Vipers Voices

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In this episode we hear from Head Coach James Foster as he reflects on the Vipers making it six wins from six starts this season, courtesy of a five-wicket victory against the Dubai Capitals at the Dubai International Stadium.

This was the Vipers' seasonal Sustainability Match, during which they shine a light on green issues, and we also hear from CEO Phil Oliver and Head of Strategy Matt Bailey as they explain why the franchise is so committed to this cause.

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In this episode we hear from Max Holden, who made an unbeaten 64 from 41 balls to help the Vipers to a fifth win in five matches, this time against the Gulf Giants at the Dubai International Stadium.

Max shared an unbroken stand of 123 for the third wicket with Sam Curran (67 not out) as the Vipers won eight wickets with 3.1 overs in hand.

Earlier, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer produced a sensational spell of bowling, capturing four for 10 as the Vipers restricted the Giants to 157 for seven...

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This time we chat with the Desert Vipers Sustainability Lead, Ben Hardy-Jones as we look forward to the Sustainability Match which this season will see the team face the Dubai Capitals at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday the 14th of December, a 6.30pm start.

Ben talks to us about the significance of the match, why it is so important and what activities will be taking place on the day.

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In this episode we chat with Director of Cricket Tom Moody who reflects on the campaign so far and looks ahead to the team’s next match, against the Gulf Giants, at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday the 12th of December, a 6.30pm start.

Tom talks about what’s pleased him and what hasn’t so far. There’s plenty of good stuff to look back on, of course, off the back of four wins from four matches but, as Tom tells us, there’s also plenty to improve...

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In this episode we hear from fast bowler David Payne off the back of another thrilling match involving the Vipers - this time a one-run win against MI Emirates in Abu Dhabi.

David was player of the match after taking four for 29 as the Vipers defended 159, sealing the win off the final delivery as wicketkeeper Vriitya Aravind ran out AM Ghazanfar as he sought the run that would have taken the match to a super over.

It means the Vipers are top of...

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This time we reflect on a great result for the Vipers, who made it three wins from three starts in thrilling fashion against the Gulf Giants at the Dubai International Stadium.

The Vipers, set 180 to win by the Giants, reached 179 for nine to set up a super over, the first in the history of the tournament, and after Dan Lawrence and Shimron Hetmyer scored 13, Naseem Shah then bowled superbly to restrict the Giants to 9, meaning victory for the Vipers.

Coming up we hear from captain Sa...

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This time we speak with the Vipers Analyst Freddie Wilde, who gives us a peak behind the curtain at what his job entails.

It really is a fascinating conversation about a role within teams these days that is widely acknowledged but rarely, if ever, spoken about.

Our chat covers all aspects of what Freddie does – how he goes about his business, how he interacts with the players and coaching staff and how receptive those two groups are to the use of video and, more gen...

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The Desert Vipers have made it two wins from two matches at the start of Season 4 of the DP World ILT20, this time beating the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders by two wickets with three balls in hand at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

In this episode we hear from Dan Lawrence, who made 35 from 32 balls and also took the key wicket of ex-Vipers batter Sherfane Rutherford.

The Vipers restricted a powerful ADKR batting line-up top 171 for six before chasing down the target, thanks not...

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In this episode we hear from left-arm swing and seam bowler David Payne, who was so influential with two wickets in the opening victory over the Dubai Capitals.

David talks us through that win and discusses the conditions encountered in the match, he speaks about the mood within the squad and also looks ahead to the challenge of facing the batting power of Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at Sharjah Stadium, the Vipers' second match of the season. 

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The tournament is underway and the Vipers are off the mark with two points, courtesy of a four-wicket win against the Dubai Capitals at the Dubai International Stadium.

The match was a repeat of February's final but this time with a different result!

In this episode we hear from Andries Gous, who's 58 from 36 balls was key to the successful run-chase, as well as left-arm swing bowler David Payne and wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad, who took two wickets apiece to help restrict the Capitals to 150...

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The waiting is almost over! It's almost time for the first match of DP World ILT20 Season 4, with the Vipers set to go head-to-head with the Dubai Capitals, and ahead of that encounter, we caught up with Head Coach James Foster after the side's final practice session at the ICC Academy at Dubai Sports City.

James talks us through the squad's build-up to the game and its significance, with everything now focused on the Dubai International Stadium and the evening of the 2nd of December!

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This time, with the clock ticking down towards the season-opener against the Dubai Capitals on Tuesday the 2nd of December, we speak with all-rounder Sam Curran.

Sam was the player of the tournament in Season 3 when the Vipers narrowly failed to lift the trophy, and coming up we have a relaxed and fascinating chat with a player who, off the back of his stellar season with the Vipers, was recalled to the England white-ball set-up at the end of the English season.

He spoke a...

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With the season-opener against the Dubai Capitals on Tuesday the 2nd of December racing towards us, we speak with captain Lockie Ferguson.

Lockie is back in charge for a second season after taking the Vipers so close to success last time out and so he’s got plenty to reflect upon, as well as plenty to look forward to, in our chat, a chat that’s well worth your time.

Lockie did a terrific job for the Vipers on and off the field last seaso...

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The episodes are coming thick and fast as the tournament draws ever nearer and this time we speak with returning fast bowling coach Azhar Mahmood.

Azhar was with the franchise for the first two seasons of the tournament before switching to working with the Pakistan men’s team, but now he’s back and we caught up with him after he arrived at the team’s base at JA the Resort in Jebel Ali on the outskirts of Dubai.

Azhar is one of the very be...

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Coming up we speak with Vipers Director of Cricket Tom Moody as players and staff start to assemble at the JA Resort in Jebel Ali ahead of the tournament.

Tom was in great form when we chatted, covering off a range of topics and it really is a chat that – as ever with Tom – is well worth your time.

There’s his take on the process of planning for the auction that happened at the start of October and, on top of that, we hear fr...

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This time we speak with English batter Dan Lawrence, one of the seven players retained by the Vipers for season four of the tournament, as we get ever closer to the first ball of the next edition.

Dan was one of the squad’s earliest overseas arrivals into the UAE as he opted to play in the Abu Dhabi T10 beforehand, and he took a break from the action at the Zayed Cricket Stadium to reflect on what’s gone and look ahead at what’s to come.

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With season four just two weeks away, we’ve got a bumper episode for you. We hear from Khuzaima bin Tanveer, the UAE fast bowler who made such a sensational start to life with the Vipers in the previous edition of the tournament. And we also catch up with Phil Oliver, the Desert Vipers CEO, who talks us through off-field preparations for the start of the action.

Very few people outside of UAE cricketing circles had heard of Khuzaima prior to season three, but he showcased his ability ve...

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This time we speak with English batter Max Holden, one of the breakout stars of the DP World ILT20 in season three.

Max had to be patient at the start of his first season with the Vipers and wasn’t initially able to break into the line-up in the first half of the last campaign.

But rather than sulk, he used his time to work on his game with batting coach Neil McKenzie and so when he did get his chance, he was ready to...

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This time we hear from Tom Bruce, the New Zealand-born batter who’s now qualified to play for the country of his father’s birth, Scotland.

Like Vriitya Aravind, the subject of our previous show, he’s a Vipers new boy and so, coming up, you’ll get the chance to hear all about a player who is sure to be a terrific addition to the franchise’s roster of top talent.

Tom was picked up in the auction by the Vipers as one of the team...

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Coming up we hear from one of the Vipers’ new boys, UAE wicketkeeper-batter Vriitya Aravind.

Vriitya was the first player to be picked up at the recent auction and we hear all about his reaction to that, plus plenty more.

Vriitya is no stranger to the DP World ILT20, having been on the books of two franchises already, spending time at both MI Emirates and the Dubai Capitals.

For a 23 year-old, he’s also extremely experienced, having played more than 100 intern...

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This time it’s a step away from the elite level to something the Vipers are doing at community level.

The Vipers have set up their own Talent Pathway Programme for boys and girls aged 13 to 19 within the UAE powered by Balqis Capital, and in this episode we hear from coaches and players at one of the first sessions of the new initiative.

It’s all part of the Vipers’ commitment to be a 12-months-a-year team within the UAE and not simply a fly in franchis...

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It’s another busy episode for you.

We hear from Vipers new signing Andries Gous, the USA wicketkeeper-batter who has been drafted in after previously impressing with the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.

Andries talks us through his journey to this point in his career, his ambitions for this season’s DP World ILT20, what the future holds for him and USA Cricket – and that, in itself, is exciting - and, most importantly of all, how to pronounce his name correctly!

And after we’...

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This time we’ve got a bumper episode for you.

We hear from Tom Moody, the Desert Vipers Director of Cricket, about the franchise’s new players, acquired at the DP World ILT20’s first-ever player auction, which took place in Dubai on Wednesday October the 1st.

Tom runs the rule over the 12 players the Vipers picked up at that auction and, as ever with Tom, his opinions are always worth your time.

After that, we hear from Shimron Hetmyer, the Guyana an...

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On this episode, we get immediate reaction from Desert Vipers CEO Phil Oliver to the inaugural DP World ILT20 auction, that took place in Dubai on Wednesday 1 October.

The auction saw the Vipers complete their roster by signing 12 players, and in our chat with Phil he explains the thinking behind the picks made by the franchise.

Phil also discusses what went into a successful auction and chats about the players the Vipers missed out on.

As ever, it's...

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Coming up in this episode is part two of our chat with Head Coach James Foster, and this time around we get James’s take on the personnel already retained and signed by the franchise for season four that gets underway at the start of December, as well as his perspective on the upcoming auction, the first in the history of the DP World ILT20.

That auction is set to take place on October the 1st and it’s all part of progress the Vipers, and all other franchises, are m...

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In this episode, we have the first of a two-part chat with Vipers head coach James Foster.

In part two we get James’s take on the personnel already retained and signed by the franchise for season four, that gets underway at the start of December, as well as his perspective on the upcoming auction, the first in the history of the DP World ILT20.

But this time we find out what James has been up to since season three ended in early February, hear abou...

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This time we wrap up the ILT20 Development Tournament in company with Head Coach Jack Luffman after the Desert Vipers Development Team fell to an agonising four-run loss in the final to the Sharjah Warriors at the ICC Academy on Wednesday evening, the 4th of September.

The Vipers team had fought its way to the final thanks to a superb come-from-behind five-run win against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders side the previous evening and looked on course to take the title when they bowled out Sharjah Warriorz for 134 and t...

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With the ILT20 Development Tournament in full swing, we caught up with fast bowler Khuzaima bin Tanveer and wicketkeeper-batter Tanish Suri (pictured in the thumbnail for this episode), two players who are part of the Desert Vipers squad in that competition.

All six DP World ILT20 franchises have teams in the Development Tournament and with three wins in their five matches in the group stage, the Vipers team has given a very good account of itself.

As we recorded this podcast on Sunday night, the 31st...

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Coming up we hear from wicketkeeper-batter Tanish Suri, all-rounder Ali Naseer and left-arm spinner Nilansh Keswani, with the trio set to feature for the Vipers’ Development team at the ICC Academy.

All six DP World ILT20 franchises have teams in the Development Tournament that is taking place in the last week of August and the first week of September and for all the players involved it’s a chance to showcase their talent with a view to being picked up in the main tournament’s first-ever auction, which is set to...

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As the summer heat starts to fade in the UAE, it’s time to focus on on-field action again and specifically the ILT20 Development Tournament.

It’s a tournament for UAE players to put themselves in the shop window for the DP World ILT20’s first-ever auction, which is scheduled to take place in late September, and so there is a lot riding on events at the ICC Academy during the last week of August and the first week of September.

To talk to us about th...

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We’re back ahead of season four, which gets underway on December the 2nd 2025, an earlier start than the three previous editions, which all took place in January and February.

And in this episode that marks the start of the build-up to the new season, we speak with Vipers Director of Cricket Tom Moody, a regular on the podcast.

Tom spoke after confirmation that the Vipers have retained seven players from the season three squad as the core to do battle for season four.

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This is the final episode for season three and in it we speak with Vipers Director of Cricket Tom Moody as part of our wrap-up of the campaign. It’s part two of that wrap, following on from our chat with Chief Executive Officer Phil Oliver.

Just like our conversation with Phil, there was a lot to unpack with Tom and we covered a significant range of topics on the playing side.

Among those topics was the approach to recruitment for the season with the emph...

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This episode is part one of a two-part wrap-up of the season. In part two we’ll chat with Director of Cricket Tom Moody, but this time we catch up with Vipers CEO Phil Oliver to paint the big picture for us on where the franchise is at after both an agonising loss in the 2025 final to the Dubai Capitals and also after three seasons of existence.

Topics Phil spoke about included the possibility of moving to three UAE players in any starting eleven for season four as opposed to...

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In this episode we reflect on heartbreak for the Vipers as the side has lost the final of the DP World ILT20 to the Dubai Capitals.

In a thrilling match, the Vipers posted 189 for five after being put into bat and then reduced the Capitals to 31 for three in reply.

But then Rovman Powell with 63, Shai Hope with 43 wrested back control before dasun Shanaka, who made 21 from 10 balls and Sikandar Raza, with an unbeaten 34 from 12 deliveries applied the coup de gras, getting the Capitals home wi...

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In this episode we preview the final of the tournament in the company of captain Lockie Ferguson with the Vipers preparing to face the Dubai Capitals at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday night, the 9th of February.

Sadly, the hamstring injury Lockie picked up in Qualifier 1 on March the 5th means he won’t be able to play in the big game but he took time to chat with us en route to the team’s pre-final media commitments and offered us his thoughts on the Vipers progress to th...

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In this episode we can reflect upon a fantastic win for the team – a seven-wicket success against the Sharjah Warriorz in Qualifier 2 that means the Vipers have booked a place in the final of the tournament, against the Dubai Capitals.

Coming up we hear from Mohammad Amir, one of the stars with the ball against the Warriorz, and also Max Holden, who again produced an excellent innings under pressure. There’s also the views of Alex Hales, who was named player of the match for the way he got the V...

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This is an episode with a difference. The day after the team’s last-ball defeat to the Dubai Capitals in the Qualifier, two of the coaches, bowling coach Carl Crowe and fielding coach Simon Helmot, meet up with eight players involved with the UAE women’s team for a session at the JA Resort’s dedicated cricket facility in Jebel Ali.

The idea behind the session was three-fold: following on from the work the Vipers are doing in schools across Dubai, this was another opportunity for the franchise to help de...

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This episode comes off the back of a heartbreaking loss to the Dubai Capitals in the Qualifier with the Capitals winning by five wickets off the very last ball to secure a spot in Sunday’s final.

For the Vipers it means that in order to join them they have to do it the hard way, playing against the winners of the eliminator between MI Emirates and Sharjah Warriorz that takes place in Abu Dhabi on Thursday night.

That next game for the Vipers comes up q...

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It’s the end of the league stage of the tournament and the Vipers have finished top of the six-team table with seven wins from 10 matches. But the regular season has ended with a whimper rather than a bang as the team went down to a nine-wicket loss with 17 balls to spare against the Dubai Capitals in Sharjah.

Coming up we hear from Vipers Director of Cricket Tom Moody, who reflects on a chastening defeat and also looks ahead with positivity to the play-offs to come, and there’s al...

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In this episode we speak with Head Coach James Foster to preview the final league match of the campaign against the Dubai Capitals, in Sharjah on Monday evening, the 3rd of February.

The Vipers are already assured of top spot in the six-team league table so it’s a case now of seeing if another victory can be chalked up ahead of the play-offs, which begin just two days later with the Vipers facing a Qualifier against the second-placed side for the right to go straight through to th...

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In this episode we begin the build-up to the Vipers’ final match of the regular season, a meeting with the Dubai Capitals at the Sharjah Stadium on Monday the 3rd of February – and we do that in the company of left-arm fast bowler Luke Wood. 

Luke has been absent from the side for the past five matches – and coming up he explains why. He also chats about his catching and how he reaches such a high level in the field, the season so far and the match against the Capitals and it’s a...

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It’s happy days for the Vipers as not only have the team returned to winning ways with a five-wicket win over the Gulf Giants in Dubai, but in doing so they’ve confirmed their spot in the top two of the league stage and so guaranteed they have two chances to qualify for the final.

The team impressed with the ball against the 2023 champions but it took a classy debut innings of 70 not out from 54 balls by Max Holden to see the team over the line with an over in hand...

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This time we’re looking back on a night to forget for the Vipers as the side slipped to a 154-run defeat at the hands of MI Emirates in Abu Dhabi.

It was the second-heaviest loss in the history of the tournament, eclipsed only by the Vipers’ 157-run loss to the same opponents in Sharjah in 2023. The crumb of comfort is that after that previous loss, the Vipers reached the final. Let’s hope history repeats itself in 2025!

We hear from bowling coach Carl Crowe as he helps us pick a...

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We’re reflecting on a sixth win in seven matches for the Vipers as the side secured back-to-back wins against the Sharjah Warriorz.

After a ten-wicket win in Dubai, this time it was an eight wicket win with 31 balls to spare.

We hear from Sam Curran, standing in as captain for Lockie Ferguson, who scored an unbeaten 54 in only 34 balls, and also Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, the UAE fast bowler, who made his debut and took four for 22, winning the player of the match award for his efforts.

Th...

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This is a special episode because we’re joined by head coach James Foster to celebrate the inclusion of two Vipers players – batter Sherfane Rutherford and spin-bowling all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga – in the ICC Men’s One-Day International Team of the Year.

It’s a huge achievement by both players and a source of pride for the Vipers as both men have been part of the franchise since the start of the DP World ILT20 so everyone connected with the team has been able to follow their upward trajectories with a feeling of immense...

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This is an episode with a difference as we hear from Hanish Bhatt, the owner of PALMFIT, the company that produces the Vipers’ clothing.

That might sound like a very dry topic but it’s anything but as Hanish’s company makes the kit used by the players and staff from recycled material, in keeping with the Vipers’ quest to be one of the most sustainable sports teams in the world.

It’s a fascinating view behind the curtain at one aspect of what makes a team tick!

The Vi...

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This time we’re looking back on history as the Vipers secured the first-ever 10-wicket win in the history of the tournament, beating the Sharjah Warriorz at the Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday night.

We hear from opening batter Fakhar Zaman, who blitzed an unbeaten 71 in the successful chase, Head Coach James Foster and also fast bowler Mohammad Amir, who provides his thoughts on the action in Urdu after taking four for 24 to secure the player of the match award.

The Vipers’ next match is against the same opposition, the...

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This time we’re reflecting on the Vipers’ first disappointing day of this year’s tournament as the side went down to a six-wicket loss to the Dubai Capitals at the Dubai International Stadium on Monday night.

It was a loss that followed four wins in a row to start the DP World ILT20 and to review it we’re joined by Vipers Director of Cricket Tom Moody..

The positive aspect about the defeat is that the players have the opportunity to make up for it very soon afterwards because...

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Although it’s still early days in the tournament, things keep getting better and better for the Vipers as the side made it four wins from four against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and we reflect on that victory in this episode.

It was a convincing 53-run win at the Dubai International Stadium in the side’s annual Sustainability Match, an occasion when the Vipers wear green to highlight the causes of recycling and the climate emergency that are close to the heart of the franchise.

Coming up we hear...

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It’s three games and three wins for the Vipers after an excellent five wicket success against the defending champions, MI Emirates, under the Ring of Fire lights at the Dubai International Stadium, a victory achieved with five balls to spare.

Coming up we hear from Director of Cricket Tom Moody, captain Lockie Ferguson and player of the match Fakhar Zaman, and they give us their perspective on the triumph.

If you want tickets for any of the Vipers' matches this year then you can purchase them using the li...

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In this episode we do something different – it’s time to hear from the Desert Vipers’ Sustainability Lead, Ben Hardy-Jones, as we approach the annual Sustainability Match, this year against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday the 18th of January.

Ben talks us through what the day will involve from a Vipers perspective and also gives us an insight into the Vipers' actions in tackling the issues of plastic pollution and the ongoing climate emergency – and it’s a fascinating and engaging conversation.

If you wou...

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It’s two from two for the Vipers as we can look back on another victory for Lockie Ferguson’s side – this time by six wickets with 14 balls to spare at the Dubai International Stadium against the Gulf Giants, the side that beat the Vipers in the inaugural final in 2023.

We hear from two key contributors for the side – opening batter Alex Hales, who had to battle some really testing bowling from the Giants seam attack, and left-arm fast bowler Luke Wood, who was one of the Vipers’ bowlers to impress in an exce...

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We hear from Sam Curran, who was a key part of an opening match win for the Vipers against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi.

Sam made 50 not out from 37 balls, and with Dan Lawrence making 70 in 39 deliveries, the duo added 95 in 10 overs as the side ultimately made light of a potentially tricky chase after ADKR made 166 for four in their 20 overs, winning with eight balls in hand.

Buy tickets for all Vipers matches this season either using the link below or at the ILT20's official...

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It’s almost time! In this episode, recorded around 24 hours before the Vipers’ first match of season three, against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi, we check in with new captain Lockie Ferguson. 

Lockie’s had a whirlwind introduction to the Vipers having arrived from Australia, where he was playing for the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League, on Thursday afternoon.

We chat with the captain about how he’s getting his feet under the table with his new team-mates, how he’s preparing for the action to c...

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In this edition we hear from Tom Moody, the Vipers’ Director of Cricket, two days out from the side’s opening match of season three, against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi on Sunday the 12th of January.

We spoke with Tom to reflect upon the Vipers encouraging warm-up match against the Gulf Giants and Tom reflects on that performance and what it means for the days ahead.

He also discusses the arrivals of several of the team’s big guns, including new captain Lockie Ferguson, batters Dan La...

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This time we’ve got some cricket to reflect upon as the Vipers have played their one and only warm-up match ahead of the tournament, against the Gulf Giants at the ICC Academy.

And as a build-up to the main event, it couldn’t have gone much better.

The Vipers bowled out the Giants for 125 in only 16.1 overs, then cruised towards that target to such an extent that both head coaches, James Foster of the Vipers, and the Giants’ Andy Flower, agreed to a revised target of 186, 60 more runs than t...

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This time we hear from one of the Vipers’ new boys, Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman.

Fakhar has signed on to become the latest Pakistan star to join the franchise following on from Shaheen Shah Afridi, Azam Khan, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Aamir and he linked up with his new team-mates for the first time at the ICC Academy on Monday the 6th of January, six days ahead of the side’s first match, against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi on Sunday the 12th of January.

Fakhar has...

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With the tournament just days away, we hear from England all-rounder Sam Curran.

Sam has been one of the first overseas players to arrive at the JA Resort as the squad starts to assemble in Dubai, and we caught up with him after the team’s first training session at the ICC Academy at Sports City.

It’s a case of many happy returns to the Vipers for Sam as he joined the side for the latter stages of season two twelve months ago, and now he’s back – this tim...

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This time we catch up with the team’s Head Coach, James Foster.

We chat with James about what he’s been up to since last season, his reflections on the previous campaign, his assessment of a host of players – some new and some returning from last term – and we get his assessment of where the squad stands ahead of the first match.

James talks about the rationale behind the choice of New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson as captain, and he also speaks of all four UAE players engaged...

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Happy New Year from Vipers Voices!

In this episode - our last one before the players and support staff start to assemble in Dubai ahead of season three of the DP World ILT20 - we speak with Desert Vipers’ UAE wicketkeeper-batter Tanish Suri.

Tanish was one of two UAE players, along with all-rounder Ali Naseer, on last season’s roster that was retained for this term, and coming up he talks us through his past 12 months, including his UAE debut and his debut for the Vipers in the side’s firs...

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In this episode, our last of 2024, we hear from UAE off-spinning all-rounder Dhruv Parashar.

Dhruv was the Vipers’ first pick in the UAE player draft that took place in November and it’s a case of many happy returns for the 20 year-old as he is back with the franchise after being part of the squad in season one and then working as a net bowler for the Vipers during season two.

Being chosen by the Vipers capped off an incredible 12 months for Dhruv that's seen him make his T20I an...

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In this episode we hear from Vipers leg-spin bowler Nathan Sowter, a man who has racked up the miles in pursuit of his craft in 2024.

The man Director of Cricket Tom Moody christened 'the racing snake' for his agility and speed in the field, Nathan made his debut for the Vipers in season two of the DP World ILT20 and impressed everyone, not only with the quality of his cricket, but also with his attitude around the squad, which was first-class. 

His experience of the tournament was the start o...

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In this episode we hear from new signing David Payne. Left-arm swing and seam bowler David has been a leading light in Twenty20 cricket in England for more than a decade and he has joined the Vipers for this season after being part of county side Gloucestershire’s success in last summer’s T20 Blast. 

In our chat he talks us through his 2024, his background, his reasons for signing with the Vipers - including his continuing international ambitions - and his hopes for the upcoming season of the DP World ILT20, and i...

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In this episode, part two of our chat with the newly-installed Desert Vipers captain, Lockie Ferguson talks about his busy 2024 and much more besides.

There was the obvious low for him - and his New Zealand team-mates - of failing to progress out of the group stage at the ICC T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean, but within that, Lockie achieved a remarkable bowling feat and he talks about that, as well as his time under Steve Smith and Ricky Ponting at Washington Freedom, the side that won...

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In this episode we hear from newly-appointed Desert Vipers captain Lockie Ferguson, the New Zealand fast bowler.

Lockie talks us through his joining the Vipers and his appointment to lead the side, as well as his captaincy style, the schedule of 10 group matches in 23 days and how he can marry the role of being an attack leader with looking after the team on the pitch. He also answers the $64 million question: can the Vipers win the DP World ILT20 this season!

This is part one of a two part...

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This episode is the second part of our two-part chat with Desert Vipers Director of Cricket Tom Moody.

Last time out we chatted about the side’s fixtures for season three, the signings of Dhruv Parashar and Khuzaima Bin Tanveer in the UAE player draft, the captaincy and the overall strength of the squad compared to the past two seasons. And if you haven’t heard that episode, why not jump back and give it a listen.

This time we speak about some of the squad...

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In this episode we speak with Desert Vipers Director of Cricket Tom Moody, the first part of a two-part chat ahead of season three of the DP World ILT20. 

Tom talks with us about, amongst other things, the Vipers’ fixtures for the new campaign, he reflects on the lessons learned from season two, and he speaks about the captaincy and the two UAE players the Vipers have picked up in the player draft that took place on Wednesday the 4th of December – off-spinning all-rounder Dhruv Parashar and fast bowler Khuzaima Bin Tanve...

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In this episode we speak with one of the Vipers’ new recruits, the English top-order batter Max Holden, who plays his cricket for county side Middlesex and for the Manchester Originals in the men’s Hundred.

A former England under-19 player, Max tells us all about his background and also talks about his excitement at joining the franchise in a wide-ranging chat that’s coming up shortly.

Max may be one of the Vipers’ new faces for season three but he’s not new to the DP World...

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With the next edition of the DP World ILT20 just a couple of months away, it's time to kick-off a new season of Vipers Voices - and what better way to do it than to speak with Luke Wood and Azam Khan at the launch of the side's new playing kit for 2025.

What makes this kit fantastic is that it's produced locally, in the UAE, thanks to a new clothing agreement with PalmFit, and it's made from recycled material, in keeping with the Desert Vipers' sustainability drive. So the kit not...

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This is our final podcast from season two of the DP World ILT20.

The Vipers signed off from the tournament for this season with a comfortable win by six wickets over the Sharjah Warriors in Sharjah, a win that ensured that although the side failed to finish in the top four and therefore secure a spot in the play-offs, it did mean Colin Munro’s side leapfrogged Sharjah into fifth place in the table.

It was a fourth win this term for the Vipers wh...

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This episode could easily be called Vipers heartache as Colin Munro’s side went down to a last ball loss against the Dubai Capitals for a second time this season.

The defeat leaves the franchise bottom of the six-team table and while they’re still not out of contention for a spot in the finals, it’s now out of their hands.

We hear from batter Alex Hales, who top-scored for the Vipers with 66 from 37 balls but, as you’ll hear, it was a bittersweet success fo...

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This time we have a real treat for you – a round-table chat with captain Colin Munro and Director of Cricket Tom Moody to look ahead to the match against the Dubai Capitals at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday night, the 9th of February.

It’s the penultimate match of the regular season for the Vipers and it’s a must-win encounter if the side wants to retain a realistic chance of making it to the play-offs.

In our chat with Tom and Colin, the pair refl...

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In this episode we speak with the Vipers recruits Phil Salt and Sam Curran, the England internationals who have flown in from the SA20 in South Africa to bolster the side’s roster in the run-in to the end of the regular season of the DP World ILT20.

Wicketkeeper-batter Phil has arrived from Pretoria Capitals and all-rounder Sam, has joined from MI Cape Town and both of them are experienced internationals.

Both were part of the England squad that lifted the T20 World Cup in Aust...

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In this episode we look back at the Vipers’ Sustainability Match, against the Gulf Giants at the Dubai International Stadium last Saturday, in the company of the Desert Vipers CEO Phil Oliver and Sustainability Manager Ben Hardy-Jones.

The Vipers have nailed their colours to the mast by putting Sustainability and the climate crisis front and centre of their agenda and the match against the Giants was a manifestation of that approach.

We hear from Phil and Ben about how the match went and what happens next...

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In this episode we reflect on a 30-run loss at the hands of MI Emirates in Abu Dhabi on Sunday February the 4th, the Vipers’ eighth game of this campaign.

We have reaction from debutant leg-spinner Nathan Sowter, who performed admirably in taking one for 27 and there’s also the views of Ali Naseer, the UAE all-rounder who had his maiden DP World ILT20 half-century, weighing in with an unbeaten 63 from 47 balls which ensured the damage to the Vipers’ net run-rate in the face of the loss wasn’t as damagi...

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This time we look back on an emphatic win for Colin Munro’s side against the Gulf Giants – a six-wicket success with more than three overs in hand.

Coming up we have reaction from opening batter Alex Hales, wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan, who scored the fastest fifty in the history of the tournament, and also head coach James Foster, with the result seeing the side surge up the table from sixth to third. 

It means that qualification for the end-of-season play-offs is now very much back on the radar...

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This is a very special episode of Vipers Voices. It's special because It was recorded on the day the Desert Vipers joined forces with the Dubai Sports Council.

Dubai Sports Council is the official body responsible for the development of the sports sector in the Emirate.

And in a ground-breaking partnership, Dubai Sports Council has become the Lead Partner in the Desert Vipers’ Sustainability Programme.

The announcement was made at the offices of the Dubai Sports Council in Dubai’s Design Distric...

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This time we reflect upon the side’s sixth match of the second edition of the tournament and it’s a match that ended in defeat for the Vipers – a four-wicket loss at the hands of David Warner’s Dubai Capitals, off the final ball of the match.

Coming up we hear from Director of Cricket Tom Moody, who offers us his perspective on the narrow reverse and we also get the thoughts of UAE all-rounder Rohan Mustafa, who scored 50 as opener and took a wicket with his off-spin.

  Duration: 00:17:10

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In this episode we look back at the dramatic victory over MI Emirates, forward to the next match, against the Dubai Capitals, and also assess how the team is doing at the halfway point of the group stage, all in the company of captain Colin Munro.

Colin offers his usual fair and honest appraisal of his own and his side’s performances in the tournament so far and, as ever, it’s an interview you won’t want to miss.

 
Colin also talks about his and Shadab K...

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It’s a happy podcast this time as we have reaction after the Vipers' second win of this season's DP World ILT20, one secured by the narrowest of margins - by two wickets off the final ball in an absolute thriller against MI Emirates at the Dubai International Stadium.

We hear from head coach James Foster and also UAE all-rounder Ali Naseer, who took a game-changing catch to dismiss MI Emirates captain Nicholas Pooran.

The result lifts the Vipers off the bottom of the table but...

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It’s time to hear from the Desert Vipers CEO Phil Oliver as we build up to the franchise’s Sustainability Match, against the Gulf Giants at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday February the 3rd.

The match is a first for the Vipers and for the DP World ILT20 as it’s been put in place to highlight all that the Vipers are doing to raise awareness of the issues of sustainability and, more broadly, the climate crisis.

There’ll be a whole range of activit...

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In this episode we reflect upon the match against the Sharjah Warriors at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, a game that saw the Vipers slip to a third defeat in four this season, going down narrowly by seven runs.

We hear from Luke Wood, who picked up three wickets in his first outing of the campaign and there’s also reaction from top-scorer Alex Hales, who’s 61 from 40 balls wasn’t quite enough to get the side over the line.

The result leaves the Vipers bottom of the six...

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In this episode, we look back on the side’s third match of the tournament, against the Abu Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi.

The Knight Riders repeated the result of the previous meeting between the two sides six days earlier by winning by six wickets, this time with 14 balls to spare.

We hear from Vipers batter Sherfane Rutherford, who made 28 from 21 balls, and also fast bowling coach Azhar Mahmood. Both were frustrated at the result and the performance but know there’s no point in dwelli...

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It’s time to look forward to the next match on the Vipers’ schedule, the match against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday afternoon.

And to that, we are in the company of head coach James Foster.

We chatted with James on Thursday and in a wide-ranging conversation he not only looked ahead to that match against the Knight Riders, a repeat of the side’s opening game of the season, but also back to the victory...

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This time we catch up with Tymal Mills, the left-arm fast bowler who’s already made a significant impact for the Vipers in this edition of the tournament.

Tymal talks to us about a range of subjects, looking back on the victory of the Gulf Giants in the side’s second match of the tournament, forward to match three against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, and plenty more besides.

We chat all things left-arm given there are five left-armers battling for spots in the starting line-u...

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We’re reacting to positive news as the Vipers are off the mark for the season with a six-wicket win with eight balls to spare against the Gulf Giants, the side that beat the Vipers in last year’s final.

 
It was a match that saw Pakistan trio Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and Azam Khan all debut for the franchise and all played roles in the victory, while Wanindu Hasaranga produced a player-of-the-match performance with 1 for 26 and 42 from 19 balls.

Coming up we hear from Vipers capta...

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This episode is what you might call a Pakistan special as we chat to Mohammad Amir and Shadab Khan, part of the four-man contingent from that country who are bolstering the Vipers ranks for this second edition of the DP World ILT20.

Amir played in the first match of the season against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and now Shadab is in Dubai as well, along with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Azam Khan.

We caught up with Amir and Shadab during a media interaction with lo...

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This really is an episode with a difference as we begin the countdown to a first for the Vipers and a first for the DP World ILT20 – a game on February the 3rd against defending champions the Gulf Giants that’s being christened the Sustainability Match, aimed at highlighting all the things the Vipers are doing to raise the issues of climate change and recycling.

And to let us know what it’s all about and what’s planned, we hear from the Desert Vipers Sustainability Manager Ben Hardy-Jones, who gives...

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We reflect on the Desert Vipers’ first match of season two of the DP World ILT20.

The Vipers were defeated by the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders by six wickets with 14 balls to spare at the Dubai International Stadium and to talk us through what went wrong we have an interview with Director of Cricket Tom Moody.

We’ll also hear from Adam Hose, who top-scored for the Vipers with 45 from 30 balls and he, like Tom, offers an honest assessment of the side’s performance.

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It’s also here! The first match of the Desert Vipers 2024 DP World ILT20 campaign is almost upon us.

At the time of recording this episode all the preparations are finished and now it’s just a case of one more sleep until the players head out to face the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Dubai International Stadium.

So, with that first match so close, who better to speak with than Desert Vipers captain Colin Munro, who previews the game for us.

We...

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In this episode, after a training session two days out from the opening encounter of the tournament, against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Dubai International Stadium on January the 21st,  we speak with Vipers Head Coach James Foster.

We caught up with James after a session at the ICC Academy and we touched on a whole range of subjects, from the comings and goings of players that will affect the Vipers, and every other squad in this tournament, the warm-up match against the Dubai Capitals, the arrivals of...

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This episode features an interview with Adam Hose after the batter top-scored with 39 from 21 balls in the Vipers’ warm-up match against the Dubai Capitals at the ICC Academy on Thursday evening.

The match was 14-a-side and both teams had players who batted more than once as they sought middle practice. The Capitals won by 37 runs as their batters went exceptionally hard on a superb pitch and with a very short boundary on one side of the number two oval at the Academy.

The Vipers used nine...

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This time we hear from Toby Gregory, the founder of The Plastic Pledge, which has joined forces with the Desert Vipers as a Sustainability Impact Partner for the next two years.

The agreement will see the Vipers sign up to the pledge as part of its drive to eradicate single-use plastic in its team environment, inviting its fans to do likewise.

The Desert Vipers and The Plastic Pledge will come together to develop innovative, environmentally focussed initiatives, both locally and regionally, with the idea of em...

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As the players continue to arrive and preparations both on and off the field hit a high gear, who better than to give us the lie of the land than Director of Cricket Tom Moody.

We caught up with Tom during a squad training session at the ICC Academy and we talked around a whole range of topics, from Colin Munro’s retention as captain for this season, the inclusion of a Pakistan contingent in the squad, the fact players will be coming and going far more this season tha...

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In this episode it’s all starting to get real again as we catch up with Colin Munro, who has been confirmed as captain for season two.

We spoke with Colin at the team’s jersey launch at Soul Beach at the JA Resort in Jebel Ali, just six days before the Vipers’ first match of this campaign, against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday January the 21st.

That jersey launch was also attended by UAE all-rounder Rohan Mustafa, one of t...

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In this episode we speak with new signing Dan Lawrence, the English batting powerhouse who is set to arrive in Dubai off the back of time alongside 50-over Cricket World Cup winners Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis at the Melbourne Stars in Australia’s Big Bash League.

Dan, who has switched county sides during the winter, from Essex to Surrey, already has experience of the DP World ILT20, having played three matches for the Dubai Capitals in season one and he was in the UAE as recently as the bac...

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The episodes are coming thick and fast as season two approaches, and so is the news, and this time we talk about an exciting new partnership with Bat For A Chance, a UK-based initiative that aims to recycle used cricket clothing and equipment to ensure as many people as possible around the world get the opportunity to play the sport.

We hear from the founder of Bat For A Chance, Will Gaffney, as well as Desert Vipers CEO Phil Oliver, on this collaboration which chimes perfectly with the Vipers’ Sus...

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Coming up we’ve got a terrific chat with the Durham leg-spinner Nathan Sowter, who's been drafted into the Desert Vipers squad for season two.


Nathan was one of the leading slow bowlers in shortform cricket in the UK in the 2023 season. He was part of Tom Moody’s Oval Invincibles side, alongside fellow Desert Viper Tom Curran, which won The men’s Hundred, and he was superb in the T20 Blast for his new county, finishing as one of the top wicket-takers in that tournament and boasting a supe...

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This time we hear from one of the Vipers’ outstanding players of season one, and a player who provided perhaps the moment of the tournament, left-handed powerhouse Sherfane Rutherford.

Sherfane scored 247 runs at an incredible strike-rate of 184.32 in season one and in the Qualifier against the Gulf Giants, after tearing his hamstring, he limped back out to the middle and blazed an unforgettable 37 from just 19 balls with four sixes to help catapult the side to a winning total and secure a berth in the final.

It t...

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This time we go off the field, away from the players, to hear from one of the unsung heroes of the Vipers backroom staff, Strength and Conditioning Coach Darren Veness.

Daz, as he’s universally known, is one of the heartbeats of the Vipers and his role in keeping the players in tip-top physical shape was crucial in the side’s charge to the final in season one of the tournament.

He’s someone who has vast experience of working with top-level players, having spent two deca...