Warwickshire, ahead of their historic debut season under England’s redesigned domestic women’s cricket framework, have strengthened their batting lineup by acquiring Netherlands international Sterre Kalis on loan for the 2025 summer.
The Bears will feature in the first-ever Women’s One-Day Cup and the Women’s T20 Blast with Kalis, a prolific top-order hitter, in their ranks. The 25-year-old may play for her parent club, Yorkshire, in Tier 2 County Cup competitions while still playing for Warwickshire, a Tier 1 team, according to her loan deal.
Kalis will be able to play frequently in England’s top domestic championships going forward, which is a huge step for her as she will get exposure and experience. Talking on her loan transfer, Kalis stated, “It gives me the opportunity to play Tier 1 cricket this year and compete at the highest level in the country. I’ve heard good things about Warwickshire and it’s always exciting to be able to play at Test grounds like Edgbaston.”
Kalis provides strong domestic and international credentials. She has played in 44 T20 Internationals and five One-Day Internationals for the Netherlands, averages an incredible 35.73 in T20Is with a strike rate of more than 102. She has scored 1358 runs in the shortest format, including the highest individual score for Netherlands in a Women’s T20I to date, a record 126* against Germany.
Kalis has made five appearances in One Day Internationals and totalled 106 runs, including a career-high 54. She was the standout performer for Northern Diamonds in domestic cricket, earning her first List A century against Lancashire Thunder in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy last year.
Bears Women’s Head of High-Performance Laura MacLeod said she was thrilled to sign Kalis and emphasised her extensive background. She further said, “Sterre is a proven top-order batter with The Hundred experience with the Phoenix and international experience with The Netherlands. She will add strength and depth to our batting line-up.”
The timing of this loan transfer is crucial for English women’s cricket. Beginning with the 2025 season, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) reorganised the domestic system, granting full professional status to eight Tier 1 counties. One of the eight teams is Warwickshire, and Kalis’ parent club, Yorkshire, has been promoted to Tier 1 for 2026 but is still in Tier 2 this year.
With this move, Kalis will have the chance to continue playing at the highest level of cricket and put her skills to the test against some of England’s top players.
On April 23, Warwickshire Women will play Hampshire in the opening match of their One-Day Cup season at the storied Edgbaston stadium, where Kalis will look to make an early impression.
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