Gloucs batter Dent to retire after 16 years with club

One-club player Chris Dent came through the academy at boyhood club Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire batter Chris Dent has retired from cricket with immediate effect after 16 years with the club.

The 34-year-old scored more than 15,000 runs across 356 matches in all formats for the county since his debut in 2009 and will end his career a one-club player.

Dent has played two first-class matches this season, against Glamorgan and Derbyshire.

"The time is right to step away from the game. It's hard to put into words what cricket has given me, but I will always be truly grateful," Dent said in a statement.

Bristol-born Dent joined the club's academy aged 12 and was part of the side that won the One-Day Cup in 2015.

He struck a high of 268 off 347 balls against Glamorgan in 2015 - an innings that remains the second-highest post-war total for the club - and surpassed 1,000 runs in a season four times, most recently in 2019.

He captained Gloucestershire for five seasons from 2018 to 2021 and was under contract until the end of 2026.

Last summer Dent spoke about how he was enduring an ongoing battle with anxiety, which kept him out of action for much of the season.

Gloucestershire head coach Mark Alleyne said he was one of the "most valued players" to come through the club's 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," Alleyne said.

"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.

"I feel he may still stay in cricket, perhaps playing locally, and this will be a continued boost for our regional game."