Lancashire Women have officially announced the signing of Australian leg-spinner Alana King on a multi-format deal. The talented spin bowler boasts an impressive tactical brain to match her spinning ability and comes with a huge amount of experience having contributed significantly to the Australian national team, including their successful run with the bowl in international cricket. King is set to add a quality option to Lancashire’s bowling attack and strengthen their side across all three formats.
A multiple-time Ashes and Cricket World Cup champion, Alana King returns to join Lancashire Thunder for the forthcoming season. She will play from the fourth match of the Women’s T20 Blast and will be eligible to play for the rest of the tournament. The leg-spinner will also be available for two of Lancashire Women’s matches in the Women’s One-Day Cup against Durham (24 July) and Essex (30 July).
In the latest edition of the multi-format Ashes series, Alana King was in stupendous form, scalping 9 wickets from 2 innings in the one-off Test match with an average of 10.88. Preceding the game of the longest format, King claimed 11 wickets from 3 innings with an average of 9.63, eventually bagging the Player of the Series Award.
A three-time Ashes champion, King made an impressive debut for the national team across all formats in just three weeks during 2022. Her standout performances were crucial to Australia’s triumph in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand later that year.
Since then, King has not held back and has added several accolades to her list of accomplishments, claiming more limited-overs titles, including a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in England and a win at the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa.
In addition to her international success, the leg-spinner has been a reliable force in franchise- based cricket, playing for Perth Scorchers in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), Trent Rockets in The Hundred, and UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League (WPL).
King holds special memories of Emirates Old Trafford, where she etched her name in the books of history by becoming the first female cricketer to claim a hat-trick in The Hundred. During a match in August 2022, she took three wickets in consecutive deliveries, removing Cordelia Griffith, Sophie Ecclestone, and Kate Cross, helping Trent Rockets edge past Manchester Originals at the venue.
Speaking about the move, Alana King said: “I am really honoured to be able to represent a great county in Lancashire. When I look at the past great names that have represented the county before me, it truly is a privilege to represent this team.”
“I am looking forward to teaming up with Crossy, Sophie, the rest of the Red Rose girls, and driving our charge towards a successful campaign in the Vitality Blast.”
“It will be fantastic to play at Emirates Old Trafford, one of the world’s most iconic grounds, and I trust that all the Lancs fans will get out and support us during the tournament.”
Lancashire Women’s Head Coach Chris Read expressed his excitement about King joining the team, stating that they are thrilled to have one of the leading stars from the recent Women’s Ashes Series come to Emirates Old Trafford later this summer. He added that Alana will bring a wealth of skill and experience, gained from both her international career and franchise cricket around the world, and the team is eager to see her in action for the Red Rose.
“Spin plays an important role at Emirates Old Trafford, and I have no doubts that Alana will positively impact matches for us in the Vitality Blast, while it will also be great to have her around for a couple of 50-over fixtures later in the season too,” he added.
(Quotes sourced from Cricket Lancashire press release)
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