Final over
On the Spot
Date of Birth: 28/08/1991 Marital status: Live with girlfriend Lisa
The Last
Bat you bought/used? The last bat that I bought was a Kookaburra Beast. It had the graphite on the back and I must have been about 13 at the time. Song you downloaded? The Eminem Show on CD. That was a long time ago. I just stream music now. Five-wicket haul? I’m a wicketkeeper, so that would be some achievement! The last one would have been when I was 12 years old when I was at school and I used to bowl off-spin. Injury you had? I broke a finger in a four-day game against Kent at the beginning of September, which ruled me out for the rest of the season and I had to have surgery on it. Trophy you won? The last trophy cricket-wise was the One-Day Cup in 2015 after we beat Surrey and outside of cricket, it would have been for the end-of-season fancy dress do – I got worst-dressed. I dressed up as Forrest Gump. I had the hat and the long beard, and the long hair, from the part when he goes off running. I win that award every year, no matter what I dress as.
The Jury’s Out
Tea or Coffee? Coffee. Hands down. Your last meal if you were on death row? A steak. I’m South African – of course it has to be a steak. 50-over, T20 or County Championship? County Championship. I just think it’s the toughest format to succeed in. For some reason, I’ve always been drawn to that format of cricket the most.
Time added on
Who did you support as a boy? My local team, the Dolphins, in Durban. They were the team I supported growing up. I’ve moved to England now, so I have to support Gloucestershire now because I play for them. Best coach you have ever played with? It was my high school coach. His name is Mike Bechet. He oversaw people like Kevin Pietersen, Jonty Rhodes and David Miller. He was tough and got you ready for cricket outside of school, and he’s probably the biggest coaching influence I’ve had. Who’s most nervous person when you’re next into bat? Liam Norwell, the fast bowler from Gloucester. He’s got a firstclass 100, going in as a nightwatchman, but he’s very nervous until he gets off the mark – he hates getting 0 more than any batsman I’ve ever known. Person to avoid after being dismissed? Jack Taylor. If he gets out or disagrees with something, he can be quite loud when he gets into the dressing room. Which TV pundit do you really listen to? Danny Morrison, from New Zealand, who used to commentate on the IPL – he’s as mad as a hatter and he’s so entertaining. One rule change? For me, as a wicketkeeper, it would be not having to wear a helmet when a spinner’s bowling. I wear that helmet all the time and it’s not that necessary against a spinner unless you’re playing on a raging turner, which we’re seldom playing on in this country. Do you have any superstitions? I’m not really superstitious. I probably fall in and out of little ones during the season but nothing big. Hobbies? Like a lot of other cricketers, golf is an escape. You’d think a stationary ball would be easier to hit but the amount of times I don’t hit the fairway kind of contradicts that.
And finally:
Who is the worst dressed player at the club? I’d have to say Cameron Bancroft. He wore some horrific floral button-up shirts and he wore one to a Justin Bieber concert, which is the worst thing I’ve ever seen.