| Alex Blake | |
| Fullname: | Alexander James Blake |
| Birth Date: | 25 January 1989 |
| Birth Place: | Farnborough, London |
| Batting: | Left-handed |
| Bowling: | Right-arm medium-fast Right-arm off-spin |
| Club1: | Kent |
| Clubnumber1: | 10 |
| Club2: | Oval Invincibles |
| Year2: | 2021 |
| Club3: | Kathmandu Knights |
| Club4: | Dhaka Dominators |
| Year4: | 2022/23 |
| Club5: | Cornwall |
| Year5: | 2023 |
| Type1: | FC |
| Debutdate1: | 28 April |
| Debutyear1: | 2008 |
| Debutfor1: | Kent |
| Debutagainst1: | New Zealanders |
| Type2: | LA |
| Debutdate2: | 4 September |
| Debutyear2: | 2007 |
| Debutfor2: | Kent |
| Columns: | 3 |
| Matches1: | 47 |
| Runs1: | 1,560 |
| Bat Avg1: | 22.94 |
| 100S/50S1: | 1/6 |
| Top Score1: | 105 |
| Deliveries1: | 222 |
| Wickets1: | 3 |
| Bowl Avg1: | 52.66 |
| Fivefor1: | 0 |
| Tenfor1: | 0 |
| Best Bowling1: | 2/9 |
| Catches/Stumpings1: | 26/– |
| Column2: | LA |
| Matches2: | 124 |
| Runs2: | 2,629 |
| Bat Avg2: | 30.56 |
| 100S/50S2: | 1/16 |
| Top Score2: | 116 |
| Deliveries2: | 264 |
| Wickets2: | 5 |
| Bowl Avg2: | 55.40 |
| Fivefor2: | 0 |
| Tenfor2: | 0 |
| Best Bowling2: | 2/13 |
| Catches/Stumpings2: | 68/– |
| Column3: | T20 |
| Matches3: | 159 |
| Runs3: | 2,257 |
| Bat Avg3: | 20.51 |
| 100S/50S3: | 0/10 |
| Top Score3: | 71 |
| Deliveries3: | 78 |
| Wickets3: | 1 |
| Bowl Avg3: | 96.00 |
| Fivefor3: | 0 |
| Tenfor3: | 0 |
| Best Bowling3: | 1/17 |
| Catches/Stumpings3: | 89/– |
| Date: | 8 October |
| Year: | 2023 |
| Source: | http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/243944.html Cricinfo |
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. Blake was known as a "brutal limited-overs batsman" and an "athletic" fielder.
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.[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.[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. Blake scored another two half-centuries in the 2015 Royal London One-Day Cup and recorded a batting average of 62 in the competition. After attracting attention from Sussex,[11] he was awarded a new contract at the end of the 2015 season 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]