Bristol, July 31 Gloucestershire’s long-serving opening batter Chris Dent has announced his immediate retirement from professional cricket. The 34-year-old played 356 matches for the club, amassing over 15,000 runs across all formats. In first-class cricket alone, he scored 11,237 runs at an average of 36.01, making him the 28th highest run-scorer in Gloucestershire’s history.
A Bristol native, Dent joined Gloucestershire’s Pathway Programme at the age of 12 and made his senior debut in 2009 in a Pro40 fixture against Nottinghamshire. He went on to surpass 1,000 first-class runs in a season on four occasions, with his most recent coming in 2019 - a standout year when he led the team to promotion to Division One, their first top-flight appearance since 2005.
However, Dent found form hard to come by this season, struggling in the early rounds of the County Championship, and hasn’t featured for the first team since April.
"After 16 memorable seasons playing professional cricket, I've decided that the time is right to step away from the game," Dent said in a statement. "It's hard to put into words what cricket has given me, but I will always be truly grateful.
"I want to thank Gloucestershire CCC for giving me my opportunity 16 years ago. The support and faith you've shown me have been a huge part of any success I've had over the years.
"To the fans - your encouragement throughout my career has meant everything. What stands out most, especially over these last few difficult years, is the love and kindness you've shown me. That support helped me more than you'll ever know.
"The biggest thank you goes to all the players. You guys are what made the last 16 years so memorable. I feel incredibly lucky to have shared the field with so many brilliant people. When I look back on my career, my favourite memories are special because of the people I shared them with. Even though my time as a cricketer is over, I hope there are still more memories to be made with you all."
Mark Alleyne, Gloucestershire's head coach, said, "Reaching the end of a first-class playing career is always a daunting time, but I am sure Denty will look back with brilliant memories of his time with Gloucestershire.
"I remember him in his teenage years, knocking around in the Academy, and I am not surprised he became one of our most valued players to come through our Pathway.
"Batting at the top for most of his career in England is an unenviable task, but once again, he managed to impact games from that position on a regular basis. His presence there kept him perennially in England's shortlist, though he never quite got the call. I believe the international stage could have seen him flourish.
"Although still in great physical shape, it has been more challenging mentally, and on that sad note, his appearances have been somewhat restricted.
"The last few years will not define what has been a stellar career with the Glorious, and I would like to thank him for his immense contributions over the years."
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