Reece Topley is an English professional cricketer who was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, on February 21, 1994. He bats right-handed and is predominantly a left-arm medium-fast bowler.
He was a member of England’s T20 World Cup 2016 team, which came in second place.
Background
His father and uncle were both First Class cricketers, and he grew up in a cricketing household. In 2011, he made his First Class debut for Essex after rising through the ranks of the club’s youth programme.
He made an impact in his first match for Essex, taking five wickets in the second innings against Kent. In the County Championship, he managed to please the selectors, raising the ante for an international debut.
He was also chosen to appear for the England Lions U19 team against the South African U19 team. Hampshire County Club signed him four years back, a day after he made his T20I debut, to play for them in the County Championship. Topley received his ODI call-up just a few days after hearing the good news.
Debut
On August 31, 2015, Reece made his international debut in a T20I against Australia in Cardiff. This was the start of a career marred by a slew of injuries. In their 20 overs, England posted 182/5. Topley took Mitchell Marsh for a duck in the second innings, finishing with figures of 1/35 in his four overs. The Australians eventually fell 5 runs short of their mark.
On September 13, 2015, he made his One-Day International debut against the same opposition in Manchester. In 33 overs, the hosts were bowled out for 138 runs. With 8 wickets in hand and 154 balls to spare, Australia comfortably chased down the total. Topley finished with a batting average of 0/33 in 5.2 overs.