Emma Bargna
Quick Facts
Biography
Emma Catherine Bargna (born 24 November 2004) is a German cricketer who plays for the national cricket team as a bowler. She was the first player, male or female, to take a five-wicket haul for Germany in a Twenty20 International.
Early life and career
Bargna was born in Munich, but was raised partially in Wylam, Northumberland, England, where she played for the women's cricket team. After returning to Munich, she went on to play for the Bavarian Cricket Academy.
Bargna's playing role is as a spin bowler. In 2019, aged just 14, she was chosen as Germany's young cricketer of the year. The following year, she was named Germany U23's bowler of the year, and captain of the year.
International career
On 26 June 2019, Bargna made her WT20I debut for Germany against Scotland at the La Manga Club Ground, Murcia, Spain, in the first match of the 2019 ICC Women's Qualifier Europe, which was also Germany's first ever WT20I. She opened the bowling, and took two wickets in her first two overs.
In February 2020, Bargna participated in a bilateral series between Germany and Oman at the Al Amerat Cricket Stadium, Muscat. She was selected to play in three of the four WT20I matches despite having broken a finger in training just two weeks earlier.
During Germany's next bilateral series, a five-WT20I contest with Austria at the Seebarn Cricket Ground near Vienna in August 2020, Bargna opened the bowling in all matches except the third one, in which she was rested due to injury. In the first match, held on 12 August 2020, she starred with 3/13 in Germany's 82-run victory. The following day, in the second match, she became the first player, male or female, to bag a five-wicket haul for Germany in a T20I. After taking wickets with the first and third balls of her first over before any run had been scored, she finished with 5/9 from four overs. Germany won the match by 138 runs, and eventually won the series 5–0. Bargna's overall figures for the series were 10/36, from 15 overs.
In July 2021, in Germany's next bilateral series, against France at the Bayer Uerdingen Cricket Ground, Krefeld, Bargna opened the bowling in four of the matches, and achieved an economy rate of 3.42, but did not take any wickets. The following month, Bargna played in one of Germany's matches in the 2021 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier.