Dennis Breakwell

{{short description|English cricketer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=February 2016}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Dennis Breakwell

| country = England

| fullname = Dennis Breakwell

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1948|07|02|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Brierley Hill, Staffordshire

| heightft = 5

| heightinch = 9

| batting = Left-handed

| bowling = Slow left-arm orthodox

| role = All-rounder

| club2 = Somerset

| year2 = 1973–1984

| club1 = Northamptonshire

| year1 = {{nowrap|1969–1972}}

| type1 = FC

| debutdate1 = 21 June

| debutyear1 = 1969

| debutfor1 = Northants

| debutagainst1 = Oxford University

| lastdate1 = 18 June

| lastyear1 = 1983

| lastfor1 = Somerset

| lastagainst1 = Derbyshire

| type2 = LA

| debutdate2 = 3 August

| debutyear2 = 1969

| debutfor2 = Northants

| debutagainst2 = Surrey

| lastdate2 = 1 August

| lastyear2 = 1984

| lastfor2 = Somerset

| lastagainst2 = Kent

| columns = 2

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 231

| runs1 = 4,792

| bat avg1 = 19.80

| 100s/50s1 = 1/16

| top score1 = 100*

| deliveries1 = 30,220

| wickets1 = 422

| bowl avg1 = 30.84

| fivefor1 = 12

| tenfor1 = 1

| best bowling1 = 8/39

| catches/stumpings1 = 80/–

| column2 = LA

| matches2 = 186

| runs2 = 1,386

| bat avg2 = 14.14

| 100s/50s2 = 0/0

| top score2 = 44*

| deliveries2 = 3,875

| wickets2 = 86

| bowl avg2 = 30.17

| fivefor2 = 0

| tenfor2 = 0

| best bowling2 = 4/10

| catches/stumpings2 = 40/–

| date = 13 February

| year = 2010

| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/3/3453/3453.html CricketArchive

}}

Dennis Breakwell (born 2 July 1948 to John (Jack) Breakwell and Florence Emily Talbot), is a former English first-class cricketer who made over 400 appearances between 1969 and 1984 playing for Northamptonshire and Somerset County Cricket Clubs. A left-handed batsman and slow left-arm orthodox bowler, Breakwell developed into an all-rounder as his career progressed,{{cite web|url=http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/9206.html |title=Player profile: Dennis Breakwell |publisher=Cricinfo |accessdate=2010-02-13}} and he featured in a series of strong sides at Northampton alongside Colin Milburn and Sarfraz Nawaz and at Somerset alongside Joel Garner, Viv Richards and Ian Botham, rooming with the latter two in his early days at the club. Following the end of his playing career he became coach and head groundsman at King's College, Taunton coaching among others England batsman Jos Buttler and Somerset's Alex Barrow and Tom Webley.

Breakwell's only first-class century came against the New Zealanders at Taunton in July 1978.{{cite web |title=Somerset v New Zealanders |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/new-zealand-tour-of-england-and-netherlands-1978-62078/somerset-vs-new-zealanders-tour-match-509731/live-cricket-score |website=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=21 September 2022}} His best bowling figures, 8 for 39, came when Northamptonshire beat Kent by an innings and 54 runs at Dover in 1970: his victims included Mike Denness, Colin Cowdrey, John Shepherd, Alan Knott and Derek Underwood.{{cite web |title=Kent v Northants |url=https://wisden.com/matches/scorecard/169774/kent-v-northamptonshire-at-dover-county-championship |website=Wisden}}

Breakwell was hit for six consecutive sixes (not in the same over) by South African all-rounder Mike Procter in the Gloucestershire versus Somerset County Championship match at Taunton on the 27th of August, 1979.{{cite web |last1=Mukherjee |first1=Abhishek |title=Mike Procter hits six consecutive sixes in a County game against Somerset off Dennis Breakwell |url=https://www.cricketcountry.com/articles/mike-procter-hits-six-consecutive-sixes-in-a-county-game-against-somerset-off-dennis-breakwell-30352 |website=www.cricketcountry.com |accessdate=1 April 2019}}