Captain babette

T20 World Cup: Captain Babette de Leede produced a composed half-century to guide the Netherlands to 139/8 in 20 overs against Bangladesh in their opening match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Edgbaston on Sunday.

After electing to bat first, the Netherlands got off to a cautious start, managing only four runs in the opening over. Opener Phebe Molkenboer looked to accelerate the scoring by striking two consecutive boundaries at the start of the second over, but her promising innings was cut short when Marufa Akter induced an edge that was comfortably taken by wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana.

Bangladesh’s bowlers maintained tight control in the early stages. Marufa repeatedly troubled De Leede with her disciplined line and length, while Heather Siegers kept the scoreboard moving with a couple of boundaries at the other end.