At Southampton’s Rose Bowl, Babette de Leede quietly made history. Walking in at No. 3, the Dutch captain needed just eight runs to reach 2,000 international runs. She got there with a calm, unbeaten 56 off 57 balls, though her team fell 98 runs short against a dominant Australia.

It wasn’t the fairytale ending she’d have wanted. Australia, led by Sophie Molineux, piled up 219/6, their highest total of this World Cup and matching the tournament’s all-time best. Chasing 220, the Netherlands stumbled early at 17/2. But de Leede held firm, stitching a record 96-run partnership with Sterre Kalis, the highest third-wicket stand for the Dutch in T20Is.

That knock wasn’t just about numbers. It was the first half-century by any associate-nation player against Australia in women’s international cricket. A small but significant crack in the ceiling.

Yet, for all her brilliance, the Netherlands is still hunting their first World Cup win. Three matches, three losses to Bangladesh, India, and now Australia. But de Leede has been the silver lining. She leads her team in runs and sits second overall in the tournament standings with 134 runs at an average of 67 and a strike rate touching 104, with two half-centuries in three innings.

Her journey didn’t begin in the spotlight. De Leede made her T20I debut back on July 7, 2018, against the UAE in Utrecht. Since then, she’s piled up 1,759 T20I runs from 94 innings across 100 matches, with nine fifties and a strike rate of nearly 98. Her best 82 off 42 balls against Italy in May 2024 came with ten boundaries and a Player of the Match award.

In October 2024, she took over the captaincy from Heather Siegers and hasn’t looked back. Her ODI numbers 289 runs from 13 innings since her debut against Ireland in August 2022- add another layer to her all-format reliability.

At just 26, de Leede has become the backbone of a rising team. Her 2,000-run milestone isn’t just personal glory; it’s a statement. Associate nations aren't just making up the numbers anymore. They have batters who can stand toe-to-toe with the best, deliver in big moments, and carry their teams with both grit and grace.

The Dutch may still be chasing their first win, but in Babette de Leede, they’ve found a leader who leads from the front and a reminder that cricket’s future is wider than we often give it credit for.