Harrogate's Emma Marlow aiming to continue rapid rise with Northern Diamonds

Harrogate's Emma Marlow in action for the Northern Diamonds. Picture: SW Pix

The teenager fulfilled that aim and some, cementing her status as one of the rising stars of Yorkshire cricket.

The 18-year-old off-spinner went on to play pretty much a full season of regional cricket – turning out at Lord’s as the Diamonds won the RHF Trophy - and earned her maiden professional contract for 2023.

As if that wasn’t enough, she also went on to represent England in the inaugural Under-19s T20 World Cup in South Africa.

A product of Beckwithshaw CC, who made her county debut for Yorkshire back in 2020, Marlow may not be the household name in the Broad Acres that the likes of Hollie Armitage, Katie Levick, Lauren Winfield-Hill and Katherine Sciver-Brunt are.

But, if she helps the Diamonds achieve what they are aiming for this summer, she may well have joined that list come the next International Women’s Day.

“We’d love to win the double this year, and we’re confident we can,” she said of her team’s ambitions for the upcoming season.

“The mix of the squad is fantastic. We have the experience of the likes of Hollie, Lev and Lauren added to the academy players who have come through over the last year.

“It’s a good balance. There’s definitely the talent there to do it, and the bond of the team is so strong.

“We definitely want to take what we did last season and run with it.”

Marlow claimed 15 wickets in all cricket for the Diamonds last summer, including a best of 3-40 in 50-over cricket.

Her economy rate was also an impressive feature of her game, ultimately catching the eye of the England selectors ahead of the Under-19s T20 World Cup in January, which ended with a runners-up medal alongside Diamonds team-mate Lizzie Scott.

“The World Cup was the first one of its kind, and to be a part of that was amazing even though it didn’t quite go how I wanted it to personally,” she reflected, having only played twice.

“But I can take a lot from that in terms of learnings if I’m ever in that position again.

“I’d never been abroad playing cricket before, so that was something completely new for me.

“Being able to see what the talent is like coming through from the other countries was a really useful thing for me as a player, and it was great to see the likes of Rwanda involved.

“Just getting out on the grass in January was a good thing.

“Taking some reflections from that, I’ve been able to work on some technical adjustments in the couple of months between that and the start of the season.”