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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 of a busy year as Nathan then headed to Zimbabwe for a T20 tournament with his county side Durham before helping the team to the quarter-finals of the T20 Blast in the UK, after which he was voted their player of the tournament by his team-mates.

Between the group stage and the quarter-final of the T20 Blast, Nathan slotted in for The Oval Invincibles in the men’s Hundred and, as was the case in 2023, he was part of the winning team in that competition.

And just when he thought his season was drawing to a close then he got a call from the Caribbean and joined the Guyana Amazon Warriors to deputise for their injured leg-spinner Imran Tahir.

But that wasn’t it for the year as Nathan then headed to Nepal to play in that country’s inaugural Nepal Premier League.

So many tournaments then, so much cricket for Nathan, and he tells us all about it here on Vipers Voices, as well as discussing his advocacy for the Vipers’ sustainability initiatives, his excitement at the prospect of once again working alongside Sri Lanka leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, and how he rates the side’s chances of success in the upcoming action.

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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 it’s a thoroughly engaging conversation.

David is the leading wicket-taker among seam and swing bowlers in the history of the Blast, a tournament that’s been staged since 2003, and it’s that sort of statistic that’s ensured he’s been snapped up by the Vipers. He spent the previous two winters playing in the Big Bash League in Australia and he explains in the interview why he’s switched to the UAE for this winter’s action. David also explains his experiences in UAE conditions, he talks about the fact that the Vipers have once again filled their roster with left-arm seam and swing bowlers and, on top of all that, David, who joined us on Vipers Voices during a break in training at Gloucestershire’s headquarters in Bristol, talks about who he’s looking forward to playing alongside and against and how he rates the side’s chances for the season.

Tickets are available for all Vipers matches. See the link below for your way to purchase them.

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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 this year’s Major League Cricket T20 tournament in the USA.

There’s also a hat-trick to reflect upon, something Lockie achieved for New Zealand against Sri Lanka on the Black Caps’ white-ball tour of the country in November. And, on top of all that, Lockie talks about his experiences of bowling in the UAE, his variations, his views on the value or otherwise of high pace on slow pitches, the Vipers’ green initiatives and who he’s looking forward to playing alongside and against during the upcoming DP World ILT20.

And To start with, Lockie spoke to us about his time in Australia ahead of the tournament, playing for the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League.

Tickets are now available for all Desert Vipers matches with the side's first game on day two of the tournament, against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi on Sunday the 12th of January, a day game starting at 2pm. Tickets can be purchased via the league's own website - ilt20.ae or via the Virgin Megastore link below.

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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 chat with Lockie; in the next podcast he speaks in depth about his bowling, his amazing year that's included a T20 World Cup record, a T20 title in Major League Cricket in the USA and an international hat-trick, as well as the players he's looking forward to lining up with and against and what he makes of the Desert Vipers' green initiatives.

You can now buy tickets for all Vipers matches at the tournament's official website - www.ilt20.ae. The side's first match is against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi on day two of the tournament, Sunday the 12th of January.

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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 that will be on duty for this season’s action – newcomers and returning players. Tom gives us an insight into what prompted their signings or their retentions and, as ever, when we hear from him, it’s compelling stuff.

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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 Tanveer.

The acquisition of Dhruv and Khuzaima means the Vipers have now completed their roster for the season and it’s another indicator that we’ve getting closer to the first ball of season three.

The Vipers begin their quest for the silverware on day two of the tournament, away to the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi on the 12th of January.

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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 ILT20 having played for the Dubai Capitals in season two.

Max tells us all about that experience in our conversation, as well as his development as a player and what it’s been like for him to play alongside two of the game’s best white-ball batters, Jos Buttler and Phil Salt, for the Manchester Originals.

He also lets us know how he’s been preparing for the upcoming season and reveals who, out of the Vipers roster, he’s most looking forward to lining up alongside once the action gets underway.

It’s a terrific chat and well worth your time…

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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 only looks great but it's also great for the environment too!

In this episode we hear from Luke and Azam about their reflections on season two, what they've been up to since that last edition wrapped up in February, and their hopes and expectations for season three. It's a great listen so dive in...

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https://tickets.virginmegastore.me/ae/group/venue/50/desert-vipers?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAab9fx_-_nYuzYvHADezZlIcCDI_Q1-MgUVPSzZh33ngq5Qp5aBuOZSl_ic_aem_IooLlA6jU_qbtCFRjyV67Q