DARWEN cricket star Alex Davies has joined Warwickshire after his shock Lancashire departure.

The Red Rose announced on Monday afternoon that the wicketkeeper-batsman would be moving on after becoming a mainstay of the top order at Emirates Old Trafford.

Shortly after the Bears confirmed they had got their man on a three-year deal, which is set to start from 2022.

“Warwickshire are a massive club with a proud tradition of winning,” Davies told his new county’s website.

“The Bears squad have potential to win trophies and I want to contribute to future success.

“At the same time, I remain totally committed to my ambition to play cricket for England and I believe that Warwickshire can help me do that.

“I have loved my time at Old Trafford and am now looking forward to an exciting next chapter in my journey.”

In a statement released by Lancashire, the 26-year-old added: “I would like to thank Lancashire Cricket for giving me the opportunity to represent the Red Rose and to play at Emirates Old Trafford. It has been an honour to do so.

“I would like to thank all the players, both past and present, the coaching staff and the club’s members and supporters for making my time at the club so enjoyable. But the time is now right to look for a new challenge.”

Having played club cricket for Darwen, this year marks a decade since Blackburn Rovers fan Davies became Lancashire’s youngest one-day player when he made his debut against Glamorgan in August 2011, two days before his 17th birthday.

The first Red Rose ‘keeper to score 1,000 first-class runs in 2017, Davies has made 90 appearances to date in red-ball cricket, scoring 4,682 runs at an average of 36.57 and he has 170 catches and 16 stumpings.

Davies has excelled in the white ball game as part of the Lightning side that won the 2015 Blast. In T20 cricket he an average of 27.40 with 42 catches and 10 stumpings. In List A cricket, Davies has made 1,380 runs at an average of 32.08, in 49 games, with 48 catches and 11 stumpings.

Lancashire’s director of cricket Paul Allott added: “We are sad to see Alex leave Lancashire, but respect his decision to move on.

“On behalf of everybody at the club, I would like to thank Alex for his commitment and efforts during his time at Emirates Old Trafford and wish him well for the next stage of his career.”

Allott’s Warwickshire counterpart Paul Farbrace was delighted to get his man.

“Alex has firmly established himself as one of the best wicketkeeper-batters in the domestic game and he knows what it takes to win,” he said.

“In the red ball game Alex has broken Lancashire records, whilst in white ball cricket he bats with a fearless approach that can change the course of games.

“To have a player of his calibre want to join Warwickshire with an ambition to win trophies and push for international selection is a fantastic boost to everyone connected with the club.

“Aged only 26, we believe that Alex’s best years are ahead of him and we’re committed to giving him the best platform possible to push for a place in the England team across all formats.”

Davies joined up with the Southern Brave today for The Hundred.