The Netherlands are set to make their debut at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales, with leg-spinner Caroline de Lange expected to play a key role in their campaign.
The 27-year-old, who is also a qualified doctor, has been balancing her professional career with international cricket as she prepares to represent her country on the global stage.
Key Role in Qualification Campaign
De Lange was instrumental in helping the Netherlands secure their place in the tournament through the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier 2025/26. The team topped their group before finishing fourth in the Super Six stage to confirm qualification.
She contributed eight wickets in seven matches during the campaign, maintaining an economy rate of 6.26.
Reflecting on the achievement, she said, “Reaching the World Cup is something we’ve dreamed about for years, so to be able to play a role in that journey and qualification process makes me really proud and happy.”
Confidence in Spin-Friendly Impact
Despite conditions in England traditionally favouring seam bowlers, de Lange expressed confidence that spinners can still play a major role in the T20 format.
“If you look at the women’s domestic Tier 1 competition in England, spinners are still very effective there. So even though English conditions are traditionally seen as favourable for seamers, I still believe spinners can have a big impact, especially in the T20 format. For me, it’s mainly about being consistent with my lines and lengths, sticking to the game plans, and adapting to the conditions.”
Preparation for the Global Stage
The Netherlands have focused on structured preparation ahead of the tournament, including training blocks and match practice in English conditions.
“Our preparation has mainly consisted of a training block with a lot of indoor sessions and fitness work. We also travelled to England twice to play against county teams, which was really valuable to get a feel for the conditions and gain some match experience. By now, our domestic season has started, which gives us even more game time and helps us build rhythm ahead of the World Cup.”
Journey Through the Ranks
De Lange’s cricket journey began at a young age in The Hague, where she joined her local club before progressing through the Netherlands’ youth system.
“I started playing cricket when I was about six years old at my local club in The Hague, where my older brother was already playing. I joined the Dutch girls’ youth set-up at the Under-13 level. That was also where I first played alongside Sterre (Kalis) and Babette (de Leede – the current skipper). From there, I followed the pathway through the youth teams into the senior national side. One of the most important experiences in my development was spending the 2019–2020 season in Brisbane, Australia. This really helped me grow as a player both technically and mentally.”
Looking Ahead to Tough Challenge
The Netherlands face a difficult group that includes Australia, India, South Africa, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Despite that, Caroline de Lange described the opportunity as exciting.
“It will definitely be very challenging, but honestly, it’s also the most exciting challenge I can imagine. I’ve been watching them play on television for years, and now I’m preparing plans on how to bowl against them. Surely the level of the batters is high, but as a bowler, I try to break it down ball by ball and focus on executing my skills for the team.”
The Netherlands will begin their campaign against Bangladesh on June 14, following final preparations that include a tri-series in Scotland and warm-up matches.
