This is the home of The Desert Vipers, the Twenty20 franchise side competing in the ILT20, the shortform tournament in the United Arab Emirates with its second edition in January and February of 2024. For exclusive interviews and insight from the Desert Vipers camp, this is the place to be. This is Vipers Voices...
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The history of cricket is full of great players, great teams, great matches, great series and great seasons and those stories have been told countless times. But what about the tales of players who did not scale the heights of the legends of the game, players who scaled their own personal Everest by being picked for Test cricket, only to never be selected again? That is the subject of One Test Wonders, a cricketing podcast that features episodes with players who played just one Test.
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Season wrap-up part two: Director of Cricket Tom Moody
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31:30Send us a text 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 sign…
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Send us a text 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 o…
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Sam Curran, James Foster and Max Holden on Final heartache for the Vipers
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15:55Send us a text 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 contro…
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Captain Lockie Ferguson previews the final!
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19:56Send us a text 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 t…
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Mohammad Amir, Max Holden and Alex Hales on victory over Sharjah Warriorz and a place in the final!
19:06
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19:06Send us a text 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…
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Coaches Simon Helmot and Carl Crowe, and UAE women's captain Esha Oza
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15:53Send us a text 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. T…
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James Foster and David Payne on last-ball heartbreak in the Qualifier against the Dubai Capitals
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17:22Send us a text 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 M…
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Tom Moody and Lockie Ferguson on defeat to the Dubai Capitals and the play-offs to come!
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17:11Send us a text 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 …
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Head Coach James Foster ahead of the Dubai Capitals and the play-offs!
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14:43Send us a text 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 p…
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Luke Wood on coming back, boundary catches, Dubai Capitals and the play-offs to come!
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13:16Send us a text 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.…
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Max Holden and Wanindu Hasaranga on victory over the Gulf Giants that seals a top-two finish!
17:38
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17:38Send us a text 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 cha…
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Carl Crowe on defeat to MI Emirates and Tom Moody on Hasaranga the great!
17:51
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17:51Send us a text 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 tha…
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Sam Curran and Khuzaima bin Tanveer after victory over the Sharjah Warriorz
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13:44Send us a text 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 bal…
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James Foster on Sherfane Rutherford and Wanindu Hasaranga being named in ICC ODI Team of the Year
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16:58Send us a text 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 …
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Behind the scenes with Vipers kit manufacturer PALMFIT
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13:25Send us a text 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 th…
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Fakhar Zaman, James Foster and Mohammad Amir on a record-breaking win versus Sharjah Warriorz
20:43
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20:43Send us a text 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…
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Tom Moody on the Vipers' first loss of the campaign, against Dubai Capitals
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12:54Send us a text 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…
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Nathan Sowter, Alex Hales and CEO Phil Oliver on the Sustainability Match win versus ADKRs
19:22
19:22
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19:22Send us a text 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,…
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Tom Moody, Lockie Ferguson and Fakhar Zaman on the win versus MI Emirates
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24:10Send us a text 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 …
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Ben Hardy-Jones on this season's Sustainability Match
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15:44Send us a text 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 fr…
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Alex Hales and Luke Wood as the Vipers make it two from two!
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13:49Send us a text 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 …
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Sam Curran on the Vipers' opening win against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
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15:29Send us a text 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 …
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Lockie Ferguson - the captain looks ahead to the Vipers' first match!
20:17
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20:17Send us a text 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 t…
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Send us a text 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 pe…
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Nathan Sowter and Adam Hose after the Vipers impress in warm-up action against the Gulf Giants
14:15
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14:15Send us a text 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…
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Fakhar Zaman - the Pakistan powerhouse links up with the Vipers!
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22:00Send us a text 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 6…
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Sam Curran - Many happy returns to the Vipers!
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25:08Send us a text 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 …
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James Foster - the Head Coach on the past, the present and what lies ahead!
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27:31Send us a text 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. Jam…
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Send us a text 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…
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Dhruv Parashar - back in the Vipers fold!
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49:14Send us a text 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 …
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Nathan Sowter - spinning all over the world in 2024!
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33:46Send us a text 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 everyo…
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David Payne - one of the Vipers' new boys for season three
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25:27Send us a text 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 hi…
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Lockie Ferguson - part two: reflecting on a busy 2024 and plenty more!
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22:47Send us a text 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 tha…
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Lockie Ferguson - part one: the new captain speaks!
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24:31Send us a text 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 …
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Tom Moody - part two: some key retentions and new signings
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26:47Send us a text 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 seaso…
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Tom Moody - part one: the fixtures, the captaincy, the UAE newcomers & lots more!
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20:55Send us a text 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 t…
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Max Holden on joining the Vipers for season three
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20:52Send us a text 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 franc…
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The road to season three starts here! Azam Khan & Luke Wood launch the Vipers' new kit!
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30:13Send us a text 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 t…
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James Foster and Colin Munro with reflections on victory over Sharjah and season two
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21:32Send us a text 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 Col…
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Alex Hales on another last ball heartache against Dubai Capitals
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11:27Send us a text 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 fr…
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Tom Moody and Colin Munro look ahead to the Dubai Capitals
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15:32Send us a text 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 encou…
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Sam Curran and Phil Salt link up with the Vipers
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20:54Send us a text 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 …
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Phil Oliver and Ben Hardy-Jones on the Sustainability Match
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13:34Send us a text 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 f…
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Nathan Sowter and Ali Naseer on the loss to MI Emirates
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16:33Send us a text 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 mai…
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Alex Hales, Azam Khan and James Foster on a crucial win against the Gulf Giants
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19:53Send us a text 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, …
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Dubai Sports Council partnership, Colin Munro and Tom Moody
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14:20Send us a text 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 b…
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Tom Moody and Rohan Mustafa on the defeat to the Dubai Capitals
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17:10Send us a text 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 n…
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Colin Munro's half-term report - looking back and looking forward
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17:22Send us a text 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…
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James Foster and Ali Naseer on the last-gasp win over MI Emirates
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20:50Send us a text 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 …
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Desert Vipers CEO Phil Oliver on the Sustainability Match
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12:35Send us a text 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 t…
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