Chris Dent, Gloucestershire's long-serving opening batter, has announced his retirement from professional cricket with immediate effect.
Dent, 34, represented Gloucestershire in 356 matches, scoring over 15,000 runs across all formats, including 11,237 at 36.01 in first-class cricket, placing him 28th on the club's all-time list.
Born in Bristol, Dent joined Gloucestershire's Pathway at the age of 12, and made his senior debut in 2009 during a Pro40 match against Nottinghamshire. He passed 1,000 first-class runs in a season on four occasions, most recently in 2019, when he captained the side to promotion to Division One, their first such appearance since 2005.
This season, however, he struggled for form in the opening round of Championship games, and had not 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. "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."