Babette follows De Leede of cousin and uncle as she shines at FairBreak Invitational

Babette de Leede has had plenty of inspiration down the years for daydreaming about the sport she loves.

First, there was uncle Tim, who played at three World Cups for the Netherlands, up until the Caribbean competition in 2007.

As recently as last year, cousin Bas was part of the Dutch squad who played in the first round of the T20 World Cup in the UAE.

Then there was that time when, as a little girl, she was part of the crowd at Dubai International Stadium for a game between Pakistan and England.

As much as she adored the sport, the idea she might one day play at such a venue always seemed fanciful.

And yet, on Thursday evening, there she was, treading the same turf as those famous forebears, as she made an eye-catching debut with South Coast Sapphires in the FairBreak Invitational.

The 22-year-old wicketkeeper said she was content with her batting, but that her glovework had been scratchy.

All of which really just shows what exacting standards she has. She completed the full wicketkeeping set in the 17-run loss to Tornadoes, with a catch and a stumping, as well as playing her part in a run out, too.

Babette de Leede keeps wicket for Sapphires against Tornadoes. Chris Whiteoak / The National

With the bat, she cut an assured figure at the crease as she made 24 from 14 balls. It was her side’s top score and came at bat far the fastest rate of any player on either side.

All of which felt rather surreal, she said after.

“I was here a few years ago to watch England vs Pakistan, and I never thought I would be playing here,” De Leede said.

“Now my family are here to support me. It is crazy they are here to watch you play, rather than the big players.”

Despite being just 22, De Leede has already played 28 T20 internationals