Final Over – Ben Cotton

ON THE SPOT
Date of Birth: 13/9/1993
Marital Status: Single
Former Clubs: Porthill Park, Staffordshire

THE LAST
Bat you bought/used?
A Kookaburra Verve. It’s good, I’m enjoying it. I got my career-best score of 43 at the end of last season against Leicestershire so it’s doing alright!
CD you bought?
Noel Gallagher’s last album, Chasing Yesterday, sometime this summer. I was a big Oasis fan and I like his new stuff, too.
Injury?
A side strain in June kept me out for six weeks. I have been pretty lucky with injuries so far in my career, touch wood.
Five-wicket haul or century?
That was a club game in August, for Porthill Park. I can’t remember who it was against but I bowled a ten-over spell so I was pretty tired afterwards.
Trophy won?
I was Derbyshire Academy Player of the Year two seasons ago. It was my final year in the academy and I was captain as well.

THE JURY’S OUT
Tea or Coffee?
Tea, milk no sugar. I don’t drink coffee but I’ll have two or three cups of tea a day.
Beans on toast or pasta?
I don’t really like either but I’ll go for beans on toast.
Caribbean with the missus or Magaluf with the lads?
Magaluf with the lads. I went to Ibiza in October, which was expensive but very good.
Red or white wine?
I only really drink wine at formal dos but I would go white.
CB40, T20 or County Championship?
T20 for me. It is not really set up for bowlers and I enjoy that challenge and the role of bowling at the death.

TIME ADDED ON…
Who did you support as a boy?
Stoke City in football. I don’t get to go as often as I would like these days. Cricket-wise, my granddad Stan was a member at Lancashire so I used to go and watch them.
Who is the best coach you have played with?
Graeme Welch. He is very good at understanding how each person works. He works out your character very quickly and is good at developing bowlers.
Who is the messiest person to sit next to in the dressing room?
Alex Hughes’ kit is everywhere. Surprisingly, both wicketkeepers – Tom Poynton and Harvey Hosein – are actually very neat.
Most nervy player when next in to bat?
Harvey Hosein can’t sit still. I feel sorry for him sometimes! It’s probably just nerves with him being so young, though.
Person to avoid after being dismissed?
I would probably say me. I normally end up shouting and smacking my bat on the floor. My mum Sally used to have a go at me for it when I was young.
One rule you would like to change?
They need to get tighter on bowling actions. A generation of 30 to 40-year-old bowlers are disadvantaged because they’ve not been coached to throw the ball when the guys in their 20s have grown up being able to use these ridiculous actions.
Three words to describe yourself?
Tall, chilled and dry.
Which TV pundit makes you cringe and which do you really listen to?
Bob Willis – that’s probably everyone’s answer! Bumble is funny and he makes it interesting. With him, it’s not all about cricket and it’s an easy listen.
Do you have any superstitions?
I put my pads and shoes on left side first. I don’t know where it has come from but I daren’t do it the other way now.
What are your hobbies?
I play a lot of golf and go to watch Stoke City when I can.
Five people you’d invite round for a dinner party?
Noel Gallagher, Andrew Flintoff, Jimmy Bullard, John Bishop and Michelle Keegan.

AND FINALLY
Who is the worst dressed player at the club? 
Wayne Madsen likes the jeans and trainers combination. Need I say more?

This piece originally featured in The Cricket Paper on Friday November 20, 2015