In this episode we hear from Max Holden, who made an unbeaten 64 from 41 balls to help the Vipers to a fifth win in five matches, this time against the Gulf Giants at the Dubai International Stadium.
Max shared an unbroken stand of 123 for the third wicket with Sam Curran (67 not out) as the Vipers won eight wickets with 3.1 overs in hand.
Earlier, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer produced a sensational spell of bowling, capturing four for 10 as the Vipers restricted the Giants to 157 for seven. Those wickets meant he secured the player of the match award and he took over as the holder of the white belt for the top wicket-taker in the tournament, with his tally now standing at 10.
Despite a 60-run victory by Middlesex University Dubai, both teams showcased impressive sportsmanship, with several standout performances on the field.
Middlesex University Dubai are the Desert Vipers’ Elite Sport Performance & Academic Research Partner, and this collaboration has been built around cricket development and high performance training both on and off the field.
This friendly contest was an opportunity for the young players to test their skills in match conditions.
The Vipers Pathway team arrived in style in the bus that is usually reserved for the senior team, currently playing in the DP World ILT20. The match was played at a brand new facility at JA Lake View, the Vipers’ home, and the Desert Vipers coaching staff – including Director of Cricket Tom Moody, Strength and Conditioning (S&C) Coach Daz Veness and Fielding Coach Simon Helmot – spent time with the players ahead of the match.
The coaches conducted focused specialist sessions, providing players with valuable insight into senior team training practices.
Facing an experienced Middlesex University Dubai team, the young Vipers side (average age 14), made an impact with both the bat and ball.
14-year-old off-spinner Ishaan Garge stood out (3-4). He took three wickets in his two overs at an impressive economy rate of 2.
With the bat 15-year-old Vivaan Khanna (also the oldest player on the Vipers side) and 14-year-old Advay Kumat shared a crucial 61 run partnership as the Vipers Talent Pathway team chased a target of 167 runs. They fell short by 60 runs, but it was still a valuable experience for all those involved.
At the end of the contest, the players had the chance to meet and take photos with the Desert Vipers main squad, who stopped at the match venue on the way to their training session at the ICC Academy.
The Desert Vipers maintained their winning start to this season’s DP World ILT20 with a fifth victory in five starts, this time against the Gulf Giants, with an eight-wicket win at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday night.
Player of the match Khuzaima Bin Tanveer ripped a hole in the Giants’ top-order with a sensational new-ball spell, capturing four for 10.
And although the Giants rallied through Asif Khan (36 not out) and Liam Dawson (38 not out from 14 balls), their final total of 157 for seven proved comfortably within the Vipers’ range.
Max Holden, opening in place of the injured Andries Gous, made an unbeaten 64 from only 41 balls, and he shared a superb, unbroken stand of 123 for the third wicket with Sam Curran (67 not out from 43 balls) as the team eased home with 19 balls in hand.
The Vipers are now four points clear of the second-placed Giants in the league table and are next in action on Sunday the 14th of December, again at the Dubai International Stadium, when they face the Dubai Capitals, starting at 6.30pm.
That game is the Vipers’ Sustainability Match when they seek to shine a light on green issues.
Match Scores:
Toss: Desert Vipers
Gulf Giants: 157/7(20 overs)
Top scorer: Liam Dawson 38 not out (14 balls);
Khuzaima Bin Tanveer four for 10.
Desert Vipers: 1658/2 (16.5 overs)
Top scorers: Sam Curran 67 not out (43) and Max Holden 64 not out (41 balls).
Match Result: Desert Vipers won by 8 wickets
Player of the Match: Khuzaima Bin Tanveer
Here are some quotes from the Vipers Voices post-match vodcast and podcast featuring Desert Vipers top order batter Max Holden:
On scoring his first fifty of this season’s tournament:
“I was really pleased to contribute. I got a few in the MI Emirates game, (but was) obviously dismissed in interesting circumstances (when I was retired out for 42).
“I had a couple of days to digest what went on and refocus myself and I was really pleased (with how I played tonight). I found a bit more rhythm out there tonight and I was pleased to be able to see the job home and be there at the end.”
Sam Curran of Desert Vipers and Max Holden of Desert Vipers during Match 12 of the DP World International League T20 between the Gulf Giants and the Desert Vipers, held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on 12th December 2025.
Photo by CREIMAS / ILT20
RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE
On batting with Sam Curran:
“He is obviously a great guy to bat with. He has a lot of experience and we have played a fair amount of cricket together, being the same age, growing up playing each other quite a lot and playing a bit of (England) under-19s together so we have known each other for quite a long time.
“I have played against him loads of times when he has played for Surrey and I have seen him play innings like that a fair few times in The Hundred and in the T20 Blast back home.
“It was great to be at the other end this time. He is really cool and composed, he knows exactly what he is doing, he waits for his match-up (such as when he hit three sixes off Liam Dawson) and when it is his time then he can take a bowler down.
“It was great to be at the other end and it was nice that we managed to see the job home together.”
On Khuzaima Bin Tanveer:
“He was fantastic. He has been superb all tournament so far with bat and ball. He is someone who stands up time and time again and tonight that was as good as it gets really, he did not really seem to miss his mark.
“He was steaming in and the other guys were backing him up as well, so it was a fantastic first ten overs. Maybe we did not quite finish the job as we would have liked, but sometimes that is the way it goes, and the opposition are allowed to play well as well.
“I think the way we chased the runs showed it was a good wicket and, thanks to ‘Khuzzy’ we did a lot of the hard work early on in that bowling innings to restrict them to a very chaseable target.”
On a perfect start to the tournament with five wins from five matches:
Avram Glazer, Executive Co-Chairman and Director at Manchester United and Principal, Lancer Capital and Khalid Al Zarooni, Chairman of DP World ILT20 and Vice-Chairman of Emirates Cricket Board and Phil Oliver, CEO of Desert Vipers at the Royal Box during Match 12 of the DP World International League T20 between the Gulf Giants and the Desert Vipers, held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on 12th December 2025.
Photo by CREIMAS / ILT20
RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE
“We are a very experienced team and we know what we want to achieve. We have been setting out like all the other teams to win the tournament but it is obviously too early to think about that.
“There are still five more group games and we will be just be doing what we have done all tournament, which is take each game as it comes.
“We will prepare well for the Dubai Capitals next up and focus as hard as we can on each game. We have got a really good, well-rounded squad so hopefully guys at different points keep sticking their hands up.
“We will keep striving to improve. We have experienced players who set high standards and we will keep demanding more individually and as a team. We are still a long way from our goal and we will keep working to achieve it.”
The Desert Vipers next play the Dubai Capitals in the annual Sustainability Match on Sunday, December the 14th, at the Dubai International Stadium starting at 6:30 pm.
This time we chat with the Desert Vipers Sustainability Lead, Ben Hardy-Jones as we look forward to the Sustainability Match which this season will see the team face the Dubai Capitals at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday the 14th of December, a 6.30pm start.
Ben talks to us about the significance of the match, why it is so important and what activities will be taking place on the day.
The Desert Vipers cricket team’s annual Sustainability Match will take place on Sunday December the 14th, at the Dubai International Stadium.
While the team is already playing in green kit all season to underline their commitment to sustainability as a core brand value, this season fans are in for a surprise as the players will walk out in a jersey specially conceived for the annual sustainability contest.
Inspired by work from Professor Miles Richardson from the University of Derby, the Sustainability Match jersey features the ‘Biodiversity Stripes’. Each stripe shows global wildlife populations in a given year: green shows more wildlife and the gradual fading to grey shows wildlife decline.
This jersey is designed to highlight how, over the last 50 years, global wildlife populations have declined by 73%. The desired message is a wider one though, which is highly relevant to not just cricket but all sports: healthy ecosystems regulate heat, water, and soil, all of which are essential to sport.
Without nature there is no sport.
This kit is produced in the UAE by the team’s kit partners PALMFIT from 100 percent recycled materials and will later be turned into a special piece of artwork.
Phil Oliver, Desert Vipers CEO,said he was proud of the team’s sustainability agenda, and added that the specially designed kit was another innovative move to draw attention to an important issue.
“By wearing a special kit featuring the Biodiversity Stripes at our Sustainability Match in front of millions of TV viewers, we aim to highlight the decline in biodiversity over time, and urge action to reverse the trend,” he said.
“We have greatly reduced our impact on nature in recent seasons and now invite others to take action with us.
“Cricket and nature are inherently connected, and at Desert Vipers, we want to be proactive in playing for people and the planet – this kit is a visual representation of that commitment.”
Professor Miles Richardson, Professor of Nature Connectedness at the University of Derby and Creator of the Biodiversity Stripes, added: “The Global Biodiversity Stripes provide a visual representation of the loss of biodiversity since 1970. The higher levels of biodiversity are coloured bright green. Lower levels move through yellow to darker greys with greater declines.
“The loss of wildlife is also a loss of vibrancy and colour, as our green world becomes grey. As a professional cricket franchise with an enormous reach, and one that contains a group of species in its name, I am delighted that Desert Vipers will be wearing the stripes at their Sustainability Match on the 14th of December.
“I hope that the kit captures people’s attention and imagination and encourages viewers to take a moment to notice the good things in nature each day. As that is a first step we can all take to help reverse the decline in biodiversity.”
Jana Janotova, Senior Programme Coordinator, Sports for Nature at International Union for Conservation of Nature, further added: “Desert Vipers have once again delivered an impactful awareness-raising initiative for nature – this time using their kit as a platform to tell the story of the global decline of nature.
“One of the four Sports for Nature Framework principles is to educate and inspire positive action for nature across and beyond sport, which this initiative does brilliantly. I am looking forward to seeing it in action on the TV, alongside millions of viewers.”
While the Desert Vipers continue their sustainability work through the year, this match provides a platform for nature and tests new innovations to reduce the environmental impact of cricket matches.
On December the 14th the Crickmas fan zone at the Dubai International Stadium will be taken over by Desert Vipers through a series of fun activations, all geared towards drawing participation from visitors.
The goal is to educate fans of the various ways around how they can play their part to protect and restore nature, while also revealing some of the innovative green practices in sport that have been adopted by the Desert Vipers.
In the fan zone, Middlesex University Dubai will hand out upcycled fan giveaways that have been created from last season’s Desert Vipers kit.
Bright Bites, a Partner who produces healthy snacks for children, will be handing out some of their best products to the young visitors on Sunday.
RAW Coffee Company, the team’s Official Coffee Partner, have put together a unique offering of a cycle-to-charge activation – which will be a fun experiential activity for visitors.
The Vipers’ elite Talent Pathway Programme coaches will be at the fan zone conducting action-packed cricket coaching sessions, showing the team’s deep commitment to engaging with the community and offering a pathway to talented local athletes in the UAE.
The coaches will also be running some exciting sustainability-themed mini-games as part of the aim to educate and involve our younger fans.
About the Desert Vipers Sustainability Initiatives:
The Desert Vipers are the first cricket franchise to record and make public their carbon footprint and, through a series of partnerships and key initiatives, have succeeded in reducing their carbon footprint by 20 percent since Season 1 of the DP World ILT20. People and Planet Report
They are the first cricket team to eliminate single-use plastic water bottles from the team environment, doing so in Season 2 through their partnership with Bluewater, the suppliers of water filtration systems.
This has helped cut the use of 14,400 single-use plastic bottles each season.
Another key innovation has been the switch to a local kit supplier PALMFIT for their match and training apparel, in Season 3, produced with 100 percent recycled kit.
In addition, the Desert Vipers have installed Cleaner Seas’ microfibre filters at their Team Hotel’s washing machines at JA Resorts to capture microfibres and microplastics released during washing and prevent them from polluting our oceans.
The Vipers have also partnered with local and international charities to supply leftover kit at the end of the season to those in need. The team has switched to sunglasses from Coral Eyewear made from recycled ocean plastic and are offsetting 100 percent of Season 4’s emissions in partnership with well-regarded climate-financing specialists Vuelta Carbon.
Desert Vipers Director of Cricket Tom Moody has said the team will not be looking to replace injured USA wicketkeeper-batter Andries Gous, who suffered a calf injury in the side’s previous match, against MI Emirates.
Speaking to the Vipers Voices podcast, Moody said he was confident Gous would be back in action soon.
“We will not be looking at a replacement, but we are hopeful that it is going to be a ten-to-fourteen-day turnaround,” he said. “I know Nirm (Nirmalan Thanabalasingam), our physio, and Daz (Veness), our strength and conditioning trainer, will be working very hard to get him back on track.
“He is in superb hands. Here at JA The Resort we have got great facilities with regards to supporting recovery, whether it be getting into the pools or getting into the ocean itself and accelerating that recovery.”
As Andries Gous recovers from injury, Moody said Scotland and former New Zealand top-order batter Tom Bruce would fill in the Associate player role. But he added discussion on who would open in place of Gous remained undecided.
“We have certainly got options,” said Moody. “I have not sat down with the Head Coach James Foster to actually discuss what he thinks around how we are going to manage that gap.
“Tom Bruce will come into the team because you have got to play that Associate player, which is brilliant from our perspective because Tom Bruce is a high-quality player and he will welcome the opportunity. And he has come from quite a bit of cricket (in New Zealand), so it is not like he is coming out of the cold.”
Andries Gous’ injury on Tuesday required the talented UAE player Vriitya Aravind to step in to the wicketkeeper role against the MI Emirates and he made a winning contribution in the last ball run-out of AM Ghazanfar which secured the victory.
And Moody, an ICC Cricket World Cup winner with Australia in 1987 and 1999, said Vriitya was a joy to have around the team environment.
“He was very much on our radar when it came to the auction,” he admitted.
“I remember in the very first year we were very keen to secure his services here at Desert Vipers, which we unfortunately did not get at that point. But three years on we have managed to get him into our squad and I think evidence in the last game shows exactly why we were keen on him.
“Vriitya is a great team man and a versatile cricketer. Yes, his natural setting is at the top of the order (as a batter), but that is quite common in these environments where your best players tend to bat in the top order in their local cricket.
“But when you come up a level (to a tournament like the DP World ILT20) that ability to adapt and bat in different positions and have different roles is really important and it is also important for his development as well.
“The other aspect is that he is an absolute jet in the field, so he does not necessarily need to keep. He has been our best fielder when he has been in the field and when he had to take over with the gloves in the last game, it was a seamless transition. He was superb.
“His glove work to Noor Ahmed was unbelievable, considering he has had very little exposure to keeping to bowlers of that nature. And the clutch moment came at the very last ball, when he executed the run-out.”
With four wins from four games, the natural tendency would be to start looking ahead to the team’s chances of making it to the play-offs. But Moody believed it was too early to make those predictions.
“It would be a foolish mistake if we do (look too far ahead),” he said. “To me, our focus needs to be striving to play our best cricket. And I think we are operating at about 60 to 70 percent (of our capacity) at the moment.
“So, I would not be even looking at the (league) table from a team perspective. I would be looking purely at how we are going to find that extra 30 to 40 per cent to play our perfect game.
“That needs to be our focus rather than looking at the outcome of where we finish in the table. I think we keep it very much in our own control. I think that thought process would put us in a good position come the end of the tournament.”
Looking ahead to Friday’s match against the Gulf Giants, whom the Vipers beat through a super over on Monday night, Moody said the squad and coaching staff were only too aware of the challenge the Giants posed.
“There are a lot of learnings from the first game that we played against them, and they are a strong side,” he. said. “In saying that, when I look at all the teams in this tournament, I think it is a very balanced tournament when you look at it purely on paper.
“The Giants are a threat, there is no question. (Pathum) Nissanka is a very fine player, so it will be interesting to see whether he is in a position to return to the team (after injury). I think he is a massive loss if that is the case, purely because of the form that he offers, the quality he provides and his impact in the power play.
“We know we need to manage risk against this opposition, but we also need to manage the conditions in Dubai. The exciting opportunity for us is getting back to Dubai and understanding exactly how we bowl and how we need to bat during the different phases of that contest.”
In this episode we chat with Director of Cricket Tom Moody who reflects on the campaign so far and looks ahead to the team’s next match, against the Gulf Giants, at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday the 12th of December, a 6.30pm start.
Tom talks about what’s pleased him and what hasn’t so far. There’s plenty of good stuff to look back on, of course, off the back of four wins from four matches but, as Tom tells us, there’s also plenty to improve upon.
Tom speaks about the return of Lockie Ferguson as captain after the fast bowler missed the first three matches of the tournament, he discusses the batting and bowling and also gives us an update on the fitness of Andries Gous, after the wicketkeeper-batter was forced to retire hurt in the most recent win, against MI Emirates in Abu Dhabi.
Andries’ replacement behind the stumps was Vriitya Aravind, and Tom discusses his role in the side, as well as conditions across the three venues.
In this episode we hear from fast bowler David Payne off the back of another thrilling match involving the Vipers – this time a one-run win against MI Emirates in Abu Dhabi.
David was player of the match after taking four for 29 as the Vipers defended 159, sealing the win off the final delivery as wicketkeeper Vriitya Aravind ran out AM Ghazanfar as he sought the run that would have taken the match to a super over.
It means the Vipers are top of the table with four wins from four matches.
The Desert Vipers continued their unbeaten run with a thrilling last ball one-run win over MI Emirates in Abu Dhabi. MI Emirates won the toss and chose to bowl, making it the first time in Season 4 that the Vipers were batting first, and they scored 159 for four. Max Holden top scored with 42 while Fakhar Zaman made a 31-ball 35 at the top of the order.
The MI Emirates looked in control of the chase for long periods before Player of the Match David Payne turned the match on its head with three wickets in the penultimate over.
It went down to the wire as MI Emirates needed 16 in the last over and Rashid Khan took the fight to the Vipers hitting a six off Khuzaima Bin Tanveer and then a four which went through keeper Vriitya Aravind’s legs.
But the young wicketkeeper sealed the win when he pulled off a sharp run-out off the final delivery.
The side’s record now reads: played four; won four.
Match Scores:
Toss: MI Emirates
Desert Vipers: 159/4 (20 overs)
Top scorer: Max Holden 42 (37 deliveries)
MI Emirates: 158/9 (20 overs)
Top scorer: Tom Banton 34 (29 deliveries)
Match Result: Desert Vipers won by one run
Player of the Match: David Payne 4/29
Here are quotes from player of the match David Payne:
On a second narrow win in successive days:
“We do not seem to make it that easy for ourselves, do we? (We have) good games for the neutral I guess you could say!
“I felt like, after my second over (which cost 15 runs) I needed to contribute to the game because I felt like I had let the boys down, so whether that was a catch or a piece of fielding I felt I needed to contribute there.
“So, to get the opportunity in the nineteenth over (was what I wanted). I was just trying to keep the plan simple and I was really pleased I could do something right at the end.
On whether he thought the Vipers total of 159 for four was a good score:
“I thought our batters played it really well. It would have been easy to have tried to go too hard and we could have been seven, eight or nine (wickets) down going into the backend of the innings.
“We kept wickets in hand and saw Hettie (Shimron Hetmyer) hit a few to boost our total and at halfway I thought we had given ourselves a really good chance (of winning).
On the last-ball run-out by wicketkeeper Vriitya Aravind that sealed the victory:
“What a moment at the end for (Vriitya) – he will remember that forever, I am sure.
“To be the man to hit the stumps with two to win (was exceptional). The amount of times I have seen that happen and the ball miss the stumps (is numerous). I think everyone thought that it was going to be a super over as a minimum so Vriitya was fantastic.
And what about the drama of that final over?
“That last over was a rollercoaster. They started it wanting 16 so we were feeling fairly confident at that point. Then to get it down to 12 off three (balls) and you’re probably thinking we had got it in the bag.
“But with players like Rashid Khan at the crease and the world-class players we have in this tournament, games are never over until they are over.
“I thought Khuzaima was brilliant because it was such a high pressure over for him to bowl and Rashid Khan is a handy player.
“Khuzzy had the shorter leg-side boundary to defend and that was exactly what Rashid was looking to target.
“Khuzzy did so well to hold his line and mix up his pace and that is exactly what he did with that last ball. I think everyone was expecting a yorker so for him to use his slower ball tricked everyone and probably led to the run-out.
On Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, who now has six wickets in four matches:
“I thought Khuzaima was brilliant last year. When I saw him bowl then I thought ‘Wow, this is a superstar in the making.’ He has improved on that this year and is bowling fantastically well. He is such an important part of our attack and today he put in a brilliant performance.”
On captain Lockie Ferguson’s first match of the season:
“I thought he did well in his first game back. All bowlers will know what it is like to come back from a long rehab. You do all you can in the nets but there is nothing like being out in the middle.
“I am sure his body will be sore tonight but I thought the skipper was fantastic – he always is – and he led the team brilliantly.”
The Desert Vipers next play the Gulf Giants on Friday, December 12th, starting at 6:30 pm.
Tickets for all Desert Vipers matches are now available here
The Desert Vipers have announced climate-financing specialists Vuelta Carbon as their Official Carbon Markets Supplier – with the goal of investing in climate action and offsetting 100 percent of the team’s emissions in Season 4 of the DP World ILT20.
Vuelta Carbon’s work in climate began over two decades ago, evolving from climate science to supporting direct action. They help individuals and corporates invest in green projects. Carbon markets offer the Net in Net Zero and the opportunity to tackle residual emissions, playing a significant role in protecting the planet.
The Desert Vipers have already succeeded in reducing their emissions by 19.5 percent when compared with Season 1, as was announced in the recent People and Planet Report.
This partnership with Vuelta Carbon will help further the franchise’s sustainability agenda by offsetting the entirety of emissions from Season 4.
To achieve this, the Desert Vipers will support projects across the UAE, India, and Saudi Arabia which offer technological and nature-based solutions to help reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and prevent the future release of greenhouse gases.
The Desert Vipers have previously invested in willow trees to offset emissions. The trees served a dual purpose, of capturing carbon while also ensuring a supply of cricket bats for the future generation.
This partnership with Vuelta Carbon will also help Desert Vipers on their mission of achieving Net Zero by 2040. Net Zero is a mandatory commitment for the Vipers as Dubai’s first signatory to the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework.
(To achieve Net Zero the team will need to achieve at least a 90 percent reduction in emissions, and the remaining 10 percent emissions can be offset through credits.)
Matt Bailey, Head of Strategy for the Desert Vipers, said: “We are delighted to partner with Vuelta Carbon as our Official Carbon Markets Supplier. We have been working hard to reduce our emissions, but we also recognise the need to use our platform to make positive strides at the same time and capture greenhouse gases that have already been released.
“By supporting a range of projects in cricket-playing nations, we hope to show how cricket can be a driving force in finding solutions that benefit people and planet.”
Lee Bostock, Co-Founder at Vuelta Carbon, added: “We are pleased to partner with the Desert Vipers as their Official Carbon Markets Supplier. Sustainability runs deeply through the franchise’s values, and their commitment to meaningful climate action sets an example for the sports community and beyond.
“At Vuelta Carbon, we look forward to supporting Desert Vipers on their journey, helping them reduce and remove emissions while inspiring fans, partners, and other organisations to accelerate their own pathways to a more sustainable future.”
This latest green collaboration comes ahead of the Desert Vipers’ annual Sustainability Match on December the 14th, where the franchise will once again calculate the carbon footprint of the match.
The Vipers are also tracking their entire season and are in fact the only cricket franchise to publicly declare their annual carbon footprint, having done so since the very first season of the DP World ILT20.
This transparency in carbon footprint reporting has laid the foundation for the team to understand how much offsetting is required.
The Desert Vipers take on the Dubai Capitals in their Sustainability Match on December the 14th, starting at 6:30 pm.
