Player Profile
You could make a very strong argument to suggest that Emma Lamb was Lancashire Thunder’s standout performer across the five seasons of regional cricket. Others contributed, no doubt, but Lamb’s consistency with bat, ball and in the field was mightily impressive.
In all cricket for Thunder, she scored 2,066 runs from 57 matches, including 13 fifties, four hundreds and a best of 134 not out.
Lamb dominated end-of-season awards and graduated through to play for England, contributing to limited availability through the 2023 campaign when she still hit five fifties in 14 appearances across both formats.
The Prestonian all-rounder is the younger sister of ex-Lancashire men’s player Danny.
If previous performances are anything to go by, Lamb - 27-years-old - is likely to be a talismanic presence in Lancashire’s squad as the new county-led era of women’s domestic cricket in England begins in 2025.
That will be through batting at the top of the order, bowling her off-spinners and haring around in the field.
Lamb’s spike in development in recent years is an example which shows the inception of regional cricket was a positive step for the women’s game in England. And hopefully it has provided a stepping stone for county cricket to push on as well.
Lamb has played for England’s senior team across all three formats of international cricket, firstly in T20 cricket in September 2021.
She played in a commanding win over New Zealand at Chelmsford, with her only contribution walking to the crease and not facing a ball as England posted 184-4 batting first.
The following February, she debuted in an Ashes ODI against Australia at Melbourne before going on to play once in the 50-over World Cup which followed immediately in New Zealand.
In the 2022 summer - June to be precise - she made her Test bow as England drew with South Africa at Taunton. She hit 38 opening the batting in the first innings.
Her main contributions for England have came in ODI cricket, her scoring one century and two fifties in 14 matches added to three wickets.
The right-hander scored a sensational 102 off 97 balls opening the batting in a victory over South Africa at Northampton in July 2022.
Lamb can be both classical and destructive with the bat in hand.
She was Thunder’s player-of-the-year in both 2021 and 2022.
In all cricket for the region in 2021, including friendlies, she hit 600 runs in 12 matches, including three hundreds, and took 15 wickets. She scored her hundreds in both the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and Charlotte Edwards Cup, the latter - 111 not out - coming in a T20 victory over Sunrisers at Emirates Old Trafford. She also took 3-16 from four overs in a resounding win.
Earlier in the season, she had dominated a T20 win over Northern Diamonds at Headingley, hitting 58 and taking 4-13 added to a catch and a run out.
Lamb has also played for the Emirates Old Trafford based Manchester Originals in the Hundred. In 2025, however, she has signed for Birmingham Phoenix.
In 2015, she made history by becoming the first woman to play in the Cheshire County League - for Bramhall. Danny played in the same team.
Emma was amongst the first group of regional contracted players for Thunder in 2020 before earning her maiden England central contract in late 2022.
Lamb, who also played junior county Badminton, joined the Lancashire pathway at 10 and made her senior debut in 2012 at the tender age of 14.
She was an integral part of the Red Rose senior side which won the one-day and T20 county double in 2017. She scored 333 runs and took 13 wickets across the two competitions.
Lamb also played as Lancashire won their regional T20 county title at the start of 2022.
Unfortunately, she encountered challenges in late 2023 and early 2024, having to undergo back surgery. She was pulled out of England’s squad for a December Test Match in India and returned home for treatment.
She underwent rehab at Emirates Old Trafford before travelling to New Zealand on an England A tour through March.
She returned to Thunder colours and scored 584 runs across the RHFT and CEC. She was the side’s leading run-scorer in the latter competition with 228 in nine matches.
Lamb also featured for England in their late-summer tour of Ireland.
Unfortunately, Lamb was unable to bowl last summer, but she did return to bowling on Lancashire’s pre-season tour of Dubai and India ahead of 2025. That will be a major boost to the county.