Dutch young guns targeting opening win against UAE

Overview
Netherlands Women v United Arab Emirates Women
Kampong Cricket Club, Utrecht
Match 3, WT20Q 2018
Saturday, 7 July, 15:00 BST, 16:00 local

The tournament hosts will be looking to put a 46-run defeat to Thailand in their final warm-up match behind them as they focus on progressing to the semi-finals from Group A, which also includes Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea.

Heather Siegers, the Netherlands' 21-year-old captain, insists her youthful side will play an aggressive, fearless brand of cricket and they hope to make the most of home advantage to reach their first ever World T20.

"Our biggest strength is our team spirit," said Siegers in the build-up. "We can always count on each other and from that a lot of personal performances get enhanced.”

This is UAE's first appearance at this level having finished runners-up behind Thailand in the Asian leg of ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifying Series 2017.

They will be full of confidence after a commanding 29-run victory over Uganda in the lead-up to this match. Their bowling was particularly impressive, restricting their opponents to 99/7 in reply to 128/5.

UAE may not be considered among the favourites to claim one of the two remaining places at the tournament proper but their captain Humaira Tasneem is adamant they have the quality in their ranks to do just that.

“Our No.1 goal is to qualify for the ICC World T20," she said. "If we play as a team and go according to our plans and strategies while also being tactical, then we are pretty much on target."

If they can defeat the Netherlands in their opening match they will be in excellent shape to progress to the last four, and from then on, who knows?

**Key playersSterre Kalis (Netherlands):**The 18-year-old opener was signed up on a rookie contract last year by Women's Big Bash League outfit Sydney Thunder and has already been marked out as a player with a very bright future. A right-hander who likes to play her shots, she scored 26 in an otherwise disappointing warm-up defeat to Thailand and has also impressed recently in English domestic cricket with Essex.

Chamani Senevirathne (United Arab Emirates): The former Sri Lanka captain has added a great deal of experience to the side since switching her allegiance to UAE because of what she described as a "lack of opportunities" in her home country. A classy right-hander who turns 40 in November, Senevirathne showed she still has what it takes by stroking a half-century in the warm-up win over Uganda.

Squads

Netherlands: Heather Siegers (c), Cher van Slobbe, Esther Corder, Caroline de Fouw, Babette de Leede (wk), Denise Hannema, Sterre Kalis, Lisa Klokgieters, Mariska Kornet, Juliet Post, Annemijn Thomson, Robine Rijke, Silver Siegers, Jolien van Vliet

United Arab Emirates: Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne, Chaya Mughal, Esha Oza, Heena Hotchandani, Ishni Senavirathna, Judit Cleetus, Kavisha Kumari, Namita D’Souza, Neha Sharma, Nisha Ali, Roopa Nagaraj, Subha Srinivasan, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi