Spotlight on youth: Alex Subramaniam sets sights on playing for 2nd XI this summer
MHVCC will be introducing you to some of the club’s young stars during the 2023 season. Today it’s the turn of Alex Subramaniam
What’s your first cricketing memory?
I remember as a young child playing endless amounts of cricket in the garden with my brother and dad, in particular smacking a ball into my parents’ living room windows, who were not too pleased about that!
When did you first start playing cricket? What got you playing? Tell us a bit about the cricketing pathway you’ve been on since then - which teams have you played for?
My dad is passionate about cricket and I watched it on TV from an early age with him along with playing in the garden with him. At 7 years old, I started to learn to play cricket at my school and I played all the way through my primary school and in my secondary school.
I initially played for the C then B team, before making my way up to the school’s A team, and culminating in playing for my school's 1st XI cricket team last year and this year. I have played for Belmont’s Cricket Team, Mill Hill School’s Cricket Team and Mill Hill Village Cricket Club's junior and adult teams.
When did you first start playing for MHVCC?
I first started at the club at 10 years old, playing for the Under 11s, and I have progressed through the junior groups ever since then and up to adult cricket.
Which MHVCC coaches have been most influential on you?
[Director of Cricket and lead coach] Phil Smith for his coaching on all aspects of cricket, including trying to improve my batting technique in the middle of an Under 11s match! Also Pete Jaffe and James Thompson for their passion for cricket and for the club itself.
Describe your playing style.
With the ball, I am an off spinner who generally bowls a good line and length. With the bat, I am generally slightly more defensive, but can play slightly more attacking depending on the situation.
Tell us about your favourite cricketing memory. What’s been your best performance so far, for school and MHVCC? Tell us about that day.
For school, my favourite cricketing memory was last year when I bowled really well and earned figures of 4-10 against Chigwell, playing my part, as we beat them comprehensively by 111 runs. I could not quite get the fifth, but still bowled the best I have ever bowled that day.
For MHVCC, we played Winchmore Hill last year in the league after losing to them a few days previously in the cup final. In the league, we got revenge with a perfect performance from the Under 17s. I made 50 that day as we scored 119 and with some excellent bowling and fielding, we managed to hold on by five runs to claim the most unlikely of victories against the best team in our league.
How do you feel you performed in 2022?
I feel I performed quite well last season, with my bowling getting better as the season progressed and shining in moments with the bat, but I struggled to find consistency, resulting in a couple of high scores and too many low scores.
It's been a slow start to the 2023 season, with the wet weather. Have you been playing much cricket?
I have been training at my school nets once a week in order to prepare for the season. I have been working on making adjustments to my batting technique, which will hopefully pay off during the season. I have maintained my overall fitness by going to the gym two or three times a week.
What are your hopes for this season? Which team(s) do you hope to be playing for?
I hope to play for the 3rd XI this season, hopefully being one of the key players of the team and being ready for the 2nd XI if they need me.
My personal goals are to help whichever team I am playing for to win the game and having as positive a contribution as I can to help us win as many games as we can.
The key to having a successful season will to be always stay focused on the next game ahead and learning and improving from past mistakes.
I am looking forward to it and I hope we have good weather in order for a great cricket season and I want to combine playing matches whilst doing my A-levels this summer. Now aged 18, I hope to play cricket at university in the autumn.
You captained some games last season. How much have you captained? Has this whet your appetite for more?
When I was younger I was enthusiastic, but I lacked confidence, so I was never the captain. My confidence has built up over the years, as my cricket has improved. I had many hours of group coaching and several hours of one on one coaching with Peter Phillips and also one-on-one coaching with our school cricket coach. I have learned lessons from my past experiences, which will ensure that I make better decisions in future games.
Everyone within the team has a different emotional intelligence and so some players respond better to praise, some to criticism, and some to a mixture of both, so it is about motivating individuals within the team in the right way in order to get the best out of each player within the team and also a good team spirit overall. We congratulate successful players and commiserate unsuccessful players, but we do not criticise a poor performance. We know that sometimes you can just be unlucky on the day.
What's the best cricketing advice you’ve heard?
Ian Botham once said: “To me, it doesn’t matter how good you are. Sport is all about playing and competing. Whatever you do in cricket and in sport, enjoy it, be positive and try to win.”
Who has been your most talented teammate?
An overseas Australian exchange pupil named Stewart who was at my school last year, was an amazing cricketer, both with bat and ball, and played one game for Mill Hill Village, which was a fantastic innings of 87, making sure we had enough runs to defend and ensured we won the game. He definitely has high potential and is a very talented individual.
Who is your cricketing idol?
Ben Stokes, for his resilience on the field and never giving up when faced with adversity.
What’s your message for young people reading this considering joining MHVCC?
Mill Hill Village is a club full of inclusivity and gives everyone an opportunity, regardless of their ability, meaning that everyone gets a chance to both train and play for a team at the club. With the nets due to be installed this year, the facilities are improving and so now, more than ever, is the best time to join Mill Hill Village. You will make friends with other children from other schools.
What, in your opinion, makes MHVCC a special club?
Everybody at the club is so welcoming and there is an excellent team spirit both on and off the field. At junior level, even though winning is important, the main aim is to get as many young boys and young girls to enjoy the beautiful game of cricket, which is the most important thing. The two cricket pitches are huge and the views of the surrounding countryside are amazing, you cannot believe you are in NW7.