9 facts about Reece Topley: The gangly left arm fast bowler

Reece Topley, standing at a towering height of 6ft 7in, is one of England’s most promising cricketers. The young talent comes from a family of cricketers and was mentored by his father himself. He climbed up the ladder from the junior levels to the national team with ease. By the time he was 18, the left-armer had already grabbed headlines with his performances for the county side and at the U19 level. Topley has a great reputation as a young cricketer and his name is taken as the ‘player for the future’ by many in the cricketing circles.

1. Born On:

Reece James William Topley was born on February 21, 1994, Ipswich, Suffolk

2. Like father like son

The son of former Essex player Don Topley His uncle, Peter Topley, was also a first-class cricketer and played for Kent.

3. Education:

Topley was educated in the Royal Hospital School in Suffolk where his father was a professor. His father, who has also been his cricketing mentor,  has been very conscious about his education and has never let it interfere with sports.

4. Early cricketing life:

Reece Topley has been a part of the Youth cricket system and has played for Essex representative sides since the age of nine.

5. Teenage pain:

Reece Topley’s first claim to fame came when he was hit on the head and hospitalized by a Kevin Pietersen drive as a 15-year-old net bowler at Loughborough ahead of the World Twenty20 in 2009. He needed stitches but Pietersen left him a signed bat as a more welcome memento.

6. Not a kid by size:

Apparently, Topley was taken to children’s ward in the hospital. A very amusing problem occurred as he could not fit into any bed. His father Dons said “It was worrying at the time but it was funny seeing Reece in a children’s ward. ‘He was already 6ft 5in by then and struggled to fit into the bed!’

7. First Class debut:

Topley broke into Essex’s LV County Championship side at the age of 17 in 2011 and took 24 first-class wickets in his debut season.

8. Young achiever:

Reece Topley was a part of the England U19 side and finished the 2012 Under-19 World Cup in Queensland as the top wicket-taker. His tally read – 19 wickets at an average of 9.10 and economy of 3.17.

9. International debut:

Topley made his T20 debut against Australia in Cardiff on 31 August 2015. He also received his ODI cap in the same series against Australia on 13 September 2015.