Are the West Indies back?

I was watching the recently concluded series between Australia and the West Indies and I apart from the one sided first test it was thrilling stuff. The way Chris Gayle played in the second test was fantastic, but it was the 3rd test that really had me watching the series with great interest.

Everyone knows what a great team the West Indies once were, particularly in the 80’s, but there were signs in this test, just like in the 2nd test, that the West Indies may be starting an upward curve, after years of mediocrity. From the century of young Adrian Barath in the 1st test, to the hard earned century by Gayle in the 2nd and the emergence of fast bowler Kemar Roach, the Caribbean’s have shown that they are building a team capable of doing well again. Take Barath for example, whilst batting in the nets as an 11 year old, he was touted by none other than Brian Lara, as being a star for the future. Scoring that century on debut showed that Lara was certainly right. Then the there is the way Chris Gayle has lead the side. He has lead the team from the front, first scoring an almost match winning century against his normal aggressive instincts and then secondly hitting the 5th fastest test century in test history. He has the team believing in themselves again, shown by how they came close to winning the 2nd test and also by how they fought back after the Aussies scored 520/7 dec. in the first innings. They went on to bowl the Australians out for just 150 in the 2nd innings and came within 35 runs of levelling the series.

So although they may have lost the series 2-0, but it could have been so much different had they won that second test, or had Chanderpaul, Barath and Fidel Edwards been available. The talent is certainly there, with the experience of Gayle, Chanderpaul, Bravo and Sarwan, and quality youngsters like Roach, Barath, Dowlin, Deonarine, Nash it is certainly looking brighter for West Indies cricket and that can only be good for cricket!

How the teams compare ahead of series

So seeing that the much anticipated test series between South Africa and England is almost upon us, I think its an ideal time to write about how I rate the two teams in comparison to each other. England have come off a massive Ashes series victory this year while SA were as close as last month ranked as the number 1 team in test cricket. It promises to be a close affair but who has the edge? Here’s how the two lineups compare.

Openers : Graeme Smith and Ashwell Prince are fairly new when it comes to opening batsmen combinations. Despite the wealth of experience I think England have the edge here as Strauss and Cook are solid openers capable of giving England good starts. Strauss also did well the last time he was here on tour so expect England to be lead well by their skipper.

No. 3: Hashim Amla vs Ian Bell. This one I feel Amla will win. The elegant right hander has been consistent in recent seasons while Bell will have lots of pressure on him. I think Amla will also be looking to do well after making his debut against the English last time around when he was still the raw talent. He’ll be looking to show them the mature batsmen he is today.

No 4: Jacques Kallis vs Kevin Pietersen. The two premier batsmen will be looking to have a big series for their respective teams. With both having come back from injury though, this one may be hard to call. Pietersen to edge it for me though, as he tends to have that extra motivation against the Proteas.

No. 5: AB De Villiers vs Jonathan Trott. AB has been in good form this past year while Trott seems to have adjusted well to international level. De Villiers will be playing on his home ground in the first test and one gets the feeling a big score there might set him up for a good series. Trott may well be targeted by the Protea pacemen so I’ll give De Villers the edge.

No.6: JP Duminy vs Paul Collingwood. The young star against the experienced campaigner. This should be interesting. Many have doubted Duminy’s ability against the bouncer, but I say it won’t be as effective as it was in the ODI’s. He’ll flourish, as form is temporary and class is permanent. JP certainly oozes class, so despite Collingwood doing well against SA recently, I feel JP will win this battle.

No.7: Mark Boucher vs Matt Prior. I think the pressure on Boucher will prove to be too much. Critics have been calling for him to be axed from the squad, and I think Boucher will not contribute as much as his counter part would, particularly with the bat. Prior can be dangerous when in for a long time and I can picture some valuable contributions from the wicket keeper come this series.

No. 8: Morne Morkel vs Stuart Broad. Two young players looking to have a big impact on this series. Morkel might just edge the bowling but I fear Broad’s batting in the lower order might make him a valuable player for the tourists. Two players for the future no doubt but the performance of them in this series might be what swings the series in the countries favour.

No. 9: Paul Harris vs Graeme Swann. The two spinners will have great responsibility on their shoulders. Harris can tend to get in the face of his opponents while Swann is capable of wrapping up the opposition tail pretty quickly. The last time round though England seemed to underestimate Haris. Will they make the same mistake twice? I feel they might just, so Harris to win this duel for me.

No. 10: Dale Steyn vs James Anderson. The two men primed with being their team’s top bowler. Steyn is capable of blowing over any batting order but I feel its Anderson’s form which will give him the edge. They both will be even more dangerous if it swings but trust them to be the leading wicket takers in the series either way.

No. 11: Makhaya Ntini vs Ryan Sidebottom. Two players who have peaked in my opinion, will struggle to set the series on light. Ntini though still has some pace at his age, so with this being his last series possibly I’d give him the edge as he’d be eager to keep his place. Sidebottom on the other hand lacks pace and may be fighting for his place come the 2nd and 3rd tests.

That’s ended up 5 all. It shows that this series has the making to be a quality series showing the beauty that is test cricket when played amongst two competitive teams. Will England surprise SA as they did in the ODI’s? Or will SA bounce back and claim back the top spot in test cricket. I wish I knew the answers but I’ll sure be watching to see how things unfold.

Draw of mixed emotions

So after all that wait, we now know who each of the 32 teams will be playing against in the first round of the Fifa World Cup. What I’ll do is run the groups and give my opinion on each group as I go along.

Starting with group A it brought hosts South Africa with the tough task of having to get through a group with France, Mexico and Uruguay. Its certainly not the group I wished for! France have done well in recent world cups and have quality players despite under performing in the qualifiers while Mexico have qualified for something like 14 world cups so their pedigree is there for all to see. Uruguay also have some quality players in Diego Forlan for example so its going to be hard for SA to get out of this group. Having said that the opening game against Mexico will prove to be crucial and I feel should SA get something out of that game we could very well get through to the next round. My favourites are France and Mexico for the group.

Group B sees Argentina grouped with South Korea, Nigeria and Greece. Argentina should be favourites but I see Nigeria being a dark horse to win this group. South Korea will be organised and so to will Greece but I think the Argentinians and Nigerians should have too much quality for them.

England were in my opinion the most fortunate of all the seeded teams as they were grouped with USA, Algeria and Slovenia. They should win all 3 group games and I see the USA beating the other two teams so England first and USA second should be how this group finishes.

One of Africa’s best teams found themselves in Group D with Germany, Serbia and Australia. That team being Ghana and this is a group that can go anyway. I think Germany will get through as group winners and I’ll assume that Ghana will just about have enough to out do the remaining two teams. Tough group though.

Group E is another difficult group to call with the likes of the Netherlands, Japan, Cameroon and Denmark. Holland performed well in the qualifiers and have the quality to go far in the tournament so I’ll mark them as the group winners and I think Denmark are a very good team, for many are overlooking, but not me though. I think they’ll beat the other two for second place although I’ll be hoping Cameroon do well. I’ve managed to get tickets for the Netherlands and Cameroon match so that should be interesting.

Italy also got a favourable draw as they were grouped with New Zealand, Paraguay and Slovakia. This group is fairly easy to predict as Italy should win the group with Paraguay in second. Like England the Azzuri won’t have any complaints with this group.

Now for what is the group of death. Group G puts the giants of Brazil against Portugal and the Ivory Coast. North Korea complete the group but it is the three fancied teams mentioned before them who will make this group so interesting. Brazil should win this group, but its anybody’s guess who will join them. The match between Portugal and Ivory Coast will be like a virtual knock out match and for me that should be the match of the first round. There will however be some interesting group matches coming from this group though.

Spain were the last of the seeded teams to be drawn, but they too won’t be complaining. First spot should be assured to the European champions but it is the fight for second place between Chile, Honduras and Switzerland that should be a good scrap. Personally I see Chile surprising a few and finishing second.

I must say I enjoyed the draw as far as its presentation was concerned so well done to the LOC for that. With just over 6 months to the world cup, its going to be another anxious wait until that mouth watering clash between the South Africa and Mexico. It’s a good thing there's lots of sport to keep us busy!

Lots of Excitement Ahead of Draw

The excitement and anticipation ahead of the world cup draw is certainly taking over our country. Being a South African, I must say there is a real buzz around the place and we all can't wait for the world cup draw.

As for the draw, I'm relieved to find that South Africa are amongst the seeded teams, which is good although teams like France and Portugal are still floating around and I sure wouldn't want to get one of them. I fully agree with the way Fifa have seeded the teams, for the seeded teams, bar SA, are certainly top teams and capable of winning the world cup. Pot two looks "easy" but I wouldn't be too thrilled with South Korea, USA or Mexico in my group. Pot three may also be tough as the African teams will be tough to beat, but luckliy SA avoid one of them in the first round at least. Pot Four is the pot I'm most scared of, as the European teams are usually well orgainsed and tend to do well in big tournaments. Teams like Greece, France, Portugal and Denmnark spring to mind.

The 32 teams are as follows:
Pot 1 (seeds): South Africa, Brazil, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina, England

Pot 2 (Asia, Oceania and North/Central America): Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Australia, New Zealand, United States, Mexico, Honduras

Pot 3 (Africa and South America): Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Algeria, Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay

Pot 4 (Europe): France, Portugal, Slovenia, Switzerland, Greece, Serbia, Denmark, Slovakia

All in all I cannot wait for the draw, and I'm sure that most football fans will be just as excited as me, as the day goes on. Will be looking forward to blogging about the aftermath of the draw. For now here are some photo's ahead of the draw.

McCaw grabs 2009 player of the year!

So McCaw it is. Richie McCaw was named the 2009 IRB Player of the Year. In one of my earlier blogs, I said how it had to be between Brian O'Driscoll and Fourie Du preez for the coveted award, so it has come as a bit of a surprise to see him walk away with the award. Yes McCaw has been outstanding, but the All Blacks did not win anything, whereas the other two main contenders led their country to Six Nations and Tri Nations success respectively. Nevertheless, Richie McCaw is the ultimate Flanker in world rugby, and few can match the work rate of the New Zealand captain. He became the first player to win the award twice after winning it in 2006 also. Well done Richie, although I think the two previously mentioned international stars can count themselves very unlucky.

My Newcastle Player Ratings vs Preston North End

Steve Harper (6.5) - Didn't have too many saves to make but dealt with everything competently, when called upon.

Danny Simpson (6) - Hardly got into the game enough, compared to Enrique, but was decent on defence none the less.

Steven Taylor (7) - Great to have him back in the side. Made some important tackles,while also making the odd burst forward.

Fabricio Coloccini (7) - Solid at the back, while he's calming influence is starting to show. Coloccini and Taylor are arguably the best centre backs in the league.

Jose Enrique (6) - Excellent on defence, but it was his crossing, particularly in the 2nd half that let him down. He's understanding with Gutierrez is a great asset for us though.

Danny Guthrie (6) - His Set pieces were poor, while he gave the ball away on a couple of occasions, in critical areas of the field. Nonetheless seems to be one of our sparks on attack, and was playing out of position lets not forget.

Alan Smith (6.5) - I thought his defensive work was outstanding. He won possession on many occasions, but as skipper he nearly let us down and some may say he was lucky not to get sent off. Personally I didn't think he was, but still as captain he shouldn't take chances like that.

Kevin Nolan (7.5) - Took his goal brilliantly, while his allround play was also excellent. Showed good control, a cool head and was at the right place at the right time and I really hope we do keep hold of him come January.

Jonas Gutierrez (6.5) - There was the good and the bad in his game tonight. Firstly the good was his tracking back and the direct approach he had, especially as the game wore on in the 2nd half. The bad however, was his crossing, shots and trying to be fancy too much. For sheer effort though, he shouldn't get below a 6.5 in my opinion.

Marlon Harewood (6) - He worked hard, but for some reason I felt he was lucky not to be taken off. He lacks confidence and does not pose the same threat that Carroll does, in my opinion. What worries me, is that in a month or two's time, he'll go back to Villa, and Ranger would have lost out on a few starts, which could have helped in his development.

Andy Carroll (6) - Wasn't in the game as much as he would have liked, but was unlucky to be taken off. Showed glimpses of his talent, but unfortunately goal mouth opportunities were few and far between.

Substitutes

Nile Ranger (6.5) - Looked lively when on, and I'd be happy if he got a start in the next match, ahead of Harewood.

Tamas Kadar (7) - Started off shaky, when Mellor almost scored, but from there on, he did not put a foot wrong. Good to see him getting some game time.

Peter Lovenkrands (N/A) - Wasn't on long enough.

Man of the Match: Kevin Nolan

Manny Pacquiao, the best boxer in the world!

I may not be the biggest boxing fan in the world, but the performance of Manny Pacquiao was something definately worth writing about. He beat Miguel Cotto in the 12th round, and many felt he should have won long before that, as his speed, accuracy and persistance was too much for the champion Cotto to handle.

I did some boxing training a while back, and it is in my opinion the hardest sport to train for, so seeing someone as good as the "Pacman" definately is something amazing. Many people felt Cotto was the stronger of the two, but there are reasons why Pacquiao is rated the best pound for pound boxer in the world.

His last three opponents include the former golden boy of boxing Oscar De La Hoya, Britains then, highly rated Ricky Hatton and now Cotto. Furthermore, he is also the first man, to hold seven world titles in seven different weight divisions. He is an incredible fighter, and has already obtained legendary status despite only being 30.

If you are not a fan of the "Pacman", I urge you to watch the highlights of those last three bouts, because his in ring ability is something very few in the world can match. There are rumours flieing around now that Floyd Mayweather may be his next opponent. If that proves to be true, its a match a can't wait to see, but whatever happens, Manny Pacquiao deserves a mention as the best boxer in the world today!

Du Preez or O'Driscoll for top award?

So the list of nominations for the IRB Player of the year was announced yesterday and although some names were expected, a few came as surprise. Firstly Fourie Du Preez, Richie McCaw, Matt Giteau and Brian O'Driscoll are all well deserved nominations and its expected that the award would go to one of those players. All of them have been named their respective country's player of the year already and few can doubt their quality. The surprise nominations however were Jamie Heaslip, Francois Steyn and Tom Croft. Heaslip played an intrsumental role in helping Ireland win the Six Nations but for me he didn't set the world alight when touring South Africa with the British & Irish Lions. Francois Steyn, although predigiously talented for still lacked the consistency to be nominated this year, although I do feel he has the potential to win this award in years to come. That leaves Tom Croft, the flanker who was overlooked by the Lions selctors iniatially, but ultimately ended palying in all three tests and went back with his reputation enhanced. Although Croft's name was a surrise in sum respects, it is the names that were not there that perhaps makes his nomination a talking point. Heinrich Brussouw had an amazing year, and helped South Africa dominate the Lions and the Tri Nations, while Morne Steyn, Rob Kearney, Berrick Barnes and Lee Byrne can all count themselves unlucky in their own way for not making the list.

From the list though Fourie Du Preez to me stands out as the most deserved winner while few would argue if the ever popular Brian O'Driscoll was to win the award. The awards are to be announced the final weekend of November...

Tennis prepares to bid farewell to Legend

This week the tennis world prepares to bid farewell to one of its most colourful characters, in Marat Safin. Since 2000 he has been my favourite tennis player and his decision to retire leaves many fans, including myself looking back on what was a successful career. His highlights include winning the US Open in 2000, being world number one for 9 weeks, winning the Australian Open in 2005 and two Davis Cup triumps with Russia in 2002 and 2006.

The Australian Open victory was probably my favourite Safin highlight, as he beat Roger Federer in a thrilling semi final before ousting the home favourite Lleyton Hewitt in the final.

What made him a special player was the fact that he had so much natural talent. Being big, powerful, with speed and flair to do the unexpected, few could match him on his day. Victories over Federer, Pete Sampras, Novak Djokovic certainly prove that.

He also had great personality on the court, often getting upset when things weren't going his way but it was that passion and will to win that made him such a favourite. With this week being his last tournament before retiring, tennis thanks the always entertaining Marat Safin for his contribution to the sport.

Star flyhalves return to their best

Whilst watching the rugby union internationals between Wales and New Zealand and England and Australia, two world class flyhalves returned to the level that once made them IRB World Player of the Year in 2003 and 2005 respectively. I am of course talking about Jonny Wilkinson and Dan Carter.

Firstly, it was the returning Wilkinson playing in his first autumn international for almost 7 years, who took just a few minutes to stamp his mark on proceedings with a trademark drop goal. He was simply outstanding from then on, and despite England coming out second best against the Aussies, Wilkinson did enough to make the Rugby World sit up and take notice.

He was solid on attack, while his kicking game was effective as always. Whether it was a short kick and chase for himself, the high balls for Banahan, or simply attacking the game line he was a joy to watch for any neutral. What impressed me most was none of the previously mentioned attributes but instead it was his defensive work that stood out. For someone whose had the injuries he's had, to show such trust in his body and making the tackles he made, it was a clear sign that Jonny Wilkinson is back!

Moving along to the other reason for this post, that being none other than Dan Carter. He was the catalyst behind the All Blacks victory and was deservedly named man of the match. He dictated proceedings and despite being jeered for a late high tackle on Martin Roberts, it was clear to everyone that Dan Carter was back to his best.

Kicking over four penalties as well as converting the only try of the match, he fell one short of breaking the All Blacks points record of 967 points held by Andrew Mehrtens. That however is only a matter of time. Despite the All Blacks kicking far more than usual, he was certainly at ease with that tactic and he was the playmaker whenever New Zealand wanted to spread the ball with his slick passing skills. Described by the Observer as "sublime" few could say otherwise of the golden boy of New Zealand rugby.

The fascinating part of everything though, is that these two great flyhalves are likely to go head to head in two weeks time, provided Carter is not banned after being cited for his challenge on Roberts. For the neutral fans out there, like myself, it would be terrific if Carter was available for that clash, so that rugby can once again enjoy the battle of two of the games most gifted pivots going head to head one more time!

2009 Fifa World Player of the Year?

Who will be honoured with the title of FIFA World Player of the Year for 2009?



A shortlist of 23 was recently released by Fifa:
Michael Ballack (Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Diego (Brazil), Didier Drogba (Côte d'Ivoire), Michael Essien (Ghana), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Steven Gerrard (England), Thierry Henry (France), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Andrés Iniesta (Spain), Kaká (Brazil), Frank Lampard (England), Luis Fabiano (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Carles Puyol (Spain), Franck Ribéry (France), Wayne Rooney (England), John Terry (England), Fernando Torres (Spain), David Villa (Spain) and Xavi (Spain)

For me the main contenders though are Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres. Of those four who deserves to win it? Here's how I would break it down...

Cristiano Ronaldo: The 2008 winner has had another great year scoring 16 goals in 31 appearances for Man Utd before scoring 9 goals in his 11 apperances for Real Madrid. He's instant impact at Real Madrid speaks volumes despite the huge pressures of being the world's most expensive player. Injuries have caused him to be out for the last month or two, of the year so that may cause him to finish as 2nd best this year, while not scoring in Portugal's entire world cup qualifying rounds may not help his chances.

Lionel Messi : The diminitive Barcelona hitman, has had a sensational year. Scoring in the champions League final and helping Barcelona win the treble, he stands out to me as the favourite. He has scored 35 goals in 57 appearances for club and country this claender year while he is still only 22 years old. Skillful, Prolific and consistent throghout, its hard to see anyone beating him to the award!

Didier Drogba: The powerful Ivorian has had a phenomenal year, considering he was rumoured to looking to leave Chelsea and was second choice at the end of 2008. He however helped the Ivory Coast reach the 2010 World Cup, while scoring 27 goals in 47 appearances for club and country while not only ending 2009 as Chelsea's best player but also as one of the best in the world!

Fernando Torres: The charismatic striker, has been lethal in front of goal in an otherwise underperforming Liverpool team. He managed to score 27 goals in 48 apperances during the calender year and looks set to star at the 2010 soccer World Cup.

My Top 3 Prediction:
1. Lionel Messi
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
3. Didier Drogba

There's a poll running regarding this very topic, so do vote if you get the chance!