Surrey cricketer Jordan Clark has revealed he had his luxury Rolex watch, estimated to be worth up to £18,000, stolen off his wrist while he slept in a hotel room during The Hundred last year.
Clark was signed by the Northern Superchargers as an injury replacement for England international Brydon Carse, but did not play a game all tournament. After a victory over Birmingham Phoenix at Edgbaston on August 19, Clark stayed in Birmingham to spend time with his former Lancashire teammate Liam Livingstone.
And after losing his phone while on his way to a local bar, he reported it missing to hotel reception when he returned. However, after waking up the following day, Clark found his phone on his bedside table, but his Rolex Datejust was now missing.
He then spoke to staff and looked at the hotel's CCTV footage, which confirmed he was wearing the Rolex when he returned from his night out. And CCTV also captured two men entering his hotel room around 6am.
Clark told the Daily Mail: "When I asked them to look at the CCTV, they wouldn't let me into the room itself, but the guy came out and asked whether I knew these two people.
"He showed me a photo on his phone and told me the room had been opened for two minutes at around 6.15am." While that footage later disappeared, leaving police without sufficient evidence of a crime, Clark took a screenshot showing one of the individuals accessing his room.
As a result, the hotel's insurers ultimately paid out the watch's value. Clark's wife, Dominque, had bought the watch for £13,000 as a 30th birthday present for the cricketer. The 32-year-old said the incident left him "in shock" and that it "could have been a lot worse" as his wife and young son Teddy had been staying with him the night before.
"The watch meant a lot to me, but it made me think about what could've happened," he added. "It could have been a lot worse, and I wouldn't wish the experience on anyone."
Dominique, meanwhile, wrote on Instagram: "Teddy and I were with him that week and had only left the night before. I can't imagine what would have happened if I woke up with two men in there when I was in there with Teddy."
