About Netherlands Cricket

The Netherlands men's national cricket team (Dutch: Nederlands cricketteam), usually referred as "The Flying Dutchmen" represents the Netherlands in men's international cricket and is administered by the Royal Dutch Cricket Association.

Cricket has been played in the Netherlands since at least the 19th century, and in the 1860s was considered a major sport in the country. Other sports – notably football and field hockey – have long since surpassed cricket in popularity amongst the Dutch, but today there are around 6,000 cricketers in the Netherlands. The first national association, the forerunner of today's Royal Dutch Cricket Association, was formed in 1890 and the Netherlands achieved Associate Membership of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1966.

The Netherlands have taken part in all eleven ICC Trophy/World Cup Qualifier tournaments, winning the competition in Canada in 2001 and finishing as runners-up three times (in 1986, 1990 and 2023). The Netherlands also participated in the 1996, 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2023 Cricket World Cups, and from 1995 onwards the national team entered the English domestic NatWest Trophy competition (and its successor, the C&G Trophy). In 2004 they played first-class cricket in the ICC Intercontinental Cup, drawing with Scotland in Aberdeen and then suffering an innings defeat against Ireland in Deventer.

The Netherlands enjoyed full One Day International status from 1 January 2006 until 1 February 2014. They regained Twenty20 International status in June 2014, having played their first match in this format in 2008. The Netherlands regained their ODI status after the conclusion of the 2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier in March 2018. They had guaranteed this status before the tournament as a result of winning the 2015–17 ICC World Cricket League Championship and thus qualifying for the 2020–23 ICC Cricket World Cup Super League, and retained the status until the 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifier.

In April 2018, the ICC decided to grant full Twenty20 International (T20I) status to all its members. Therefore, all Twenty20 matches played between the Netherlands and other ICC members after 1 January 2019 have the full T20I status. Scott Edwards is the current team captain.