Friday, July 31, 2009

Round 17 2009 Adelaide v Port Adelaide

Your commentators are Alex Malcolm and Chris Robinson for Showdown XXVII from AAMI Stadium. Showdowns are always important as there is no love lost between the two South Australian sides but this one is particularly important as the Crows attempt to maintain pressure on the top four, while the Power after re-signing their coach need a win to keep their finals hopes alive. Click on the links below for the call.

Preview
1st term
2nd term
3rd term
4th term
Wrap up

Round 15 2009 West Coast v St Kilda

Your commentators are Alex Malcolm and Tim Serjeant for Sunday afternoon football from Subiaco as St Kilda crossed the nullarbor to meet West Coast. The Saints are the only undefeated side left in the competition after an outstanding victory over Geelong, while West Coast return home after suffering their 18th consecutive loss interstate. To add to the ignominy they were beaten by wooden spoon favourites Melbourne. This wasn't a terribly attractive advertisement for the game of AFL, and the expert commentator took the opportunity to display his comedy stylings.

Preview
1st term
2nd term
3rd term
4th term
Wrap up

N.B Apologies for the late posting of this. There has been an issue with the file sharing site that houses the mp3 files. It has been resolved now.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Never give a sucker an even break

Ashes 2009 First Test, Day 3 from Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. England 435 (Pietersen 69, Hauritz 3-95) Australia 5 for 479 (Ponting 150, Katich 122, Clarke 83, North 54no)

All of the questions that were asked prior to the start of this test match surrounded the Australian attack. What would be the make-up and the English questioned if they are up to standard considering the enormous shoes that were left to fill by Messers Warne and McGrath.

But at the close of day three the question marks firmly surround the England attack. It was another day dominated by Australian stroke-play and only rain halted their progress towards a significant and possible match-winning lead.

Ironically the day, to a certain extent, mirrored day one of this test match with some crucial differences. Australia cruised out of the blocks. You would expect nothing less from two men with centuries under their belt. Ricky Ponting and Simon Katich picked up where they left off on Thursday evening. Their partnership climbed quickly past 200.

England and Andrew Strauss had some decisions to make during that short period. There were nine overs from the first ball of the day until the new Duke was due. Strauss went with Stuart Broad and Monty Panesar, a clear indication Strauss was hedging his bets. Broad, bar exploding one ball through the top, hardly moved one off the straight. Strauss then turned to spin from both ends and the experienced Australian pair milked 40 off the first ten forcing England’s hand regarding the new ball.

It was a blessing in disguise as the game suddenly sprung to life. Firstly the crowd lifted with the introduction of Andrew Flintoff. His first ball was Harmison-esque in exercising umpire Aleem Dar. But he found some extra pace and hurried the Australian pair. Katich was beaten outside his off-stump and then pinned on the back by the big Lancastrian.

Jimmy Anderson swung the new ball at the other end and finally deceived Katich. A yorker swerved late back into the left-hander and Billy Doctrove had no choice but to finally raise his finger. Katich’s exit, after a superb 122, cued the entry of a nervous Mike Hussey.

Why he was nervous is an interesting aside. A week ago in Worcester he peeled off a majestic 150 and a flawless 62 not out. He had looked relaxed and assured, and his footwork and timing looked as sharp and as sweet as ever after his leanest 12 months in test cricket.

But the crucible of an Ashes test exposed the one doubt that Hussey had, which was his runs had not come in a test match. His helmet was clattered by Flintoff, and his feet were anchored as he drove at another full delivery from Anderson. The vagaries of swing bowling saw this ball hold its line when Hussey expected otherwise and Prior’s second catch shifted momentum back in England’s favour.

Ponting remained redoubtable. His 13th score of 150 in test cricket was a formality. It was obvious he was looking further into the future. He has four test double centuries but none against England. That thought vanished as he trudged off for an even 150, when a short ball from Panesar stopped in the wicket. Ponting, through the shot too soon, dragged it onto the stumps. His reaction, to his only mistake, could well have been noted by England’s top order that is renowned for being satisfied with consistent half-century scores. Ponting was far from satisfied. He was furious.

One more and England could have realistically considered a first-innings lead. Michael Clarke and Marcus North negotiated an awkward period to lunch. Both would return far from set, just as Pietersen and Collingwood had on day one.

And just as Ponting had turned away from his quicks after lunch on day one, Strauss played the same card. North and Clarke like Pietersen and Collingwood pulled the same three-card trick. Both are very accomplished players of spin. Clarke’s record on the subcontinent is outstanding. His footwork here was dazzling. He danced to anything tossed up, and propped and swiveled on anything short. All in the blink of an eye, and each shot found the rope.

North should not have been an unknown quantity to the England side given he has represented five counties in his decade-long professional career. North looked like an old county pro. He had a confident swagger, no doubt fuelled by his 191 not out in Worcester. He was not as fleet-footed as Clarke, but he struck the ball powerfully from his zones. He punched full-chested off the back foot, and he slog swept emphatically and successfully from one knee. And when Broad and Collingwood tempted him wide he showed no interest.

Both players cruised to half-centuries without trouble and without having to face Flintoff. Strauss’ two main men spent time off the field during the middle session. If indeed they were injured, questions must be asked of their fitness. If indeed they weren’t, questions must be asked of Strauss.

Flintoff’s return late in the session asked more questions than it answered. Clarke, not a naturally puller, swatted him twice forward of square as Flintoff’s usually “heavy ball” looked significantly lighter. Tea came and went and with the partnership paused momentarily at 132 the rain saved England’s day.

Australia’s lead was paused for two hours. They returned in artificial light, a first for test cricket in England, which only provided enough time for Clarke to glove Broad down the leg-side for the young quicks first wicket.

Clarke’s frustration at his exit for 83 was obvious. It would have compounded when both terms returned to rooms shortly after as the light was deemed insufficient to continue with Australia’s lead at 44.

Sadly for Ricky Ponting’s side the weather has settled in, and with the forecast looking gloomy their prospects of a win first up look equally bleak.

But it is not as bleak as England’s predicament. Their attack has failed to intimidate Australian batting. Their duel spin selection has not worked, and whilst false-assessment of the Sophia Gardens surface will be blamed the quality of their arsenal deserves examination. Monty Paneser had played just two of their last six test matches, having claimed just five wickets from those outings, whilst Graeme Swann has played just seven test matches. His 34 wickets at 28.78 look impressive, but the quality of those scalps can be questioned when 26 are players from the lowly ranked West Indies, and 23 are left-handers. That Ponting and Clarke picked him apart given those figures is hardly surprising.

Without Flintoff England would be battling. His first spell on day’s two and three were exceptional and game-shaping, but his failure to fire later in the day reeks of a man without significant cricket under his belt.

The England attacks best hope is the weather. They can also hope that their batsman can replicate Australian stubborn wont in search for three figure scores. The term “never give a sucker an even break” has never been truer.

Pontiff Ponting restores the faith

Ashes 2009 First Test, Day 2 from Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. England 435 (Pietersen 69, Hauritz 3-95) Australia 1 for 249 (Katich 104no, Ponting 100no)

While the current Australian Prime-Minister visited the head of the Catholic Church yesterday, a former Prime-Minister was in the audience for a sermon from Australian cricket’s current Holy See.

And what a sermon it was as the Pontiff, Australian Captain Ricky Ponting, with his trusted Camerlengo Simon Katich in tow, sent a message to England with his 38th test century.

Like the late Pope John Paul II there have been questions about the ailing nature of the Australian leader. His form over the last eight months has been as poor as any period of his Pontificate. Prior to today he had averaged just 39.13 since the first Border-Gavaskar test in October 2008. A more pertinent statistic concerns his two hundreds in that time. His 123 on day one in Bangalore led to a draw, and his 101 and 99 on Boxing Day could not allay a loss. Before that the last time Ponting made a test century in a losing side was his 242 in Adelaide against India six years and 17 test centuries ago.

Not only that, his tactical leadership and man management is much maligned and his performance over the first four sessions in Cardiff did little to detract his doubters.

But the Pontiff’s leadership by example can never be questioned, and his sustained success is virtually unparalleled. He became the fourth player in test history to conquer 11,000 test runs, his average higher than the three others who have tasted that rarified air. A footnote on this innings was that it was the fifth time as captain he posted a century with his first innings of a series.

He needed it though.

After Australia had fought back late on day one their start on day two was nothing short of insipid. The England tail did what Australia’s has done so often. The tail frustrated Australia in 2005 and today it was a sense of déjà vu.

The Australians handled the situation poorly and paid a price. Ponting ignored his best bowler from day one in Ben Hilfenhaus in preference for Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle. There was none of the fire and brimstone that had removed Andrew Strauss and Ravi Bopara the previous morning; instead they bowled very poorly to Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad. Despite the pudding-like surface, why the English tail was not sniffing leather beggared belief. Equally why Ponting positioned a protective cover rather than a third slip also baffled onlookers.

To make matters worse after Broad departed when his strides redirected the ball onto the stumps, Ponting turned to Nathan Hauritz to bowl at Graeme Swann and Anderson. The pair swatted and swiped their way to a 68-run stand off just 53 balls. In no more than half an hour the test match could well have slipped through Australia’s grasp. Hauritz was also guilty of a most heinous crime. He claimed Swann’s scalp off a no-ball and while the legitimacy of the call could be debated endlessly the fact that as an off-spinner he even came close to overstepping is a cardinal sin. Australia delivered 12 no-balls, the most no-balls they have delivered since Boxing Day, and Hauritz’s mistake conjured memories of Edgbaston and Old Trafford four years ago when Australia claimed Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan with over-strides. Fortunately the cost in Cardiff was just one run as opposed to the 189 between the English pair four years ago.

England’s additional 99 sent the total past 400. It is just the fifth time in four home summers an England line-up has achieved a total they conquered three times in 2005.

It would be a long climb for Australia but they began aggressively. Phillip Hughes only knows one way. The absence of Steve Harmison who tormented the 20-year-old at Worcester was noticeable early. Anderson and Broad either missed the memo or chose to ignore it as they fed Hughes’ cut short. Hughes impressed further with some wonderful back-foot drives through cover. But where Anderson and Broad failed to execute Andrew Flintoff succeeded. He first came around the wicket to Hughes to unsettle him, and then moved back over as he nudged 150km/h. Hughes tried to cut one that started across him and seamed back. A bottom edge was neatly claimed by Prior and England’s talisman was up and firing.

It was a superb spell from Flintoff. He nearly claimed Katich. A return catch offered did not quite wedge in the fingers, but for the most part the Australian pair dealt with him well.

Ponting looked sharp from his arrival. His balance was a feature, his footwork emphatic and decisive, and his first boundary, a crushing pull shot through square leg sent shudders down English spines. The supposed ailing Pontiff looked as impenetrable and indefatigable as ever.

Katich was the Pontiff’s Camerlengo. His work has been the most valuable for Australia in the last 12 months. He is a born again test cricketer, his failures in 2005 led to his dismissal from the side. But his reinvention as an opener has been a revelation if not unsurprising. He is one of the most experienced heads in the Australian XI, and although he does not covet the Australian cricket papacy, nor is he the papabile, in the Pontiff’s absence he could conceivably lead, yet in his company his worth is even more valuable.

Despite Flintoff’s drop, and a couple of close lbw shouts, Katich played beautifully in his own unfashionable style. Anything wide was placed with ease either side of point. Anything straight was tucked into the leg-side. Anything full was driven effectively and without flourish.

Katich absorbed deliveries and pressure like the veteran professional that he is. His eighth test century was not his best, but it will be one of his most cherished. He slayed some demons from 2005, and capped a dominant 14 months where he has averaged 57 with six centuries. He is the bedrock of this new Australian side.

Katich was the perfect foil for Ponting. Their 189-run stand looks set to continue on a Cardiff surface that has perplexed all pundits. It is a Cardiff-con job. All of the pre-match centred on spin. The Australian’s were told to expect an examination equal of Mendis and Muralitharan in Kandy, or Harbhajan and Karthik in Mumbai. Instead Panesar and Swann in Cardiff were no more frightening than Eddie Hemmings and Nick Cook in Nottingham 1989.

On that occasion Australia made 6 for 602. They will need a similar number here to set up a positive result. If the Pontiff continues his sermon for two more hours on day three it will become a distinct possibility.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Overwhelmingly underwhelming

Ashes 2009 First test, Day 1 from Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. England 7 for 336 (Pietersen 69, Collingwood 64, Prior 56, Hilfenhaus 2-63)

After all of the prognostications and pontifications, the build-up and the hype, day one of the 2009 Ashes series was overwhelmingly . . . underwhelming.

If you recall day one 2005, in front of a packed house at Lords, 17 wickets fell in an afternoon of carnage. Steve Harmison spilt blood, and claimed five scalps, before Glenn McGrath claimed his 500th and scattered stumps.

Day one 2006 in Brisbane was equally as eye-catching because an emphatic statement was made. Ricky Ponting, the maligned Australian captain and the first antipodean leader asked to regain the Ashes in two decades, thumped 137 unconquered to crush English ambition in no less than six hours.

But today, Cardiff, the Welsh not English capital, was underwhelming in so many ways. First of all, the venue failed to fire. Sophia Gardens had a festival game atmosphere as opposed to the cauldron of the Gabba or the buzz of Lords. It is essentially the equivalent of moving the first Ashes test in Australia to the Basin Reserve in Wellington.

Secondly, the wicket was not conducive to exciting cricket. So many had predicted a raging turner, indeed both captain’s did considering three specialist spinners were named but in the end it was a Cardiff-con job. It was an English pudding, typical of a county ground anywhere in the country. It was low, slow, and what odd-turn there was was so slow it failed to deceive.

Australia’s selection, rather than bold was baffling. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but Stuart Clark, a man with 26 Ashes wickets costing 17 apiece, including Alistair Cook and Andrew Strauss four times each, was left to read his name in every possible XI published in the papers but not on the scoreboard as the players took the field.

Australia in his place picked the specialist spinner in Nathan Hauritz. Hauritz had been hammered in the warm-up games and whilst he was admirable in delivering 19 overs for 67 and claiming the prized scalp of Kevin Pietersen, he bowled with an exceptionally defensive field and hardly troubled Pietersen and Paul Collingwood during the middle session. Given Australia had Marcus North in their line-up, a man who has more first-class wickets than Hauritz, at a better average with a five-wicket haul which Hauritz lacks, it made little sense to see the New South Welshman play when North could have filled the same role with the same effectiveness and Clark could have played as he would have undoubtedly unsettled an England line-up who he tormented in 2006-7 with his unwavering accuracy.

The Australian quicks failed to inspire on a wicket that gave them little help. Admittedly it was the most inexperienced Australian Ashes attack since the World Series schism in 1978 but given the performance of this trio in South Africa the expectations weren’t overblown. Mitchell Johnson was nowhere near his best as Cook and Strauss cruised through the first ten overs untroubled. A mistake from Cook gifted Hilfenhaus with his first Ashes scalp thanks to an outstanding snare from Michael Hussey in the gully.

Hussey’s horizontal heroics ignited the Australians. Peter Siddle’s introduction was impressive. He literally tickled Ravi Bopara’s throat and unsettled England’s new number three. Johnson returned to replace Hilfenhaus and, despite an underwhelming first spell, lifted a cog. He found an extra gear to surprise the England Captain who gloved a sharp bouncer to slip. He then deceived Bopara with an outstanding slower ball to end arguably the most bizarre Ashes debut innings in recent memory.

Pietersen and Collingwood were the key. But you would not have known it.

They returned from lunch 6 and 5 respectively, and Ponting only gave two overs each to Hilfenhaus and Siddle before turning to Hauritz. The off-spinner bowled to a field flung far and wide and let the England pair cruise along at four per over. It reminded you of day one in Adelaide in 2006. On that occasion Collingwood ended up making 206 and Pietersen 158, ironically the man to break the partnership that day was of course Stuart Clark, but in his absence England’s two middle order pillars meandered along at ease.

It was an atypical Pietersen. His 69, which took 141 balls with just four boundaries, seemed even to bore him. In the end he outsmarted himself with the most ambitious of paddle sweeps. But while “Fleet Street” will all but stone him for his dismissal in reality he was extremely lucky to survive an LBW appeal from Hilfenhaus on 61.

Hilfenhaus was the pick of the Australian bowlers. His swerve and consistency was impressive. He removed Collingwood and could have had a couple more.

The Australians were a little lacklustre after that as Matt Prior produced the innings of the day. Andrew Flintoff supported him well albeit perhaps not as convincing as English pundits would suggest. Flintoff was unlucky to fall to Siddle, who continues to impress with his sustained energy and fire. His last spell was every bit as good as his first, and he was rewarded with a second scalp when he swung one through Prior’s gate.

The day was summed up by Strauss sending in a night-watchman in Jimmy Anderson to protect number eight Stuart Broad.

England fans will feel England claimed the opening day, Australian fans vice versa. The reality is there were no winners on day one. But as overwhelmingly underwhelming a day it was it makes today’s viewing compellingly compulsive.

Wimbledon Wrap

My friend and mentor, tennis enthusiast Julian Dowse has written a Wimbledon wrap with an eye on past and present. Julian is a published writer on politics and history, but tennis and more particularly Wimbleson is one of his great passions.

This year’s Wimbledon tournament was blessed by the hottest weather that the tournament had seen since 1984.

Needless to say this happened in the year that the tournament had prepared for rain by having the retractable roof available for use over the Centre Court. It was, however, pleasing to see the roof used once when some drizzle interrupted a match being played by arguably the most improbable number one seed in the history of the Ladies Championships. The name of this imposter will be a trivial pursuit question of note in the years to come. The roof was kept closed and the lights came on to enable Andy Murray to defeat a stubborn Stanislas Wawrinka in a fourth round match. Given the number of Polish electricians that have moved to England in recent years, it was fitting that a Pole should enjoy the nightlights given some of his compatriots probably installed them.

The Championships of 1984 were significant for many reasons. John McEnroe was at his sublime best in disposing Connors in straight sets in shorter time than Martina took to best Chris Evert in straight sets in a gripping Ladies final. Also, in 1984 all the 1983 Champions in every adult event retained their titles.

This year’s warm weather almost led to a similar conclusion. The Mens and Ladies Doubles champions were the same as 2008, the Williams sisters played off another final as they did last year and Federer was there, yet again, in his seventh successive final. He still has two to go to match Martina’s run of nine straight finals from 1982-1990. Not to be outdone, Martina was back again this year to win the Ladies Invitational Doubles title.
And, in a further concession to the very warm weather it seemed fitting that Wimbledon had one half of its Mixed Doubles Champions, Mark Knowles, hailing from the tropical Bahamas, at the ripe old age of 38.

The Ladies’ Championships failed to excite. The manner in which the supposed new generation of champions- Safina, Jankovic, Ivanoic, Kuznetzova- all disappeared without angst from the tournament was very disappointing. It left the way for the Williams sisters to claim their eighth title in ten years. Yes, Serena’s semi-final win was exciting, but did anyone really believe that even in Dementieva had won, there would not have been a Williams victory in the final?

The Men’s Championships saved, as in recent years, its best until last. For the third year in a row we had a five set final. The best two players of the fortnight deserved their places in the Men’s final. Andy Roddick had to beat a resilient Hewitt and the hometown hero Andy Murray, who arguably had the best form of all players leading into the tournament, in successive matches to make his third Wimbledon final.

In winning these matches, one noticed that Roddick was truly a resurgent player. For so long he seemed to be a player that lived and died by his serve alone. However, here was a player now able to execute powerful and deft groundstrokes and volleys.

Federer had by far an easier draw, with losses by Djokovic, Verdasco and Tsonga providing him with some relatively pedestrian opponents en route to the final- the highest seed he played was 13th seeded Soderling in his third round match

Roddick has every reason to feel almost schizoid about his loss. He only lost his serve once, and that being in the game that decided the championships. Roddick should remember that Stefan Edberg famously lost a semi-final to Michael Stich in 1991 6-4, 6-7,6-7,6-7 and quipped afterwards that he felt a little cheated because “ I never lost my serve”. Yes, Roddick should have won the second set tiebreaker, but who is to say that would have been definitive? Last year Federer lost the first two sets, but still took it to a fifth set and stared down championship points on the way. Roddick fought back to break Federer’s serve in the fourth set, only to be rewarded with the agony of having to serve second in the decider. Funnily enough, it was Federer’s serve that was far more dominating with him serving a remarkable 50 aces- that’s 6-0, 6-0, 30-0 in free points.

The final set although long did not match the quality of the fifth set of last year’s final. Roddick and Federer pushed through their respective service games with an almost numbing sense of rhythm. The 26 games of the second and third sets took a total of 90 minutes. The historic 30 games of the final set were similarly paced, lasting 95 minutes. Federer gave Roddick only two break chances, both in the same game and Federer took his chance on the first of the two break points offered to him. There was little of the pulsating rallying of last year’s final. This year’s final set was about attrition, last year’s was about high drama.

In the end, the courtside post-match interview gave me an insight into the psychological margin that Federer surely believed he had over Roddick. In a rather clumsy way Federer told Roddick not to worry about his loss because he “had disaster last year”- Roddick shot back “yeah, but you had won it five times”. That’s the point- Federer thought losing last year was a disaster because he never expected or wanted to lose. Like all the legendary champions, Federer has an air of proprietorial control of Centre Court. It is going to take a great player, equally convinced of his own ability to oust Federer from what he sees as his rightful place. Nadal was that player last year. This year Roddick convinced himself and many others that he may still be that player.

Julian Dowse
7th July 2009

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Round 14 2009 St Kilda v Geelong

Never before have two sides met so deep into a season with unblemished records. It all changed on Sunday afternoon. The heavyweight bout between St Kilda and Geelong took place under the roof at Etihad Stadium in front of 54,444 fans. Alex Malcolm and Chris Robinson are your commentators for the biggest home and away clash of this season, and it didn't disappoint.

Preview
1st term
2nd term
3rd term
4th term
Wrap-up