Samuel William Billings (born 15 June 1991) is an English professional cricketer. Billings is a right-handed batsman who fields as a wicket-keeper. He was born at Pembury in Kent and has played for Kent County Cricket Club teams since he was eight years old, making his senior debut for the First XI in 2011. In October 2017, he was appointed as the vice-captain of the team, before being appointed as captain in January 2018, replacing Sam Northeast.Sam Billings: England limited-overs player replaces Sam Northeast as Kent captain, BBC Sport, 17 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018. He served as the club's captain until the end of the 2023 season when he resigned, although he retained the captaincy of the club's Twenty20 cricket team.Kent: Daniel Bell-Drummond appointed as club captain to replace Sam Billings, BBC Sport, 12 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
Billings has appeared mainly in limited overs formats for the England cricket team and made his Test cricket debut in January 2022. He has played Twenty20 franchise cricket in the Pakistan Super League, Indian Premier League, Bangladesh Premier League and in the Big Bash League in Australia and captained Oval Invincibles in all four seasons of The Hundred.
Early and personal life Billings was born at Pembury in Kent and grew up on his family's farm in the north of the county.Liew J (2017) Far from the typical cricketer, 'posh' Sam Billings is reaping the rewards of his studies, The Daily Telegraph, 27 January 2017.The inevitable rise of Billings, ESPNcricinfo, 31 January 2015. Retrieved 28 November 2015. He developed as a good all-round sportsman, playing tennis for Kent and being offered a trial for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club after scoring a hat-trick against the team's academy team whilst playing for Corinthian under-14s.Bauckham D (2016) The Last Corinthian, 26 October 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2016. He also played racquets, squash, and rugby.Sam Billings looks to De Villiers' method as he prepares for England debut, The Guardian, 7 May 2015. Retrieved 28 November 2015. His grandfather, Ron Billings, was a racquets champion and his cousin, Tom Billings, has been world champion of the sport. Billings attributes racquets with helping to develop his batting skills, in particular his hand-eye coordination.
Billings attended New Beacon School in Sevenoaks, and then Haileybury College in Hertfordshire, appearing regularly for their cricket XI throughout his school career. He studied for a degree in Sport and Exercise Science at Loughborough University.Player profile: Sam Billings, Loughborough MCCU. Retrieved 17 August 2011.MacPherson W (2017) Unflagging and zealous, Billings seeks new peaks, ESPNcricinfo, 12 January 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2017. Billings has said that he was "nowhere near good enough" to become a professional cricketer before his time at university and credits it with encouraging him to work hard to develop his talent.
Early career Billings made his first-class debut for Loughborough MCCU against Northamptonshire in 2011. He made a further first-class appearance for the team in 2011, against Leicestershire.Sam Billings, CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 August 2011. In his four first-class matches for Loughborough MCCU, he scored 321 runs at an average of 45.85, with a highest score of 131. This score came in his debut match against Northamptonshire.Harman J (2016) Play it again, Sam, ESPNcricinfo, 14 August 2016 (previously published in All Out Cricket). Retrieved 25 August 2016.
Kent career Whilst at university Billings was also a member of the Kent squad, and he made his debut for the county in May 2011 in a first-class match against his university team, Loughborough MCCU. During the 2011 season he also made his List A debut for Kent against the Netherlands in the 2011 Clydesdale Bank 40, standing in for regular wicket-keeper Geraint Jones. Billings made three further List A appearances in the 2011 season, as well as playing in four matches in the 2011 Friends Provident t20. After leading the county in one-day runs scored in 2012, Billings replaced former England wicket-keeper Jones in Kent's 2013 Friends Life t20 campaign.Sam Billings aiming to seize FLt20 opportunity, BBC Sport, 4 July 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2013. At the end of the season he kept wicket in the County Championship, breaking Jones' string of 115 consecutive Championship appearances for KentKent replace Geraint Jones with Sam Billings, The Times, 17 November 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2016. before playing Sydney Grade Cricket for Penrith District Cricket Club during the 2013–14 English winter.Cheng K (2013) English county cricketer Sam Billings arrives in Penrith, Penrith Press, 8 November 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
Billings became the first choice wicket-keeper for Kent in the 2014 season. He played in the champion county match in Abu Dhabi at the beginning of the 2015 season before scoring 693 runs at an average of 29.80 in the 2015 County Championship season and making his England One Day and T20 debuts. He was awarded his Kent county cap in August 2015 during the annual Canterbury Cricket Week and signed a contract extension with Kent, in January 2016.Hoad, Alex (2016). England wicketkeeper-batsman Sam Billings has signed a contract extension at Kent, Kent Online, 27 January 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sam Billings awarded county caps, Kent County Cricket Club, 5 August 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.England's Sam Billings signs Kent contract extension, BBC Sport, 27 January 2016. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
After spending the winter playing one-day international cricket with England and featuring in both the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 competitions, Billings returned to Kent at the end of May having missed six County Championship matches as well as the start of both one-day competitions.Kent and England wicketkeeper batsman Sam Billings hopes to add to club's winning formula after return from IPL, Kent Online, 2 June 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2016. During the 2016 season he became only the second Kent wicket-keeper to take seven catches in an innings and the tenth to claim nine dismissals in a first-class match, both one short of equalling the record for the county,Claydon and Billings combine to hand Kent control, ESPNcricinfo, 3 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.County Championship: Kent's Mitch Claydon takes five Worcestershire wickets, BBC Sport, 3 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.Kent victory dents Worcestershire promotion hopes, ESPNcricinfo, 6 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016. and made his highest score in first-class cricket.Ehantharajah V (2016) Billings takes satisfaction in epic show of restraint, ESPNcricinfo, 25 August 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
Billings spent the following winter playing for England in Bangladesh, Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League and for England again in India and the West Indies as well as once again playing in the PSL and IPL.Venugopal A (2017) Sam Billings is up for the job – any job, ESPNcricinfo, 11 January 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2017.McGlashan A (2017) Billings back from IPL to hail England 'buzz', ESPNcricinfo, 4 May 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2017. England duty again kept him away from Kent for parts of the 2017 season and he played in only six of the county's County Championship matches during the season, although he was ever present during the T20 Blast.Sam Billings: England wicketkeeper-batsman extends Kent contract, BBC Sport, 10 October 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2017.Wilde, Simon (2017). Billings is ready to shine, The Times, 19 March 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2017. He averaged 43.66 in the Championship games he played and captained the team in a tour match against the West Indies in August.Hoad, Alex (2017). Kent Cricket wicketkeeper-batsman Sam Billings signs new deal with the club, Kent Online, 10 October 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2017. At the end of the season he signed a new contract with Kent and was appointed officially as the team's vice-captain.
Following Sam Northeast's removal as Kent captain in early 2018 Billings was appointed to the post as his replacement, despite some disquiet about his participation in the 2018 Indian Premier League. This meant that he missed the first part of the County Championship and One Day Cup seasons. The team was captained by Joe Denly in Billings' absence. Later in the season Billings once again signed a contract extension.Sam Billings and Joe Denly: Kent captain and vice-captain sign new contracts, BBC Sport, 10 July 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
Billings captained Kent Spitfires to the 2021 T20 Blast title, beating Somerset in the final by 25 runs to win the tournament and their second domestic T20 title.Scott G (2021) Kent beat Somerset to win T20 Blast, BBC Sport, 18 September 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
International career
Billings was first called into the England Performance Programme in 2014 and took part in a training camp in Sri Lanka during the English winter.Hopps S (2014) Billings replaces Kieswetter in England 30, ESPNcricinfo, 12 December 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2017.Riley and Billings play in England Performance Programme win in Sri Lanka, Kent County Cricket Club, 14 December 2014.Miles T (2014) Kent's Sam Billings 'chuffed' at joining World Cup squad, Kent News, 19 December 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2017. He had played for an ECB under-16 team in 2006 and for England age group teams at under-17 and under-18 level before touring Bangladesh with the England under-19 team in 2009.Goodman and Billings to be monitored by England U19s, Kent County Cricket Club, 9 August 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2017.Edwards R (2017) 'The more you play with the best, the better you become' – Sam Billings is relishing life at the top, The Independent, 11 January 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
He was named in the squad for the England Lions cricket team in the 2014/15 off-season in South Africa, making his debut and scoring 53 against a Gauteng Invitation XI in January 2015 and going on to play for the Lions in four of the five unofficial one-day international matches on the tour.Riley and Billings named in England Lions squads, Canterbury Times, 28 October 2014.Jonathan Trott hits unbeaten 79 in England Lions draw against Gauteng, The Guardian, 7 January 2015. Retrieved 28 November 2015. In late 2014 he had been named in the provisional squad for the England cricket team before the 2015 Cricket World Cup, replacing the injured Craig Kieswetter,Sam Billings added to England's provisional World Cup squad, BBC sport website, 12 December 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2015. but did not feature in the final squad for the tournament.
International debut Billings made his senior England international debut in an ODI against the touring New Zealand team in June 2015, playing as a batsman and scoring three runs.New Zealand tour of England, 1st ODI: England v New Zealand at Birmingham, Jun 9, 2015, ESPNcricinfo, 9 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015. After playing in all five ODIs during the series, he made his Twenty20 International (T20I) debut on 23 June 2015, scoring 21 runs.Electric England sweep to victory, ESPNcricinfo, 25 June 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2015. He was an unused member of the ODI squad against Australia later the same summer before playing in the only T20I against the Australians at the end of August.