Aged only 17, Chris Dent is raising his profile sure and fast to become the next big thing in cricket. A left-hand batsman by trade, he is also a gifted wicket keeper. Chris currently plays for Thornbury Cricket Club and represents Gloucestershire County Cricket Club at both a youth and academy level. By the age of 14, he had represented both North Somerset and Gloucestershire in county matches and was selected for Gloucestershire’s county academy for elite young cricketers.
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Chris’s season has been disrupted by a painful hip injury which has hampered performances over the past five weeks, leading Chris to miss games on advice of his physiotherapist. Despite injuries, the second half of the season has been a pretty successful one, in which the young county cricketer scored over 1500 runs and taken 55 wickets.
In batting, Chris scored 127 for Gloucestershire U17’s against Isle of Wight and 80 against Bedfordshire. He also ended up top as top wicket taker for Gloucestershire U17’s with 14 wickets, bowling an ever improving left arm spin.
The next stage will be to try to get back into the Gloucestershire Academy. The trials are held on 20th & 21st September and my aim is to get back in for 2008/2009.
Next March Chris plans to take a two week tour to St. Kitts with Filton College Cricket Academy. The team will play 6 matches against local sides and be tested in Caribbean conditions. Longer term, Chris plans to spend the winter of 2009/2010 in Perth, Australia playing for one of their district clubs. |
Chris’s participation in the academy has given him the opportunity to receive top class coaching from some of the cricketing worlds best players; former Gloucestershire and England wicket keeper Jack Russell, Steve Adshead, Alex Gidman and Carl Greenidge to name a few! His involvement is reaping the benefits and the young cricketer’s game continues to excel and improve no end.
His career to date has seen him honour various awards such as ‘player of the year’ on numerous counts at Cleeve and Thornbury Cricket Clubs. Further to this he was the youngest player to make the Cleeve first team at only the age of fourteen and even younger, scored half a century for senior teams at Cleeve Cricket Club. As well as representing teams at a county level, he has made a variety of appearances for the Bristol and District League. Chris was also lucky enough to be selected as the ‘Johnners Scholar’, for the Brian Johnston Memorial trust, a charity that aids gifted young cricketers and gives them the opportunity to reach full potential at a county and national level.
Chris will spend the next two years studying for a BTEC National Diploma in Sport at Filton College, based in Bristol. His time here will allow him entry to the Filton Cricket Academy, which will further involve him in the Gloucestershire County set-up. Chris has also achieved selection in the England and Wales Cricket (ECB) west region Batting Skill Set throughout the winter, which could inevitably lead to securing a place in Cricket at national and professional level in the future.
2008 Events
January
Every Sunday from 13th January, Chris will be attending Gloucestershire CCC Academy sessions at the County Ground in Bristol - working on skills, sports psychology, fitness and lifestyle management with Academy Director and Gloucestershire 2nd XI coach Stuart Barnes and several of the first team squad such as Steve Kirby, Steve Snell, Chris Taylor and Ian Fisher.
Every Wednesday, Chris will be attending Gloucestershire CCC Academy skills sessions again at the County Ground in Bristol - focusing specifically on specific skills at these sessions. For Chris it will be batting with Owen Dawkins (Gloucestershire CCC batting coach) and Steve Snell (1st & 2nd team wicketkeeper).
February
Academy sessions as above.
In addition, on 2nd & 9th February Chris will be attending ECB West & South Region Batting skill set sessions at the County Ground in Taunton. These are 3 hour sessions where he will work specifically on batting England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) coaches. Chris has been selected for these sessions following a trial in November. The most promising players from counties in the region are selected for these skill set sessions.
Chris will also be starting indoor net practice with his club side, Thornbury CC who play in the West of England Premier League.
March
Academy sessions as above.
Club net practice sessions as above.
From April onwards the cricket season starts. |
