Matthew Cross

A wicketkeeper-batter from Aberdeen, Matthew Cross got into the Scotland set-up at U-13 level, progressed up the ranks, making a good impression as vice-captain for the U-19s in the 2012 World Cup in Australia, and then broke into the senior side the following year.

In his younger years Cross showed promise at football, representing Aberdeen FC at U-15 level but committed to cricket while juggling his engineering degree studies at MCC Loughborough University. In 2013 he was on the books at Nottinghamshire and scored 47 in his only senior game, against Bangladesh A. He was later a part of the MCC Young Cricketers Programme at Lord's for two years and had other trials around the county scene with Durham, Essex and Kent, but didn't make it in English first-class cricket.

Despite that lack of success, Cross is considered arguably the finest pure wicketkeeper of his era in Associate cricket. His leg-side stumping of England's James Taylor standing up to the medium pace of Josh Davey at the 2015 World Cup was the first of many highlight-reel-worthy dismissals.

If there's a blemish on Cross' CV, his batting record at times appears underwhelming for a player of his calibre, especially one who has spent a significant chunk of time opening the batting. His high-water mark came in 2018, when he made twin hundreds against UAE and a rollicking 48 off 39 balls - including ten fours - that helped kickstart Scotland's historic ODI victory over No. 1-ranked England at the Grange. But that innings in some ways sums up much of Cross' Scotland career with the bat, which has often been good but rarely great.

He was named vice-captain in 2022, and when Richie Berrington suffered a hand injury against New Zealand during the home summer Cross made his Scotland captaincy debut in a stand-in capacity on his home ground in Aberdeen in August during an ODI tri-series against the UAE and USA.