Women's T20 World Cup Live: Bangladesh eye winning start as Dutch make historic debut

Babette's connection with cricket stretches across generations.

Her uncle Tim de Leede, famous for dismissing Sachin Tendulkar at the 2003 Men's World Cup, is serving as the Netherlands women's assistant coach during the tournament.

Her cousin Bas is a key member of the men's side, while her father rarely misses a match. Even her grandmother will be in the stands in England cheering the team on.

Babette describes her family as intensely competitive, with conversations revolving around cricket, football and hockey, making sport an inseparable part of their lives.

According to Babette, one of the biggest changes came with the appointment of the Netherlands' first full-time coach in 2020.

Prior to that, players juggled training with work and studies, lacking a permanent figure to guide the team. The introduction of a dedicated coaching structure brought stability and direction.

Under coach Neil McRae, the team steadily improved and eventually produced a remarkable run during the qualifiers, winning all five group-stage matches before defeating the USA through the DLS method to secure a place in the World Cup.

The Netherlands' qualification was the culmination of years of struggle.

Babette made her first appearance at a global qualifier in 2015 as a 16-year-old, only to experience a campaign without a single victory. A similar fate followed in 2018. Missing out on qualification again in 2024 proved to be a turning point, as the side finally understood what was required to compete consistently at the highest level.

The expansion of the Women's T20 World Cup from 10 to 12 teams also opened the door, and the Dutch grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

Babette de Leede still vividly remembers the moment the Netherlands sealed qualification for the World Cup in Nepal earlier this year.

Chasing 129 against the USA, the Dutch side was cruising at 90/2 after 12 overs when unexpected rain halted play. Having not seen rain throughout their stay in Nepal, the interruption came at the most crucial moment.

Fortunately, they were comfortably ahead of the DLS target and were declared winners, securing a long-awaited World Cup berth. Babette recalled feeling overwhelmed with emotions, unsure whether to celebrate, scream or simply shake hands after hearing the news.

For the Netherlands, today marks a landmark occasion as they prepare to play their first-ever Women's T20 World Cup match. Though lacking experience at this level, the Dutch side arrives in England with growing confidence and a desire to create history.

Batters Sterre Kalis and captain Babette de Leede are expected to lead from the front, while Isabel van der Woning will spearhead the bowling unit.

The Netherlands have repeatedly shown resilience and will see the clash as an opportunity to announce themselves on the biggest stage in women's cricket.

Bangladesh's hopes will largely rest on their spin-heavy bowling attack, which has been central to their success in recent years. Rabeya Khan has emerged as one of their most reliable wicket-takers and will once again shoulder responsibility in the middle overs.

With the bat, experienced campaigners Sobhana Mostary and Sharmin Akhter are expected to provide stability and anchor the innings.

The combination of seasoned performers and a well-rounded attack gives Bangladesh confidence heading into their tournament opener, where they will be aiming to justify their status as favourites.

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the Women's T20 World Cup match between Bangladesh and Netherlands.

Bangladesh will begin their ICC Women's T20 World Cup campaign with high expectations when they face tournament debutants Netherlands in a Group 1 clash at Edgbaston today.

Having become regular participants at ICC events, the Tigresses enter the competition as favourites and will be keen to make a positive start. Their experience on the global stage and familiarity with pressure situations could prove decisive against a Dutch side appearing in the tournament for the first time.

Bangladesh also hold a 2-0 advantage in previous meetings between the teams and have averaged 128 runs in those encounters, underlining their dominance in the matchup.