Ryan Ten Doeschate to retire from professional cricket at end of 2021 season

London [UK], September 12 (ANI): Essex County Cricket Club has confirmed that Netherlands all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate will retire from professional cricket at the end of 2021.

The all-rounder joined Essex in 2003 after impressing Graham Gooch during a pre-season game in South Africa. He's gone on to make 554 appearances across all formats for the Club over his 19 seasons at Chelmsford, scoring 17,046 runs and taking 348 wickets.

"From the bottom of my heart I'd like to thank everyone who has been involved with Essex during my time at the Club. It's been the greatest professional experience to grow in this environment, to watch the organisation and the individuals within it evolve and become something that I am extremely proud to have been a part of," Ten Doeschate said in an official release.

"The support that the team and myself personally have enjoyed has been phenomenal and is greatly appreciated. The staff, members, sponsors, and supporters have made Essex a fabulous place to play cricket. My professional career would not have been the same without some very special teammates, who I know will be lifelong friends," he added.

His first piece of silverware came in 2005, with the Eagles capturing the totesport League. The side successfully defended their title in 2006, whilst ten Doeschate was awarded his County Cap later that year. He also made the highest score of his career in 2006, making an unbeaten 259 for the Netherlands against Canada in Pretoria.

In 2008, ten Doeschate played an instrumental role as he and Grant Flower saw the Eagles over the line in the Friends Provident Trophy Final at Lord's. Later in 2008, he was named the ICC Associate Player of the Year for the first time; an award he went on to win again in 2010 and 2011.

He was picked by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2011 Indian Premier League and forged a successful and solid relationship with the franchise, winning titles in both 2012 and 2014.

A pivotal moment in the Club's recent history was his appointment as Club Captain in 2016, which saw an immediate return to the County Championship's top tier by winning the Division Two title. The following season, he and his team defied all the odds and went unbeaten on their way to a first County Championship title in 25 years. Two years later, the team achieved the feat once again under his stewardship in a landmark double-winning campaign.

Despite stepping down as Club Captain at the end of 2019, ten Doeschate continued to play an instrumental role and was a huge factor in Essex claiming the inaugural Bob Willis Trophy in 2020. (ANI)