Caroline de Lange, Eva Lynch, Silver Siegers, Sterre Kalis, Hannah Landheer, Frederique Overdijk, Annemijn Thomson, Phebe Molkenboer, Merel Dekeling, Carlijn van Koolwijk, Mikkie Zwilling, Myrthe van den Raad, Sanya Khurana, Madison Landsman, Fenna Vermeire, Robin Schmidt
Hong Kong – Betty Chan, Kary Chan, Mariko Hill, Maryam Bibi, Shanzeen Shahzad, Yasmin Daswani, Hiu Ying Cheung, Alison Siu, Natasha Miles, Iqra Sahar, Marina Lamplough, Georgina Bradley, Joyleen Kaur, Maira Saleem
Players to watch out:
Babette de Leede
The 24-year-old keeper-batter has amassed 767 runs from 52 T20I outings, including the highest score of 82*, at an average of 19.66. Babette has been in outstanding form of late, registering scores of 37, 20, 82*, and 40* in her previous 4 outings. Given her form, she can be counted on to lead the scoring.
Robine Rijke
The 27-year-old all-rounder in T20Is, from 53 outings, has accumulated 707 runs. With the ball, averaging 10.69 and maintaining an economy rate of 4.55, she has struck 23 wickets from 16 innings. Robine hasn’t bowled lately but managed a few runs in her most recent campaign and will be backed to step up her efforts.
Natasha Miles
The 35-year-old opening batter, averaging 28.03, has posted 757 runs from 37 T20I outings and notched up the highest score of 86*. Natasha, in her most recent campaign earlier this year, struggled for runs, but late last year did manage consecutive scores of 30*, 34*, and 27. It is expected that the seasoned batter rises to the occasion.
Mariko Hill
The 28-year-old all-rounder has racked up 1179 runs from 55 ODI innings and has bagged 40 wickets from 52 bowling innings, with respective bests of 100* and 5/2. Mariko, in her previous three T20Is earlier this year, registered scores of 100*, 56, and 22, and bowled economically, but managed just one wicket. She can be banked upon for her contributions.
Pitch:
The center wicket at Sportpark Maarschalkerweerd provides a balanced playing surface, one that caters to both batters and bowlers. While it favors batters, spinners can also take advantage of the conditions, as evidenced by the average score in the 110s.
Weather:
With light winds, humidity at 68%, and the temperature expected to hover around 19°C, the conditions are pleasant for cricket. The overhead is expected to be cloudy; however, the chances of rain are minimal.
Fantasy playing XI:
Babette de Leede, Sterre Kalis, Shanzeen Shahzad, Marina Lamplough, Natasha Miles, Kary Chan, Iris Zwilling, Betty Chan, Mariko Hill, Iqra Sahar, Eva Lynch
Match details:
Date – June 17, 2024
Time – 5:30 PM IST
Venue – Sportpark Maarschalkerweerd, Utrecht
Broadcast – Access live scores on the FanCode app and website.