Full Name

Alexander James Blake

Born

January 25, 1989, Farnborough, Kent

Age

35y 54d

Batting Style

Left hand Bat

Bowling Style

Right arm Medium fast

Playing Role

Middle order Batter

There was a sense of deja vu about Alex Blake's 2019 season when his powerful 57 off 38 balls drove Kent to an unlikely two-wicket victory over Hampshire in their T20 Blast match at the Ageas Bowl. Coming in with his side 41 for 4 and needing another 105 runs, he clubbed consecutive sixes off the final over to secure victory with two balls remaining. His knock was reminiscent of the corresponding fixture in 2015, Blake's breakout season in which he slammed 71 off 30 balls with his side 70 for 5 needing 178. It was also a reminder that, despite his best efforts to factor in all three formats, he remains somewhat of a limited-overs specialist.

A dangerous left-handed hitter, whose athleticism in the field is highly valued, Blake's six first-class appearances in 2019 - yielding 137 runs at an average of 13.70 and with a highest score of 34 - still appeared secondary to his white-ball performance and he has not played a first-class match since. Instead, he has gone on to feature on the T20 franchise circuit, playing for Dhaka Dominators in the BPL and Kathmandu Knights in the Nepal T20 during 2023.

Farnborough-born Blake, a Kent academy product, represented England U-19 in ODIs and made his first-class debut in 2008 against the New Zealand tourists. He scored his maiden century, against Yorkshire, at the end of the 2010 Championship campaign, which remains his only ton in the longest format.

Blake captured attention with some whirlwind displays in white-ball cricket in 2015 as part of an exciting Kent side that reached two cup quarter-finals. Two more innings stood out besides his career-best 71 not out at Southampton to turn Kent's T20 season: his 59 in 24 balls against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham to secure a last-eight place, and another pulverising effort from a seemingly hopeless position against Lancashire at Canterbury in a losing cause over 50 overs. He resisted overtures from Sussex at the end of 2015 to remain with his native county.

When he made a mark in the Championship in 2016, the headlines told of his capacity for big hitting as he struck the only three balls he received for six, from the legspinner Matt Critchley, to seal a victory at Derbyshire. The following season included a first List A century to relish, 116 from 58 balls with 10 fours and seven sixes at Taunton, but Kent finished on the losing side.
ESPNcricinfo

Alex Blake Career Stats

Batting & Fielding

FormatMatInnsNORunsHSAveBFSR100s50s4s6sCtSt
FC477461560105*22.94276756.371622014260
List A12410519262911630.562609100.7611624784680
T20s15914030225771*20.511670135.14010161107890

Bowling

FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w10w
FC471022215832/92/952.664.2774.0000
List A1241226427752/132/1355.406.2952.8000
T20s1598789611/171/1796.007.3878.0000

Recent Matches of Alex Blake

Photos of Alex Blake

Joe Denly and Alex Blake celebrate another wicket for Kent
Alex Blake of Kent bats
Alex Blake gave Kent the impetus they needed
Alex Blake is bowled by Jofra Archer
Alex Blake kept Kent's last-eight hopes alive
Alex Blake hit 116 off 58 balls