5 Questions with... Raven Subramoney
As we countdown to the 2022 season, the latest in our 5 Questions series is with 3rd XI Captain Raven Subramoney…
How and when did you first join Acton C.C.?
I was brought to the club in 2008 by one of my best friends from South Africa called Don Fyfe, a former 1st XI skipper. At the time I was a bowler and he thought I could add to the already decent bowlers the club was blessed with. For a while it went OK with the ball until a dreary day at Ealing. Since 2008 I've had two short spells away from the club owing to moving away from the area, but there is no place like Acton C.C for me so when the chance arouse, I came back as soon as I could.
How does the cricket you've played in the UK differ from back home in SA?
I think the most obvious one is the weather. In SA we always had a full proper season with hardly any wash outs. But I think for me the biggest difference is the club culture itself instead of the cricket. In the UK, in particular Acton, it’s more than just a cricket club; it really is a family, and a family that’s around all of the year and not just during the summer season.
Also, in the UK clubs have to be self-sustainable and rely on their members to keep them going. In SA, a lot of the clubs are linked to private schools so they would get a lot members through those channels as well as funding from those sources. As a result, it’s kind hard to get that family feel into a club in SA that I found here. ACC have helped through some of the most life changing events I've had and I'm not sure if I would have got that with my various clubs back in SA.
What are your Acton C.C. Highlights?
One of my proudest moments is being asked to take on the captaincy for the 3s in 2021. I had never captained before even throughout school cricket, so to be asked by the committee made me feel proud – it was great to know that they felt I had the ''minerals'' and the mindset to elevate the 3s back into the premier league. Also I felt that having worked under Dan Waddell and JR for while in the 2s I had good teachers in the art of captaincy (and the talking cr*p).
If I could flag two other highlights, they would be firstly my two appearances in the 1st team while in the premier league (yes we had already been relegated and yes we were scarce on availability but hey.... I still have two premier league appearances under my belt) and, secondly, a match winning 51 not out last season against Harrow Town last season which gave me a lot of pride.
What are your goals for the current season as skipper for the 3s?
We were so close to promotion last season…so close! The club and particularly Sahil have done some great recruitment over the winter which I’m sure will see competition for places at its strongest since I've been at the club. Hopefully this will see some more quality players filtering down and strengthening the 3rd XI. So I'm setting my sites on a league win and with that win the promotion we narrowly missed out on. We had very few ''weak'' links in our team last year when we were at full strength, so I urge all members to get that availability sorted to make sure we all at full strength throughout the club – if we do that it could be an amazing season for Acton. Another goal of mine this year is to hopefully bring through one or two of the many talented juniors we have at the club.
And finally, what is your all time Acton XI?
Apologies to anyone of the old guard that I missed out; I've put this team out on players I have played or practiced with over years
1.Steve Jones - What hasn't been said about Jonah and his ability as a cricketer? One of the first bats I bowled against at Acton, and even in a net you felt 2nd best when bowling to him. Also, as person, probably the most humble Aussie ever!
2. Matty Reeve(wk) - All the talent blah blah....he can do anything blah blah! We've all seen it talked it.. and we all know what this guy can do. He's no doubt one of the most talented players the club for as produced. He's one of those annoying sportsmen that can play anything and be good at it...in fact if he was good looking he'd be that guy that has everything...
3.Sahil Kher - I only ever get to see Sahil bat in the nets and even then you can see the amount of concentration and dedication he has. He doesn't rest on his talent and always puts the work in. We should all take some inspiration from this.
4. James Hunt (c) - Again a phenomenal cricketer and sportsmen, can do any sport and do it well....a top all-rounder. His fitness levels should be an inspiration for us all. At his current age of 46 years old Jambo will always be my pick as well.
5.Yasir Mehmood - I only got to play full season with Yogi when he came down to the 2s a couple of years ago, but you could see in his batting in certain games how great this guy was at his peak (he's still got some big innings to play, mind you). He plays shots that really you can’t coach or practice – just raw talent. Also, his intelligence as a cricketer always stands out whenever I have conversations with him.
6.Sunil Ghumra - Again I can only imagine how good this guy was coming up as a junior cause he's pretty freaking good now. He doesn't net or winter net, and wont play for weeks on end due to work, but then will turn up...bowl fire breathing deliveries and hit big balls around the and over the boundaries. Anyone who can do that and not even practice or play regularly is a special talent...and Sunil is.
7. Darren Hooey - The big man was a proper player, brought in by AB. Darren was great bowler and could bat as well. There's not many players I didn't fancy batting against in the nets but I would wait for Darren to be batting as the same time as me as precaution. He was decent guy in the clubhouse. It was always going to be difficult to keep hold of him but it was still great to watch him at Acton
8. Alex Brennan - Abaas is Mr cricket for me. He lives it, he loves it, and he gets annoyed by it. Abaas’ stats speak for themselves, and he performs without fail every season. We should all look at his consistency and aim for that! His competitive nature is up there with mine and I love talking to him about the game as he teaches me a lot. Also, one of my favourite people away from cricket.
9. John Reeve - So much can be said about JR and its been highlighted on more than one occasion how much we all owe him for the stuff he does off the field. On the field, he performs. Again, his stats show us that. However, I didn't realise how good JR is until I started my spell behind the stumps in the 2nd XI. It’s only then you realise how clever he is with the ball and how visible the look of confusion is on batsmen’s faces when seeing John at the end of his run. I also enjoyed watching those same batsmen on “suicide watch” after getting out to JR. His cricket brain is right up there when and don’t forgot about his competitive nature which makes JR, well, JR.
10. Josh Burrows - Mr Reliable and Mr consistent! Always took wickets at key times for us. Buckets for hands! His ability to hit that ridge always made him a menace. Again, another guy with a great cricket brain and pleasure to spend time with off the field.
11. Nasir Mehmood - I played a lot with Booboo and have seen him put some big performances for the cub. He always performs for the team and gives it his all. I think sometimes we underestimate how hard it is to play cricket during the observance of Ramadan. However, Boo always plays through and has delivered big performances during this religious period. He's a talent with bat and ball and key bowler for me in my all-time XI.