First pro contract for Emma

Western Storm are pleased to be able to announce that Emma Corney has become the latest member of the squad to sign a professional contract.

The top order batter from Devon is a product of the Storm Academy and is delighted to have put pen to paper.

“This is really exciting and it’s something that I’ve been working really hard for,” she explained. “It’s something that I never thought would be possible when I was younger. It’s not sunk in yet and I don’t think it will for a while. When I was at school and we were asked what we wanted to be when we grew up, I would always say that I wanted to play cricket for England.

“It’s amazing to see the pace of the growth of the women’s game over the last few years. There are so many more opportunities for young girls now. They have the chance to develop their game and have the platform on which to show that off. It’s a very exciting place to be.”

What does Emma hope to achieve in her first year as a pro?

“Hopefully, I can cement my place in the Storm team and keep on developing my skills. It will be a challenging new environment for me against the top players in the country and I want to be able to show that I can hold my own and do a job for my team.”

Emma added: “All of the Storm staff have been really supportive in my journey through the Academy and the RDC days. They’ve all backed me to get to where I am today and I’m really grateful for the support that I’ve had.”

Western Storm Head Coach, Trevor Griffin has been impressed with the 18-year-old’s progress over the last few years.

“Emma has been a part of our Pathway for a number of years and has scored runs at every level that she’s played. She’s scored well in age group cricket for Devon and then within our Academy programmes. She had a pay as you play contract last year and played a number of games for us last season. During that time she showed that she has a method and the skill to compete at this level. It’s really exciting to be able to give her our tenth professional contract for the 2023 season.

“She’s recently returned from Australia where she’s been playing club cricket and she champing at the bit to get going.”