Yorkshire have secured the permanent signing of promising wicketkeeper-batter Alice Clarke from Lancashire, confirming that she will remain with the club beyond the 2026 season. Clarke is currently on loan at Yorkshire for the rest of the campaign and will make her move to the county permanent ahead of the 2027 season.
The 24-year-old batter, who turns 25 at the start of August, has already gained valuable experience in professional cricket. She first developed her game at Accrington Cricket Club, a club that has also produced the talents of David and Graham Lloyd. David Lloyd went on to become an England international coach and a well-known cricket commentator, while Graham Lloyd played for England and later became a first-class umpire.
Although Clarke can also keep wicket, most of her career has been spent as a specialist batter. At Lancashire, Ellie Threlkeld has usually taken the gloves, while Lauren Winfield-Hill has been Yorkshire’s wicketkeeper. This has allowed Clarke to focus mainly on her batting and continue developing her skills as a left-handed player.
Clarke is a versatile batter who can play in different positions. She has experience opening the innings but has also spent time batting in the middle order. Her ability to change roles makes her a useful option for Yorkshire, while her calm approach and understanding of the game have also impressed the county’s management.
Yorkshire captain Lauren Winfield-Hill, head coach Rich Pyrah and general manager of cricket Gavin Hamilton are all excited about Clarke’s future. The club believes she has plenty of potential and can continue to improve as she gains more experience at the professional level.
Clarke was part of the Lancashire team that won the One-Day Cup in 2025. She played an important role during the final stages of that successful campaign, opening the batting in Lancashire’s semi-final victory against The Blaze and again in their final win over Hampshire.
Since joining Yorkshire on loan, Clarke has mainly batted in the middle order and has already produced a couple of encouraging scores in the thirties. Her performances have given Yorkshire another reason to make the move permanent.
Clarke has been involved in professional cricket since the start of the regional era in 2020. She has also recorded three centuries in 50-over cricket. One came for regional side Thunder in a friendly against the Netherlands at Sale in July 2024, where she opened the batting. Another came for Cumbria against Hertfordshire in August 2025, when she produced an excellent 156 from 96 balls. Her third century was a score of 103 for Lancashire seconds against Glamorgan in April.
Yorkshire head coach Rich Pyrah said the club had followed Clarke’s progress for some time and was pleased to have her around the team. “Alice is a good player. We’ve kept an eye on her for a while. We played a lot against Lancs in the pre-season and on the pre-season tour. We also know Kate Cross well, and she’s mentioned to us that she’s a good player. She never really got a chance at Lancs, she’s been in and out.
“She plays it well. She moves forward and back, judges length well and has got lovely hands through the ball. She’s calm, she understands the game. Most importantly, she’s a good girl and a good character. We like her, and it’s been good to get her around for a period of time now to have a good look.”
Clarke’s permanent move gives her a fresh opportunity to establish herself with Yorkshire. With her experience, versatility and ability to score big runs, she could become an important part of the county’s long-term plans. After helping Lancashire win the One-Day Cup in 2025, Clarke will now hope to build a successful new chapter at Yorkshire from 2027.
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