ICC/CricketEurope

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The inaugural European Women’s Under 17 championship which will take place in Deventer next week will be an important indicator of the progress of women’s youth cricket in Europe.

With three countries taking part, players ranging in age from 17 to 12 will in most cases get their first real taste of international competition, although all three sides have a handful of more experienced cricketers.

Scotland, captained by Lynne Dickson, has the benefit of having playing in this year’s ECB Women’s Under 17 competition, and although they will be without one of their most promising players in Leigh Kasperek, they may find that experience invaluable in their matches here.

Dickson was at the age of twelve the youngest member of the Scottish team which played in the 2006 European Women’s Under 21 tournament, so she is no stranger to the demands of European competition.

For Irish captain Laura Delany and two of her teammates, Shauna Kavanagh and 13-year-old Kimberley Garth, this tournament is part of a summer which also includes membership of Ireland’s A side playing in the ECB Women’s County Championship. Delany made a great debut in that competition, hitting 48 not out against Cambridgeshire/Huntingdonshire in her side’s opening game.

Hosts The Netherlands have a squad which includes several players who play regularly in the top domestic competition, while Miranda Veringmeier has already appeared in the full national side, having taken part in the series against the West Indies last season.

She, like teammate Christine Erkelens, is a veteran of the ICC Europe Women’s Academy, while the Dutch will also have, in 12-year-olds Roos Dickmann and Jorine Prenen the youngest players in the tournament.