The Ashes Chronicle: What on Earth Happened at the Gabba?

Where was this Gabbatoir as the Aussies had so affectionately nicknamed the Gabba. Where was Mitchell Johnson? Where was Ben Hilfenhaus? And why did the selectors pick Xavier Doherty? I predicted that the Aussies would win this series, and there is just enough evidence on the Gabba to stay with my pick, however the Aussie bowlers must be ruing the coming test at the batters paradise that is, the Adelaide Oval.

I’ve just read an article from the Sydney Morning Herald where Michael Clarke has enlisted the help of Ricky Ponting for some batting tips. Am I the only one who finds it odd that first, what is the point of Dene Hills being signed on and then Clarke goes and gets help from the out of sorts Ponting, and what is Ponting doing giving Clarke throw downs? I would suggest that he should be working on his own batting.


If you didn’t see what happened at the Gabba, England won the toss and elected to bat, then getting rolled for 260. Australia made 481 in reply with Mike Hussey getting 195, before England replied with a truly miraculous 1-517 with Andrew Strauss and Jonathon Trott getting centuries, and Alastair Cook (pictured right, with Trott) notching up an unbeaten double hundred. England then put Australia in for about 40 overs but nothing came about with the match meandering towards a draw.

Going into Friday’s test in Adelaide, England must be the more confident side. I really think that England’s batters are too good for Australia’s current bowlers (having said that, I think that Australia’s batters are too good for England’s bowlers also), and Australia must make changes before Friday. Doug Bollinger should be brought in for Ben Hilfenhaus (he is an average bowler who should not be opening the bowling), and Ryan Harris should be brought in to replace Xavier Doherty. Marcus North showed that he is just as good as Doherty in his limited chances in England’s second innings claiming the wicket of Strauss, and that way you have an extra pace bowler to give Shane Watson less of the workload so he can concentrate on his batting. That gives Australia an attack of Bollinger, Harris, Peter Siddle, Johnson, Watson, and North. Much better than that at the Gabba.

Whoever loses the toss in Adelaide has no chance of winning the game. The side who wins the toss will bat first, and more than likely, rack up 400+. I don’t think either bowling unit is good enough to knock over the team batting first cheaply. Unless someone does something like the medieval looking Siddle managed at the Gabba...

The Ashes Chronicle

Welcome back to everyone who has decided to read this blog after my prolonged absence. I’ve had a very hectic last few months, but the excitement of The Ashes has forced me to come out of retirement. With the series starting tomorrow in Brisbane, and a green pitch that the opening bowlers have to look forward to, we should be in for a cracking first day.

If we all remember the first ball of the 2006/07 Ashes when Stephen Harmison sent it straight to Freddy Flintoff at second slip, it set the tone for the whole series. I can’t really see Tim Bresnan or Stuart Broad bowling that type of ball in the first over of proceedings, but then again, Harmison who was one of the top ranked Test bowlers in the world at the time, was hardly expected to do that. We would have expected that sort of ball from say Darren Gough or Dominic Cork, but not Harmy…

There has been a lot of banter heading into this series beginning with the Aussies putting a massive hologram (pictured right) in the centre of London, welcoming the Urn back to Australia. Then you have England being the first team in history to have no one show up to the pre test luncheon, you have the ex England coach Duncan Fletcher calling this Australian side the worst Australian side in 30 years (I bet the English will be hating Fletcher for that), and now you have Mitchell Johnson throwing verbal abuse at Andrew Strauss, saying he can’t handle the short ball.

From a neutral perspective, I can’t really decide who to back. Australia are the favourites (despite what everyone is saying) for numerous reasons.

1) The first test is at the Gabba where they haven’t lost since 1988 against the ferocious West Indies pace attack.

2) The Aussies love playing on fast bouncy tracks – wait until they get to Perth and Adelaide and watch their batsman knock up huge scores.

3) The English hate playing in Australia – 2006/2007 will be in the players minds that were part of that tour (even if they do say it’s forgotten).

4) The Aussies are desperate and a desperate Aussie side is a dangerous one – you have half the team playing for their place or out of form, some pundits will argue this is a negative, but I think this is a huge positive. Look for Mike Hussey and Ricky Ponting to have HUGE series.

On paper, I would back the English, but I can’t really get past the flimsiness of Alistair Cook, the rashness of Kevin Pieterson, the inability of Matt Prior to make large scores, and the lack of pace from England’s top bowlers. Not one has the ability to frighten the Aussie batsman and these pitches will not be as friendly (except the Gabba) as the pitches at Durham/Headingly/The Oval.

I think England would have more chance if Australia held The Ashes, then the English would have to play attacking cricket to win it back. England will play a little bit defensive looking for draws rather than wins, and in the end, it will be the attacking mindset of Shane Watson, Ponting, Michael Clarke and every Englishman’s favourite player, ‘Mr Cricket’ (Hussey, pictured left) that will get Australia over the line. I think Australia will win this series 3-1 with most games being tight, but England never really looking like winning it.

What just happened at the PGA?

The PGA Championship was completed today/last night depending where in the world you were watching it, with 25 year old German, Martin Kaymer (pictured right) claiming the Wanamaker Trophy with a total score of 277 (11 under par), outlasting Bubba Watson in a playoff. Mired in controversy was American Dustin Johnson, who was penalised two shots on the 72nd hole for grounding his club in a whisker of sand.


If you were unaware what happened, Johnson, tied for the lead heading down the final hole, skewed his tee shot well right of the fairway (Johnson, pictured left in the 'bunker' preparing to hit his second shot). Lining up to hit his second shot from a sandy lie in the rough (or so we thought), Johnson grounded his 4 iron into the soft turf, before hitting his shot. Although having been treated as a walkway by the patrons the entire week, rules officials claimed that it was in fact a bunker, and a two shot penalty was incurred. With over 1000 bunkers on the course at Whistling Straights, you wonder if you are allowed to ground your putter on the greens or are they classed as bunkers also?

Although many people are rating this PGA Championship as one of the greatest of all time, simply because of the young upstarts who produced some pretty fine golf, many people are glossing over the fact that only one of the top 10 players in the world were in contention on the final day (Martin Kaymer jumped from 13th to 5th in the World Rankings with the win). Even in young Rory McIlroy who was the only top 10 ranked golfer on the leader board, he is still not a household name.

There were many subplots to this championship with the main one being whether Phil Mickelson would be able to claim the number one ranking. With the need to finish in the top 4, Mickelson started the day in a T-48th and with a final round 67 jolting him up 36 places into a T-12th, Mickelson would’ve needed a final round 62 to achieve the number one ranking.

With the final major having taken place and your major winners for the year being Mickelson (US Masters), Graham McDowell (US Open), Louis Oosthuizen (British Open) (who by the way is having a fantastic season), and finally Kaymer with the PGA Championship. Four different winners, and now we have the pleasure of the Ryder Cup to look forward to starting in October.

As a final note, I realised i’ve just written a whole article on golf without mentioning his name...

Rafael Nadal – A Great Champion.

I don’t think we realise how lucky we are. We have Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (pictured right) both playing tennis at the peak of their powers. It is not just that these two men are two of the finest to ever set foot on a court, but that they are great champions and great people (not that I know them personally but I reckon they’re pretty sweet). After Nadal won Wimbledon yesterday, the graciousness he showed was fantastic. It was his eighth major victory, and no offense to Tomas Berdych, but Nadal had the right to gloat. He did not, and he showed the utmost respect to Berdych. If Nadal had lost, he would not have sour grapes – sure he would be upset that he didn’t win, but he would accept it, and congratulate the winner.

We live in a world where sports are idolised, where sports fans are idolised before they go and do something that everyone just goes...what the f*ck?! Tiger Woods for example. Everyone wanted Tiger to win the 2008 US Open on one leg – you think everyone was rooting for Tiger at this year’s US Open after his mishaps, or the underdog from Northern Ireland (Graham McDowell), who just happens to have the best accent in the world! Nadal and Federer are shining lights in a dark world. They uphold the most righteous of values in a game where all eyes on watching. There is no place to hide on a tennis court; there are no players to hide behind, no referees to bail you out. All eyes are on you, and these two men, are the perfect role models for young players.

Nadal who is currently ranked number one in the world, just in front of his fierce rival and good friend, Federer, won his second Wimbledon and eighth major last night. Add to that Federer’s 16 major titles, and they have won 24 majors. If you had those in a row, that would be six straight years where no other player wins a major. That is an incredible stat. You have to feel sorry for the likes of Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick, and Andy Murray who have been halted by these two on numerous occasions (Murray is a little bit younger so he should eventually break through, but if it wasn’t for these two, he would most likely have won multiple majors by now). But these guys can’t complain, as Nadal and Federer are impossible to dislike.

As for the US Open coming up, this should be an absolute cracker. If Federer wins, he will regain his number one ranking. If Nadal wins, he will join Federer, Rod Laver, and Andre Agassi as the only players in the Open Era to capture the career grand slam. Pretty big carrot to chase. Of course Federer is trying to regain his number one ranking and add to his 16 major titles, and Roddick is always hard to beat in the US Open, in front of his raucous home fans.

Bring on August/September.

NBA Free Agency...Let’s Speculate!

Before we begin sources have just said that Joe Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks has been offered a six year $119 million contract by the Hawks and he is believed to be ready to sign.

As we know, it is pretty slim pickings this year for the teams with cap space as there are limited free agents out there with any real skills...Oh wait – this is 2010 free agency isn’t it? Well there may be a couple of hidden gems out there – let us look at the players and then see where they could be headed. At the top of the list is Lebron James. Everyone else will wait to see where Lebron signs before they sign so the future of the NBA lies with Lebron. Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, David Lee, Rudy Gay, Shaquille O’Neal, J.J. Redick, and Tyrus Thomas are all free agents (Gay is the only restricted free agent) this summer.

The whole NBA landscape could change. If Lebron stays in Cleveland, not much is happening. Miami and New Jersey will get a whole lot stronger but that is about it. Let us assume Lebron is moving. The teams legitimately in the running for Lebron are in order of chance: Cleveland 30%, Chicago 30%, New Jersey 25%, Miami 10%, New York 5%. We’ll have a look at each of these 5 teams as these are the teams that will have the biggest say over who goes where.

Cleveland has the best chance of keeping Lebron. This is where Lebron’s loyalty lies. This is their best case to keep him. Remind him of his friends and family in Ohio. Not to mention that the Cavs have made deep runs at the playoffs the last few years. New York, New Jersey, Chicago, and Miami have all been mediocre at best the past few years. Cleveland already has a winning mentality. Add to that they are probably going to get a very good coach in Byron Scott and you have a good case to keep Lebron. There are also rumours (among the thousands) that Brendan Haywood may be involved in a double sign and trade involving Shaq, and guards, Allen, John Salmons, and Mike Miller have all been banded about (whether Lebron goes or not). If Lebron is to sign, the word from the Cavs camp is that they will seriously go after Bosh or Stoudemire.

Chicago is a very intriguing option. Chicago have the players in place right now to lure Lebron. With point guard Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah (pictured right), James would have the players in place to make a run at a championship. I honestly believe that he will sign with the Bulls. As much as I want him to go elsewhere (I think he will forever be in Jordan’s shadow with the Bulls, chasing 6 rings etc), I can’t see it. The Bulls have the cash to sign a second tier free agent also (Gay, Boozer, or Pierce) and if Lebron does sign, players will be lining up to sign with the Bulls. The Bulls offer more than the Nets in terms of a sure thing with proven players. If the rumour was true that Phil Jackson was going to coach the Bulls, look out.

The third option for Lebron is the Nets. The Nets have a very good chance to get Lebron thanks to hip-hop superstar Jay-Z. Although their team finished with the worst record in the East, this team has a heap of upside. With young center, Brook Lopez, Devin Harris, rookie Derrick Favors, and Kris Humphries, Lebron would see potential. If Lebron were to sign with the Nets, he would have to have a guarantee from the Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, and coach Avery Johnson that they were able to sign another marquee free agent (Joe Johnson, Chris Bosh/Amare Stoudemire/Dirk Nowitzki). How about Avery Johnson and Nowitzki being reunited? With a new arena in place, and the lights of New York, New Jersey is the exciting opportunity for Lebron to market himself as a world superstar. Although the chances are slim of him going, this would be the most exciting move he could make.

The fourth option for Lebron is south beach where D-Wade and Pat Riley will be waiting. Apparently Riley and team officials are meeting Amare Stoudemire today in Los Angeles to try and sort something out. If the Heat could convince Stoudemire to come to Miami, then their chances of getting Lebron just increased dramatically. The only realistic chance of Lebron going to Miami is if they can get another star player to join Wade. With the lack of quality at the Heat (with the exception of Wade and Michael Beasley), Lebron will be reluctant to go their. If wade was to get injured, it would be just like Cleveland all over again. I think Miami signs Stoudemire or Boozer. I think Bosh will end up with Lebron either in Cleveland or Chicago.

The final option for Lebron is the New York Knicks. This is far fetched as the Knicks only have there city to sell. They do not have a coach (Mike D’Antoni is great but will his style ever win a championship?), a team or an owner who has shown that they can win a championship. If David Lee stays with the Knicks, they have a small chance, but I just can’t see this happening. The only chance they have is if Lebron really cares more about his image than championships, then Madison Square Garden is the place to be.

So there are Lebron’s options. Okay, so I think he is going to Chicago. What does that mean for everyone else? Bosh goes to Chicago. There is no way Bosh is good enough to win by himself as shown with Toronto, so he goes and plays sidekick to Lebron, with Rose and Noah. Wade stays in Miami (that is pretty much set in stone already). Stoudemire decides to join the second best player in Wade and signs with the Heat. Joe Johnson stays with the Hawks (assuming the rumour at the top is true). I think the Nets go after Boozer and get him. This gives them a great frontcourt of Boozer and Lopez. The Nets also get Rudy Gay. Gay is a very good young player and has tremendous upside. The alternative for the Nets is to go after Nowitzki/Pierce to go with Boozer and try and win now but I think they will try and keep a young nucleus together to build upon. Pierce and Nowiztki stay where they are. Those two aren’t going anywhere, let us not kid ourselves. David Lee is gone – possibly to the Nets, but I think the Hawks might make a run at Lee (the Hawks must have promised Johnson something to get him to stay when the possibility of playing with Lebron/Wade was on the cards). And the Nets/Heat/Knicks pick up the rest in J.J Redick, Ray Allen, Tyrus Thomas and Shaq. All four of those players would be very useful contributors in a deep team.

So there you have it, Lebron/Bosh in Chicago, Wade/Stoudemire in Miami, Boozer/Gay in New Jersey and Johnson stays put. A pretty interesting NBA next year I reckon? With all these changes, I guess it's the Sixers who go into next season as favourites then?

Football World Cup Musings

Wouldn’t it be nice to hear FIFA actually do something instead of the constant apologies that we always hear? Sorry Ireland...sorry Mexico...sorry England. How about you do something about it?! It’s not that f**king difficult to use video technology. Football is one of the only major sports without it. It amuses me that we can watch a game in 3D in our own living room thanks to technology yet Sepp Blatter and FIFA have their own thoughts about the ‘beautiful game’ stuck so far up their a** that it is going to destroy the game.

FIFA are apparently reconsidering their stance on technology. Reconsidering?! Did they not see how badly the ref’s f**ked up in the England v Germany game. Did they think Henry’s arm was an illusion? Heck, should we go back to the hand of god? They certainly have the means and they certainly have the fans vote, I just don’t understand what is stopping them.

How about the ball? Well it seems to me that teams are finally getting used to it. Well David Villa is anyway...Iker Casillas may still want to get a few more reps in training under his belt before the Paraguay game.

The Netherlands look great right? They don’t look like they’re going to implode. Oh, wait – was that a player arguing with his coach for being subbed? Shame on you, Robin van Persie (pictured right). At least they are still together for now. They’ll need to be at Super Saiyan level to take on Brazil the way that Brazil is playing. Just on a side note, isn’t it hilarious to see Robinho playing at such a high level? It amuses me to think of the anguish of Manchester City fans.

Christiano Ronaldo has at least ended the discussion of who is the best player in the world at these finals. And it certainly isn’t him. The best thing he has done at the World Cup is score v North Korea. CV filler that is. Lionel Messi has been great for Argentina and with his team performing so well, and Ronaldo’s Portugal knocked out, this debate is over for now.

Just a quick update on the results, Paraguay defeated Japan this morning on penalties (5-3) after a 0-0 score line. Do you think the Japanese keeper has been taught to stop penalties because by the time the winning Paraguayan penalty was kicked by Oscar Cardoza, he was at least a yard off his line. Idiot. Spain also defeated Portugal 1-0 this morning to set up a quarterfinal meeting with Paraguay.

In yesterday’s results, Brazil defeated Chile 3-0 in a sublime performance (Brazil just jumped past Argentina to regain the favourites tag) and Holland beat Slovakia 2-1 in a solid performance. Look out for the two mouth watering quarter final clashes when Argentina take on Germany and Brazil face Holland. The final match is between Uruguay and Africa’s last hope, Ghana.

The Life of Rickie Fowler

Who had heard the name before June 2010? Although he had notched up two previous runner ups on the PGA Tour in the Waste Management Open in Phoenix in February and the Frys.com Open in October last year. Rickie Yutaka Fowler (the middle name comes from his Japanese Grandmother), turned pro near the end of 2009 after a sterling amateur career.

Fowler was ranked the number one amateur golfer in the world for 36 weeks but did never win a US Amateur. Fowler did play on a winning Walker Cup team (the amateur version of the Ryder Cup) and came 2nd in the Eisenhower Trophy (the pinnacle of amateur golf).

After Fowler turned pro at the end of 2009, he made an instant impact by finishing 2nd in the Frys.com open. Although the Memorial was Fowler’s third runner up, this is where he got noticed. Playing in one of the top fields of the year, in a tournament hosted by the golden bear, Jack Nicklaus, Fowler led going into the final round only to shoot a 73 and finish behind eventual winner, Justin Rose. This tournament catapulted Fowler into the top 50 in the world and ironically he is one place behind Rose in the World Rankings at 34.

The most prominent thing about Fowler is that he looks like he should be in a skating video, not stepping out onto the first tee. Wearing his tangerine pants, white jacket (with a tangerine top underneath) and a tangerine hat (pictured right), he certainly stood out (his fixation with tangerine is because he attended Oklahoma State University and their school colour is orange. With his hat shaped to look like that of a style similar to what 50 Cent would be seen in, you wondered how could this kid get away with it.

Tim Finchem, the director of the PGA Tour, must have seen $$$$$$$$ signs as soon as he saw Fowler step onto the course. Although not conventional clothes/colours, this kid is a promotional dream. Sportscenter highlights, sports illustrated, you name it, he’s been on it. MTV Cribs? Not yet but don’t count against it! The big thing about Fowler is that he actually has a lot of game.

You don’t get to be the number one amateur in the world without being able to swing a club. The strength of Fowler’s game is his ability to get the ball to the green. His driving stats and his greens in regulation are extremely good, but his scrambling and putting stats are below the PGA Tour average. His putting can be attributed to hitting more greens than everyone else meaning he has more birdie putts (longer putts) but his scrambling percentages are a worry. All the big tournaments now are played where the fairways are pretty tight and the rough is nasty, meaning if you miss a fairway, it is quite likely that you will miss the green. If Fowler is to get that first PGA Tour win, he’s got to improve his scrambling ability.

Sorry, i’m being far too harsh on the lad. He is only 21 and has already got three runner up finishes to his name and has already made $1.9m on the Tour this year alone and is 12th in the FedEx Cup points. Not too bad for a 21 year old. Keep an eye out for this one. As my friend Tom called him, the ‘Ubiquitous Rickie Fowler’.

Fifa World Cup Knockout Stages Preview and Predictions.

So here we are, the business end of the tournament. We have narrowed it down to 16 teams all within four games of glory. Will it be pre-tournament favourites Spain to win their first World Cup? Will it be Brazil winning their 6th World Cup? Can two time champions Uruguay turn back the clock? Let us have a look at how it is going to unfold below.

Game 1: Winner Group A v Runner up Group B

Uruguay v South Korea.

Both these teams come into this game on pretty good form, although Uruguay will be the favourites as they have two world class strikers in good form in Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez, not to mention their defence has not let in a goal yet. South Korea though will be very confident after escaping a tough group with Argentina, Greece, and Nigeria. I think the South Koreans will sneak this one in extra time. South Korea 2-1 (ET).

Game 2: Winner Group C v Runner up Group D

USA v Ghana

Both these teams are pretty fortunate to be here as they both sneaked through courtesy of last ditch heroics (USA) and goal differential (Ghana). With the USA having played admirably in their first two games to only get two draws, and then to snatch it at the death versus Slovenia, they will go into this game full of confidence. Landon Donovan is in great form, and Clint Dempsey looks like he could be finding his shooting boots. Ghana is the last African team left in the tournament and will have the whole of Africa behind them. Unfortunately this will not be enough against a very good USA side. USA 1-0.

Game 3: Winner Group B v Runner up Group A

Argentina v Mexico

In what will be the most one sided affair in this last 16, Argentina will comfortably get past Mexico. Mexico managed to qualify in their group thanks to a 2-0 win over an out of sorts French side, but this will be a different kettle of fish. Lionel Messi, Diego Milito, and Carlos Tevez will be hungry for more goals. Argentina 3-0.

Game 4: Winner Group D v Runner up Group C

Germany v England

In the big match of the last 16, thanks to England’s second place finish in their group, they get the pleasure of facing their good friends, Germany in the first knockout phase. The Germans have had a successful group stage, with a slip up against the Serbians, but otherwise looking very strong. The English have stuttered to the knockout stages, but they did beat Slovenia when they had to. I think this may be just what England need to kick start their campaign. I hope for the sake of the English that it doesn’t go to penalties! England 1-0.

Game 5: Winner Group E v Runner up Group F

Holland v Slovakia

The Dutch have looked perhaps the form side of the tournament so far, qualifying with a perfect record. They come up against a Slovakian side who just knocked Italy out of the World Cup. Although on form Slovakia could produce an upset, I feel that Slovakia just played their big game against Italy and could come unstuck against a Holland side made for knock out games. Holland 2-0.

Game 6: Winner Group G v Runner up Group H

Brazil v Chile

This game has the potential to be the most entertaining game of the round. Chile gave Spain a run for their money, endured countless yellows and a red card, and still qualified for the knockout phase. Brazil coasted through their qualifying and look to be gearing up for a deep run. Although Chile will get their playmaker Matias Fernandez back, I can’t see them being able to stop Brazil. Brazil 3-1.

Game 7: Winner Group F v Runner up Group E

Paraguay v Japan.

Paraguay have had a great tournament to date and will be a really dangerous side to face. If we remember, they did beat Argentina AND Brazil in qualification to get to these finals. Japan have also had a great tournament in beating more fancied sides, Denmark and Cameroon to qualify for the knockout phase. Although Japan will be defiant and look to counter, Paraguay has too much height and power. Paraguay 1-0.
Game 8: Winner Group H v Runner up Group G

Spain v Portugal

What a game. If Portugal can open this up, this could be a fantastic game. If Portugal decide to play defensively, they will lose. Spain will try to dominate possession (and probably will) and if they do, they will win. The only chance for Portugal is to involve Christiano Ronaldo as much as possible. When you have one of the best players in the world on your side, it is wise to use them (just like Cameroon ignored Samuel Eto’o, looked what happened to them). Unfortunately for Portugal, Spain are just too good. Spain 2-1.

First Quarter Final

South Korea v USA

Both teams will be scared to lose this game as the winner of this will get to go on to the semi final. This will be a heavily defensive game and could well finish 0-0 and go to penalties. The USA will have the edge thanks to Tim Howard in goal and inform front men. If South Korea can get an early goal, they should park the bus and hope for the best. I just think USA will win this one in what will be a cagey affair. USA 1-0.

Second Quarter Final

Argentina v England

This is where Fabio Capello and England come unstuck. In what has been a dodgy defence all year, this will be their first real test, and don’t expect them to pass it. Argentina has far too many ball players for England and expect them to score at least once. If Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, and Frank Lampard can find some form, this could be a cracker. Otherwise, look to see Maradona running around like a crazy man again. Argentina 2-1.

Third Quarter Final

Holland v Brazil

In what will be the first real test for Brazil, they must hold their nerve. Holland are a great side, and with Wesley Sneider, Arjen Robben, and Van der Vaart (excuse the spelling!) in midfield, Brazil will not be able to control possession. Brazil do have speed on their side and look for Maicon and Dani Alves to stretch the Dutch as wide as possible. If Robin van Persie has a good game, Holland has a real chance of winning. I can’t really separate these teams and this has all the makings of going to penalties. Brazil can thank their lucky stars that they have Julio Cesar on their side. 1-1 (Brazil go through 5-3 on penalties).

Fourth Quarter Final

Paraguay v Spain

As good as Paraguay has been, they have no chance in this game. Spain will dominate this from start to finish. They have too much speed, skill, and big game players to lose this. Spain 3-0.

First Semi Final

USA v Brazil

A battle of the Americas. North America v South America. In almost every other sport and facet of life, North America would win this one. Well this is football and Brazil will romp this. USA will be so amped up for this though and it will be close for a while. I can see USA sneaking into half time at 0-0 but I think that they will be slightly overawed and become a bit nervous as the game goes on. Brazil will secure this in about the 78th minute though Luis Fabiano before Robinho pleases the fans with a second goal right on the 90th minute. Brazil 2-0.

Second Semi Final

Argentina v Spain

What a great game this could be. The two form sides of the tournament line up. Spain carrying Europe’s hopes, will have to be at their very best to keep Argentina at bay. Spain will try to dominate the ball again, to try and keep it out of the Argentinian playmakers. If Spain can control the ball, they should be ok. Argentina will need to press Spain as much as possible without leaving themselves exposed at the back if they are to have a chance. Spain’s back four are not the best in world football and if they are put under pressure, they could be undone. I really can’t pick this one and since Spain have only once reached a World Cup semi (1950) and never a final, they may just feel the pressure of being favourites. Argentina 2-1 (ET).

Final

Brazil v Argentina

In a much anticipated final, the top two attacking sides reach the final. Brazil go into the final as slight favourites, looking to secure their sixth Fifa World Cup title. Argentina will be hoping to win their third title and first since the Mexico World Cup in 1986. This game will be very tight like all finals and will be won on who takes their opportunities. Brazil will look to push and dictate the game, whereas Argentina will look to hit on the counter and use the likes of Messi through the middle to create havoc. Hopefully this is a great game, it certainly has the players to make it one. I just can’t resist seeing possibly the worst manager at these finals (Maradona) going mental if the Argentinians win. It is all too much for me, and that is why I have to go with the blue and white. For the second consecutive game Argentina win 2-1 in extra time and their third World Cup title.

Football World Cup Team Grades and Reviews.

Here we go. The business end of the tournament. Although the World Cup started with a meandering walk, teams are now starting to pick up a head of steam. Now that the teams are starting to get used to the Jabulani ball (Japan) and it is now a must win scenario, we should start to see some cracking games. Let us have a quick look back at the group stage for each team.

Here are the grades for each eliminated team from their group stage performances.

Algeria: D
Australia: C+
Cameroon: C
Denmark: F
France: F
Greece: D-
Honduras: D
Ivory Coast: D
Italy: F
New Zealand: B+
Nigeria: D-
North Korea: D-
Serbia: C
Slovenia: C-
South Africa: B-
Switzerland: C-

Let us have a quick look back on the last week of action and reflect on some teams fortunes. I can’t start anywhere else apart from the All Whites heroic work. Three games, three draws. Finishing ahead of Italy, and going unbeaten. A truly herculean performance from a team full of 2 Premier league players, 1 Championship player, 3 ex non-league players, 1 Danish league player, a whole lot of A-leaguers, and a guy who works in a bank. Not bad when you compare that against the best of Seria A in the Italians, the skill and talent of the Paraguayans, and the craft of the Slovakians. Who will ever forget Winston Reid’s 94th minute equaliser? This is a sign of things to come for the All Whites as we have a relatively young squad and a lot of potential. Hopefully we can find a captain as great as Ryan Nelsen as it is doubtful he’ll be around in Brazil in four years time.

The French had a completely forgetful last six months (dating back to Thierry Henry’s dubious hand ball versus Ireland) and will want to get over this World Cup as quickly as possible. The Italians are the other big names to fall. Stuck in a group which was meant to be easy, all three teams (Paraguay, Slovakia, New Zealand) gave the Azzurri all they could handle.

The hosts South Africa were unlucky to go out on goal difference but they did also have the advantage of playing a French side who had all but boarded their plane home. Greece and Nigeria would have had high hopes of qualifying but South Korea managed to beat the Greece and held Nigeria to a draw.

Group C went according to the odds with Algeria and Slovenia missing out. It was not as predictable as many thought though after Slovenia and Algeria held USA and England to a 2-2 and 0-0 draw respectively. In the toughest group in my opinion, group D saw Australia and Serbia miss out. I think that Australia were extremely unlucky (especially with their two red cards) and the other teams will be pleased they don’t have to face the plucky Aussies. Serbia had an up and down World Cup after losing their opening game to Ghana and then defeating the much heralded Germans.

In a one sided group E, Cameroon and the hugely disappointing Denmark were the teams to miss out. Both of these teams would have fancied beating Japan and yet both fell to Japan. Group G saw Ivory Coast and North Korea miss out. Ivory Coast were beaten the moment that Portugal stuck 7 past North Korea. The North Koreans put up a good show versus Brazil, but that was all they could muster.


In the final group, group H, Switzerland and Honduras were the teams to miss out. The Swiss will be the most distraught after beating tournament favourites Spain in the opening match. After a blank against Chile they still had a chance to progress if they beat Honduras but were unable to break the Central Americans defence.

Driving range pro?

I write this post as a personal one, not really informative i'm afraid. As i'm living in New Zealand, winter is upon us and although our winters are generally a bit warmer than the North-East of England where I used to live, they are still not very pleasant.

I have a tee-time booked for tomorrow, but as of right now, i'm sitting next to a window, and all I can see is the rain pelting against it, almost cracking the glass as it is at such a pace. If you are familiar with my current location of Wellington, you will be aware of the wind that this city can create. If you think Chicago is the windy city, try living in Wellington! I remember at Miramar Golf Club in Wellington, I played a 6 iron from about 120 yards to pin high. The next hole I hit a pitching wedge (it was a par three) from 170 yards to pin high. You could barely stand up!

So the reason I write this article is, what do decent golfers do in winter? Yes you can brave the conditions and freeze your arse off and frustrate yourself, or you can go through a pretty easy course to become a PGA Qualified Pro and teach at your local range under shelter. If you can't be bothered getting qualified, just do what I have done in the past. Offer your mates free lessons (assumming you're better than them!), and in return they can pay for you to hit some balls at the driving range, or just drop you $40 for a couple hours. Not too bad to hang out with your mates and hit a few balls. Much cheaper for them and some pocket change for you for the 19th hole.

It all sounds pretty comfortable and it would be a nice life being a driving range pro...IF they all weren't pretentious dickheads! How does this title sound? "Brian Ridley - Driving Range Pro." Who would want lessons with a Brian Ridley? Do you think this guy could break 80 on a tough course? Driving range pros are mostly what they say, 'DRIVING RANGE PROS. Very good on the range, shit on the course. Anyway enough ranting, I guess what i'm saying, is that it would be quite a decent job to work on the range, but would you want to degrade yourself to that??

Right, so i'm off to the course tomorrow to freeze and frustrate myself. AND I CAN'T BLOODY WAIT!!!

Melbourne Storm Farce..

From my point of view, this is one massive joke!!! If you don't know what has happened, the National Rugby League (NRL) team, the Melbourne Storm have broken the salary cap. They have spent A$1.7m over the cap in the past five years. The players have apparently been given extra over the five years so the Storm can hold onto their marqee players. The farce is the punishment, the Storm have been stripped of their titles in 2007 and 2009, forced to repay A$1.1m in prize money (I think those two punishments are fair) but the final one is they have been stripped of their points so far this season (again fair) but will be unable to pick up any points for the remainder of this season!

Right, where to begin? The fact that all major sports and all major sports organisations do this in one way or another. Do football teams not offer players houses? Have you heard of the New York Knicks salary cap? Yeah, neither have they! All major sports teams do whatever it takes to keep their star players whether it be legal or not - these players put bums on seats and sells merchandise which in turn, makes the club more money to pay these players. I'm not endorsing cheating, but the penalty for something that happens often in sport, is not justified.

Lets look at the ramifications for this season. What a waste of time for the Storm. They can't be relegated as their is no lower league, they can't pick up any points, what incentive is there for the players, staff, fans to care? This is going to affect the whole competition, because some weeks the Storm will put out weakened teams (if not every week) and some weeks they'll put out stronger teams, effecting their opponents. Why didn't the NRL just strip them of their current points this year, and let them accumulate points from now on (let us assume they're still not going to be breaking the salary cap from now on). Because at least that way, with only four games played, they still have a realistic shot at making the playoffs, and it gives the organisation something to play for.

I'm not sure how loyal the players may be to the Storm, with nothing to play for this season, and depending on contracts (assuming they're still valid), some of the top-tier players may be tempted to go and join the Super League in England for a season and maybe more.

I hope for the Storm's sake that they can retain their top players, they go on and win every game this year, and stick it to the NRL for handing down such an obscene punishment.

Test Cricket's greatest XI

I was browsing the pages of Cricinfo yesterday and saw a shortlist of Pakistan's greatest batsmen. This gave me the idea to put out my greatest test team currently still playing. I have based this on the past ten years - not just the current form; the makeup of the team (e.g. not having the five best bowling averages in there and being all right arm quicks); performances in important games; and finally, the ability to take the game away from the opposition.

1: Virender Sehwag (India)

2: Graeme Smith (C) (South Africa)

3: Ricky Ponting (Australia)

4: Sachin Tendulkar (India)

5: V.V.S. Laxman (India)

6: Jacques Kallis (South Africa)

7: Brendan McCullum (New Zealand)

8: Daniel Vettori (New Zealand)

9: Mitchell Johnson (Australia)

10: Dale Steyn (South Africa)

11: Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka)

Openers: Virender Sehwag, Graeme Smith.

How could you argue against Sehwag? A test average of 53 (with a strike rate of 80!), 21 fifties, 19 hundreds, and a high score of 319. Just five days ago, Sehwag was named the sixth player to be named Wisden's Leading Cricketer of the year. His ability to take the game away from a team in a single session cements his spot as an opener in this team.

Graeme Smith may be the greatest captain of this generation. Taking over from Shaun Pollock, he was selected in dubious circumstances with other experienced players such as Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis being tipped for the role. He has turned South Africa into the best test team in the world with an insatiable hunger to win. With an average of 50, 26 hundreds to his name and over 11,000 international runs, Smith is the captain of this team.

No 3: Ricky Ponting

'Punter' as known by his teammates is ranked as Australia's No 2 cricketer of all time. When you think about the other players who have donned the green and gold, that is quite an achievement. Averaging 55 and with 12,000 runs, and 39 international hundreds, Ponting is the best batsment of the past decade which gets him in this team. He loses out on the captaincy due to being a wanker and losing two ashes series as captain.

No 4: Sachin Tendulkar.

Do I need to justify his inclusion? How about this. 'The Little Master' is one of the greatest of all time. I would rank him the 2nd greatest of all time. 13,447 test runs, 47 hundreds, 54 fifties, 166 matches, in his 21st season. These stats are just stupidly good. The reason he is at No 4, is because he spent the majority of his career playing here, even though he has spent time at 3 and opener.

No 5: V.V.S. Laxman.

This was a very difficult decision with AB de Villiers the other candidate. Laxman gets the nod on experience and the ability to perform in big test matches. With an average of 46 and 7,000 test runs, he has had a distinguished career. It is not his stats though that gets him his place. It is the torture he has supplied the Australians. Check the 2001 series in India and the 03/04 series in Australia and you can see why I have included him at 5.

No 6: Jacques Kallis.

The greatest all rounder of the past ten years (Flintoff would have been considered for this place had he not retired last year, Paul Collingwood was also considered), Kallis is a lock in this team. Although he has batted at No 3 for most of his career, No 6 is the spot he must occupy in this team if his place is to be warranted. Averaging 55 with the bat and 31 with the ball having taken 261 test wickets, he, along with Laxman, provide the backbone for this batting lineup.

No 7: Brendon McCullum.

This was another hard decision with no real stand out in this position since Gilchrist retired. With MS Dhoni and Boucher also worthy of this position, McCullum gets the nod over Boucher due to his ability to take over the game with the bat, and gets the nod over Dhoni thanks to his athleticism and versatility behind the stumps and in the field (check out New Zealand's ODI's vs Australia). McCullum can be a devestating batsmen at times, and with the batting prowess above him, he will likely be coming in with a platform laid).

No 8: Daniel Vettori.

A great spin bowler (the 2nd best NZ bowler off all time after Sir Richard Hadlee) and an unorthodox batsmen, any team would be greatful to have a Vettori to call upon. Having just played his 100th test vs Australia in March, Vettori has 361 wickets to his credit and has developed into the current No 1 ranked, test match bowler. He has turned into a fine batsmen, one that is a pain in the arse for opposition captains to set fields to due to his unorthodoxy.

No 9: Mitchell Johnson

Although having only made his debut at the back end of 2007, Johnson is a proven wicket taker. Taking 155 wickets in 34 tests with an average of 28 is almost unheard of these days, and with a batting average of 25, is a handy lower order batter. Johnson gets the nod here due to the lack of world class strike bowlers around at the moment.

No 10: Dale Steyn.

A devestating quick bowler, and the No 1 strike bowler for this team. A brilliant average of 23 with the ball, and 196 wickets in 38 tests makes him a genuine match winner. He has produced some memorable performances in the past three years but who can forget the Boxing Day test in Melbourne where he took 10 wickets and made 76 with the bat to help South Africa to their first ever test series win in Australia.

No 11: Muttiah Muralitharan.

How could we leave this man out? Perhaps the most controversial cricketer of all time with his unusual bowling style, 'Murali' has taken 792 wickets at 22. Yes that was 792 wickets!!! Such a great character of the game, and the amusement we get when he has a cricket bat in his hand (he can whack a good six though!), he and Vettori make up a devestating spin combo.

Obviously there are some notable absentees from this list and i'd like to know who you think should make it. The batting makeup is definitely the harder one to pick with the quality this generation has produced. The bowlers were hard to pick with a number of very good bowlers retiring in the last few years. Let me know your thoughts.

IPL...Exciting but becoming old?

I want to touch on the IPL today. Now first of all, i'm not talking about twenty twenty cricket, but the IPL in particular. I wonder if this annual tournament is going to become a detriment to the game of cricket and T2o's. At the minute, this tournament is fantastic - crowds of 50,000 regularly, a carnival atmosphere, the world's greatest cricketers split up into 8 teams. An auction to buy the greatest players? What excitement right? Well yes, at this point in time. Tell me, when Adam Gilchrist retires, when Sachin Tendulkar decides he has enough money, when Shane Bond's back gives in, when Kevin Pieterson decides to concentrate on test cricket, when Chris Gayle decides to spend more time with his family, when Shane Warne decides to take up his own bookies..the point i'm getting at is, are we all loving this tournament because of the games and teams or because of the old generation of great players who are coming to an end - basically an excuse to watch these greats play?

In my opinion the world's greatest cricket tournament is still the 50 over world cup, it's history, the ebbs and flows, and the excitement of a full day of cricket for the spectators. When you go to a game of cricket, you want to be able to have time to go to the toilet, read the sports pages in the newspaper, read the daily program before the batting team is 3-50, converse with your fellow fans, and of course, have a few beers. A game of cricket is one to be enjoyed, a relaxing day out. Sorry i'm getting away from the point here!

The IPL is a great competition, and hugely succesful at the moment. But in five years time when the golden generation of cricketers have all retired and all we have is young players no one has heard of; and players trying to make extra cash because they aren't good enough to play for their countries.

I think the day will come where this tournament will have to change, where it will not have the players to support the money being put into it. Unless of course, the next generation of cricketers is as good as the last?