Australia has been involved in two of the most exciting test matches of the last decade or more in the space of three test matches and four weeks. This is in no small part due to the continued period of transition being undergone by Australia's test match side. On the one hand we have a defiant reliance on senior batsmen arguably past their best by a selection panel who cannot quite give up the security blanket of some representation of Australia's golden era in their current side. Unfortunately, selecting the most obvious current representative of those halcyon days (Ricky Ponting) is akin to employing a geriatric in a wheelchair on the door of a busy inner-city nightclub as far as security is concerned. On the other hand we have an all encompassing, "any face will do this week but we reserve the right to completely change the roster next week" approach to bowling selections that would make a drunken bar fly on a twelve hour mission to drink his way through a pub’s entire liquor selection look discerning by comparison.
The continued selection of Ricky Ponting, who hasn’t made a test match century in nearly two years and close to thirty innings is a reward for long service which surely only Steve Waugh was afforded in recent times in his cringe-inducing (to non Australian observers) “tour of the provinces” during the home series against India in 2003-04. Brad Haddin is also bafflingly retained after two of the most irresponsible strokes in recent test cricket, in Australia’s second innings capitulations at Newlands, Cape Town and this week at Hobart against New Zealand. Both situations called for a sensible hand from Australia’s experienced wicketkeeper-batsman but both times Haddin played ugly shots, unable to adapt to the match situation and conditions which dictated the need for some caution at least at the beginning of his innings. Haddin is a product of Australia’s dominance of world cricket in the late 1990s and most of the 2000s, but unfortunately he has neither the talent of his predecessor Gilchrist, nor the savvy to realise that the winds of change have come into play and Australia now cannot simply blast their way through test matches. Both Ponting and Haddin are enjoying carte-blanche as far as the demands of the selectors regarding the performances expected to retain their places in the side are concerned. One passenger, even two passengers, can be carried and this has been the case to a certain extent as Australia has drawn both their last two test series. However, this has largely been down to the recent good bowling from the Australians and not the batting with the exception of Michael Clarke’s marvellous 150 in Cape Town. Michael Hussey, for so long Australia’s pillar of reliability has been able to cover for shoddy displays by Ponting and Haddin in the past, but in the last four tests he averages a mere 11.85. Perhaps the stress of batting for two or sometimes three players is catching up with him.
On the other hand we see Australia’s baffling pick’n’mix approach to their bowling selections. In the past two years perhaps half of the bowlers currently involved in Australia’s domestic competition have donned the baggy green - Australia’s great symbol of test cricket and just half a generation ago fiendishly hard for budding state cricketers to lay their hands on - and represented their country in the test arena. Many have then been dropped after two or three tests in the search for the magical elixir that might restore Australia to test dominance. Hilfenhaus, Siddle, Harris, Johnson, McKay, Starc, Cummins, Copeland, Pattinson, Doherty, Hauritz, Beer, Lyon, Bollinger, George - a mind boggling list. There have certainly been encouraging performances of late from James Pattinson, who was the man of the series in his debut series against New Zealand taking back to back five-fors, and from Pat Cummins, who snagged the man of the match on his debut in the marvellous win at the Wanderers, Johannesburg. Cummins needs to be handled with care, given his youth, and is likely to be out of the India series with a stress fracture of the foot, but both he and Pattinson are encouraging prospects. However, it is surely somewhat fortuitous for them both that they delivered immediately; otherwise it seems likely that they would have been thrown onto the scrap heap, joining so many other recent seam bowling selections. Australia’s approach to spin bowling in the post-Warne era requires an article all of its own, but in short Nathan Lyon has also shown promise of late and must be persisted with for at least a dozen tests.
Australia’s Jekyll and Hyde approach to test selections and the quite natural lack of players of comparable ability to the recent retired generation of Warne, McGrath, Langer, Gilchrist, Lee et al has made their recent matches extremely exciting. No longer can Australia be considered immune against sides such as New Zealand as this week’s victory for the latter at Hobart demonstrates. It was the first victory for New Zealand in any test match against Australia since 1993 and the first victory on Australian soil since Jeremy Coney led them to a series victory in 1985-86. The beauty of an Australian downturn in test cricket is that it won’t danger the long term prospect of the longer game there. The Baggy Green is still the ultimate Australian cricketing symbol and, regardless of the insane scheduling of a domestic T20 competition in the heart of an Australian domestic season, the overall drive of Australian cricketing focus will be towards test match cricket. The same is true of England, currently enjoying a period of success in the test arena the likes of which has not been seen since the 1950s. England’s test grounds continued to sell out during their lengthy period in the doldrums. Although Hobart was by no means full for the New Zealand test, it is an Australian cricketing outpost comparable to Chester-Le-Street or Sophia Gardens in England, both of whom also fail to sell out for all but the matches against Australia. Australia being pulled into the pack as far as test cricket goes might spark more of an interest in test cricket in countries like New Zealand, where interest may be piqued by this week's victory. This is to the benefit of test cricket overall - the more countries who prioritise the longer game, or at least start to take it more seriously upon seeing the dominant side of the last twenty years falter, the better.
An unpredictability surrounding Australia’s test match cricket has arisen which is born out by a victory in a test match in the backyard of the number two ranked side in the world, South Africa, followed swiftly by a home defeat to the number eight ranked side, New Zealand. For all Australia’s sporting culture of dominance, and striving to be first in the world, even years and years of the fulfilment of this aim can grow stale for the viewing public. There were signs that the Australian public were tiring of their side’s dominance, largely unchallenged, in the 2007-08 home series against India. This neatly brings us to the next series for the Australians, a repeat of that 2007-08 series, beginning at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day. A new generation of bowlers coming through and earning their spurs will bring the Australian public out in great numbers to see the first test of the series and, it is to be hoped (and expected), in many future test matches. A period of rebirth may be painful at first, but it is also an exciting prospect, and will give a new generation of test cricket followers in Australia a sense of ownership and a stake in the fortunes of this new, young side as they follow their travails and fortunes over the coming years. All that is needed now is for the relics of the top order to be given their cards and money and the metaphorical painting of a Spitfire in recognition of years of long service. Then, truly, the new era can begin. However, if in the meantime we are treated to more test matches of the entertainment (if not quite, quality) of the Johannesburg and Hobart tests of the last month, test cricket will surely be the winner.
Nick Rogerson
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
NBA: Battier Narrows List of Suitors
Free agent Shane Battier has narrowed his options to four teams - thought to be Miami, Toronto, Memphis and Indiana.
http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2011/12/04/battier-narrows-it-to-handful-of-teams/?ls=iref:nbahpt2
http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2011/12/04/battier-narrows-it-to-handful-of-teams/?ls=iref:nbahpt2
NBA: New Schedule Released Today
The revised 2011/12 season will be released tonight, finally giving fans the chance to put dates in the diary. Cut to 66 games, the season begins on Christmas Day. Check back later for more details.
In the meantime, here are some tidbits that have leaked out thus far:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-lakers-20111206,0,3081429.story
http://tracking.si.com/2011/12/02/nba-schedule-to-be-released-in-full-dec-6/
In the meantime, here are some tidbits that have leaked out thus far:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-lakers-20111206,0,3081429.story
http://tracking.si.com/2011/12/02/nba-schedule-to-be-released-in-full-dec-6/
Thursday, 1 December 2011
Football: End of the Bruce Era at Stadium of Light
Steve Kean has been such a clear frontrunner in the "first Premier League manager to be sacked this season" discussion that even the Blackburn boss must have been surprised that Steve Bruce pipped him to the post. Sunderland brought an end to the Bruce era at the Stadium of Light this week, potentially opening the door for Martin O'Neill, Mark Hughes or Rafa Benitez to make a Premier League return.
Bruce paid the price for failing to take Sunderland to the next level. Despite considerable action in the transfer market, the Black Cats never distanced themselves from the mid-table pack, finishing tenth last season and 13th the previous year, and never produced the type of football that wins the hearts of fans. Realistically, the top four was always going to be a very distant dream but chairman Ellis Short had reason to believe that a Europa League place was within reason, given the transfer kitty he was making available.
And Bruce will no doubt believe that Sunderland were on their way to that goal before Darren Bent's acrimonious exit in January, when the team sat sixth in the table. Hope of European football went with him. Even this season, Bruce could point to bad luck with the injury problems that have derailed John O'Shea, his most important summer signing.
But two wins in 13 games tells its own story. Sunderland have been sloppy in the final third all year and the supporters frustrations at the weekend - though over the top - highlighted the discontent over the lack of quality and creativity in the performances.
Bruce paid the price for failing to take Sunderland to the next level. Despite considerable action in the transfer market, the Black Cats never distanced themselves from the mid-table pack, finishing tenth last season and 13th the previous year, and never produced the type of football that wins the hearts of fans. Realistically, the top four was always going to be a very distant dream but chairman Ellis Short had reason to believe that a Europa League place was within reason, given the transfer kitty he was making available.
And Bruce will no doubt believe that Sunderland were on their way to that goal before Darren Bent's acrimonious exit in January, when the team sat sixth in the table. Hope of European football went with him. Even this season, Bruce could point to bad luck with the injury problems that have derailed John O'Shea, his most important summer signing.
But two wins in 13 games tells its own story. Sunderland have been sloppy in the final third all year and the supporters frustrations at the weekend - though over the top - highlighted the discontent over the lack of quality and creativity in the performances.
There are various theories on where things went wrong for Bruce. For starters, he signed 30 players over two–and-a-half years at the helm – far too much turnover to build a united dressing room. As a result, Sunderland rarely looked like a “team” in the true sense of the word. When momentum turned against the Black Cats, where were the leaders to haul the side back on track like Bruce the player would have done?
And it is not just the volume of transfers. Bruce’s track record in the transfer market over the past two years is patchy at best. In a bid to lift Sunderland up the table, he gambled on big money signings who failed to make the grade. From Titus Bramble and Michael Turner to Craig Gardner and Asamoah Gyan, Bruce overspent on players that have proved incapable or unwilling to take on central roles, overshadowing shrewd swoops for the likes of O'Shea and Wes Brown.
It is also no secret that Bruce was the epitome of “old school” in his approach, generally preferring to focus on man management rather than the more modern tools available. As more and more data becomes available across all sports, coaching staffs are spending more and more time glued to computer software that tracks every statistic imaginable. But it seems as though Bruce was somewhat out of his comfort zone in this environment.
Tactically, Sunderland have often been outgunned, especially this season. Bruce stuck rigidly to his favoured formations and rarely made game-changing substitutions, as emphasised by the way that Newcastle and Wigan, in particular, outmanoeuvred Sunderland in victories this year. The recent loss to Roberto Martinez's Wigan, one of the few teams to be struggling as much as the Black Cats, was ultimately the final straw.
To read the rest of the article, visit http://www.insidefutbol.com/2011/12/01/steve-bruce-pays-sunderland-price-for-transfer-market-prolificacy/53581/
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Football: Premier League 10 Years On
Recalling memories of the 2001/02 season, it is easy to be sucked into thinking that not much has changed in the Premier League over the past ten years. Back then, star-studded squads at Arsenal and Manchester United were in thick of the title race, as were a talented Liverpool team. Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson were in the midst of a great rivalry and the league was attracting more and more of the biggest names from across the globe. Meanwhile, the likes of Everton, Sunderland, Bolton and Fulham were fighting to keep their heads above water in the relegation dogfight. While the Gunners are no longer the powerhouse of the Thierry Henry era, the rest of these recollections ring true in today’s Premier League.
But a closer examination of the league table from May 2002 provides a reminder that the top flight has undergone radical changes over the past ten years, with new challengers emerging and established giants collapsing.
Chelsea, for instance, finished sixth but 24 points behind champions Arsenal and even the most diehard fans at Stamford Bridge would not have classed the squad as future champions. Then came the Roman Abramovich era, lifting the Blues from a top six hopeful to a title contender. Given their success under Jose Mourinho between 2004 and 2006, it is hard to believe that just a few years earlier, Chelsea were battling just to qualify for the UEFA Cup.
What about the teams above Chelsea in fourth and fifth? Few would remember that they were Newcastle and Leeds, who have both endured rollercoaster decades. The late Sir Bobby Robson helped Newcastle surpass all expectations as Alan Shearer, Laurent Robert and Craig Bellamy fired the Magpies to the top of table at Christmas, though they eventually had to settle for a Champions League spot. The mood on Tyneside was jubilant but Newcastle never built on their run in 2001/02, sacking Robson too soon and stuttering before dropping out of the top flight in 2009. Against all odds, Alan Pardew has steered the 2011 squad to an outstanding start.
But a closer examination of the league table from May 2002 provides a reminder that the top flight has undergone radical changes over the past ten years, with new challengers emerging and established giants collapsing.
Chelsea, for instance, finished sixth but 24 points behind champions Arsenal and even the most diehard fans at Stamford Bridge would not have classed the squad as future champions. Then came the Roman Abramovich era, lifting the Blues from a top six hopeful to a title contender. Given their success under Jose Mourinho between 2004 and 2006, it is hard to believe that just a few years earlier, Chelsea were battling just to qualify for the UEFA Cup.
What about the teams above Chelsea in fourth and fifth? Few would remember that they were Newcastle and Leeds, who have both endured rollercoaster decades. The late Sir Bobby Robson helped Newcastle surpass all expectations as Alan Shearer, Laurent Robert and Craig Bellamy fired the Magpies to the top of table at Christmas, though they eventually had to settle for a Champions League spot. The mood on Tyneside was jubilant but Newcastle never built on their run in 2001/02, sacking Robson too soon and stuttering before dropping out of the top flight in 2009. Against all odds, Alan Pardew has steered the 2011 squad to an outstanding start.
Leeds, meanwhile, had a more sudden reversal of fortunes. David O’Leary’s side was buoyant in 2002 with years of success seemingly ahead. Boasting stars like Rio Ferdinand, Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka, Leeds even topped the table for the first half of the campaign. But when the big spending caught up with the club, the slump towards League One began. Relegation in 2004 devastated a club that was in the Champions League semi-final only three years earlier. Leeds, contending again this year in the Championship, are clawing their way back but there is still a long way to go.
In total, the 2001/02 season featured eight teams that have since dropped from the Premier League – a staggering statistic that reflects the turbulent nature of life at English football’s top table. Among the other teams to suffer after 2002 are Southampton, who are hoping to return to the top flight this season, Ipswich, Leicester, Derby and West Ham, who finished a respectable seventh that year.
To further illustrate the point, back in 2002, the landscape looked rather different for some of the current Premier League sides. Wigan, for instance, managed a mid-table spot in the old Division Two, with Stoke and QPR fifth and eighth respectively. Plus, spare a thought for Swansea, who finished 20th in the fourth tier of English football and could not have been much further from playing host to the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal.
And then there was Manchester City, who topped the old Division One in 2002 and earned a return to the big time after a spell in the football wilderness. Now, ten years later, equipped with some of the game’s biggest talents, they are the favourites to win the Premier League. What better illustration of the huge shifts that have occurred over the past decade? And what better evidence for the beauty of the promotion/relegation system?
To read the rest of the article, visit http://www.insidefutbol.com/2011/11/28/premier-league-familiar-faces-but-decade-of-change/53374/
Monday, 28 November 2011
NBA: Shaq On The NBA Season Ahead
Shaquille O'Neal might have ended his NBA playing career but his move into a commentary role ensures he will still be a huge part of the game.
In this clip, Shaq looks ahead to the shortened 2011/12 season
http://www.nba.com/video/channels/nba_tv/2011/11/26/gt_shaq_intv.nba/
In this clip, Shaq looks ahead to the shortened 2011/12 season
http://www.nba.com/video/channels/nba_tv/2011/11/26/gt_shaq_intv.nba/
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