Emma Lamb is a name that fans of English cricket are likely pretty familiar with. With over 450 runs batting for List A, and 236 bowling at Twenty20, she’s a standout name on the pitch. The right-handed batter has also claimed a lucrative central contract for 2022-2023, but what’s next?
Cricket in her blood
Emma Lamb is an opening batter who’s set records since she was just 15. Raised in Preston, Lancs, she’s dabbled in offspin bowling as well as opening to bat. She was only the second woman to enter the Lancashire Academy Program at 16 years of age.
Lamb, a firm fixture in the Lancashire Women’s squad, follows her brother, Danny, in national and international cricket. Both Lamb siblings play together in the Cheshire Premier League.
Lamb’s impressive batting skills were clear to see from her mid-teens. In 2013, she batted for 113 not out against Warwickshire, which caught the eye of Academy scouts.
Within a decade, Emma Lamb has traveled from batting for Lancs as a teenager to international stardom. It’s a fairytale that shows no signs of slowing up any time soon.
England expects!
Lamb’s Lancashire successes would soon translate to international glory. By 2016 — just three years after her Lancs debut — the batter received the call to tour with England’s women. Lamb debuted as they toured Sri Lanka, playing in Academy matches and later in pre-season warm-ups.
By 2020, Lamb was scaling the heights of rookiehood, claiming a contract with England in April of that year. She solidified this with a retainer and later joined England Twenty20 on the international stage.
Lamb would then take to England’s hallowed A team for the 2021 Australian Tour and debuted in the Women’s Ashes.
It was earlier in 2022 when Lamb’s career took a giant leap forward, however. By the summer, she’d scored over a century against South Africa. This astounding rise to international acclaim has, inarguably, led to her central contract.
Lamb will likely become more of a fan favorite in matches and tournaments to come. For example, anyone betting on European cricket will probably see her name pop up regularly in odds tables!
What’s next for Lamb?
Getting an England central contract is a huge deal, indeed. Lamb is now part of a fixed squad including talents such as Alice Capsey, Freya Kemp, Tammy Beaumont and Kate Cross. This means she’ll take to the global stage at the T20 World Cup.
Following the ICC World Cup, Lamb will also see her second Women’s Ashes, unfolding on home soil in the summer. 2022 has been a landmark year for Lamb, but the years to come will cement her status as an international.
As only the second woman to ascend Lancs Academy after Kate Cross, Lamb is already raising eyebrows. With several playing years left to come, it’ll be interesting to see how the batter converts her plaudits and promise.
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