Tag Archives: cricket

Sports

Sportzfan Radio #433

Leave a comment

The Professor and the panel of Sarah Radlow, Paul Dalligan, the Judge and Coutta discuss whether to ‘take a knee or not to take a knee’ and Quinton De Kock’s decision to choose not to play for South Africa in a T-20 match rather than be directed to take a knee. Paul Dalligan talks about the three Penrith Panther’s players issued with breach notices by the NRL for bringing the game into disrepute, the panel comment on Collingwood’s Jordan De Goey being arrested in New York for allegedly groping a woman and look at Adelaide United’s Josh Cavallo who announced during the week that he is gay. The Gelding provides some tips for today’s Mornington and Mortlake race meetings.

You can view this episode of Sportzfan Radio here.

Sports

Sportzfan Radio #422

Leave a comment

The Professor and the panel of Sarah Radlow, the Gelding, Coutta, Paul Dalligan and the Judge talk with special guest Lynne Anderson, the CEO of Paralympics Australia, Paul Dalligan reviews the NRL finals played to date and previews the Eels v Knights final, Coutta talks about unseeded Emma Raducanu’s stunning win in the women’s singles at the US Open, Sarah Radlow discusses Cricket Australia’s announcement that the one off Test match against Afghanistan may be cancelled and the Gelding gives his red hot tips for today’s Cranbourne and Donald race meetings.

You can watch this episode here.

Sports

Sportzfan Radio #419

Leave a comment

The Professor and the panel of the Judge, Coutta, Paul Dalligan and the Gelding discuss NRL round 23, the final round of the AFL including coaches on the hot seat, Justin Langer’s position as Australian cricket coach and the Gelding gives his tips for today’s Sale and Swan Hill race meetings.

You can watch this episode here.

Sports

Sportzfan Radio show for 29 November 2020 (Ep 376)

Leave a comment

If you missed today’s Sportzfan Radio, special guest, Brett Phillips from SEN discussed how Covid-19 and quarantining are affecting the arrangements for the Australian Open. Dan Butterly spoke about the start of the NCAAB season, the adjustments to the NFL schedule caused through Covid-19, Dallas being the new home of US cricket and Vanderbilt’s Sarah Fuller making history by being the first female kicker in football for a Power 5 conference team. The panel also discussed Hawthorn FC’s appointment of an all female coaching staff for their VFLW team and the questionable appoinment of a CEO by Football Queensland.

You can see the show on our Facebook page.

Podcast, Sports

Sportzfan Radio – 7 July 2019 – Show #348

Leave a comment

On yesterday’s show the panel spoke with US correspondent, Dan Butterly about the the recent NBA draft and free agency period and the season so far in Major League Baseball. We also spoke State of Origin with Paul Dalligan and Mark Fiorenti previewed the women’s soccer World Cup final between the USA and the Netherlands. A new panellist was introduced to the show too.

You can hear the podcast of the show now.

News, Sports

Weekend musing – Cricket, South African tour, Football, Robbie Gray, Racing, Winx….

Leave a comment

The much anticipated test series in South Africa started overnight and all the Australian batsman bar Cameron Bancroft got a start and did not go on to get a century. I have always said that 350 runs in the first innings of a test match is par and at the time of writing the Aussies need another 125 runs with 5 wickets in hand. Our bowlers can bat a bit so hopefully one of Mitch Marsh or Tim Paine go on to make a ton and this would place Australia in a good position to win the test match. Cameron Bancroft must be one of the luckiest players in world cricket at the moment, he has had nine innings at the top of the order and if you take out his 82 not out in the second innings of the first Ashes test he is averaging less than 13 runs. Peter Hanscombe had three failures at the start of the Ashes with one of those innings being a 32 in difficult conditions in Adelaide and he lost his place in the team with an average of 47. He must wonder why someone who hasn’t proved themselves gets more chances than he got. I certainly do!

Earlier this week Robbie Gray from Port Adelaide chose to challenge a suspension for a head high hit on Jeremy McGovern. The AFL has changed the process this year and Michael Christian is the sole arbiter on penalties so in my opinion the tribunal was never going to overturn the first challenge to one of his decisions. To my mind this was a complete waste of $10,000 by Port Adelaide.

Winx, the biggest name in Australian horse racing, makes her return to the track this weekend and again it is hard to see her getting beaten. The only real chance could be the VRC Derby winner Prized Icon who may have an edge in fitness.

Have a great weekend!!

News, Sports

The Professor’s Friday musing – White beats Maxwell for Australian ODI squad spot

Leave a comment

The Australian selectors aren’t paying due regard to the long term future of the Australian One Day International team with its choice of Cameron White to replace Chris Lynn in the squad for the coming matches against England. White is 34 and whilst he has had a reasonable start to the Sheffield Shield and Big Bash seasons, one wonders what caused a change of heart by Australian Chairman of Selectors, Trevor Hohns. You may recollect Hohns’ comments twelve months ago after White had criticised the selection of Sam Heazlett in the Australian ODI squad. He said “Cameron has had plenty of opportunities … he has had plenty of opportunities in the past and it’s probably fair to say performed okay without being earth shattering”. Not the most flattering of opinions and a fair put down for a pro sportman.

Whether Hohns believes White’s form has improved to the extent to be now included in the squad or White has served his penance for the criticism of the selectors, those selectors feel White is better than anything Glenn Maxwell can produce at this stage of his career. For whatever reason there appears to be a rift between Maxwell, the selectors and Australian captain Steve Smith. One only needs to look at Smith’s recent comments about Maxwell to gain a hint on where the problem might lie. Smith suggested Maxwell should change his training practices. If the skipper makes those observations it a safe bet it will be a while before Maxwell is considered for further ODI duty.

Maxwell has the flair and more importantly, the ability to play the one day game at the highest level and at 29 represents more of the future for Australian cricket than White does at 34. Whatever the reason for the disconnect between Maxwell and the Australian cricket hierarchy, it is up to the selectors and the skipper to resolve it so that the best possible team can be put together for the 2019 World Cup and in my opinion, Maxwell is in that side!

News, Sports

Monday musing – cricket, when is it too hot to play?

Leave a comment

It is no surprise that English cricket captain, Joe Root was admitted to hospital last night suffering the effects of severe dehydration. Root spent nearly all day on the field yesterday during the fifth test at the SCG. He was so badly affected that he did not resume batting this morning and was replaced at the crease by Moeen Ali. What is surprising was that other English or Australian players didn’t end the day in hospital as well.

Sydney’s weather was described as a ‘scorcher’ yesterday, with the temperature in Penrith at 3.00pm hitting 47.3C degrees – the highest temperature recorded since 1939. The temperature at the SCG was not far behind at 43C but a ‘heat stress tracker’ at the ground showed a reading of 57.6C on the oval.

It is unfathomable to me that Cricket Australia would send the players out to play in such heat and allow them to remain on the field all day. This is an occupational health and safety issue that cannot be ignored. The Australian Open tennis tournament suspends play when the temperature reaches 40C, many enterprise bargaining agreements allow for employees to cease work when the temperature reaches 35C and I am aware of one football league that does not permit training or matches to be played where the temperature exceeds 30C.

The question remains why cricketers are treated differently to workers and other sporting participants? It seems ironic that it is quite permissible for cricketers to leave the field when it rains but don’t have the same latitude when it gets too hot. With the hospitalisation of an elite cricketer, Cricket Australia needs to take action to impose a temperature limit on all matches under its control.

News, Sports

Wednesday musing – cricket, MCG pitch mania…….

Leave a comment

The International Cricket Council (‘ICC’) has now called the MCG pitch ‘poor’ based on the report by match referee, Ranjan Madugalle. It hasn’t taken the press long to jump all over that with the Age reporting that the MCG pitch produced for the Boxing day Test has become ‘infamous’ because it is the first Australian pitch to be described as poor. If that pitch was poor, then I wonder how pitches prepared on the sub-continent or in England would be described?

One only needs to Google the topic to find descriptions of sub-continent pitches as ‘diabolical’ and ‘a minefield’. One article reported the much vaunted South African Proteas’ batting line-up being skittled for a mere 79 runs with 33 of 40 wickets taken in the match falling to spin. In the 2015 Ashes series, there were complaints that pitches at Trent Bridge and the Oval had been doctored to suit England. In the Trent Bridge Test, Australia made only 60 runs and were all out before lunch on day one.

Certainly the MCC served up nothing as bad as that. The match referee’s rating was driven by his view that the pitch did not allow an even contest between bat and ball. Is that a bad thing? Clearly the ICC thinks so but I think it is much ado about nothing. But the fans didn’t agree as 260,000 spectators watched the Melbourne Test over the full five days.

With the new ICC points system coming in from 1 January 2018, the MCG has dodged being slapped with a three point penalty. Any ground that totals five points over a five year period can be
suspended from being used for ICC matches for one year. Given the past history of Test pitches, it would seem there will be plenty of grounds not seeing Test cricket due to suspension….can the ICC or Cricket Australia afford to suspend a ground that draws a crowd of 260,000? I think not!

What do you think?

News, Sports

Weekend musing – cricket, the Ashes, a ‘lifeless’ pitch…..

Leave a comment

The MCG curator must have felt sorry for the English cricket team with the pitch he turned out that was more in keeping with slower English conditions. As I expected, the match ended in a draw with the Aussies retaining a 3-0 lead in this Ashes series.

Since stumps were called yesterday, I have read and listened with interest to the pundits advocating long and loud for a ‘better’ pitch at the MCG. Those making the call include Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland, Cricket Victoria CEO Tony Dodemaide and MCC CEO Stuart Fox. A comment was even provided by the Australian captain Steve Smith. Apparently, the pitch was ‘lifeless’ and needed to provide ‘more variation’. Smith’s observations appear a bit disingenuous given he and his team were batting to save the match and prevent an unlikely England win. I am sure he and the other Australian batsmen were pleased that the ball was bouncing straight and true on day five of the match.

Correct me if I am wrong, but test match cricket has three possible results….a win, loss or draw and, unlike in most other sporting contests, the ‘dead rubber’ matches are still played. While limited over matches have their place in the lexicon of cricket, they should not be used as a yard stick to judge test cricket. They are different games with different expectations. In my opinion, the commentators have been blinded by the hit and giggle of the short form of the game and seem to want all cricket played the same way, finishing with a win or loss.

Having been raised watching five day test matches, I find the battle of wits and skill over the extended period to be a true ‘test’ of ability. It is clearly still a popular form of the game as more than 88,000 flocked to the first day of the MCG test, even though the series had already been decided in Perth the week before. I did read with interest pitch critics saying the pitch was to blame for the fall off in attendance after day one. I think those writers conveniently overlooked the fact that Boxing day was a holiday but many people needed to return to work the next day.

Have a great New Year!