Woman tells UK court Australian cricketer raped her in her sleep

An English cricketer who had sex with a woman who has accused his Perth-born teammate of raping her, has told a jury the victim had wanted to end the case.

Perth-born Worcestershire CCC player Alex Hepburn is on trial for rape. Source: AAP

A UK woman who says she was raped by a Perth-born English county cricketer while she slept has broken down in the witness box. 

Perth-born Alex Hepburn, an all-rounder with English county Worcestershire, is alleged to have attacked the woman in a dark bedroom after helping to set up a sexual conquest "game" with friends on WhatsApp. 

He denies rape, claiming the woman opened her eyes and kissed him at the start of a 20-minute sexual encounter.

Worcestershire Cricketer Alex Hepburn arriving at Worcester Crown Court where he is charged with two counts of rape. Source: AAP

The woman, who cannot be identified, broke down in the witness box on Tuesday after being cross-examined about details of the alleged attack.

One of his English teammates also gave evidence. 

England Lions and former Worcestershire batsman Joe Clarke told a court he had consensual sex with the woman before leaving her in a bedroom to be sick in a bathroom, where he fell asleep.

Clarke, who was arrested but not charged with any offence, told Worcester Crown Court the next thing he remembered was the woman waking him and claiming she had been raped by his friend Alex Hepburn.

Recalling the night of the alleged rape in April 2017, Clarke told a jury of eight women and four men that he left a bedroom to be sick after drinking Guinness, vodka and other spirits during a night out.

"I didn't want to be sick in front of her so I went to the bathroom," the 22-year-old told the court.

Best friends

Clarke said the next thing he was aware of was the woman waking him up and saying: "Your housemate has just slept with me. Alex has raped me."

Asked by prosecutor Miranda Moore QC what his reaction had been, Clarke added: "I was very shocked. I put my head in my hands and just questioned it.

"It was a massive shock. I just kept saying 'What?' She shook me and woke me and just said 'Alex has raped me'."

Clarke, the court was told, then asked Hepburn about the claims and "he just said no and shook his head".

Answering questions from defence counsel Michelle Heeley QC, Clarke said the woman had sought him out in August or September 2017 and seemed eager to speak with him.

"I told her I didn't want to speak to her," he said.

"She said that she didn't want any of this to happen, to which I said 'If you didn't want any of this to happen, it wouldn't still be going on'.

"She said 'I wanted to drop it but they won't let me'."

The court has heard claims that both Hepburn and Clarke were involved in a sexual conquest "game" after setting up a "stat chat" page on WhatsApp to keep a record of sex with women.

Heeley described the "game" as "basically a contest as to who could sleep with the most women".

In her last question to Clarke, Heeley asked: "Is Alex still your best friend?"

Clarke responded: "Yes."

The defence case is due to start on Wednesday.

Hepburn, 23, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape.