With every moment of shut eye you offer to women’s cricket, you are turning away from seeing breathtaking cricket that’s happening in that realm of sport that perhaps beckons greater attention than given. That’s pretty much where the problem is. It’s not about not appreciating the colossal heights the men’s game is reaching, think for a second, Joe Root‘s stupendous 2021, punctuated by 6 Test centuries; it’s about not paying enough attention to headline makers in the women’s game who are raising the bar for skill and competition.
And the world learned a great deal about where the women’s game has reached a few hours ago and that too in the precursor to the next Women’s T20 world cup, i.e., the ongoing women’s T20 world cup qualifiers, being contested in Europe.
When Netherland’s Frederique Overdijk took 7 wickets while conceding no more than 3 runs, whilst bowling 2 maidens, France Women were blown away being bundled out for 33 runs.
Source: Twitter/@HVCVQuick
Read that again. 33 runs from 20 overs. That too, in the highest-possible platform for women’s cricket following the world cup, i.e., the women’s T20 world cup qualifiers.
In reply, the Netherland’s women chased down the total inside four overs to register a thumping victory.
Moreover, Frederique Overdijk’s magnificent T20I spell, not just the best returns for Netherland’s women’s cricket history but also for the entirety of the women’s game, fetched her team early advantage in a contest that’s all about getting elected to meet some of the most dangerous forces in the sport, later on, think Proteas women, White Ferns, Australia, India women, Windies women to quote a few.
In that format of the game that’s about freely-hit strikes, soaring strike-rates and the domination of the bat over the ball, it’s next-to-impossible to deliver dot balls.
Then to have bowled 2 maidens, and taken 7 of France’s 10 wickets on her own is an achievement emphatic and second to none in the highest annals of the women’s game.
The right-arm medium pacer, Frederick Overdijk reached her career-best figures whilst playing just the eighth T20I of her career.
At an age where most are yet to debut in the women’s game, Frederique Overdijk, all of 21, has become an international star and must be directed more attention than given.
The revered ICC celebrated the achievement by stating the following:
On the first day of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier, supported by Dream11, Netherlands’ Frederique Overdijk grabbed all the headlines for her record-breaking spell of 4-2-3-7, the best figures in the T20I history.
The performance at Spain, it ought to be said, was a world away from Frederique Overdijk’s 2019 international debut, which came in The Netherland’s against Ireland women, wherein she bowled 2 overs from which she conceded 27 runs, at the highest economy of over 13 an over.
Now what’s interesting is that the Netherland’s women are to play Ireland women at some point in the ongoing tournament, where one of the greatest battles would be to see Gaby Lewis, who began the series with a ballsy unbeaten 105 (off just 60 vs Germany) squaring up against Frederique Overdijk!