Leicestershire sign wicketkeeper Josh Blake from Surrey on two-year deal

Leicestershire have completed the signing of wicketkeeper Josh Blake from Surrey on a two-year deal, the county announced, just a day after confirming the departure of experienced gloveman Ben Cox.

The 28-year-old spent four years on the books at Surrey as a professional, a club he first joined at the age of nine. Blake earlier worked as a community coach for four years with the county as he tried to earn his first professional contract.

He landed that deal in 2022, the same year he made his List A debut for the club, while it was not until 2024 that he made his first appearance in the County Championship. In all, Blake made eight County Championship appearances for Surrey, scoring 263 runs in the competition at an average of 29.22.

Blake said leaving Surrey was a "big decision", but sees Leicestershire as a "new chapter" in a career that has featured time playing club cricket in the Surrey Championship as well as in Sydney Shires in Australia to prove himself.

The signing comes at a pivotal moment for Leicestershire, whose relegation from Division One of the County Championship is still subject to their appeal against a points deduction. The arrival of Blake helps soften the blow of Ben Cox's exit, which was confirmed just a day earlier.