Joe Phillips signs two-year contract extension at Gloucestershire
26 October 2023
Exciting young batter Joe Phillips has signed a two-year contract extension at Gloucestershire Cricket.
The 19-year-old top-order batter experienced a breakout year at the Seat Unique Stadium in 2023 having signed an initial short-term deal with the Club in May.
The new deal for Joe, a product of Cornwall’s Emerging Players Programme (EPP), will see him remain at Nevil Road until at least the end of the 2025 season.
Joe made his debut for Gloucestershire at the Cheltenham Cricket Festival vs Glamorgan in July, scoring 17 in his first first-team innings. In the following match vs Worcestershire, Joe scored 80 and 26 in the match as he quickly found his feet in the team.
In what was arguably a standout moment of the season for Joe, he scored 71* on T20 debut vs an experienced New Zealand side as a young Shire XI provided a real test for the Blackcaps' visit to Bristol in August.
Speaking about signing his first long-term deal with Gloucestershire, Joe said: "I am delighted to sign with Gloucestershire for a further two years. I have massively enjoyed my time at the club so far, from coming through the academy and especially last season integrating within the first team and being fortunate enough to get some opportunities too.
“I have a lot of excitement looking forward to next season with Gloucestershire, both from a team and a personal perspective, as it should be a great opportunity for me to continue to develop my game and hopefully make some positive contributions.”
Born in Truro, Joe is a graduate of the Gloucestershire Academy having joined the Club as a 15-year-old. Since joining Shire, Joe put in a number of impressive performances for the u18s and Second XI ahead of his graduation to the first team.
Dale Benkenstein, Head Coach at Gloucestershire Cricket, added: “Joe showed real promise with the bat in the 2023 season, coming in at the top of the order mid-way through the season and providing valuable contributions. Joe has a huge amount of potential and players like him have a big part to play in the future of the Club. I’m delighted Joe has agreed to extend his time at Gloucestershire and I’m looking forward to working more closely with him next season.”
