Joe Clarke: Nottinghamshire sign Worcestershire's England Lions batsman
Last updated on .From the section Cricket
Nottinghamshire have signed England Lions batsman Joe Clarke on a four-year deal - just a week on from playing for Worcestershire in their first T20 triumph at Edgbaston.
Clarke, 22, had been the subject of interest from several other counties.
"We're very pleased that Joe has decided to join us," said Nottinghamshire director of cricket Mick Newell.
"He's a very good young player with a great record already behind him."
Worcestershire chief executive Matt Rawnsley said the club "did everything that we could" to hold on to Clarke.
Notts have already made signings from three Division Two counties - two of them for similarly aged young batsmen, Ben Duckett from Northants and Derbyshire opener Ben Slater - as well as Leicestershire all-rounder Zak Chappell.
And Clarke, whose Worcestershire side were relegated to Division Two in the Championship on Thursday, now becomes the fourth to seek Division one cricket.
Shropshire-born Clarke made a real impact when he first broke into the Worcestershire team as an England Under-19s player in 2015.
He made half-centuries in his first three Championship top-flight games, then completed his first century, an unbeaten 104 against Sussex, also at New Road.
He then plundered 1,325 first-class runs at 50.96 in 2016, hitting five centuries in Division Two. But that dropped to an aggregate of 920 in 14 matches in 2017, at 43.80 - and he has scored even less this summer, 829 in 13 matches, at 36.04.
Clarke will make his final appearance for Worcestershire in the Championship home match against Yorkshire, starting on Monday.
