The final four qualifiers for the European Championships will be decided today with the playing of the second legs of the runner-up play-offs. Some of the ties look all wrapped up, and most interest will be on Portugal's clash with Bosnia-Herzgovina in Lisbon. The home side were lucky to escape with a 0-0 draw on Friday, and they will be under plenty of pressure to get the job done today back home. Montenegro are still in with a chance, but will need a great performance at home to turn around their 2-0 deficit against the Czech Republic.
In the other two games, the home sides' fans will be in party mode after strong away wins on Friday. Ireland have a four goal cushion after their thumping of Estonia in Tallinn, while Croatia won 3-0 in Turkey and should be untroubled in completing their passage to Poland and Ukraine next summer.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Cricket: Former Australian coach interviewed
Cricinfo have posted an excellent interview with outgoing coach Tim Nielsen. He gives a lot of insight into the crucial moments in Australia's recent cricketing history. It's interesting to consider the point he makes about tight results going against a team, and the impact it can have on future results. Too much is made of wins and losses when the margin is especially narrow. St Kilda's loss to Collingwood in 2010 and the Texas Rangers loss to the St Louis Cardinals last week are two obvious recent examples. Players being able to execute well under the higher pressure deserve all the credit they get, but frequently, too much credit, and more importantly, blame are passed onto coaches when the result could so easily have been different.
Anyway, here's the interview, in two parts.
Part 1.
Part 2
All comments welcome below.
Anyway, here's the interview, in two parts.
Part 1.
Part 2
All comments welcome below.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Euro 2012: Qualifying groups completed
The qualifying groups for the Euro 2012 Championships wrapped up
today, and here's the group by group run down on who made it through.
With the exception of Sweden, the other eight second-placed finishers
will play off for the last four spots next month. The draw for those
games will be made on Thursday.
Group A: Germany had long since clinched top spot in the group, but there was no let up as they finished with a perfect record - and a 3-1 defeat of Belgium, matching their win over Turkey on Friday. And just as they had opened the door for Belgium with that defeat of Turkey, they emphatically closed it on the Belgians today and Turkey took advantage with a 1-0 win over Azerbaijan that clinched second place.
Group B: Russia thumped Andorra 6-0 to claim top spot in the group, while second place went to Ireland after a 2-1 win over Armenia, in a match that saw both teams lose a player to red cards.
Group C: Italy had already ensured top spot, but a 3-0 win over Northern Ireland kept them undefeated, while Serbia were stunned after failing to get the point they needed at Slovenia. Dare Vrsic's late first half goal was decisive after Nemanja Vidic missed a second half penalty. Estonia's late comeback win over Northern Ireland on Friday proved to be decisive in taking second place.
Group D: France needed a 78th minute penalty from Samir Nasri to escape with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina and top spot in the group after the visitors had threatened a major upset.
Group E: Sweden finished with a morale boosting win over top placed Netherlands after coming from behind to win 3-2, following on from their Friday win in Finland that earned them second spot ahead of Hungary. As the best placed second finisher, Sweden progress directly to the Championships.
Group F: Greece nearly undid their vital Friday win over Croatia, but were able to rally late to win 2-1 at Georgia, rendering Croatia's 2-0 win over Latvia irrelevant.
Group G: With top spot already clinched on Friday, England had the bye in their group, and Montenegro played as though they did, although there 2-0 defeat by Switzerland didn't impact their position either.
Group H: Denmark took top spot in the group at Portugal's expense, as they won 2-1, with Nicklas Bendtner's second half goal proving decisive as Portugal's Ronaldo scored in injury time to keep the finish interesting. However, the Portuguese ran out of time to find a second and now face a play-off.
Group I: Spain ended Scotland's hopes with a 3-1 win with two from David Silva and a third from David Villa. The Czech Republic were reduced to ten men in the second half, but led Lithuania 3-0 by that stage and went on to win 4-1 to take second spot behind the Spanish who finished with a perfect record.
Group A: Germany had long since clinched top spot in the group, but there was no let up as they finished with a perfect record - and a 3-1 defeat of Belgium, matching their win over Turkey on Friday. And just as they had opened the door for Belgium with that defeat of Turkey, they emphatically closed it on the Belgians today and Turkey took advantage with a 1-0 win over Azerbaijan that clinched second place.
Group B: Russia thumped Andorra 6-0 to claim top spot in the group, while second place went to Ireland after a 2-1 win over Armenia, in a match that saw both teams lose a player to red cards.
Group C: Italy had already ensured top spot, but a 3-0 win over Northern Ireland kept them undefeated, while Serbia were stunned after failing to get the point they needed at Slovenia. Dare Vrsic's late first half goal was decisive after Nemanja Vidic missed a second half penalty. Estonia's late comeback win over Northern Ireland on Friday proved to be decisive in taking second place.
Group D: France needed a 78th minute penalty from Samir Nasri to escape with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina and top spot in the group after the visitors had threatened a major upset.
Group E: Sweden finished with a morale boosting win over top placed Netherlands after coming from behind to win 3-2, following on from their Friday win in Finland that earned them second spot ahead of Hungary. As the best placed second finisher, Sweden progress directly to the Championships.
Group F: Greece nearly undid their vital Friday win over Croatia, but were able to rally late to win 2-1 at Georgia, rendering Croatia's 2-0 win over Latvia irrelevant.
Group G: With top spot already clinched on Friday, England had the bye in their group, and Montenegro played as though they did, although there 2-0 defeat by Switzerland didn't impact their position either.
Group H: Denmark took top spot in the group at Portugal's expense, as they won 2-1, with Nicklas Bendtner's second half goal proving decisive as Portugal's Ronaldo scored in injury time to keep the finish interesting. However, the Portuguese ran out of time to find a second and now face a play-off.
Group I: Spain ended Scotland's hopes with a 3-1 win with two from David Silva and a third from David Villa. The Czech Republic were reduced to ten men in the second half, but led Lithuania 3-0 by that stage and went on to win 4-1 to take second spot behind the Spanish who finished with a perfect record.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
MLB: Wild-cards decided in wild night
If you only watched baseball once all season, tonight needed to be the night as two amazing wild-card races were decided in scenes that would have seemed outlandishly surreal in a Hollywood movie. Early in September, the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves enjoyed commanding leads in the wild-card standings, but both endured terrible Septembers that only got worse tonight. Much worse.
Of the four games that mattered tonight, only one went quietly into the night. In the National League, the St Louis Cardinals, chasing the Braves all month, enjoyed an easy night out, as they scored five in the first on their way to an 8-0 drubbing of the Houston Astros. Locked 89-72 with the Cardinals coming in, the Braves needed to dig deep against the Phillies looking for their 102nd season win. After six innings, they seemed likely to force a play-off for the wild-card when they led 3-1, but the Phillies toughed it out, drawing level in the 9th at 3-3. Through extra innings the game continued with Atlanta unable to get a man on third home in the 12th, ultimately paying the price as the Phillies squeezed home the decisive run in the next innings to take the game 4-3. Atlanta had blown an 8.5 game lead in September.
For much of the night, the American League went down a similar route, although this time the chaser was on the end of a hiding as the Yankees stormed to a 7-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the 5th innings, and still led by that score heading into he bottom of the 8th. Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox, seeking to avoid slumping out in a collapse similar to the Braves, held a slim 3-2 lead over the Baltimore Orioles as the game was delayed by rain in the bottom of the 7th. If the Sox were smart, they wouldn't have had the TV on during that break, as they might have seen the Rays storm back in the 8th innings with six runs, with help from the Yankees pitching (three walks, including two hit batters) and a three-run homer from Evan Longoria. Then in the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees looked like they would close out the game 7-6 before Dan Johnson, pinch hitting, smacked a two-out homer to send the game to extra innings.
Boston returned to the park and tried to close out their game, while hoping the Yankees could pull out of their nose dive to take the game. The Sox left runners on base in the 8th and 9th, but still held a 3-2 lead heading to the bottom of the ninth. The Yankees at that stage had runners on first and third with none out in the 12th, and it looked like the Sox would escape, as they struck out the first two batters. But not tonight. Not this September. The Yankees didn't manage to score, and the Orioles, doubled and doubled to tie the scores, before a nearly caught single gave them an astonishing 4-3 win in the bottom of the ninth. Even then the Red Sox might have escaped with a play-off tomorrow for the wild card spot, but Longoria returned to the plate in Florida seconds later and again sent the ball over the fence to give the Rays an astonishing comeback win, and the Red Sox a humiliating September collapse.
Of the four games that mattered tonight, only one went quietly into the night. In the National League, the St Louis Cardinals, chasing the Braves all month, enjoyed an easy night out, as they scored five in the first on their way to an 8-0 drubbing of the Houston Astros. Locked 89-72 with the Cardinals coming in, the Braves needed to dig deep against the Phillies looking for their 102nd season win. After six innings, they seemed likely to force a play-off for the wild-card when they led 3-1, but the Phillies toughed it out, drawing level in the 9th at 3-3. Through extra innings the game continued with Atlanta unable to get a man on third home in the 12th, ultimately paying the price as the Phillies squeezed home the decisive run in the next innings to take the game 4-3. Atlanta had blown an 8.5 game lead in September.
For much of the night, the American League went down a similar route, although this time the chaser was on the end of a hiding as the Yankees stormed to a 7-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the 5th innings, and still led by that score heading into he bottom of the 8th. Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox, seeking to avoid slumping out in a collapse similar to the Braves, held a slim 3-2 lead over the Baltimore Orioles as the game was delayed by rain in the bottom of the 7th. If the Sox were smart, they wouldn't have had the TV on during that break, as they might have seen the Rays storm back in the 8th innings with six runs, with help from the Yankees pitching (three walks, including two hit batters) and a three-run homer from Evan Longoria. Then in the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees looked like they would close out the game 7-6 before Dan Johnson, pinch hitting, smacked a two-out homer to send the game to extra innings.
Boston returned to the park and tried to close out their game, while hoping the Yankees could pull out of their nose dive to take the game. The Sox left runners on base in the 8th and 9th, but still held a 3-2 lead heading to the bottom of the ninth. The Yankees at that stage had runners on first and third with none out in the 12th, and it looked like the Sox would escape, as they struck out the first two batters. But not tonight. Not this September. The Yankees didn't manage to score, and the Orioles, doubled and doubled to tie the scores, before a nearly caught single gave them an astonishing 4-3 win in the bottom of the ninth. Even then the Red Sox might have escaped with a play-off tomorrow for the wild card spot, but Longoria returned to the plate in Florida seconds later and again sent the ball over the fence to give the Rays an astonishing comeback win, and the Red Sox a humiliating September collapse.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Rearview Mirror
If you slept through the weekend, here's what you missed:
US Open Tennis - Novak Djokovic kept his amazing year going with a convincing four set victory over Rafael Nadal. Although Nadal managed to avoid going down in straight sets after rallying in the third to take it a tiebreaker, Djokovic always seemed to have the edge, breaking Nadal almost at will. The number one seed had an astonishing 26 break points, of which he converted eleven (Nadal broke on six of fourteen). The match featured some stunning tennis, with some brilliant court coverage from both men extending rallies almost beyond the crowd's endurance. In the end, Djokovic took his first US Open title and his third Slam of the year 6-2 6-4 6-7 6-1.
Australian Sam Stosur played the match of her life to overcome Serena Williams for her first Grand Slam singles title. It was only Stosur's third career singles title, but she has won 23 doubles titles, including two Grand Slam titles (US '05 and French '06). Perhaps fortunately for Stosur, she went out in the first round of the doubles in New York (whereas at Wimbledon she lost her first round singles and finished runner-up in the doubles), as she had a tough passage. On her way to the final she played two record setting longests (women's US Open match and women's Grand Slam tiebreaker), but it was Stosur who looked the freshest, and she swept aside Williams for a surprisingly comfortable 6-2 6-3 win. Apart from a brief period early in the second set following a disputed call that energized Williams and momentarily unsettled Stosur, the Australian matched Williams for power, and made the American look slow by comparison.
EPL - the two teams from Manchester continued to sweep all before them as Sergio Aguero's hat-trick gave City a 3-0 win despite a penalty miss from back-again Carlos Tevez, while another Wayne Rooney hat-trick (yawn) led united to a 5-0 win at Bolton. Amongst their competition, Chelsea stayed two points behind with a 2-1 win at Sunderland, Liverpool lost 1-0 at Stoke, and Arsenal had their first league win with a 1-0 defeat of Swansea.
AFL Finals - top sides Collingwood and Geelong progressed straight through to week 3 after wins over West Coast and Hawthorn respectively. Collingwood were made to work all day to shake off the inform West Coast after the visitors got within seven points in the last quarter, while Geelong's win was comfortable enough in the end after they got away from the Hawks late in the third. In the elimination finals, Sydney surprised Saint Kilda to book a meeting with hawthorn, while Carlton were again too good for Essendon and will travel west to face the Eagles in week 2.
Rugby World Cup - the long awaited World Cup got underway in New Zealand, with games going as expected, with the one tense game going the way of South Africa 17-16 over Wales. New Zealand and England fans can be happy with wins, if not the manner of their teams play, while the Australians will be happier with their result against Italy.
Cricket - the second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia faded into a weather affected draw as Australia's bowlers failed to show the penetration that had put them well on top in the series. Unable to turn three days of superiority into a win over the last two, Australia will have to be on their guard to avoid letting Sri Lanka escape with a series draw with a win in the third test, although another drawn Test is the favoured outcome.
India again failed to beat England, tieing the last ODI in a surreal ending, and will leave England after a disappointing tour. The Indians will need to regroup and regain some confidence ahead of their tour to Australia later in the year.
US Open Tennis - Novak Djokovic kept his amazing year going with a convincing four set victory over Rafael Nadal. Although Nadal managed to avoid going down in straight sets after rallying in the third to take it a tiebreaker, Djokovic always seemed to have the edge, breaking Nadal almost at will. The number one seed had an astonishing 26 break points, of which he converted eleven (Nadal broke on six of fourteen). The match featured some stunning tennis, with some brilliant court coverage from both men extending rallies almost beyond the crowd's endurance. In the end, Djokovic took his first US Open title and his third Slam of the year 6-2 6-4 6-7 6-1.
Australian Sam Stosur played the match of her life to overcome Serena Williams for her first Grand Slam singles title. It was only Stosur's third career singles title, but she has won 23 doubles titles, including two Grand Slam titles (US '05 and French '06). Perhaps fortunately for Stosur, she went out in the first round of the doubles in New York (whereas at Wimbledon she lost her first round singles and finished runner-up in the doubles), as she had a tough passage. On her way to the final she played two record setting longests (women's US Open match and women's Grand Slam tiebreaker), but it was Stosur who looked the freshest, and she swept aside Williams for a surprisingly comfortable 6-2 6-3 win. Apart from a brief period early in the second set following a disputed call that energized Williams and momentarily unsettled Stosur, the Australian matched Williams for power, and made the American look slow by comparison.
EPL - the two teams from Manchester continued to sweep all before them as Sergio Aguero's hat-trick gave City a 3-0 win despite a penalty miss from back-again Carlos Tevez, while another Wayne Rooney hat-trick (yawn) led united to a 5-0 win at Bolton. Amongst their competition, Chelsea stayed two points behind with a 2-1 win at Sunderland, Liverpool lost 1-0 at Stoke, and Arsenal had their first league win with a 1-0 defeat of Swansea.
AFL Finals - top sides Collingwood and Geelong progressed straight through to week 3 after wins over West Coast and Hawthorn respectively. Collingwood were made to work all day to shake off the inform West Coast after the visitors got within seven points in the last quarter, while Geelong's win was comfortable enough in the end after they got away from the Hawks late in the third. In the elimination finals, Sydney surprised Saint Kilda to book a meeting with hawthorn, while Carlton were again too good for Essendon and will travel west to face the Eagles in week 2.
Rugby World Cup - the long awaited World Cup got underway in New Zealand, with games going as expected, with the one tense game going the way of South Africa 17-16 over Wales. New Zealand and England fans can be happy with wins, if not the manner of their teams play, while the Australians will be happier with their result against Italy.
Cricket - the second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia faded into a weather affected draw as Australia's bowlers failed to show the penetration that had put them well on top in the series. Unable to turn three days of superiority into a win over the last two, Australia will have to be on their guard to avoid letting Sri Lanka escape with a series draw with a win in the third test, although another drawn Test is the favoured outcome.
India again failed to beat England, tieing the last ODI in a surreal ending, and will leave England after a disappointing tour. The Indians will need to regroup and regain some confidence ahead of their tour to Australia later in the year.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Cricket: Australia dominate opening day
Michael Clarke may well have thought it was April 2nd by the time play concluded on the opening day of the second Test, although a day full of birthday wishes may still not have gone so well. Even the disappointment of losing the toss may have turned out to be a blessing in disguise as his opening bowlers took full advantage of the early movement to take three wickets inside eight overs. Before the toss things were already moving in Australia's direction with the hosts forced to replace the injured Herath (finger) who took eight wickets in the first Test, but not with Ajantha Mendis, who awoke with back problems and wasn't risked. After Tillakaratne Dilshan won the toss and batted on a pitch that looked several shades friendlier than the Galle wicket, Clarke admitted that we would also have batted. As it was, his openers did get to bat on the first day.
Once again, Ryan Harris showed himself to be right at home in leading the inexperienced Australian attack, and soon had Paranavitana edging to Haddin, before Trent Copeland removed Dilshan with an off-cutter that the opener mistakenly chose to let hit the top of off stump. Michael Hussey then took a blinder off Jayawardene's edge to leave Sri Lanka tottering at 3/14. Sangakkara struggled to build a response and at 5/128 was just starting to lift them out of the gloom, along with Angelo Matthews, when Clarke surprisingly turned to Mike Hussey for a bowl. Mark Taylor couldn't have done it better, and the Australians were jubilant when Sangakkara hit the third ball of the over to Phil Hughes. Matthews hit out to finish top score on 58, but the Sri Lankan's 174 was well short of par on a good batting wicket. The Australian front line bowlers all had happy days, with Harris finishing with three, while Copeland, Johnson and Lyon all finished with two.
The Australian openers made good use of the wicket in the time left to them before bad light stopped play. Both played some lovely shots, and took the score to 0/60 at the early close. Shane Watson (36*) and Hughes (23*) will resume looking to extract full value from the pitch and the situation. Shaun Marsh may walk out to bat in his first Test in an almost perfect situation, and Ricky Ponting might be able to rest up at home with his new baby for the third Test.
Scorecard here.
Once again, Ryan Harris showed himself to be right at home in leading the inexperienced Australian attack, and soon had Paranavitana edging to Haddin, before Trent Copeland removed Dilshan with an off-cutter that the opener mistakenly chose to let hit the top of off stump. Michael Hussey then took a blinder off Jayawardene's edge to leave Sri Lanka tottering at 3/14. Sangakkara struggled to build a response and at 5/128 was just starting to lift them out of the gloom, along with Angelo Matthews, when Clarke surprisingly turned to Mike Hussey for a bowl. Mark Taylor couldn't have done it better, and the Australians were jubilant when Sangakkara hit the third ball of the over to Phil Hughes. Matthews hit out to finish top score on 58, but the Sri Lankan's 174 was well short of par on a good batting wicket. The Australian front line bowlers all had happy days, with Harris finishing with three, while Copeland, Johnson and Lyon all finished with two.
The Australian openers made good use of the wicket in the time left to them before bad light stopped play. Both played some lovely shots, and took the score to 0/60 at the early close. Shane Watson (36*) and Hughes (23*) will resume looking to extract full value from the pitch and the situation. Shaun Marsh may walk out to bat in his first Test in an almost perfect situation, and Ricky Ponting might be able to rest up at home with his new baby for the third Test.
Scorecard here.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Cricket: Australia v Sri Lanka 2nd test teams
The second Test is just getting underway. As expected, Australia replaced Ricky Ponting with Shaun Marsh, as the ex-captain flew home for the birth of his second child. marsh, the son of former opener Geoff, will bat at three, despite Usman Khawaja being in the side. For the hosts, Sri Lanka have been forced to replace the injured Herath who took eight wickets in the first Test, although not with Ajantha Mendis, who supposedly has back problems. An unexpected debut instead for the spinner Seekkugge Prasanna. Sri Lanka have woin the toss and will bat.
Sri Lanka - NT Paranavitana, TM Dilshan (c), KC Sangakkara, DPMD Jayawardene, TT Samaraweera, HAPW Jayawardene (wk), AD Mathews, RAS Lakmal, S Randiv, UWMBCA Welegedara, S Prasanna
Australia - SR Watson, PJ Hughes, SE Marsh, MJ Clarke (c), MEK Hussey, UT Khawaja, BJ Haddin (wk), MG Johnson, RJ Harris, TA Copeland, NM Lyon
Sri Lanka - NT Paranavitana, TM Dilshan (c), KC Sangakkara, DPMD Jayawardene, TT Samaraweera, HAPW Jayawardene (wk), AD Mathews, RAS Lakmal, S Randiv, UWMBCA Welegedara, S Prasanna
Australia - SR Watson, PJ Hughes, SE Marsh, MJ Clarke (c), MEK Hussey, UT Khawaja, BJ Haddin (wk), MG Johnson, RJ Harris, TA Copeland, NM Lyon
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Football: Euro and World Cup Qualifiying
European Championship Qualifying - Tuesday saw a further 23 qualifiers take place after the 24 held on Friday and Saturday. 14 teams (9 group winners, and 5 runners-up)
are looking to join the hosts (Poland and Ukraine), and joining Germany, who qualified Friday, are Spain and Italy who ensured top spot in their respective groups.
Group A: Turkey drew 0-0 in Austria to move two points clear of Belgium with two to play in the battle for second place behind Germany. Both sides still have to play Germany once, although Turkey will have home advantage.
Group B: Tuesday's results left this a four way battle, with first placed Russia drawing 0-0 at home to second-placed Ireland. Slovakia missed the chance to join Russia on points when they crashed 0-4 at home to Armenia who overtake them in third spot on goal difference, with Ireland one point ahead in second. With the two top sides still having a game against easybeats Andorra to come, Russia's trip to Slovakia, and Armenia's trip to Ireland will likely be the crucial games.
Group C: Italy's 1-0 win at home to Slovenia clinched top spot, with Serbia favoured for second after struggling past the Faroe Islands 3-1, although Estonia and Slovenia are still in the running.
Group D:France remain top, but only by one point, after being held 0-0 away to Romania, and Bosnia-Herzegovina overcame Belarus 1-0. Both of those sides should end Romania's chances with expected wins on October 7th, meaning the table decider will be played between the two in Paris on October 11th.
Group E: Holland all but guaranteed top spot with a 2-0 win at Finland, meaning Sweden have only a mathematical chance of topping them following their 5-0 win over San Marino. Hungary's 2-0 win at Moldova keeps them level with Sweden, but they are a game, and a lot of goal difference, behind. If Hungary can take the three points at home to Finland, Sweden will need to beat either Finland away or the Dutch at home.
Group F: Croatia moved top with a 3-1 win at home to Israel, while Greece was held 1-1 at Latvia to drop a point behind, although they now cannot finish worse than second. Greece host Croatia in their next match.
Group G: England, like the Dutch, moved close to clinching their group when they won 1-0 at home to Wales in an uninspiring performance. A draw in Montenegro in their last match will be enough for top spot, although Montenegro would still need to win at Switzerland if they beat England to wrest it from them. Switzerland's 3-1 win over Bulgaria renews their hopes of pinching second place, with their other match away to Wales.
Group H: Denmark's 2-0 home defeat of Norway, looks the pair on 13 points with Portugal who weren't in action. Although Portugal will be favoured on pedigree, they could easily finish third. They host Iceland, then travel to Denmark, with the Danes other match away to Cyprus. Norway only have one match left, but should take three points at home to Cyprus.
Group I: Defending champions Spain booked their place in the finals and maintained their perfect record in qualifying with a 6-0 win over Liechtenstein. Scotland moved to within two points of the Czech Republic with two to play, after defeating Lithuania 1-0. Scotland travel to Liechtenstein and Spain, so one point for the Czechs from matches at home to Spain and away to Lithuania may be enough to get them second.
Asian World Cup Qualifying - an impressive 3-1 win away to Saudi Arabia left Australia well placed in Group D after earlier beating Thailand. South Korea, Japan and Iran are all on four points after a win and a draw in their respective groups, as the first round of qualifying gets underway for the major Asian sides ahead of the 2014 World Cup.
Group A: Turkey drew 0-0 in Austria to move two points clear of Belgium with two to play in the battle for second place behind Germany. Both sides still have to play Germany once, although Turkey will have home advantage.
Group B: Tuesday's results left this a four way battle, with first placed Russia drawing 0-0 at home to second-placed Ireland. Slovakia missed the chance to join Russia on points when they crashed 0-4 at home to Armenia who overtake them in third spot on goal difference, with Ireland one point ahead in second. With the two top sides still having a game against easybeats Andorra to come, Russia's trip to Slovakia, and Armenia's trip to Ireland will likely be the crucial games.
Group C: Italy's 1-0 win at home to Slovenia clinched top spot, with Serbia favoured for second after struggling past the Faroe Islands 3-1, although Estonia and Slovenia are still in the running.
Group D:France remain top, but only by one point, after being held 0-0 away to Romania, and Bosnia-Herzegovina overcame Belarus 1-0. Both of those sides should end Romania's chances with expected wins on October 7th, meaning the table decider will be played between the two in Paris on October 11th.
Group E: Holland all but guaranteed top spot with a 2-0 win at Finland, meaning Sweden have only a mathematical chance of topping them following their 5-0 win over San Marino. Hungary's 2-0 win at Moldova keeps them level with Sweden, but they are a game, and a lot of goal difference, behind. If Hungary can take the three points at home to Finland, Sweden will need to beat either Finland away or the Dutch at home.
Group F: Croatia moved top with a 3-1 win at home to Israel, while Greece was held 1-1 at Latvia to drop a point behind, although they now cannot finish worse than second. Greece host Croatia in their next match.
Group G: England, like the Dutch, moved close to clinching their group when they won 1-0 at home to Wales in an uninspiring performance. A draw in Montenegro in their last match will be enough for top spot, although Montenegro would still need to win at Switzerland if they beat England to wrest it from them. Switzerland's 3-1 win over Bulgaria renews their hopes of pinching second place, with their other match away to Wales.
Group H: Denmark's 2-0 home defeat of Norway, looks the pair on 13 points with Portugal who weren't in action. Although Portugal will be favoured on pedigree, they could easily finish third. They host Iceland, then travel to Denmark, with the Danes other match away to Cyprus. Norway only have one match left, but should take three points at home to Cyprus.
Group I: Defending champions Spain booked their place in the finals and maintained their perfect record in qualifying with a 6-0 win over Liechtenstein. Scotland moved to within two points of the Czech Republic with two to play, after defeating Lithuania 1-0. Scotland travel to Liechtenstein and Spain, so one point for the Czechs from matches at home to Spain and away to Lithuania may be enough to get them second.
Asian World Cup Qualifying - an impressive 3-1 win away to Saudi Arabia left Australia well placed in Group D after earlier beating Thailand. South Korea, Japan and Iran are all on four points after a win and a draw in their respective groups, as the first round of qualifying gets underway for the major Asian sides ahead of the 2014 World Cup.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Rearview Mirror
If you slept through the weekend, here's what you missed:
Euro Championships - See here for the earlier post on Friday's fixtures. On Saturday, the Czech Republic gained a vital away draw, after Scotland conceded a controversial late penalty and Michal Kadlec converted for the Czechs. Tuesday will see most teams back in action as qualifying gets near to completion.
AFL - the last round of Aussie rules saw some interesting results, although there will be some doubt on how seriously they can be viewed given the lack of pressure on some teams. At the top of the table, Collingwood had only their second loss of the season, again to Geelong, but this time by a massive 96 points. Collingwood started the game with a bang that suggested they weren't taking their foot off the pedal, but Geelong dominated proceedings thereafter in a massive confidence boost ahead of the finals. Collingwood will nervously reassure themselves that the game didn't mean much, and their main concern will be some injuries coming out of the game. In the other games of note, Saint Kilda ensured home ground advantage over the Swans after beating Carlton, while Port Adelaide avoided the wooden spoon, after a hard fought win against Melbourne in the first ever AFL game at Adelaide Oval. Gold Coast's poor percentage ended up handing them the wooden spoon in their debut season. The final table can be seen here.
The finals start on Friday night with Geelong taking on Hawthorn, with Saturday featuring Collingwood versus West Coast and St Kilda hosting the Swans. Carlton meet Essendon on Sunday in front of what is likely to be an elimination final record crowd.
Cricket - Australia clinched the first Test over Sri Lanka - see report here. The second Test starts Thursday in Pallekele. In England, the first ODI was rained out with India in a strong position, and the series moves to Southampton on Tuesday for the second match.
US Open - the US Open has followed the recent pattern with the four top men moving comfortably through the tournament on their expected path to semi-final meetings, while the women's side has had no shortage of early departures from top seeds. Forgotten local teen prodigy Donald Young has been the surprise packet on the men's side, accounting for two experienced seeds in Wawrinka and Chela, although he now faces fourth-seed Andy Murray in the round of 16. In the women's, only the top two of the top eight seeds remain in, with Caroline Wozniacki and Vera Zvonareva through in to the quarters where they will face Andrea Petkovic (9th seed) and Sam Stosur (10) respectively. Serena Williams, seeded 28th as she fights back from injury, looks the player to beat, with 4th seed Victoria Azarenka unlucky enough to have to face her in the third round.
Rugby - the World Cup gets underway on Friday when hosts New Zealand take on Tonga. The pick of the early matches will be on Sunday when South Africa look to put a difficult Tri Nations tournament behind them when they meet Wales.
Euro Championships - See here for the earlier post on Friday's fixtures. On Saturday, the Czech Republic gained a vital away draw, after Scotland conceded a controversial late penalty and Michal Kadlec converted for the Czechs. Tuesday will see most teams back in action as qualifying gets near to completion.
AFL - the last round of Aussie rules saw some interesting results, although there will be some doubt on how seriously they can be viewed given the lack of pressure on some teams. At the top of the table, Collingwood had only their second loss of the season, again to Geelong, but this time by a massive 96 points. Collingwood started the game with a bang that suggested they weren't taking their foot off the pedal, but Geelong dominated proceedings thereafter in a massive confidence boost ahead of the finals. Collingwood will nervously reassure themselves that the game didn't mean much, and their main concern will be some injuries coming out of the game. In the other games of note, Saint Kilda ensured home ground advantage over the Swans after beating Carlton, while Port Adelaide avoided the wooden spoon, after a hard fought win against Melbourne in the first ever AFL game at Adelaide Oval. Gold Coast's poor percentage ended up handing them the wooden spoon in their debut season. The final table can be seen here.
The finals start on Friday night with Geelong taking on Hawthorn, with Saturday featuring Collingwood versus West Coast and St Kilda hosting the Swans. Carlton meet Essendon on Sunday in front of what is likely to be an elimination final record crowd.
Cricket - Australia clinched the first Test over Sri Lanka - see report here. The second Test starts Thursday in Pallekele. In England, the first ODI was rained out with India in a strong position, and the series moves to Southampton on Tuesday for the second match.
US Open - the US Open has followed the recent pattern with the four top men moving comfortably through the tournament on their expected path to semi-final meetings, while the women's side has had no shortage of early departures from top seeds. Forgotten local teen prodigy Donald Young has been the surprise packet on the men's side, accounting for two experienced seeds in Wawrinka and Chela, although he now faces fourth-seed Andy Murray in the round of 16. In the women's, only the top two of the top eight seeds remain in, with Caroline Wozniacki and Vera Zvonareva through in to the quarters where they will face Andrea Petkovic (9th seed) and Sam Stosur (10) respectively. Serena Williams, seeded 28th as she fights back from injury, looks the player to beat, with 4th seed Victoria Azarenka unlucky enough to have to face her in the third round.
Rugby - the World Cup gets underway on Friday when hosts New Zealand take on Tonga. The pick of the early matches will be on Sunday when South Africa look to put a difficult Tri Nations tournament behind them when they meet Wales.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Cricket: Australia wrap up First Test win
Sri Lanka resumed their fourth innings chase of 379 in Galle at 5/120, and Michael Clarke's concerns were probably more about the weather than Sri Lanka's chase. However, an early rain disruption didn't last too long and the Australian captain's eyes were soon being distracted more by the scoreboard than the clouds. The 52 run partnership that Angelo Matthews and Mahela Jayawardene took into day four quickly became the highest of the match, and then the first century stand of the match, and still the Aussies looked unlikely to break through. When Sri Lanka made it to lunch at 5/187, Michael Clarke may not have been so hungry as he pondered some of the second digs that had thwarted Australia in recent years.
In the afternoon session, Australia took the new ball, but it didn't stop Jayawardene reaching his century, a superb effort in the context of the game, or Sri Lanka reaching 200. Finally, at 5/210 Australian nerves were calmed when Ryan Harris, clearly the pick of the Australian bowlers in the second innings, had one cut back in on Jayawardene, and his inside edge aided the ball on to the stumps. Following his dismissal, the end came fairly quickly. Harris finished with five, Mitchell Johnson picked up a second, Shane Watson denied Matthews a deserved century and new boy Nathan Lyon claimed the last wicket for his first of the innings. Ultimately, Sri Lanka finished 125 runs behind, a margin comfortable enough to keep the Australian selectors from making any changes to the bowling line-up (Ricky Ponting will miss the second Test to fly home for the birth of his second child.)
However, it probably won't go unnoticed that Copeland wasn't able to take another wicket after his second ball dismissal of Dilshan, or that Lyon didn't remove another top six batsman after his first ball dismissal of Sangakkara. Shane Watson may not have had a great match with his bat, but his bowling made a significant impact on the result. He finished with match figures of 5/30 from 19 overs - perhaps underbowled - and none of his dismissals were tail-enders. Shaun Marsh will likely come in for Ponting, and David Warner has been sent to Sri Lanka to provide additional coverage.
For Sri Lanka, they will take some heart from the fightback on the last day, but more will be needed from the likes of Dilshan and Sangakkara if they are to push Australia in this series. They only had one partnership reach 50 in the match, and they will need a batting performance more in line with the consistency shown by their bowlers in the next two Tests.
In the afternoon session, Australia took the new ball, but it didn't stop Jayawardene reaching his century, a superb effort in the context of the game, or Sri Lanka reaching 200. Finally, at 5/210 Australian nerves were calmed when Ryan Harris, clearly the pick of the Australian bowlers in the second innings, had one cut back in on Jayawardene, and his inside edge aided the ball on to the stumps. Following his dismissal, the end came fairly quickly. Harris finished with five, Mitchell Johnson picked up a second, Shane Watson denied Matthews a deserved century and new boy Nathan Lyon claimed the last wicket for his first of the innings. Ultimately, Sri Lanka finished 125 runs behind, a margin comfortable enough to keep the Australian selectors from making any changes to the bowling line-up (Ricky Ponting will miss the second Test to fly home for the birth of his second child.)
However, it probably won't go unnoticed that Copeland wasn't able to take another wicket after his second ball dismissal of Dilshan, or that Lyon didn't remove another top six batsman after his first ball dismissal of Sangakkara. Shane Watson may not have had a great match with his bat, but his bowling made a significant impact on the result. He finished with match figures of 5/30 from 19 overs - perhaps underbowled - and none of his dismissals were tail-enders. Shaun Marsh will likely come in for Ponting, and David Warner has been sent to Sri Lanka to provide additional coverage.
For Sri Lanka, they will take some heart from the fightback on the last day, but more will be needed from the likes of Dilshan and Sangakkara if they are to push Australia in this series. They only had one partnership reach 50 in the match, and they will need a batting performance more in line with the consistency shown by their bowlers in the next two Tests.
Friday, September 2, 2011
European Championship Qualifying Update
Friday saw 23 qualifiers take place as the qualifying groups move to their conclusion. With 14 teams (9 group winners, and 5 runners-up) looking to join the hosts (Poland and Ukraine), there were many crucial matches played, and the first side, Germany, assuring their comforatable passage through.
Group A: Germany's 6-2 caning of Austria clinched top spot, while 10-man Turkey moved second with a very late winner over Kazakhstan as Belgium could only draw and dropped to third.
Group B: Russia's 1-0 win over Macedonia took them top, two points ahead of Ireland and Slovakia who drew 0-0 in Dublin. The Irish, who missed two great chances late in the game, are away to Russia on Tuesday.
Group C: Italy struggled to a 1-0 win away to the Faroe Islands, but have all but clinched top spot as Slovenia lost ground with a 2-1 loss at home to Estonia. Serbia may now be best placed for second after winning 1-0 away to Northern Ireland.
Group D: France's 2-1 win away to Albania has them three points clear of Bosnia-Herzegovina who defeated Belarus and moved past them into second. Romania remain in the hunt after predictably winning in Luxembourg.
Group E: Holland hammered San Marino 11-0 to be six points clear of Sweden and Hungary, after Hungary defeated the Swedes 2-1 in Budapest.
Group F: Greece scored a vital 1-0 win in Israel to top the group by one point over Croatia who won in Malta. Georgia's 1-0 loss at home to Latvia takes them out of the running, with Israel still just in the hunt four points adrift of Greece.
Group G: England took a big step towards winning their group, with a three goal first half away to Bulgaria. Although they didn't add to their tally in the second half, news from Wales that the home side had triumphed 2-1 over Montenegro more than made up for any further entertainment for the travelling fans. England now have a three point lead, and a big lead in goal difference, with two to play.
Group H: Portugal won 4-0 at Cyprus, and stay level on points with Norway, 1-0 winners at home to Iceland. Denmark are now three points behind with a game in hand after having the night off.
Group I: the only game was Lithiania's disappointing 0-0 home draw with Liecthenstein, so Spain and the Czech Republic remain on course for first and second in this group. Scotland host the Czech's on Saturday in a must win game for the Scots if they are to have any chance of challenging for a place in the finals.
See all the tables here and Friday's results and next weeks fixtures here.
Group A: Germany's 6-2 caning of Austria clinched top spot, while 10-man Turkey moved second with a very late winner over Kazakhstan as Belgium could only draw and dropped to third.
Group B: Russia's 1-0 win over Macedonia took them top, two points ahead of Ireland and Slovakia who drew 0-0 in Dublin. The Irish, who missed two great chances late in the game, are away to Russia on Tuesday.
Group C: Italy struggled to a 1-0 win away to the Faroe Islands, but have all but clinched top spot as Slovenia lost ground with a 2-1 loss at home to Estonia. Serbia may now be best placed for second after winning 1-0 away to Northern Ireland.
Group D: France's 2-1 win away to Albania has them three points clear of Bosnia-Herzegovina who defeated Belarus and moved past them into second. Romania remain in the hunt after predictably winning in Luxembourg.
Group E: Holland hammered San Marino 11-0 to be six points clear of Sweden and Hungary, after Hungary defeated the Swedes 2-1 in Budapest.
Group F: Greece scored a vital 1-0 win in Israel to top the group by one point over Croatia who won in Malta. Georgia's 1-0 loss at home to Latvia takes them out of the running, with Israel still just in the hunt four points adrift of Greece.
Group G: England took a big step towards winning their group, with a three goal first half away to Bulgaria. Although they didn't add to their tally in the second half, news from Wales that the home side had triumphed 2-1 over Montenegro more than made up for any further entertainment for the travelling fans. England now have a three point lead, and a big lead in goal difference, with two to play.
Group H: Portugal won 4-0 at Cyprus, and stay level on points with Norway, 1-0 winners at home to Iceland. Denmark are now three points behind with a game in hand after having the night off.
Group I: the only game was Lithiania's disappointing 0-0 home draw with Liecthenstein, so Spain and the Czech Republic remain on course for first and second in this group. Scotland host the Czech's on Saturday in a must win game for the Scots if they are to have any chance of challenging for a place in the finals.
See all the tables here and Friday's results and next weeks fixtures here.
Cricket: Australia on brink of victory
Australia's tail managed to put together some handy runs early in proceedings on day 3 as they extended their score from 6/115 to finish on 210, although once again there was no innings of substance. Nor was there a partnership that has overtaken the highest partnership of the game so far - a mere 56 for Australia's second innings third wicket between Hughes and Clarke. However, the 32 for the last wicket between the debutants Copeland and Lyon were important runs, if only because it gave Ryan Harris a bit more breathing space after his own hour long 23. Harris came out and repeated Welegedara's first ball dismissal of Shane Watson by trapping Paranavitana in front to open proceedings. He knocked over Dilshan shortly afyerwards on his way to 3/24, and before too long Sri lanka were reeling at 5/68. A fine partnership in the circumstances between Angelo Matthews (34*) and Mahela Jayawardene (57*) kept the hosts chances alive, but at 5/120, the target of 379 seems very unlikely. If nothing else though, they only need another five runs to break the partnership record for the match.
The weather was patchy on day 3, but conditions look good on day 4, with the Australians soon to take the field in search of the final five wickets. Scoreboard here.
The weather was patchy on day 3, but conditions look good on day 4, with the Australians soon to take the field in search of the final five wickets. Scoreboard here.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Cricket: Wickets tumble as Sri Lankans crumble, fight back
It didn't take long for Astralia's new boys long to make themselves at home in the Test arena. Trent Copeland opened the bowling with Ryan harris and saw his first ball sent to the fence by Dilshan, but responded to have him caught by Ponting at short cover off the next ball. Nathan Lyon topped him, removing Sangakkara with his first ball in Test cricket as he induced the number three to edge to Michael Clarke at slip. And while Copeland didn't add to his tally, Lyon routed the tail to finish with 5/34 as Sri Lanka collapsed to finish with just 110. Although Lyon's stunning debut figures will get plenty of press, it was a brilliant reverse-wing spell from Shane Watson (3/11) as he reduced the home side from 3/87 to 6/88 in two overs. Once again, batsmen struggled to make a substantial score on a tricky pitch and both Sri Lankan batsmen who reached 20 failed to make 30, increasing the virtue of Hussey's opening day 95.
In reply, Australia's second innings started disastrously with Shane Watson falling first ball. Ponting also fell cheaply, again to the pull shot as he lost his wicket and his bat to a delivery from Lakmal. Michael Clarke played an aggressive innings, reaching his 50 off just 54 balls with support from Hughes and Hussey, and at 3/110 and a lead of 278, the game seemed Australia's. However, Clarke fell for 60, Hussey went next ball, shortly followed by Haddin and Australia limped to the close at 6/115 with Herath taking all three wickets. A handy lead of 283 to be sure on this pitch, but given Australia's inability to close out matches in the fourth innings in recent years, they will be hoping that Khawaja, like the new bowlers, can repay some of the selector's faith in adding some further runs with the tail on day 3.
Scorecard here.
In reply, Australia's second innings started disastrously with Shane Watson falling first ball. Ponting also fell cheaply, again to the pull shot as he lost his wicket and his bat to a delivery from Lakmal. Michael Clarke played an aggressive innings, reaching his 50 off just 54 balls with support from Hughes and Hussey, and at 3/110 and a lead of 278, the game seemed Australia's. However, Clarke fell for 60, Hussey went next ball, shortly followed by Haddin and Australia limped to the close at 6/115 with Herath taking all three wickets. A handy lead of 283 to be sure on this pitch, but given Australia's inability to close out matches in the fourth innings in recent years, they will be hoping that Khawaja, like the new bowlers, can repay some of the selector's faith in adding some further runs with the tail on day 3.
Scorecard here.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
EPL: Arsenal make multiple last ditch transfers
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger bolstered his squad with four final day signings as the transfer window shut on Wednesday amongst a flurry of deals. Along with the earlier signing of Park Chu-Young, Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta, Chelsea midfielder Yossi Benayoun, Fenerbahce defender Andre Santos, and giant Werder Bremen centre-back Per Mertesacker are all on their way to the Emirates Stadium. While the signings might lack the pizazz of some of their rivals, they should soothe the fans in the short term. However, the pressure will remain on Wenger to quickly get the best out of his new look team before the league season advances too far.
Cricket: Australia struggle through first day to 273
Australia were finally dismissed late in the day for 273, after losing wickets at frequent intervals. Most batsmen made a start and many a promising partnership was formed, but the Sri Lankan bowlers kept chipping away on a pitch that never made it easy for the batsmen. Consequently, only two Australians made it to 30, and only one to 50. Perhaps not surprisingly, it was the old hands leading the way. Mike Hussey was last out, trying to eke a century out of the tail, only to fall for 95 as he tried to force the pace with the last man in. Ricky Ponting, freed of the burden of captaincy, looked set for a big score before playing a rash shot off the spinner Herath. Hughes and Khawaja made 12 and 21, while Watson, Clarke and Haddin all went for twenties. There were some soft dismissals, but the bowlers did enough to deserve rewards, and the pitch was accommodating to spinners and swing bowlers alike, with Herath and Lakmal both finishing with three wickets.
Scorecard here.
Scorecard here.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Cricket: Australia names two debutants in Test team
Australia named their starting XI for the first Test the day before play starts, including debutants Nathan Lyon and Trent Copeland, and making Michael Beer twelfth man. Recent form was clearly seen as the overriding factor, enabling Usman Khawaja to pip Shaun Marsh for the number 6 spot after his century in the warm-up game. Inexperience peppers the Australian side, with Khawaja having only played one test, Harris five and Hughes 10. There will be plenty of pressure on Mitchell Johnson to lead the bowling attack with one of his more consistent performances, and Michael Clarke may have to bowl more than he has done in the last three years.
Australian XI for 1st Test in Galle - Shane Watson, Phil Hughes, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Usman Khawaja, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Trent Copeland, Ryan Harris, Nathan Lyon. (12th man - Michael Beer)
Australian XI for 1st Test in Galle - Shane Watson, Phil Hughes, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Usman Khawaja, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Trent Copeland, Ryan Harris, Nathan Lyon. (12th man - Michael Beer)
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Rearview Mirror
EPL - There was a strong sense of deja vu about this weeks proceedings, with Manchester United again topping their cross town rivals, Arsenal and Tottenham both suffering bad losses, and Arsenal having yet another player red-carded. After comfortable 3-1 home wins on Saturday for Chelsea and Liverpool, it was up to the Manchester sides to respond if they wanted to return to the top of the table, and respond they did. City were up first in London, and with debutant Samir Nasri having an immediate impact they put Tottenham to the sword. Edin Dzeko did most of the scoring, notching a hat-trick in 55 minutes, before adding a fourth with the last kick of the game. Sergio Agüero had earlier made it 4-0 before Defoe pulled one back for Spurs. Harry Redknapp may well have wished the game ended then as Tottenham were reduced to 10 men when Van der Vaart went off injured and Dzeko's lovely curler finished things at 5-1.
If United felt any pressure from City's increasingly impressive and threatening results, they didn't show it. After taking the lead after 22 minutes through Danny Welbeck (off injured 15 minutes later), a penalty to Arsenal gave the Gunners the chance to equalise before 30 minutes were up. Instead, Van Persie's penalty was saved by De Gea, and united went up the other end to make it 2-0 through Ashley Young. Rooney added a third before Theo Walcott pulled one back on the stroke of half-time to give Wenger's men some hope. However, the second half saw Arsenal's defence repeatedly ripped to shreds, and by the time Van Persie atoned for his earlier miss, United were up to six. The last 15 minutes provided more agony for Wenger, as Carl Jenkinson became the third Gunner to be sent off in as many league games, Rooney completed his hat-trick and Young scored a sublime second to end proceedings at 8-2. The last time Arsenal conceded eight goals was 1896. Wenger was defiant afterwards in the press conference, ruling out quitting. However, the main pressure will be on the manager to bolster his squad in the next three days before the transfer window closes.
AFL - the penultimate AFL round saw the make-up of the final eight largely decided, although the last week will still see a couple of teams with much at stake. Collingwood clinched the minor premiership with another belting - this time winning at Fremantle by 80 points to end the Dockers' final hopes, although it took a surprise Sydney win at Geelong to make the premiership official. However, with Collingwood's massive percentage (181.75), Geelong couldn't realistically have caught the Magpies anyway. The Swans rallied in support of their co-captain Jarrod McVeigh who was absent following the death of his newborn daughter earlier in the week. Geelong's 13-point loss was their first at home in 30 matches, dating back to round 21 in 2007 when Port Power won there. Port will have something to play for next week as a stunning comeback from Essendon denied them the victory that would have lifted them out of the wooden spoon position. Port led by 34 points early in the last quarter before the Bombers kicked the next seven goals and held on for a seven point win.
West Coast made sure of fourth spot, with a hard fought win in Bisbane, although there reward will be a match-up with the Magpies in the first week of the finals. Hawthorn will finish third after a comfortable win over the Bulldogs. St Kilda joined the Swans and Essendon in clinching a finals spot after easily accounting for North Melbourne. Carlton and Essendon will meet in one elimination final, while St Kilda and Sydney will meet in the other. St Kilda are in pole position to host that, although that would be reversed if the Saints lose to Carlton and the Swans win at home to Brisbane.
Rugby - Australia won the Tri Nations tournament with a 25-20 victory at home over New Zealand. The Australians dominated the first half to take a 20-3 lead at the break, before a predictable All Black fightback saw the game levelled at 20-20 after an hour. However, the Wallabies rebounded to score the match winning try a few minutes later through Kurtley Beale and held on to give them a big confidence boost heading into the World Cup.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Cricket: ICC Test Team of the year
The ICC announced the following players in the Test team of the year - a team to take on ET (and mates) when he comes back for his long overdue sequel. The selectors cut some corners in using Sangakkara as captain and wicketkeeper, neither of which he undertakes for his country's test side. It is an interesting point that no test captain made the side - and although it is less surprising that no Australian made the side for the first time, it's a reflection on Australia's fall that the two representatives from 2010 have been dropped from the Australian team - Simon Katich and Doug Bollinger (12th man).
Alastair Cook
Hashim Amla
Jonathon Trott
Sachin Tendulkar
AB de Villiers
Jacques Kallis
Kumar Sangakkara (c/wk)
Stuart Broad
Graeme Swann
Dale Steyn
James Anderson
Zaheer Khan (12th man)
The ICC Awards will be held on the 12th of September and individual award winners will be named at that time.
Alastair Cook
Hashim Amla
Jonathon Trott
Sachin Tendulkar
AB de Villiers
Jacques Kallis
Kumar Sangakkara (c/wk)
Stuart Broad
Graeme Swann
Dale Steyn
James Anderson
Zaheer Khan (12th man)
The ICC Awards will be held on the 12th of September and individual award winners will be named at that time.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
UEL: Champions League Group Stage Draw
| With the Champions League qualifiers completed, the draw for the group stages has now been made. Manchester City have drawn a tough group, while Manchester United look to have a considerably easier passage. The glamour pairing is Barcelona and AC Milan in Group H, although both will be heavily favoured to go through in that group. |
|---|
| GROUP A | |
|---|---|
| Bayern Munich | |
| Villarreal | |
| Manchester City | |
| Napoli |
| GROUP H |
|---|
| Barcelona |
| AC Milan |
| BATE |
| Viktoria Plzen |
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Cricket: England-India Review
It's hard to believe, looking back over the wreckage of the series, but India were the number one ranked side going in, and there was anticipation for a tightly fought, thrilling series. It didn't take long for India to start coming apart, and it just got worse and worse through out the series. However, it had started well on the first day, with Zaheer Khan removing both openers, and then having Trott missed - but once he limped out of the series in his next over, things started to go wrong. Praveen Kumar bowled well to finish with five, but Pietersen's 202 led England to a big score, and India's response was well short. Even then, Sharma sparked an England collapse that could have seen India in with a shot in a fourth innings chase, but Prior and Broad took that out of contention with a run-a-ball 162 run partnership, and England's seamers ensured India were never in the hunt.
Still, a 196 run loss first up could be put down to acclimatisation, and so it looked when they bowled England out for 221 on the first day in Nottingham, and then reached 4/267 on the second day, led by Dravid's second century of the series. But then along came Stuart Broad and his hat-trick, figures of 6/46 and a small lead for India. The openers went cheaply, and India still looked good for levelling the series, but that was to be the end of the competition. Bell and the middle order pulverised India on the way to 544, and the seamers ripped through the visitors for a 319 run win. And then it got really ugly.
As Australia found out in the last Ashes series, the current England batting card can make some very large scores. The 474 and 544 in the first two tests were just warm-ups - the Third test brought 7/710 and a massive innings win, and the Fourth Test might have seen that surpassed before rain led Strauss to declare at 6/591. Still, that was enough for another innings win. In contrast, India's much vaunted batting line-up had a high score of 300. Of India's batsmen, Only Dravid could hold his head up, and then some, with three fine centuries and 461 runs. Tendulkar was next highest with 273 and without a century, while only Dhoni also reached 200 in the series. Laxman, Raina, Gambhir and the late arriving Sehwag all had a woeful time. Not surprisingly, the Indian bowling figures were unattractive, although Praveen Kumar flew the flag, finishing with 15 wickets under 30. The spinners had a torrid time, with Mishra and Harbhajan combining for 5/607 in the series.
England's dominance was so total, that it was somewhat of a surprise to note some weak spots. Bell and Pietersen had dominating series, with both totalling over 500, but they didn't always have it easy, with neither opener having an outstanding series. Cook may have finished with 348 from six knocks, but 294 came in one innings, while Strauss had only the one half-century. Morgan and Trott also posted somewhat sub-par numbers, but the lower order again excelled as Prior, Bresnan and Broad all averaged over 60 with a combined century and six fifties. On the bowling side, the seamers had a field day, led by Broad's 25 wickets at less than 14, able backed by Tremlett and Anderson. Graeme Swann had a tougher time, as the Indians showed they can still play spin quite happily away from home, although Swann picked up nine in the last match to finish with 13 at a shade over 40. Not surprisingly, the part-timers weren't needed for a single wicket in the series.
Where to from here? England will take their newly minted top ranking to the UAE to take on Pakistan, and then to Sri Lanka. Given their demolition job here, it would seem that only complacency would threaten them on either tour, although they may be wary about the pitches they may face in Sri Lanka. Presumably, Swann might be more important to the outcome there than he was in the series just gone. For India, they have dropped to third in the rankings, and face some serious questions about the make-up of the squad, although the questions might be better directed at those running Indian cricket. Their preparation was far from ideal, with just a two-day warm up before the First test. The solution can not be just a wholesale shift to youth - veterans Dravid and Tendulkar are still undoubtedly worthy of a place, whereas the IPL-swayed youngsters seem to lack the technique to counter the swinging ball. A leadership change isn't mooted given Dhoni's results elsewhere, so where is the answer? Probably in short-term memories. A reversal of fortune next time out against more modest opposition, and much will be forgiven. Especially when that opposition is Australia.
Still, a 196 run loss first up could be put down to acclimatisation, and so it looked when they bowled England out for 221 on the first day in Nottingham, and then reached 4/267 on the second day, led by Dravid's second century of the series. But then along came Stuart Broad and his hat-trick, figures of 6/46 and a small lead for India. The openers went cheaply, and India still looked good for levelling the series, but that was to be the end of the competition. Bell and the middle order pulverised India on the way to 544, and the seamers ripped through the visitors for a 319 run win. And then it got really ugly.
As Australia found out in the last Ashes series, the current England batting card can make some very large scores. The 474 and 544 in the first two tests were just warm-ups - the Third test brought 7/710 and a massive innings win, and the Fourth Test might have seen that surpassed before rain led Strauss to declare at 6/591. Still, that was enough for another innings win. In contrast, India's much vaunted batting line-up had a high score of 300. Of India's batsmen, Only Dravid could hold his head up, and then some, with three fine centuries and 461 runs. Tendulkar was next highest with 273 and without a century, while only Dhoni also reached 200 in the series. Laxman, Raina, Gambhir and the late arriving Sehwag all had a woeful time. Not surprisingly, the Indian bowling figures were unattractive, although Praveen Kumar flew the flag, finishing with 15 wickets under 30. The spinners had a torrid time, with Mishra and Harbhajan combining for 5/607 in the series.
England's dominance was so total, that it was somewhat of a surprise to note some weak spots. Bell and Pietersen had dominating series, with both totalling over 500, but they didn't always have it easy, with neither opener having an outstanding series. Cook may have finished with 348 from six knocks, but 294 came in one innings, while Strauss had only the one half-century. Morgan and Trott also posted somewhat sub-par numbers, but the lower order again excelled as Prior, Bresnan and Broad all averaged over 60 with a combined century and six fifties. On the bowling side, the seamers had a field day, led by Broad's 25 wickets at less than 14, able backed by Tremlett and Anderson. Graeme Swann had a tougher time, as the Indians showed they can still play spin quite happily away from home, although Swann picked up nine in the last match to finish with 13 at a shade over 40. Not surprisingly, the part-timers weren't needed for a single wicket in the series.
Where to from here? England will take their newly minted top ranking to the UAE to take on Pakistan, and then to Sri Lanka. Given their demolition job here, it would seem that only complacency would threaten them on either tour, although they may be wary about the pitches they may face in Sri Lanka. Presumably, Swann might be more important to the outcome there than he was in the series just gone. For India, they have dropped to third in the rankings, and face some serious questions about the make-up of the squad, although the questions might be better directed at those running Indian cricket. Their preparation was far from ideal, with just a two-day warm up before the First test. The solution can not be just a wholesale shift to youth - veterans Dravid and Tendulkar are still undoubtedly worthy of a place, whereas the IPL-swayed youngsters seem to lack the technique to counter the swinging ball. A leadership change isn't mooted given Dhoni's results elsewhere, so where is the answer? Probably in short-term memories. A reversal of fortune next time out against more modest opposition, and much will be forgiven. Especially when that opposition is Australia.
EPL: Nasri Leaves Arsenal for Man City
A tough start to the season just got tougher for Arsene Wenger as the Arsenal manager has lost the battle to keep Samir Nasri. Manchester City have signed the player, with rumours of the fee being around £22-24m, further weakening the Gunner's side which also recently lost club captain Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona. Wenger is now under extreme pressure to bolster his squad before the end of month transfer deadline. With injuries and suspensions also causing headaches for Wenger, the coming week's matches away to Udinese and Manchester United could hardly come at a worse time.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Rearview Mirror
If you slept through the weekend, here's what you missed:
EPL - Manchester United picked up the gauntlet thrown down by their crosstown rivals with a 3-0 defeat of Tottenham in the Monday night game. United took over an hour to get on the board, but didn't look back once Danny Welbeck opened the scoring, moving into second place behind Manchester City after City's 3-2 win at Bolton. Arsenal are the team under early pressure, after Liverpool had their first away win at Arsenal since 2000. The introduction of Luis Suarez following the sending off of Arsenal's Emmanuel Frimpong gave Liverpool the cutting edge they had been lacking, and they finished 2-0 winners to leave Arsenal with only one point from two games, and a trip to Old Trafford next weekend - with the minor matter of a Champion's League qualifier at Udinese to negotiate during the week. With a lack of depth already cause for concern, Arsene Wenger did not need a second red card in as many league games. Chelsea recovered from conceding an early goal to win 2-1 at home to West Brom, while Wolves joined the two Manchester teams with a perfect record after beating Fulham 2-0.
EPL - Manchester United picked up the gauntlet thrown down by their crosstown rivals with a 3-0 defeat of Tottenham in the Monday night game. United took over an hour to get on the board, but didn't look back once Danny Welbeck opened the scoring, moving into second place behind Manchester City after City's 3-2 win at Bolton. Arsenal are the team under early pressure, after Liverpool had their first away win at Arsenal since 2000. The introduction of Luis Suarez following the sending off of Arsenal's Emmanuel Frimpong gave Liverpool the cutting edge they had been lacking, and they finished 2-0 winners to leave Arsenal with only one point from two games, and a trip to Old Trafford next weekend - with the minor matter of a Champion's League qualifier at Udinese to negotiate during the week. With a lack of depth already cause for concern, Arsene Wenger did not need a second red card in as many league games. Chelsea recovered from conceding an early goal to win 2-1 at home to West Brom, while Wolves joined the two Manchester teams with a perfect record after beating Fulham 2-0.
AFL - Collingwood took advantage of Geelong's bye to move one game clear at the top of the table with a predictable victory over the Brisbane lions, although the Lions showed further evidence of a turnaround in their fortunes as they only went down by 18 points. Hawthorn kept Chris Judd and Carlton subdued to grind out a hard fought 12 point win, all but ensuring that Hawthorn and West Coast will finish with the double chance while Carlton will again be faced with a sudden death final in week one of the finals. West Coast moved ahead of Carlton with a 57 point win over Essendon. North Melbourne kept their faint final hopes alive with a 98-point hammering of Fremantle, all but killing the Dockers hopes of making the eight, as the Sydney Swans 15 point upset of St Kilda meant that the Saints, Swans and Bombers will likely join the Blues in the elimination finals. (Click here for the latest ladder.)
Cricket - England completed their series win over India with an innings win in the fourth and final Test, completing a 4-0 drubbing of the former number one ranked team who now drop to third. England showed there are a number of reasons for their rise to the number one spot, with another dominant batting performance, anchored by Bell and Pietersen, followed by two Indian innings in which the English frontline quartet all played their part. Graeme Swann finally took a bag of wickets, finishing with six in the second innings, nine for the match and thirteen for the series. Dravid carried his bat in the first innings, and Tendulkar made 91 in the second, but India's top order again failed to bat with the tenacity necessary in the circumstances. Raina underlined their woes, facing 42 balls in the match, for the end result of a pair.
Over in Sri Lanka, Australia wrapped up the one day series with an emphatic win in game four, before Sri Lanka closed the final margin to 3-2 in the final game after a Malinga hat-trick truncated Australia's innings, and left Sri Lanka with a total they always looked likely to run down, even if they only did so with four wickets and three overs to spare.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Cricket: Sri Lanka Step Up in Game 3 as Australia Fold
Sri Lanka moved up second place in the one day rankings when they trounced the top ranked Australians in game 3 of the five match series. Rebounding strongly after being crushed in the first two matches, the Sri Lankans posted an imposing total with Tharanga (111), Dilshan (55) and Sangakkara (49) providing the foundations for a much larger score. However, from 1/220 after 38 overs, Sri Lanka were held to 286 after Doug Bollinger took three quick wickets to pressure the middle and late order. Australia were never really in the hunt after losing Haddin, Watson and then Ponting in the early overs, although for a while Clarke and Mike Hussey combined nicely. However, Australia's batting depth was tested once Clarke fell, and they slid from 3/123 to be all out for 208, with Malinga finishing with the superb figures of 5/28.
Once again, Australia's recent Test weaknesses came to the fore in the one-day game, missing a belligerent innings from Watson, and unable to be papered over by wickets from the quicks. Australia's opening partnership continues to pose problems, with Brad Haddin struggling to 5 off 20 balls, leaving him with 24 runs from three innings. While Brett Lee, Bollinger and Mitchell Johnson combined for 7/134 off 29 overs, and Watson picked up two last-over wickets, the spinners Xavier Doherty, David Hussey and Steve Smith took 0/90 off 12 overs. Smith was only trusted with two overs, meaning he has bowled just five overs so far in the three matches. There must be strong consideration being given to bringing Shaun Marsh in to open, allowing Haddin to slide down to seventh in the batting order, in place of Smith. Although this would reduce Clarke's bowling options, it doesn't seem like there's much faith in Smith's bowling anyway. As Cameron White learnt, if you don't get bowled, you'd better be batting well. And Smith's scores just haven't been good enough, with the all-rounder/6th batsman debate still well and truly alive.
It seemed like Australia was cruising to a series win after the first two matches, but Sri Lanka will take a lot of confidence from this match heading into the last two games in Colombo on Saturday and Monday, and the series is wide open again. And Sri Lanka will be well aware that winning the last two games will be a big dent in Australia's confidence heading into the Test series at the end of the month.
Once again, Australia's recent Test weaknesses came to the fore in the one-day game, missing a belligerent innings from Watson, and unable to be papered over by wickets from the quicks. Australia's opening partnership continues to pose problems, with Brad Haddin struggling to 5 off 20 balls, leaving him with 24 runs from three innings. While Brett Lee, Bollinger and Mitchell Johnson combined for 7/134 off 29 overs, and Watson picked up two last-over wickets, the spinners Xavier Doherty, David Hussey and Steve Smith took 0/90 off 12 overs. Smith was only trusted with two overs, meaning he has bowled just five overs so far in the three matches. There must be strong consideration being given to bringing Shaun Marsh in to open, allowing Haddin to slide down to seventh in the batting order, in place of Smith. Although this would reduce Clarke's bowling options, it doesn't seem like there's much faith in Smith's bowling anyway. As Cameron White learnt, if you don't get bowled, you'd better be batting well. And Smith's scores just haven't been good enough, with the all-rounder/6th batsman debate still well and truly alive.
It seemed like Australia was cruising to a series win after the first two matches, but Sri Lanka will take a lot of confidence from this match heading into the last two games in Colombo on Saturday and Monday, and the series is wide open again. And Sri Lanka will be well aware that winning the last two games will be a big dent in Australia's confidence heading into the Test series at the end of the month.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Rearview Mirror
Rearview Mirror
If you slept through the weekend, here's what you missed:
EPL - the English Premier league opened up, with Manchester United jumping out to an early advantage over their expected rivals for the title. A predictable late goal gave United a 2-1 win at West Brom, while Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal all drew (Manchester City play Monday). Adding to Arsenal's woes, they had Gervinho sent off, while Fabregas is supposedly on his way back to Barcelona for somewhat less than Arsenal were asking.
EPL - the English Premier league opened up, with Manchester United jumping out to an early advantage over their expected rivals for the title. A predictable late goal gave United a 2-1 win at West Brom, while Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal all drew (Manchester City play Monday). Adding to Arsenal's woes, they had Gervinho sent off, while Fabregas is supposedly on his way back to Barcelona for somewhat less than Arsenal were asking.
Golf - A rollercoaster conclusion to the US PGA saw Jason Dufner and Keegan Bradley fight out a thriller which looked all over when Bradley triple-bogeyed the 15th hole. At that stage, Dufner had a five shot lead over Bradley, but that disappeared as Dufner bogeyed 15 through 17, while Bradley bounced back to birdie 16 and 17 - the last with a monster putt that he nearly replicated for a birdie on 18. Bradley went into the clubhouse at 8 under, tied with Dufner who was hitting off back on the tee. Dufner managed to land his second shot in the middle of the green, leaving a similar putt to Keegan's, and safely got down in two to send the contest to a three-hole playoff.
Momentum was all with the red-shirted rookie Bradley, not to mention the four shot advantage he had just experienced over the playoff holes, 16 through 18. However, it was Dufner who had the first advantage when he nearly holed his second shot on 16, missing by a ball's width. It drifted only a few feet past, but Bradley hit a phenomenal shot inside that, and made his putt after Dufner missed, taking a one shot advantage. Onto the 17th, where, as he had done in regulation, Dufner three-putted to give Bradley a two shot lead heading to 18.
After they finished in near identical spots on the 18th green, Dufner made his putt to pressure Bradley, but the rookie in his first ever major was able to safely get down in two to clinch a fantastic victory. Once again, the majors have thrown up another first time major winner as Tiger Woods' fall from preeminence has left a vacancy that no one else can get close to filling.
Momentum was all with the red-shirted rookie Bradley, not to mention the four shot advantage he had just experienced over the playoff holes, 16 through 18. However, it was Dufner who had the first advantage when he nearly holed his second shot on 16, missing by a ball's width. It drifted only a few feet past, but Bradley hit a phenomenal shot inside that, and made his putt after Dufner missed, taking a one shot advantage. Onto the 17th, where, as he had done in regulation, Dufner three-putted to give Bradley a two shot lead heading to 18.
After they finished in near identical spots on the 18th green, Dufner made his putt to pressure Bradley, but the rookie in his first ever major was able to safely get down in two to clinch a fantastic victory. Once again, the majors have thrown up another first time major winner as Tiger Woods' fall from preeminence has left a vacancy that no one else can get close to filling.
AFL - after some blow out victories in recent weeks, league leaders Collingwood and Geelong were run closer this week, but both pulled out close victories over resurgent St Kilda and Adelaide respectively. Elsewhere, Hawthorm, Carlton and West Coast all registered impressive victories, headlined by the Hawks 165 point drubbing of a demoralised Port Power. Essendon registered a crucial win over the Bulldogs, while the Swans and Fremantle's losses keeps their fans fingernails in danger, and North Melbourne's fans hoping to steal 8th spot. The ladder looks like this with three rounds remaining.
Cricket - England moved to the number one spot in the Test cricket rankings with a crushing win over India in the third test, taking a 3-0 lead in the four test series. With the exception of MS Dhoni, the Indian batsmen again provided little resistance to England's seamers. Bowled out for 224 and 244, Dhoni's 77 and 74 not out were India's only half-centuries in the game, while England's 7/710 contained a century and three fifties in addition to the minor matter of Cook's 294 as England swept home by a massive innings and 242 runs.
Over in Sri Lanka, Australia have bounced back from the 2-0 loss in the Twenty20 series to take the first two matches in the five-match ODI series. With the batting line-up bolstered by the experienced Clarke and Ponting, Australia have looked a more formidable side in registering two convincing victories.
Rugby - as the World Cup nears, England lost 19-9 to Wales in Cardiff, and Australia had a rare win in South Africa, taking the Tri Nations clash 14-9.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Cricket: There, but for the grace of Hilditch, go I...
Ricky Ponting has come out in support of Simon Katich when the former captain appeared on the AFL Footy Show. Given the respective ages of the two veterans, and their recent records, the fact that Katich missed out on a contract while Ponting remained on the 25 man list was certainly a contrast in fortunes. Ponting is around eight months older, and his last century came in January 2010, while Katich's was in March 2010. Since their last centuries, Ponting has made 593 Test runs at an average of just over 31, while Katich has made 394 at just under 33. In the most recent Ashes series, Ponting made 113 runs at just 16.14, missing one test with injury and failing to pass 20 after the first test in Brisbane. Katich made 97 at 24.25, and was injured for the last three tests.
Ponting's likely replacement is currently Usman Khawaja, who made 37 and 21 in the Sydney test in Ponting's absence and made 613 Shield runs at 61.3 last summer, while Katich's replacement Phil Hughes made 628 in the Shield at 41.86 (with two centuries in his last two matches) and 97 at 16.16 in the Ashes tests. Given those numbers, Ponting can be very thankful to still be in the hunt for a test spot, especially relative to Katich. Mike Hussey's brilliant last few months has staved off his axing, as has the absence of alternatives pushing for his spot, so we'll moderate Ponting's comment that "It puts us 36 year-olds on notice now, Mike Hussey and myself. It's going to make us work that little bit harder." Mike Hussey didn't get the name 'Mr Cricket' by being a shirker on the work front, and if Ponting didn't feel he was on notice after losing the captaincy, then he's getting as slow on the uptake as he is on the hook shot.
Back to the Katich situation though, my biggest concern is the selectors' apparent focus on the 2013 Ashes as a driving reason for the change. It might be the most prestigious series for historical reasons, and the longest series in terms of tests played, but it is an insult to India and South Africa to infer that they are mere training stepping stones in between Ashes engagements. It is important to be keeping the side refreshed and balanced in terms of age and experience, both now and into the future, but there are plenty of tests to be won and lost between now and then, and too many losses may well see plenty of players and selectors turned over before then. It would not be pretty to see the opening batsmen turned over with anything near the frequency of spinners, and yet both Khawaja and Shaun Marsh have put their hand up for the opening spot, while other names like Ed Cowan and Nic Maddinson have been thrown around, and indifferent form from Hughes and/or injury to Shane Watson could make for 'interesting' times.
Ponting's likely replacement is currently Usman Khawaja, who made 37 and 21 in the Sydney test in Ponting's absence and made 613 Shield runs at 61.3 last summer, while Katich's replacement Phil Hughes made 628 in the Shield at 41.86 (with two centuries in his last two matches) and 97 at 16.16 in the Ashes tests. Given those numbers, Ponting can be very thankful to still be in the hunt for a test spot, especially relative to Katich. Mike Hussey's brilliant last few months has staved off his axing, as has the absence of alternatives pushing for his spot, so we'll moderate Ponting's comment that "It puts us 36 year-olds on notice now, Mike Hussey and myself. It's going to make us work that little bit harder." Mike Hussey didn't get the name 'Mr Cricket' by being a shirker on the work front, and if Ponting didn't feel he was on notice after losing the captaincy, then he's getting as slow on the uptake as he is on the hook shot.
Back to the Katich situation though, my biggest concern is the selectors' apparent focus on the 2013 Ashes as a driving reason for the change. It might be the most prestigious series for historical reasons, and the longest series in terms of tests played, but it is an insult to India and South Africa to infer that they are mere training stepping stones in between Ashes engagements. It is important to be keeping the side refreshed and balanced in terms of age and experience, both now and into the future, but there are plenty of tests to be won and lost between now and then, and too many losses may well see plenty of players and selectors turned over before then. It would not be pretty to see the opening batsmen turned over with anything near the frequency of spinners, and yet both Khawaja and Shaun Marsh have put their hand up for the opening spot, while other names like Ed Cowan and Nic Maddinson have been thrown around, and indifferent form from Hughes and/or injury to Shane Watson could make for 'interesting' times.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
NBA: Dallas Mavericks Take Game 5 as LeBron Falters Again
The Dallas Mavericks will head to Miami with two chances to take the NBA championship after winning game 5 112-103 to take a 3-2 series lead. In another close contest, Dallas got away to a 9 point lead late in the third quarter before a Miami Heat surge in the fourth saw them take a 99-95 lead to the distress of the Dallas crowd. However, the Mavericks again stepped up under pressure at the business end, continuing to make 3-pointers (as they had done all night - 13 of 19) through the Jasons, Kidd and Terry, while Dirk Nowitzki continued to make clutch throws, finishing with 29 points. Terry had a big game finishing with 21 while Barea also provided crucial support with 17.
For the Heat, an injury to Dwyane Wade stripped him of court time, although he led their scoring with 23 after coming back to the court to spark their 4th quarter resurgence, while Bosh had 19 and LeBron James 17. James faced plenty of questions and accusations after his 8-point effort in game 4, and responded with a triple-double, but only contributed two-points in the last quarter to have just 11 last quarter points in the five finals matches. Once again, the Mav's old-timers had too much composure when the stakes were highest, and probably too much depth, although Haslem and Chalmers registered double-figure points tonight.
The Heat certainly have the firepower to win the last two games at home, but whether they can deal with the pressure remains to be seen. While LeBron was better tonight, he will need to be better again in Miami, otherwise Wade might be left with too much to do.
For the Heat, an injury to Dwyane Wade stripped him of court time, although he led their scoring with 23 after coming back to the court to spark their 4th quarter resurgence, while Bosh had 19 and LeBron James 17. James faced plenty of questions and accusations after his 8-point effort in game 4, and responded with a triple-double, but only contributed two-points in the last quarter to have just 11 last quarter points in the five finals matches. Once again, the Mav's old-timers had too much composure when the stakes were highest, and probably too much depth, although Haslem and Chalmers registered double-figure points tonight.
The Heat certainly have the firepower to win the last two games at home, but whether they can deal with the pressure remains to be seen. While LeBron was better tonight, he will need to be better again in Miami, otherwise Wade might be left with too much to do.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
NBA: Miami Heat knock out Chicago Bulls 4-1
The Miami Heat have won through to the NBA finals after winning game 5 in Chicago to take the series 4-1. There are plenty of similarities between the progress of the Heat and their opponents, the Dallas Mavericks, in how they made it through their conference play-offs. Both won the series 4-1 after splitting the first two games, both clinched series wins with late rallies, with Dallas inflicting two in a row on Oklahoma City. However, the Heat showed they have plenty of late game tenacity, as they rallied back from a 12 point deficit with just over three minutes remaining to win 83-80.
The Heat outscored the Bulls 26-18 in the last, with all their points coming from the big three. In fact, 69 of 83 on the night came from Wade, James and Bosh, and all of their last 33. Perhaps a reflection of their perceived lack of depth, but just as much a result of having three match-winners on the court. And therein lies the big difference to the Mavericks. While Dirk Nowitzki had a massive series against the Thunder, justifiably winning most of the coverage and the plaudits, there is only one of him. He has some great support, and certainly more depth than the Heat, but the pressure will be intense on the Mavericks as they seek to deal with the triple threat of the Heat. Ultimately, the Bulls were found wanting in that regard, although it didn't help that Derrick Rose shot 9-29 field goals. It was clear by the end of the series that the Bulls were too reliant on Rose to keep pouring in the points, and although Nowitzki is pivotal to Dallas's chances, they also have other scoring options as they have shown throughout the playoffs. Whether they can stoip the big three from scoring more...that is the question.
The Heat outscored the Bulls 26-18 in the last, with all their points coming from the big three. In fact, 69 of 83 on the night came from Wade, James and Bosh, and all of their last 33. Perhaps a reflection of their perceived lack of depth, but just as much a result of having three match-winners on the court. And therein lies the big difference to the Mavericks. While Dirk Nowitzki had a massive series against the Thunder, justifiably winning most of the coverage and the plaudits, there is only one of him. He has some great support, and certainly more depth than the Heat, but the pressure will be intense on the Mavericks as they seek to deal with the triple threat of the Heat. Ultimately, the Bulls were found wanting in that regard, although it didn't help that Derrick Rose shot 9-29 field goals. It was clear by the end of the series that the Bulls were too reliant on Rose to keep pouring in the points, and although Nowitzki is pivotal to Dallas's chances, they also have other scoring options as they have shown throughout the playoffs. Whether they can stoip the big three from scoring more...that is the question.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
NBA: Dallas storm back to take game 5 and series
The Oklahoma City Thunder had done extremely well to stand up and be counted for the first three and a bit quarters, rebounding from their shattering game 4 defeat at home. This time, they hadn't built quite the same cushion, but they led by 8 points in the last and seemed to have enough answers to the Mavericks, with James Harden having an outstanding game in support of Durant and Westbrook. However, once again the Mavericks were able to shut down the Thunder offence in the last five minutes, scoring 14 of the last 18 points to take a 100-96 win and close out the series. Dirk Nowitzki was quieter, but still made crucial baskets, including the three pointer that gave them a late lead, to finish with 26 points, as did Shawn Marion who made some big plays late in the game. The Thunder, who had been so good all night at not turning over the ball, did so repeatedly in the closing minutes as a lack of composure that was evident in game 4's dramatic finale returned to haunt them. And with a few months off now, it will haunt them for a good while yet.
Monday, May 23, 2011
IPL: Australian players disappoint
There weren't too many Australian cricketers who had great Australian summers, and that indifferent form carried over into the IPL. Of 29 Australians who have taken the field, few have had much of an impact on proceedings, and even fewer have done so consistently. The best performer with the bat has been Shaun Marsh, hitting 504 runs at an average of 42, and an impressive strike rate of 146.5. Mike Hussey has done well, hitting 429 at 42.9 and a s/r of 117.5, and Shane Watson had his moments with 330 runs and six wickets. Adam Gilchrist made the only century by an Australian and a couple of fifties, but has been far from dominating, while Dave Warner has struggled for the most part, hitting 324 at 25, with a subdued s/r of 117. Some of the other batsmen have struggled to find runs, and a place, with Cameron White, Callum Ferguson and names likes Blizzard, Finch and David Hussey barely making a mark.
On the bowling side, Shane Warne started the tournament extremely well, and still finished with an economy rate of 6.3 and thirteen wickets to be one of the best. Ryan Harris took 16 wickets but was expensive, while Doug Bollinger took 15 wickets with a mixed bag of performances. Brett Lee and Shaun Tait both disappointed. Brad Hodge finshed with reasonably all-round figures, but was inconsistent with the bat, while James Hopes also had some reasonable performances. Dan Christian too, had his moments, but too few to justify his price tag, while many others had limited game time.
If you had to pick an Australian XI based on form in this tournament, it wouldn't be easy. Two players who would make the cut have retired from international cricket (Gilchrist and Warne) while others seem to have slid out of the selectors' picture (Hodge and Hopes). Watson and Mike Hussey showed their class again, but the next wave offered little encouragement for those hoping for a turn around in Australia's short-term future away from Test cricket. The tour of Zimbabwe may shed some more light on hopes for the Test side, and the teams in both long and shoret forms have just been announced.
On the bowling side, Shane Warne started the tournament extremely well, and still finished with an economy rate of 6.3 and thirteen wickets to be one of the best. Ryan Harris took 16 wickets but was expensive, while Doug Bollinger took 15 wickets with a mixed bag of performances. Brett Lee and Shaun Tait both disappointed. Brad Hodge finshed with reasonably all-round figures, but was inconsistent with the bat, while James Hopes also had some reasonable performances. Dan Christian too, had his moments, but too few to justify his price tag, while many others had limited game time.
If you had to pick an Australian XI based on form in this tournament, it wouldn't be easy. Two players who would make the cut have retired from international cricket (Gilchrist and Warne) while others seem to have slid out of the selectors' picture (Hodge and Hopes). Watson and Mike Hussey showed their class again, but the next wave offered little encouragement for those hoping for a turn around in Australia's short-term future away from Test cricket. The tour of Zimbabwe may shed some more light on hopes for the Test side, and the teams in both long and shoret forms have just been announced.
Australia A one-day squad: Tim Paine (capt), Callum Ferguson (vice-capt), Luke Butterworth, Trent Copeland, James Faulkner, Ben Hilfenhaus, Aaron Finch, Nathan Lyon, Chris Lynn, Nic Maddison, Mitch Marsh, Mitch Starc, Stephen O'Keefe, David Warner.
Australia A four-day squad: Tim Paine (capt), Callum Ferguson (vice-capt), Michael Beer, Luke Butterworth, Trent Copeland, James Faulkner, Ben Hilfenhaus, Usman Khawaja, Jason Krejza, Phillip Hughes, Nic Maddinson, Mitch Marsh, Mitch Starc, David Warner.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Rearview Mirror
If you slept through the weekend, here's what you missed:
EPL - summary of the season's last round here. Shortly after the season closed, Chelsea announced their manager Carlo Ancelotti would be leaving only a season after he won the double in his first season at the club. A mid-season slump put him in a hole, and despite a late title run, speculation was rife that he was on his way out in recent months.
NBA - On Sunday, the Miami Heat took a 2-1 lead over the Boston Celtics behind a strong game from Chris Bosh who hit 13 of his last 15 shots to finish with 34 points. On Saturday, the Dallas Mavericks rebounded from the second game loss to win at Oklahoma City and take a 2-1 series lead. Dirk Nowitzki had an off night, but made some crucial late baskets to help the Mavericks hold off a last quarter surge from the Thunder.
AFL - top sides Geelong and Collingwood showed their class and composure to get home in matches against Carlton and Adelaide respectively. Geelong did it the hard way, withstanding a late shot for goal from Carlton that could have won the game, whereas Collingwood hit the Crows with an eleven goal fourth quarter burst that turned a handy lead for the Crows into a comfortable victory for the 'Pies. Elsewhere, West Coast humiliated the Bulldogs, Richmond surprised the Bombers, the Hawks were far too good for Sydney, the Saints struggled past Melbourne, Fremantle were too good for Port Adelaide, and the Brisbane Lions defeated North by 14 points for their first of the season. That Brisbane should win their first with Jonathan Brown playing his first game in eight weeks was no coincidence as the captain kicked four of their six second half goals.
IPL - Mumbai scored 23 runs in the last over to steal a win over Kolkata, ensuring that Sunday's final two group games would be repeated in the finals this week. Bangalore and Chennai will have a rematch in the qualifier on Tuesday, followed by the eliminator between Mumbai and Kolkata on Wednesday. Bangalore finished top of the points table after Chris Gayle hit an unbeaten 75 off 50 balls to lead them to a comfortable victory over Chennai.
French Open - the clay courts at Roland Garros opened for business on Sunday as the French Open kicked off with a couple of first round upsets. On the men's side, Marin Cilic (19th seed) lost in straight sets to the 99th ranked Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, while on the women's side, the highest seed to lose was 18th seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta who went out to Varvara Lepchenko of the USA. Few seeds were in action on the opening day with the highest seeds in action both winning in staright sets - Sam Stosur (8th) and David Ferrer (7th).
EPL - summary of the season's last round here. Shortly after the season closed, Chelsea announced their manager Carlo Ancelotti would be leaving only a season after he won the double in his first season at the club. A mid-season slump put him in a hole, and despite a late title run, speculation was rife that he was on his way out in recent months.
NBA - On Sunday, the Miami Heat took a 2-1 lead over the Boston Celtics behind a strong game from Chris Bosh who hit 13 of his last 15 shots to finish with 34 points. On Saturday, the Dallas Mavericks rebounded from the second game loss to win at Oklahoma City and take a 2-1 series lead. Dirk Nowitzki had an off night, but made some crucial late baskets to help the Mavericks hold off a last quarter surge from the Thunder.
AFL - top sides Geelong and Collingwood showed their class and composure to get home in matches against Carlton and Adelaide respectively. Geelong did it the hard way, withstanding a late shot for goal from Carlton that could have won the game, whereas Collingwood hit the Crows with an eleven goal fourth quarter burst that turned a handy lead for the Crows into a comfortable victory for the 'Pies. Elsewhere, West Coast humiliated the Bulldogs, Richmond surprised the Bombers, the Hawks were far too good for Sydney, the Saints struggled past Melbourne, Fremantle were too good for Port Adelaide, and the Brisbane Lions defeated North by 14 points for their first of the season. That Brisbane should win their first with Jonathan Brown playing his first game in eight weeks was no coincidence as the captain kicked four of their six second half goals.
IPL - Mumbai scored 23 runs in the last over to steal a win over Kolkata, ensuring that Sunday's final two group games would be repeated in the finals this week. Bangalore and Chennai will have a rematch in the qualifier on Tuesday, followed by the eliminator between Mumbai and Kolkata on Wednesday. Bangalore finished top of the points table after Chris Gayle hit an unbeaten 75 off 50 balls to lead them to a comfortable victory over Chennai.
French Open - the clay courts at Roland Garros opened for business on Sunday as the French Open kicked off with a couple of first round upsets. On the men's side, Marin Cilic (19th seed) lost in straight sets to the 99th ranked Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, while on the women's side, the highest seed to lose was 18th seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta who went out to Varvara Lepchenko of the USA. Few seeds were in action on the opening day with the highest seeds in action both winning in staright sets - Sam Stosur (8th) and David Ferrer (7th).
EPL: And the losers are...
The final round of the English Premier league season finished in last gasp suvival for Wolves, and disaster for Birmingham and Blackpool as they will join already relegated West Ham in the League Championship next season. With only minutes to go on Sunday, Birmingham looked like they would manage to stay up at the expense of Wolves who were being badly beaten by Blackburn, while Birmingham were level at Tottenham. However, Wolves fought back with two second half goals to only go down 2-3 at home to Blackburn, boosting their goal difference above Birmingham's with the crucial second in the 87th minute. Then Pavluychenko scored a winner in the third minute of injury time for Spurs, and Birmingham's fate was sealed.
Blackpool looked like they might escape as they came back to lead Manchester United 2-1 despite giving up an early goal, but United poured it on in the last half hour to triumph 4-2. Wigan managed to escape the relegation zone with a 1-0 win at Stoke, thanks to Hugo Rodallega's 77th minute winner. Prior to that goal, they looked like they may have gone down narrowly in place of Wolves.
At the other end of the table, Manchester City clinched the last Champion's League automatic spot ahead of Arsenal, with City 2-0 winners at Bolton, while Arsenal twice came from behind to draw 2-2 at Fulham. Spurs victory clinched their Europa League place ahead of Liverpool, although Liverpool's loss at Aston Villa made Spurs' victory irrelevant. Thus England's threesome in the Europa League next season will be Spurs, Stoke and relegated Birmingham.
ESPN Soccernet's final table can be seen here.
Blackpool looked like they might escape as they came back to lead Manchester United 2-1 despite giving up an early goal, but United poured it on in the last half hour to triumph 4-2. Wigan managed to escape the relegation zone with a 1-0 win at Stoke, thanks to Hugo Rodallega's 77th minute winner. Prior to that goal, they looked like they may have gone down narrowly in place of Wolves.
At the other end of the table, Manchester City clinched the last Champion's League automatic spot ahead of Arsenal, with City 2-0 winners at Bolton, while Arsenal twice came from behind to draw 2-2 at Fulham. Spurs victory clinched their Europa League place ahead of Liverpool, although Liverpool's loss at Aston Villa made Spurs' victory irrelevant. Thus England's threesome in the Europa League next season will be Spurs, Stoke and relegated Birmingham.
ESPN Soccernet's final table can be seen here.
Friday, May 20, 2011
IPL: Shane gives Warne a proper send-off
Maybe it was supposed to be about one last Warne-Tendulkar moment, but the Shane Watson show overtook proceedings as Australia's most important current cricketer took the spotlight from the man who can't be replaced. Mumbai's faltering campaign took another misstep as Watson helped restrict them to 133 from their 20 overs, before leading their successful chase with a scintillating unbeaten 89. Watson returned the stunning figures of 3/19 from his four overs, while Warne finished with a more modest 1/30, even as he dismissed top-scorer Rohit Sharma from a beautifully deceitful stumping with his third-last delivery.
The chase was a procession as Watson blasted his runs from just 47 balls with nine fours and six sixes studding a dominating innings. Supported by Rahul Dravid's unbeaten 43 from 32, the pair put on an unbeaten 134 from just 79 balls as they showed what might have been had Rajasthan not lost their way in the middle stages of the tournament. As it is, they will finish mid-table, outside of the play-offs, although they may yet be joined by Mumbai, as unthinkable as that may seem for a team that dominated the first half of the tournament behind strong performances from Tendulkar and Malinga. If the Kings XI Punjab can beat Deccan tomorrow, Mumbai will need to beat Kolkata in the final match to progress. See the current table here.
The chase was a procession as Watson blasted his runs from just 47 balls with nine fours and six sixes studding a dominating innings. Supported by Rahul Dravid's unbeaten 43 from 32, the pair put on an unbeaten 134 from just 79 balls as they showed what might have been had Rajasthan not lost their way in the middle stages of the tournament. As it is, they will finish mid-table, outside of the play-offs, although they may yet be joined by Mumbai, as unthinkable as that may seem for a team that dominated the first half of the tournament behind strong performances from Tendulkar and Malinga. If the Kings XI Punjab can beat Deccan tomorrow, Mumbai will need to beat Kolkata in the final match to progress. See the current table here.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
EPL: Final Round Preview - What's Still at Stake?
The final round of the English Premier League will be played on Sunday May 22nd, with all games played at 4pm. With the Championship clinched by Manchester United, and the FA Cup headed early to Manchester City, attention for many will have shifted elsewhere. However, there is still much at stake, and not just in the crucial relegation matches.
Final Champion's League automatic qualification - United are first, Chelsea second and the third placed finisher will avoid the qualification to which the fourth placed finisher will be subjected. Manchester City have edged a point in front of Arsenal, although Arsenal have the better goal difference, so Arsenal need to better City's result, while a win for City would seal the deal. Both sides are away to teams safe in mid-table, City at Bolton and Arsenal at Fulham.
Final Europa League place - with the other two spots going to the League Cup winner's Birmingham, and FA Cup runner-up Stoke City (winner Man City already off to UCL), Liverpool and Tottenham will contest for fifth spot in the table and the final place in Europe. Tottenham have edged back in front of Liverpool after their surprise win at Anfield, replicating the Arsenal/Man City position with a one point buffer, but inferior goal difference. Tottenham are at home, but pitted against a desperate for survival Birmingham (see below). Liverpool are away to Aston Villa who are safe from the drop despite a disappointing season.
Relegation - given the Premier League riches at stake, the importance of these games is huge to the clubs involved, if somewhat irrelevant to the vast swathes of fans and observers with eyes focused on Europe and the top of the table teams. West Ham's relegation has been confirmed, but the other two spots are still well and truly open. Wigan and Blackpool are 18th and 19th now, level on 39 points with Birmingham. Goal difference is extremely close (W -22, Bl -21, Bi -20), so theoretically Wigan could still lose and stay up. Wigan are away to Stoke, Blackpool away to Manchester United (gulp) and Birmingham away to Spurs (see above). It's easy to imagine a Wigan draw, with the others losing and being relegated. The other two teams involved are Wolves and Blackburn, only one point higher - and they are meeting, with Wolves at home. A draw could see both relegated if the three below them all won, so there's plenty to play for here as well. Blackburn's goal difference would protect them if they lost and the teams below drew - Wolves don't necessarily have that luxury with a -19 differential.
So five teams will be sweating on the relegation outcome, with nine of the 20 teams having plenty to play for on Sunday. When the dust settles on Sunday, there will be still one Premier League related game to come. Reading and Swansea City will battle at Wembley on May 30th for the final promotion spot, with QPR and Norwich City already promoted. QPR were last relegated from the top flight in 1996, Norwich in 2005, Reading in 2008 and Swansea in 1983.
Final Champion's League automatic qualification - United are first, Chelsea second and the third placed finisher will avoid the qualification to which the fourth placed finisher will be subjected. Manchester City have edged a point in front of Arsenal, although Arsenal have the better goal difference, so Arsenal need to better City's result, while a win for City would seal the deal. Both sides are away to teams safe in mid-table, City at Bolton and Arsenal at Fulham.
Final Europa League place - with the other two spots going to the League Cup winner's Birmingham, and FA Cup runner-up Stoke City (winner Man City already off to UCL), Liverpool and Tottenham will contest for fifth spot in the table and the final place in Europe. Tottenham have edged back in front of Liverpool after their surprise win at Anfield, replicating the Arsenal/Man City position with a one point buffer, but inferior goal difference. Tottenham are at home, but pitted against a desperate for survival Birmingham (see below). Liverpool are away to Aston Villa who are safe from the drop despite a disappointing season.
Relegation - given the Premier League riches at stake, the importance of these games is huge to the clubs involved, if somewhat irrelevant to the vast swathes of fans and observers with eyes focused on Europe and the top of the table teams. West Ham's relegation has been confirmed, but the other two spots are still well and truly open. Wigan and Blackpool are 18th and 19th now, level on 39 points with Birmingham. Goal difference is extremely close (W -22, Bl -21, Bi -20), so theoretically Wigan could still lose and stay up. Wigan are away to Stoke, Blackpool away to Manchester United (gulp) and Birmingham away to Spurs (see above). It's easy to imagine a Wigan draw, with the others losing and being relegated. The other two teams involved are Wolves and Blackburn, only one point higher - and they are meeting, with Wolves at home. A draw could see both relegated if the three below them all won, so there's plenty to play for here as well. Blackburn's goal difference would protect them if they lost and the teams below drew - Wolves don't necessarily have that luxury with a -19 differential.
So five teams will be sweating on the relegation outcome, with nine of the 20 teams having plenty to play for on Sunday. When the dust settles on Sunday, there will be still one Premier League related game to come. Reading and Swansea City will battle at Wembley on May 30th for the final promotion spot, with QPR and Norwich City already promoted. QPR were last relegated from the top flight in 1996, Norwich in 2005, Reading in 2008 and Swansea in 1983.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
IPL: Gilchrist smacks hundred as Punjab crush Bangalore
As for many of the Australians in the IPL4, Adam Gilchrist had been below par in the tournament, but he came alive on Tuesday with a blistering century as Punjab defeated Bangalore by 111 runs. Gilchrist got away very slowly, in fact he was only on two after six overs. Shaun Marsh was also struggling and the pair had a combined six runs off 19 balls at this stage. However, Gilchrist cut losse after hitting his first six in the seventh over, reaching his 50 from 25 balls with his third consecutive six from Langeveldt. Marsh wasn't prepared to take a back seat, hitting van der Wath for thirty in the fifteenth over, as he finished unbeaten on 79. By the time Gilchrist was dismissed for 106 off the penultimate ball of the innings, the pair had added 206 from 96 balls.
Bangalore needed some Chris Gayle fireworks, but he played out a first up maiden to Praveen Kumar, and then departed to his first ball from Ryan Harris. De Villiers was the only Bangalore batsman to reach 20, as the Punjab bowlers routed their opponents. The contest was well and truly over long before De Villiers' dismissal for 34 in the 13th over, as Chawla ripped through the middle order to finish with 4/17, supported by Harris with three wickets.
Bangalore remain top for now, but Chennai and Mumbai could go past them, both with a match in hand now, while Punjab's win keeps up their hopes for a finals berth with their final match against Deccan on Saturday.
Bangalore needed some Chris Gayle fireworks, but he played out a first up maiden to Praveen Kumar, and then departed to his first ball from Ryan Harris. De Villiers was the only Bangalore batsman to reach 20, as the Punjab bowlers routed their opponents. The contest was well and truly over long before De Villiers' dismissal for 34 in the 13th over, as Chawla ripped through the middle order to finish with 4/17, supported by Harris with three wickets.
Bangalore remain top for now, but Chennai and Mumbai could go past them, both with a match in hand now, while Punjab's win keeps up their hopes for a finals berth with their final match against Deccan on Saturday.
NBA: Nowitzki leads Dallas to opening win over Oklahoma City
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a dirk as "a long, straight-bladed dagger". The seven-foot German Dirk Nowitzki is certainly long, and in straight shot after straight shot from the free-throw line on Tuesday night, he knifed the hopes of the Thunder. By the time the game finished, he had put in an NBA playoff record 24 straight free throws - 13 in the third quarter - to finish with 48 points, rarely missing at all with 12 of 15 field goals. Kevin Durant had a stellar gamefor Oklahoma City , hitting 18 of 19 from the line, and finishing with 40 points, but all he could do was keep his side in with a chance. Russell Westbrook had an off-night, hitting only 3 of 15 field goal attempts for the Thunder, whereas Nowitzki had great help from the Dallas bench, with Barea scoring 21 in just 16 minutes of play, while Jason Terry scored 24 points.
Oklahoma rarely looked in the game in the second half, getting as far behind as 16, before an unlikely rally to within 5 points in the last minutes of the game as Dallas briefly went cold. However, they picked things back up when required, with Nowitzki continuing to sink free throws, and they closed out the first game of the conference final 121-112.
Oklahoma rarely looked in the game in the second half, getting as far behind as 16, before an unlikely rally to within 5 points in the last minutes of the game as Dallas briefly went cold. However, they picked things back up when required, with Nowitzki continuing to sink free throws, and they closed out the first game of the conference final 121-112.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Rearview Mirror
If you slept through the weekend, here's what you missed:
EPL - for Saturday's action, see the update here. On Sunday, West Ham became the first relegated side when they went down 3-2 to Wigan in a game they needed to win to stay in with a chance of survival. That they lost after leading 2-0 at half time can't have helped the case of Avram Grant, who was sacked as manager shortly after relegation was confirmed. With one game remaining, Wigan and Blackpool sit in the danger spots, both tied with Birmingham on points, with Wolves and Blackburn just one point ahead. Blackpool and Birmingham have the toughest assignements, away to Manchester United and Tottenham respectively. Spurs still have a lot to play for, after surprising Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield on Sunday to take a one point lead over the Reds for the Europa League place. Arsenal also have work to do, as Manchester City could overtake them for the automatic qualifying spot for the Champion's League, after the Gunners' loss at home to Aston Villa. (See here for table.)
IPL - the league table in the IPL continued to flatten out as the top teams continued to drop games, and a couple of teams who look finished stayed alive. Mumbai fell to Deccan, despite having a modest total to chase, while Kochi and Punjab kept their faint hopes of qualification alive. See the table here. Elsewhere in cricket, the first test in four months saw the West Indies triumph over Pakistan in a low scoring but gripping encounter. Debutant Devendra Bishoo had a fine match, taking four wickets in the first innings and making two gritty number eleven knocks, although he couldn't replicate his bowling form in the fourth innings. However, captain Darren Sammy took 5/29 and Rampaul again bowled superbly as they both finished with seven wickets apiece for the match.
NBA - Oklahoma City bounced back in game 7 to take the series 4-3 over the Memphis Grizzlies, and will move on to play the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Final. Kevin Durant stepped up bigtime for the Thunder, finishing with 39 points. Later on Sunday, the Chicago Bulls withstood a powerful first half from Chris Bosh to eventually subdue the Miami Heat as they took game one of the Eastern Conference final 103-82, with Derrick Rose scoring 28, while Luol Deng scored 21 and kept LeBron James to just 15. Bosh finished with 30, while Wade finished with 18.
AFL - in the possible, if not probable Grand Final preview, Geelong handed Collingwood their first loss since late in the 2010 season in a tense, low-scoring match on Friday night, despite some inaccurate kicking. Halfway through the last quarter the Magpies led by 10, but eventually Geelong snuck home by three points to take top spot on the ladder. Much of the rest of the round went according to script, although West Coast overcame some late key player losses to run down Fremantle in the local derby. Gold Coast got off to a flyer against Adelaide with the first four goals, but the visitors couldn't keep it up and went down eventually by 57 points. Hawthorn continued their improved form, and continued Saint Kilda's woes with a comfortable 30 point win.
EPL - for Saturday's action, see the update here. On Sunday, West Ham became the first relegated side when they went down 3-2 to Wigan in a game they needed to win to stay in with a chance of survival. That they lost after leading 2-0 at half time can't have helped the case of Avram Grant, who was sacked as manager shortly after relegation was confirmed. With one game remaining, Wigan and Blackpool sit in the danger spots, both tied with Birmingham on points, with Wolves and Blackburn just one point ahead. Blackpool and Birmingham have the toughest assignements, away to Manchester United and Tottenham respectively. Spurs still have a lot to play for, after surprising Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield on Sunday to take a one point lead over the Reds for the Europa League place. Arsenal also have work to do, as Manchester City could overtake them for the automatic qualifying spot for the Champion's League, after the Gunners' loss at home to Aston Villa. (See here for table.)
IPL - the league table in the IPL continued to flatten out as the top teams continued to drop games, and a couple of teams who look finished stayed alive. Mumbai fell to Deccan, despite having a modest total to chase, while Kochi and Punjab kept their faint hopes of qualification alive. See the table here. Elsewhere in cricket, the first test in four months saw the West Indies triumph over Pakistan in a low scoring but gripping encounter. Debutant Devendra Bishoo had a fine match, taking four wickets in the first innings and making two gritty number eleven knocks, although he couldn't replicate his bowling form in the fourth innings. However, captain Darren Sammy took 5/29 and Rampaul again bowled superbly as they both finished with seven wickets apiece for the match.
NBA - Oklahoma City bounced back in game 7 to take the series 4-3 over the Memphis Grizzlies, and will move on to play the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Final. Kevin Durant stepped up bigtime for the Thunder, finishing with 39 points. Later on Sunday, the Chicago Bulls withstood a powerful first half from Chris Bosh to eventually subdue the Miami Heat as they took game one of the Eastern Conference final 103-82, with Derrick Rose scoring 28, while Luol Deng scored 21 and kept LeBron James to just 15. Bosh finished with 30, while Wade finished with 18.
AFL - in the possible, if not probable Grand Final preview, Geelong handed Collingwood their first loss since late in the 2010 season in a tense, low-scoring match on Friday night, despite some inaccurate kicking. Halfway through the last quarter the Magpies led by 10, but eventually Geelong snuck home by three points to take top spot on the ladder. Much of the rest of the round went according to script, although West Coast overcame some late key player losses to run down Fremantle in the local derby. Gold Coast got off to a flyer against Adelaide with the first four goals, but the visitors couldn't keep it up and went down eventually by 57 points. Hawthorn continued their improved form, and continued Saint Kilda's woes with a comfortable 30 point win.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
The FA Get Lucky: Double Manchester Celebration
Both halves of Manchester were celebrating on Saturday as the Football Association got lucky with their controversial scheduling of the FA Cup final on the same day as Premiership matches. And not just any matches - Manchester united clinched their record 19th title with a 1-1 draw at Blackburn. Fortunately for the FA, it was Chelsea who lost their chance to win the title, rather than the 4th placed Manchester City - who started their bid for FA Cup glory only moments after the final whistle at Ewood Park confirmed the title. As Manchester City went on to win their first FA Cup, or any trophy, since 1969, all of Manchester were left celebrating for a change.
However, what was once the glamour day of the English football season, was left with a somewhat of an anti-climactic feel following the earlier Premiership events, although it could have been much worse. Had the final featured say Chelsea and West Ham, it could have seen one finalist miss out on the title, while the other was all but relegated. (Wins for Wolves and Blackpool does spell big trouble for the Hammers). While Wembley's hosting of the Champion's League final was behind this year's FA Cup change, the FA has already foreshadowed a repeat next year due to Euro 2012 scheduling. Perhaps it is only a matter of time before the FA Cup and the League Cup are merged to 'make room' in the schedule. Not too much is sacred these days, and the Champion's League has certainly taken a lot away from the FA Cup.
For what it's worth, Yaya Toure scored the winner in the 73rd minute for City as they defeated Stoke 1-0 in a game they dominated, racking up fourteen shots on goal to just one for Stoke. Earlier in the day, Brett Emerton gave Blackburn the early lead, giving Chelsea some hope, but Wayne Rooney scored a second half penalty to clinch the vital point. Wolves scored a vital 3-1 win at Sunderland, while Blackpool also registered three crucial points with a thrilling 4-3 win over Bolton.
However, what was once the glamour day of the English football season, was left with a somewhat of an anti-climactic feel following the earlier Premiership events, although it could have been much worse. Had the final featured say Chelsea and West Ham, it could have seen one finalist miss out on the title, while the other was all but relegated. (Wins for Wolves and Blackpool does spell big trouble for the Hammers). While Wembley's hosting of the Champion's League final was behind this year's FA Cup change, the FA has already foreshadowed a repeat next year due to Euro 2012 scheduling. Perhaps it is only a matter of time before the FA Cup and the League Cup are merged to 'make room' in the schedule. Not too much is sacred these days, and the Champion's League has certainly taken a lot away from the FA Cup.
For what it's worth, Yaya Toure scored the winner in the 73rd minute for City as they defeated Stoke 1-0 in a game they dominated, racking up fourteen shots on goal to just one for Stoke. Earlier in the day, Brett Emerton gave Blackburn the early lead, giving Chelsea some hope, but Wayne Rooney scored a second half penalty to clinch the vital point. Wolves scored a vital 3-1 win at Sunderland, while Blackpool also registered three crucial points with a thrilling 4-3 win over Bolton.
Friday, May 13, 2011
NBA: Memphis Force Game 7 at Oklahoma City
For the first time in twelve post-season series this year we will have a game 7 after the Memphis Grizzlies were able to shut down Oklahoma City in Memphis. The Thunder could only score 29 in the second half, as Memphis turned a 44-54 half-time deficit into a relatively comfortable 95-83 win. Zach Randolph led the way for the Grizzlies, with 30 points and 13 rebounds, while Russell Westbrook had 27 points for the visitors. Game 7 will be played in Oklahoma City on Sunday afternoon, with the winner going on to meet the Dallas Mavericks. In the other Eastern Conference finals, the Chicago Bulls will go in as underdogs against the Miami Heat despite being the top-ranked side. The first game in the series will be played in Chicago on Sunday night.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
EPL: Manchester City Clinch Champion's League Spot, Stoke Rejoice
A year ago, Tottenham forward Peter Crouch scored the goal that put Tottenham into the Champion's League (UCL) at Manchester City's expense. He repeated the goal today, from near the same spot on the City of Manchester Stadium pitch. To Spurs' chagrin, it was a half too early, and it was an own goal that ensured City would finish fourth after they held on to win 1-0. The loss may well condemn Tottenham to miss European football altogether next season, as they may now need to win at Anfield to make fifth spot and its Europa League place.
Manchester City's win was a boost for Stoke ahead of the FA Cup final - now, even as loser of the final, Stoke would be off to the Europa League as City as winner is already in a higher competition. With England giving their second and third Europa League places to the winners of the two knock-out trophies, Birmingham (as winner of the League Cup) and Stoke will be in Europe next season. (At least Stoke will definitely be in the Premier League, Birmingham could yet be relegated.) While the footballing royalty of either Liverpool or Tottenham watch on in frustration, those not so glamorous teams will be battling in the Europa League.
Manchester City's win was a boost for Stoke ahead of the FA Cup final - now, even as loser of the final, Stoke would be off to the Europa League as City as winner is already in a higher competition. With England giving their second and third Europa League places to the winners of the two knock-out trophies, Birmingham (as winner of the League Cup) and Stoke will be in Europe next season. (At least Stoke will definitely be in the Premier League, Birmingham could yet be relegated.) While the footballing royalty of either Liverpool or Tottenham watch on in frustration, those not so glamorous teams will be battling in the Europa League.
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