Picture by Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images. Sterre Kalis, third from right back row, celebrate World Cup qualification in Nepal last month.
Sterre Kalis is relishing the prospect of turning Headingley orange this summer.
The Yorkshire batting star has just helped the Netherlands qualify for their first ever T20 World Cup, which will be staged in England from June 12 to July 5.
And the Dutch, and all their famous colour, will play a group match in Leeds against the might of India, on Wednesday July 17 at 2.30pm. It forms the second part of a double-header day, with Australia facing Bangladesh at 10.30am.
Not surprisingly, Kalis can’t wait.
“It will be very special playing at Headingley, obviously my home ground where I’ve played with Yorkshire and the Northern Diamonds for the last five years,” she said.
“To know I’ll be playing there, it’s an incredible feeling.
“We had a practice game there with the Netherlands a couple of years ago, but it will be a dream come true to play there in a World Cup.
“We will be the underdogs in the tournament as an Associate nation, and we have nothing to lose. But, at the same time, we want to compete.
Picture by Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images. Sterre Kalis in the field in Nepal. This summer, she will be on the Headingley outfield facing India.
“We want to try and win a game or two at a World Cup.
“It’s obviously special being at the World Cup, but we don’t just want to be there and see how it goes. We want to play our best cricket and compete in all of the games.”
The Dutch have played at World Cups before, but only in the ODI format and not since 2000, the summer after 26-year-old Kalis was born.
To be a part of the team which came through qualifying in Nepal last month, where they beat a Scotland side including White Rose team-mate Rachel Slater in the initial group stage, was a big moment for the right-hander.
“It was huge,” she said, having just returned to pre-season training with Yorkshire after a well-earned break back at home in the Netherlands.
“There were two more teams qualifying this year – four in total – so we thought it would be a massive opportunity for us. It’s very exciting.”
The Dutch will be joined by Bangladesh, Ireland and Scotland at the main event having come through qualifying with them and Bangladesh the first to secure their place thanks to some good early form.
That included brushing the Scots aside in the initial group stage, a game in which Kalis starred with an excellent unbeaten 87 batting at four.
Picture by Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images. Sterre celebrates World Cup qualification with her mum, Pauline (l), and her godmother Simone, her mum’s best friend.
“We won all four of our group games, and you take the points forward into the Super Six stage,” she reflected. “We knew that was going to be really important because we had to play against Bangladesh and Ireland, who are really tough opponents.
“Once we’d won all our games, we only had to beat USA to qualify, which we did. But there was rain involved, and it was a bit of an anti-climax at the end.
“Normally, you win a game like that and you can run onto the pitch and celebrate or you’re already out there in the field.
“Instead, we were all just sat in the changing rooms waiting for the umpires to call it off. It was a bit of a weird moment, but at least we were all together.”
One thing the rain did do was help make for a fabulous photograph of all the Dutch players celebrating by sliding across the covers.
“All of our families were on the other side of the ground,” Kalis said. “My mum was there, my brother and one of my mum’s best friends.
“They didn’t know what was going on because they didn’t have updates from the umpires or anything.
“Then they saw us celebrating on the other side of the ground. So we ran over to them, and that’s when we started sliding on the covers. It was a pretty special feeling.”
Picture by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images. Sterre Kalis and her team-mates slide across the covers in celebration having beaten USA on DLS to qualify for the World Cup late last month.
Kalis enjoyed a couple of good days against Slater and Scotland. Before Christmas, in the Emerging Nations Trophy in Bangkok, she hit 55 not out against them in a T20 win before the unbeaten 87 in the qualifiers.
“I love playing against Scotland,” she said. “I know a lot of their girls very well, including Slats obviously and Hannah (Rainey). They are a very talented side.
“I’m glad they’ve qualified too.”
Kalis is now looking forward to tackling some of world cricket’s big guns.
“As an associate nation, we don’t get to play against the bigger teams, so it will be great to test ourselves,” she said. “We’re really excited to go and show our skills on the bigger stage.”
Last summer, Kalis played three matches for Yorkshire at Headingley and posted scores of 51 and 83 not out in two of them. The latter came in May’s Vitality County T20 Cup win over Essex.
“I love Headingley,” she said. “I scored runs there for Yorkshire last season, and hopefully I can do that for my country.”
Kalis is currently watching the men’s T20 World Cup, which the Netherlands are involved in over in India and Sri Lanka. It’s something which is only building the anticipation.
Picture by John Clifton/SWPix.com. Sterre Kalis in action for Yorkshire last summer.
“Yeah, for sure,” she said. “One hundred percent.
“The Dutch boys have been at the World Cups for previous years.
“We’ve always said to each other as a group, it would be amazing to be able to do that, sing your national anthem before a game and walk onto the field alongside the kids as mascots.
“We have always dreamed of this moment, and watching on TV thinking, ‘This will be us in a couple of months’, it’s pretty cool.”
First things first, though, and Kalis has her county commitments to focus on, starting with the latter stages of winter training at Headingley before next month’s pre-season tour to Abu Dhabi.
The White Rose are moving up to Tier 1 in 2026 having enjoyed an excellent campaign in Tier 2 last year, reaching the final of the Vitality Blast and winning the Metro Bank One-Day Cup title.
“We’re a very good side,” added Kalis.
“We have a lot of talent, mixed with youngsters and some experience. And, obviously, with our two new signings as well in Sarah Glenn and Jess Jonassen, I think we’re ready to compete in that Tier 1.”