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The Desert Vipers have made it two wins from two matches at the start of Season 4 of the DP World ILT20, this time beating the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders by two wickets with four balls in hand at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

In this episode we hear from Dan Lawrence, who made 35 from 32 balls and also took the key wicket of ex-Vipers batter Sherfane Rutherford.

The Vipers restricted a powerful ADKR batting line-up top 171 for six before chasing down the target, thanks not only to Dan but also player of the match Shimron Hetmyer, who made 48 from 25 balls, and a superb cameo from Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, who belted an unbeaten 31 from 12 balls to see the side to victory after 19 were needed from the final two overs.

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In this episode we hear from left-arm swing and seam bowler David Payne, who was so influential with two wickets in the opening victory over the Dubai Capitals.

David talks us through that win and discusses the conditions encountered in the match, he speaks about the mood within the squad and also looks ahead to the challenge of facing the batting power of Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at Sharjah Stadium, the Vipers' second match of the season.

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The tournament is underway and the Vipers are off the mark with two points, courtesy of a four-wicket win against the Dubai Capitals at the Dubai International Stadium.

The match was a repeat of February's final but this time with a different result!

In this episode we hear from Andries Gous, who's 58 from 36 balls was key to the successful run-chase, as well as left-arm swing bowler David Payne and wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad, who took two wickets apiece to help restrict the Capitals to 150 for eight in their 20 overs.

The Vipers were 85 for one and 108 for two but stuttered in the run-chase before Dan Lawrence (19 not out) and Khuzaima bin Tanveer (12 not out) saw them home with six balls to spare.

The Vipers' next match is against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Sharjah on Friday the 5th of December and tickets are available at www.tickets.virginmegastore.me/ae/ilt20

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The waiting is almost over! It's almost time for the first match of DP World ILT20 Season 4, with the Vipers set to go head-to-head with the Dubai Capitals, and ahead of that encounter, we caught up with Head Coach James Foster after the side's final practice session at the ICC Academy at Dubai Sports City.

James talks us through the squad's build-up to the game and its significance, with everything now focused on the Dubai International Stadium and the evening of the 2nd of December!

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This time, with the clock ticking down towards the season-opener against the Dubai Capitals on Tuesday the 2nd of December, we speak with all-rounder Sam Curran.

Sam was the player of the tournament in Season 3 when the Vipers narrowly failed to lift the trophy, and coming up we have a relaxed and fascinating chat with a player who, off the back of his stellar season with the Vipers, was recalled to the England white-ball set-up at the end of the English season.

He spoke about his England recall, a reward for outstanding performances in not only last season’s DP World ILT20 but also for helping the Oval Invincibles to a third successive title in the men’s Hundred competition.

Sam also reflected on Season 3 and he talks very interestingly about whether or not his player of the tournament form last time around creates pressure to do it all again in the next month of action.

There’s also his thoughts on the rivalry with the Dubai Capitals and fellow all-rounder Gulbadin Naib, and he tells us about the slower ball he has developed that was such a hit in that Hundred tournament.

And on top of all that, Sam gives us his views on the Vipers’ chances for Season 4.

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With the season-opener against the Dubai Capitals on Tuesday the 2nd of December racing towards us, we speak with captain Lockie Ferguson.

Lockie is back in charge for a second season after taking the Vipers so close to success last time out and so he’s got plenty to reflect upon, as well as plenty to look forward to, in our chat, a chat that’s well worth your time.

Lockie did a terrific job for the Vipers on and off the field last season, bringing the squad together and, along with the coaching staff, helping to foster a really great team spirit.

In our conversation he looks back at season 3, the highs and the lows, and what he learnt as a captain from that campaign.

He also discusses his nine months since February’s final, during which he took in stints at the Indian Premier League with Punjab, coached by Ricky Ponting and led by Shreyas Iyer, a return to Major League Cricket with Washington Freedom captained by Glenn Maxwell and time at the Hundred in the UK alongside Joe Root and Vipers team-mate Max Holden amongst others.

Lockie reflects on his international prospects with the ICC men’s T20 World Cup just around the corner, early next year, and he discusses the prospect of linking up with Pakistan pace ace Naseem Shah, as well as the chance to work again alongside another fast bowler, Khuzaima bin Tanveer, one of the breakthrough stars of season 3.

As you’d expect, Lockie also gives us his perspective on the Vipers’ chances for season 4, and, with one eye on the Dubai Capitals match, he talks about the importance of starting the tournament well.

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The episodes are coming thick and fast as the tournament draws ever nearer and this time we speak with returning fast bowling coach Azhar Mahmood.

Azhar was with the franchise for the first two seasons of the tournament before switching to working with the Pakistan men’s team, but now he’s back and we caught up with him after he arrived at the team’s base at JA the Resort in Jebel Ali on the outskirts of Dubai.

Azhar is one of the very best in the business in his field of coaching fast bowlers and there are plenty for him to work with at the Vipers this season.

There’s captain Lockie Ferguson, death-overs master David Payne, all-rounder Sanjay Pahal who was the player of the tournament in the ILT20 Development Tournament in August and September, plus newcomers Matiullah Khan and Faridoon Dawoodzai, as well as Sam Curran and Naseem Shah, the Pakistan pace ace, amongst others.

Azhar knows all about Naseem having worked with him at national level and he explains why he thinks he will be so effective for the Vipers this season.

He also talks about Sam, a player he worked with extensively at English county Surrey, as well as two more Pakistan players he knows well Fakhar Zaman and Hassan Nawaz.

Azhar explains why he’s come back to the Vipers, how much he’s looking forward to working with Khuzaima bin Tanveer and what his philosophy is as a coach, especially in the fickle format of Twenty20.

And he also gives us his view on the Vipers’ chances for season four.

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Coming up we speak with Vipers Director of Cricket Tom Moody as players and staff start to assemble at the JA Resort in Jebel Ali ahead of the tournament.

Tom was in great form when we chatted, covering off a range of topics and it really is a chat that – as ever with Tom – is well worth your time.

There’s his take on the process of planning for the auction that happened at the start of October and, on top of that, we hear from him on the prospect of facing up to players that the franchise let go ahead of this season.

Tom also talks to us about the retention of Lockie Ferguson as captain and Sam Curran’s return to the England white-ball set-up off the back of his player of the tournament performance last season.

Tom reflects, too, on the prospect of facing up to the side that beat the Vipers in last year’s final, the Dubai Capitals, in this season’s opener and discusses the decision to break from the build-up of previous years by not having a warm-up match this time.

He also gives us his perspective on what it will take for the Vipers to go from runners-up to winners in this edition of the DP World ILT20.

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