Alex Blake
Blake playing for Kent at Beckenham in 2016
Personal information
Full name
Alexander James Blake
Born (1989-01-25) 25 January 1989
Farnborough, London
BattingLeft-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium-fast
Right-arm off-spin
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2007–2023Kent (squad no. 10)
2021Oval Invincibles
2022/23Kathmandu Knights
2022/23Dhaka Dominators
2023Cornwall
FC debut28 April 2008 Kent v New Zealanders
LA debut4 September 2007 Kent v Surrey
Career statistics
Competition FC LA T20
Matches 47 124 159
Runs scored 1,560 2,629 2,257
Batting average 22.94 30.56 20.51
100s/50s 1/6 1/16 0/10
Top score 105* 116 71*
Balls bowled 222 264 78
Wickets 3 5 1
Bowling average 52.66 55.40 96.00
5 wickets in innings 0 0 0
10 wickets in match 0 0 0
Best bowling 2/9 2/13 1/17
Catches/stumpings 26/– 68/– 89/–
Source: Cricinfo, 8 October 2023

Alexander James Blake (born 25 January 1989) is an English professional cricketer who played for Kent County Cricket Club between 2007 and 2023. He played as a left-handed batsman who bowled occasionally.[1] Blake was born in Farnborough in Bromley and attended Hayes School before studying at Leeds Metropolitan University.[1] Blake was known as a "brutal limited-overs batsman" and an "athletic" fielder.[1]

Cricket career

Blake was a member of the Kent Cricket Academy and played for the county at age group level before making his debut for the Kent Second XI in 2005.[2][3][4] He was part of the England under-19 team which played in an invitational tri-series in January and February 2007 in Kuala Lumpur. Blake made four under-19 One Day International appearances during the tournament against Malaysia under-19s and Sri Lanka under-19s.[5]

Blake made his List A cricket debut for Kent in the 2007 NatWest Pro40 against Surrey in September 2007,[6] before going on to make his first-class cricket debut for Kent against the touring New Zealanders in April 2008.[1][7] He broke into the County Championship side in 2010 and scored his maiden County Championship century against Yorkshire in the final Championship match of the season.[1][8][9]

In 2015 he scored three half-centuries in Twenty 20 matches,[10] including his best score of 71 not out, scored in 30 balls against Hampshire.[1] Blake scored another two half-centuries in the 2015 Royal London One-Day Cup and recorded a batting average of 62 in the competition.[10] After attracting attention from Sussex,[11] he was awarded a new contract at the end of the 2015 season[1][2][10] and won Kent's One-Day Player of the Year award at the end of the season.[12][13]

After only making one first-class appearance during 2015, Blake returned to the Kent County Championship side during the 2016 season, making eight appearances.[14] He hit three sixes from the only balls he faced to complete a Championship win against Derbyshire in May and hit 66 not out against Surrey in the One-Day Cup, scoring a six from the penultimate ball of the match to secure the win for Kent.[15][16]

In January 2020, Blake signed a new white-ball contract with Kent, becoming the first homegrown player to sign such a deal with county.[17] After the 2023 season his contract was not renewed by Kent, bringing to an end a 17-year professional career with Kent.[18]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Reid J (ed) 2016 Kent County Cricket Club Annual, Kent County Cricket Club, pp.23–24.
  2. 1 2 Hoad A (2015) Kent Cricket white ball star Alex Blake agrees new contract at club following speculation about Sussex switch, Kent Online, 2015-09-09. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  3. ↑ Teams Alex Blake played for, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  4. ↑ Kent Cricket Academy Scholars (archived). Retrieved 2007-09-06.
  5. ↑ Under-19 ODI matches played by Alex Blake, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  6. ↑ List A matches played by Alex Blake, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  7. ↑ First-class matches played by Alex Blake, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  8. ↑ Kent on the brink as Yorkshire battle for title, BBC Sport, 2010-09-15. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  9. ↑ Alex Blake signs new three-year contract with Kent, BBC Sport, 2011-02-16. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  10. 1 2 3 Alex Blake: Kent batsman signs new contract, BBC Sport, 2015-09-09. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  11. ↑ Hollis S (2015) Sussex chase Kent batsman Blake, The Argus, 2015-09-08. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  12. ↑ 'Coles named Kent player of the year for 2015' in Reid J (2015) Op. cit., pp.82–83.
  13. ↑ Beckenham and Bexley stars recognised at Kent cricket awards night, News Shopper, 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  14. ↑ First-class batting and fielding in each season by Alex Blake, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  15. ↑ County Championship: Kent win after Derbyshire collapse, BBC Sport, 2016-05-25. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  16. ↑ One-Day Cup: Alex Blake gives Kent victory over Surrey off penultimate ball, BBC Sport, 2016-06-05. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  17. ↑ Alex Blake: Kent batsman signs new white-ball deal until 2022, BBC Sport, 2020-01-24. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
  18. ↑ Alex Blake & James Logan: Duo to leave Kent at end of 2023 season, BBC Sport, 2023-10-03. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
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