Final over
On the Spot
Date of Birth: 12/01/1996 Marital Status: Girlfriend – Alice
The Last
Bat you bought/used? I’m sponsored by Gunn & Moore, so I have a 66 from them. They started sponsoring me two years ago. They’ve given me a lower middle to the bat and a lighter weight, which suits me. CD you bought? I haven’t bought a CD in years! It must have been about four years ago, Stereophonics, which I got for myself. Five-wicket haul or century? I got a century for the Sussex 2s against Somerset last week, it wasn’t a particularly quick one – I was there for 250 balls, but I got 125, so I was quite chuffed with that. Injury? I’m injured at the moment. I suffered ligament damage just over a week ago when I stood on the rope playing in a T20 game. I stopped the ball going for six at least but it’s put me out for about six weeks, which is obviously not ideal. Trophy you won? I won a T20 competition with my club, East Grinstead, a couple of years ago, so I’m due for something else soon.
The Jury’s Out
Tea or Coffee? Coffee – never really been a tea guy. I have about three cups a day, so nothing too over the top! Beans on toast or pasta? Pasta – usually with chicken or chorizo. Never been a fan of beans on toast. Caribbean with the missus or Magaluf with the lads? Definitely the Caribbean. I’m currently seeing someone as well, Alice, who I’ve been with for six months – I’m sure she’d love to go! Red or white wine? White – I much prefer the taste. I did two wine tours last year in South Australia too, and the white was far better. 50-over, T20 or County Championship? The County Championship allows you to bat in your own time and not rush so much. It’s the same for bowling, you don’t have to change it up every other ball and you can just focus on hitting the same line and length, which suits me more.
Time added on
Who did you support as a boy? I’ve always supported Sussex but I only started taking cricket seriously as a potential career when I was 13 or 14. Before then I wanted to be a footballer, I supported Liverpool although I’m not really sure why! Best coach you have ever played with? The ones that we have at Sussex, Mark Davis and Jason Swift do some great stuff. They let you develop, giving you time to learn about your game. The most nervous when next into bat? There’s nobody overly nervous, but Harry Finch always sits on his own and doesn’t really talk to anyone. Person to avoid after being dismissed? Matt Machan – everything in sight ends up flying! He broke his phone the other week, he just hit it with his bat and smashed it. One rule you could change? I’d allow substitute fielders to replace injured players. When someone goes down injured that takes a player out of your batting line-up, I’d bring in a substitute. Three words to describe yourself? Loud. Annoying. Excitable. Which TV pundit makes you cringe and which do you really listen to? Bob Willis is just generally cringeworthy without much of a reason. Ross Taylor and Chris Jordan are really good, not just because they’re Sussex players but that they’re still playing gives them an excellent insight. Do you have any superstitions? No, there’s not even a pad that I like to put on first. Sometimes I put my helmet on first, which gets a few odd looks. Hobbies? I like to play golf when I can, and football is always a big part of the warm-ups these days. Sport is a big part of my life, and I’m a big fan of tennis. Five people you’d invite to a dinner party? Nelson Mandela, Margot Robbie, Leonardo DiCaprio, Freddie Flintoff, Michael McIntyre.
And finally:
Who is the worst dressed player at the club? Chris Nash – he just loves wearing all grey!