What My Team Means To Me: Part 3

From our previous two episodes of 'What my team means to me' we've seen plenty of people explain their love of the game through their teams they support.

We thought we'd kick this week off by asking Cricket District All-Rounder Matt about his love of the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.

Rajasthan Royals

Name: Matt, Cricket District All-rounder

Favourite Current Player: Jofra Archer - Perhaps slightly giving away the fact that I’m a Sussex fan in English domestic cricket here but Jofra is just phenomenal. I think he’s the most exciting fast bowler in the world at the moment and some of his recent batting performances for the Royals have been pretty spectacular as well.

Favourite All-Time Player: Jos Buttler - The focus of the IPL is entertaining cricket and I think Buttler is the best batsman to watch in the world. He has got that incredible ability to hit the ball to any part of the ground as well as out of it. I am also a fan of the little reminder that he used to write on the top of his bat handle – great approach to cricket I reckon.

Why Did You Pick Them: Love for Jaipur - Inevitably we tend to pick IPL teams that have our favourite international players, and it certainly helps that the current team has some of the best English players around with the likes of Archer, Stokes and Buttler.

I went to Jaipur and a few other places around Rajasthan a couple of years ago and it’s such a nice place. Unfortunately, I wasn’t there during the IPL but I’d love to go back and get to a game some day.

What Is Your Team Best At: Moneyball - I think the team’s “Moneyball” reputation for signing undervalued players is pretty cool. I must admit I’m a bit of a fantasy football nerd so that kind of thing appeals to me.

Hampshire

Name: Adam, Cricket Analyst

Favourite Current Player: James Vince (obviously) - Not just a classy watch, but desperately unlucky I think so far for England, and a top guy.

All-Time Favourite Player: Shane Warne - I mean, putting his questionable origins aside, he's the best bowler of all time in my opinion and played/won with Hampshire for years. One of the greatest captains the county has ever seen too!

Favourite Memory: Watching them win the RL50 in 2018 - That competition in that year was a big win for us, won it convincingly with some stellar performances from some of my favourite players (Vince in the semis, Roussow in the final).

Young Players To Watch: Ajeet Dale & Tom Scriven - There are a few young players who look like they have bright futures. Ajeet Dale and Tom Scriven are two players who may become a bit more well known over the next few years and will hopefully even start knocking on the door of the England set up.

Middlesex

Name: Brian, retired

Favourite Current Player: Steven Finn - Finn has been a fantastic servant for both Middlesex and England over the years. I feel he was unlucky to not play more for England considering his great record. Still only 31, I remember watching him when he first began to break through at Middlesex as a youngster, he has the most wonderful action.

All-Time Favourite Player: Denis Compton - I was very young when I saw him play, but I saw him a few times. The best batsman I’ve ever seen play. The weight of runs he scored alongside Bill Edrich for both county and country was unbelievable.

Favourite Memory: Middlesex v Bradman’s Australia - This was the first game I ever went to see in 1948. I didn’t see Bradman himself bat but I was lucky enough to see Keith Miller alongside a number of other fantastic players. It was an incredibly special day.

Favourite Out-Ground: Radlett - Radlett is a really lovely outground and a typical club ground just outside of London, not too far from where I grew up. I was lucky enough to play there a few times before it became one of Middlesex’s outgrounds. Lovely pavilion and a wonderful wicket too.

Southern Vipers

Name: Alex, Insurance

Favourite Current Player: Danni Wyatt - an obvious answer here, a real "empty the bars" player. She has developed into one of the world's premier limited overs batters in the last couple of years with the ability to tee off from ball one. She should be around for the Southern franchise when The Hundred starts as well...

Favourite All-Time Player: Suzie Bates - one of the best players in the world who turned out for all four years of the KSL. Comfortably the leading run scorer in franchise history and was only a wicket away from leading the bowling charts too.

Favourite Memory: Winning the inaugural competition back in 2016 - After a mostly successful league stage, the final came against the Western Storm and their multiple England players. A rapid opening stand and inevitable half century from Bates led the Vipers to glory.

Young Player To Watch: Ella McCaughan - very strong in the victorious 2020 campaign. She scored two fifties in the group stage and was then part of a century opening stand in the final that sent the Vipers on the way to the title.I'm sure that other fans hope she will be around for the Southern Brave in The Hundred and more strong performance in the years to come could lead to higher honours.