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 Blake playing for Kent at Beckenham in 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Alexander James Blake | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1989-01-25)25 January 1989 (age 37) Farnborough, London | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Left-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-armmedium-fast Right-armoff-spin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2023 | Kent(squad no. 10) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Oval Invincibles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022/23 | Kathmandu Knights | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022/23 | Dhaka Dominators | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Cornwall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FC debut | 28 April 2008 Kent v New Zealanders | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LA debut | 4 September 2007 Kent v Surrey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source:Cricinfo,8 October 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alexander James Blake (born 25 January 1989) is an English professionalcricketer who played forKent County Cricket Club between 2007 and 2023. He played as a left-handedbatsman who bowled occasionally. Blake was born inFarnborough inBromley and attendedHayes School before studying atLeeds Metropolitan University.
Blake was a member of theKent Cricket Academy and played for the county at age group level before making his debut for the Kent Second XI in 2005.[1][2][3] He was part of theEngland under-19 team which played in an invitational tri-series in January and February 2007 inKuala Lumpur. Blake made four under-19One Day International appearances during the tournament againstMalaysia under-19s andSri Lanka under-19s.[4]
Blake made hisList A cricket debut for Kent in the2007 NatWest Pro40 againstSurrey in September 2007,[5] before going on to make hisfirst-class cricket debut for Kent against the touringNew Zealanders in April 2008.[6] He broke into the County Championship team in 2010 and scored his maidenCounty Championship century againstYorkshire in the final Championship match of the season.[7][8]
In2015 he scored three half-centuries inTwenty 20 matches,[9] including his best score of 71not out, scored in 30 balls againstHampshire. Blake scored another two half-centuries in the2015 Royal London One-Day Cup and recorded a batting average of 62 in the competition.[9] After attracting attention fromSussex,[10] he was awarded a new contract at the end of the 2015 season[1][9] and won Kent's One-Day Player of the Year award at the end of the season.[11]
After only making one first-class appearance during 2015, Blake returned to the KentCounty Championship team during the2016 season, making eight appearances.[12] He hit three sixes from the only balls he faced to complete a Championship win againstDerbyshire in May and hit 66 not out against Surrey in theOne-Day Cup, scoring a six from the penultimate ball of the match to secure the win for Kent.[13][14]
In January 2020, Blake signed a new white-ball contract with Kent, becoming the first homegrown player to sign such a deal with county.[15] After the 2023 season his contract was not renewed by Kent, bringing to an end a 17-year professional career with Kent.[16]
