WBBL: Sydney Sixers, Penrith teen Emma Hughes toughened up by brother’s backyard bouncers
It hurt at the time but Emma Hughes is sure she wouldn’t be where she is in cricket if it wasn’t for her brother and his love of bowling bouncers in their Dubbo backyard.
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It was quite literally a school of hard knocks - the family backyard in Dubbo where Emma Hughes grew up.
It was where she usually was, if she wasn’t at her grandparents property riding motorbikes.
And it was where her brother taught her to bowl and valuable lessons on standing tough.
“I started cricket when I was eight and my brother (James) started teaching me,” said Hughes, 19, who has just signed for a second season with the Sydney Sixers and will play again for Penrith in the coming Premier Cricket season.
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“I always wanted to get better than him, so tried pretty hard.
“He used to bowl me bouncers and hit me all the time. I got plenty of bruises but to fend him off, I had to get better.
I was even captain of the boys team which didn’t settle well with some of them
“It toughened me up. I’m pretty sure my brother knew I was going to be able to hit it and didn’t treat me differently. It got me where I am now.”
Due to a lack of girls teams in her area, Hughes spent most of her teen years playing with the Western Academy with and against males.
“I was even captain of the boys team, which didn’t settle well with some of them,” said Hughes, who is studying sport and exercise science part time.
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Hughes, whose need for speed is now satisfied by skateboarding rather than motorbike riding, made the Sixers squad last year while still at school but didn’t make her WBBL debut - an omission she is planning to rectify this season.
“I was close to replacing Ellyse Perry and they had me warming up on the sidelines against the Renegades. It didn’t happen but I was the most nervous I have been,” she said.
“I just learned so much with them. It was such a great experience to be around them. It was the first time I had been in such a professional atmosphere.
“It’s invaluable and I will come in with a lot more to offer this time.”
Hughes said her new skateboarding hobby is both fun and also helping with her balance.
“I can ride it but I’m not good at the tricks yet,” she said.
“It is great for co-ordination and balance.
“I’m also a fan of snowboarding but because of COVID I haven’t been able to do it.’’
The entire WBBL/06 season will be played entirely in a Sydney hub and will begin on October 25.