The last time the Netherlands played in a women's World Cup was in the year 2000. At the time they were a founder member of the International Women's Cricket Council and safely in the top eight teams in the world. Five years later the ICC took over the IWCC. At first the Dutch retained some of the special status they achieved in the women's game, even playing a Test match in 2007.

But as the lower ranked full members began to take women's cricket more seriously and began professionalising their set-ups. the largely amateur KNCB was somewhat left behind.

But earlier this year they finished fourth at the T20 World Cup Qualifier, thus gaining their place in this tournament in England, and they were at Edgbaston in Birmingham this morning for their first World Cup match in over quarter of a century.

Dutch captain Babette de Leede won the toss and chose to bat first, and she led her team from the front with a score of 50 from 45 balls. There was no other score of note though, and their total of 139-8 was short of the 162 they successfully defended against the same opponents in Scotland a fortnight earlier.

Babette de Leede batting today (KNCB)

The Bangladeshi opening pair of Juairiya Ferdous and Dilara Akter added 67, with Ferdous dominating the partnership with 50 from 33 balls. She was the first wicket to fall, one of two in two balls by Caroline de Lange.

At 85-4 after twelve overs, the game was evenly poised, but there were no further wickets for the Dutch as Sharmin Akhter and Shorna Akter added an unbroken 56 to secure the six wicket win.

The Dutch will next be in action on Wednesday afternoon when they take on India for the first time since the aforementioned ODI World Cup in 2000.