The Beauty of Sport

Whilst keeping my eye on the various sporting events taking place this weekend two things stood out above the rest which demonstrated the true beauty of sport.
Firstly, it was the fairy-tail story of Afghanistan cricket. Many of you might never expected the words Afghanistan and cricket in the same sentence but such has been the rise of the game their that within the space of a few years they have now qualified for an ICC World Cup. They narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 50 over event late last year, but many of the neutrals were well pleased when they beat UAE today to book their place at the Twenty 20 world cup in May. It just shows that despite all the troubles a country may face, sport can bring smiles to their faces and as a major sports fan that pleases me to no end. So well done to the Afghanistan cricket team I look forward to following your progress at the world cup in the the West Indies.

The second thing which caught my attention was the fantastic rugby match which took place a few hours ago between Wales and Scotland. Wales won by 31-24 but with 7 minutes to go they were behind by a whopping 10 points. Scotland fought bravely but eventually Wales pressure counted and they won by scoring a try with the last touch of the game. What was extra pleasing was that the tries in this game were good on the eye but also those tries were scored through skill and pace. It shows that although rugby these days is said to be for the big guys, there's still a place in the game for the smaller guy who has the pace and skill to wow the crowds. That to me is pleasing again, as sport showed today that it is for everyone.

Important notice

Due to study commitments I have not been able to write regular blogs but I'll continue to write some when I get the chance. In the mean time I'll be watching the test series between India and South Africa, The start of the Super 14 and Newcastle United's progress in the championship very closely. I'll also be updating the goals thread as normal and thanks for visiting my blog!

Review of SA-England test series

So the dust has settled and the test series between South Africa and England has concluded. In one of my earlier blogs, I wrote about how the teams compared going into the series and at that stage I could not separate the sides. And so its proved! The series ending one all may not have been a fair reflection for some but I feel both teams showed qualities deserving of not losing the series. South Africa showed a lot of dominance while England never gave up and fought back from almost impossible situations. That to me meant one all is a fair reflection.

What I'll do now though, is do a review of my comparison of the teams and see how things actually turned out.

Openers: Both sides struggled a bit with building a good opening partnership but in the end it was England who won this duel as South Africa could not build an opening stand of higher than 36 in the entire series. Ashwell Prince was in poor form throughout so that mainly contributed to Engalnd doing better, however Andrew Strauss should be disappointed with a series average of under 25. Its some how ironic that Graeme Smith ended up the leading run scorer though despite the poor opening stands SA had.

No. 3: Hashim Amla vs Jonathan Trott. Trott promoted to number three for this series ended on the losing end of this battle. Amla was in sparkling form however, with scores of 100, 95 and 75 showing the consistent performer that he has become. Trott only managed one 50 in the series and serious thought should go into whether number three is the best spot for him.

No. 4: Jacques Kallis vs Kevin Pietersen. This duel promised to be the best of the series but it was easily won by Kallis in the end. Ending up as the 2nd leading run scorer in the series, Kallis showed his class and KP could just not match him. Only one innings of note, and its been a nightmare tour for the SA born superstar. Form is temporary though and so I'm sure his class too will shine through in the series to come for England.

No. 5: AB De Villiers vs Paul Collingwood. Despite both players getting three fifties in the series its Collingwood who wins this one. A match saving innings in Cape Town, a match winning innings in Durban and a free scoring innings in Jo'burg, the Durham man has showed why he is the respected cricketer he is, with sheer quality and ability to adapt to the different situations.

No. 6: JP Duminy vs Ian Bell: Despie Duminy starting the series with a fifty, and Bell having a poor first test, Bell won this duel with his superb century in Durban and a match saving innings in Cape Town, which I saw live. Bell seemed to thrive under pressure while Duminy showed weakness when faced with pressure. His off spin may help him keep his place in the team though as he took one or two key wickets through the series.

No.7: Mark Boucher vs Matt Prior. To my surprise this duel ended up not the way I expected. Boucher winning the man of the series and being key behind the stumps shows that his experience should not be overlooked. Prior however just failed when in tough situations with the bat. Boucher answered his critics, me included and full credit to him.

No. 8: Morne Morkel vs Stuart Broad. To me this ended up all square. Both helped their team win a test with fantastic spells in Jo'burg and Durban respectively, while they showed their worth to the respective teams. Both have had the reputations enhanced with this series.

No.9: Paul Harris vs Graeme Swann. This contest is where SA lost the chance of winning the series. Harris failed to to get enough wickets while Swann ended up with a joint man of the series award. Contributing with both the bat and ball, Swann has made the test spot his own while it was no surprise to see that SA won a test when Harris was not in the side.

No.10: Dale Steyn vs James Anderson. This battle also ended up all square for me. Anderson took one wicket more but Styen played one game less and both showed reasons why they are regarded the best bowlers for their respective countries.

No.11: Makhaya Ntini vs Graham Onions. It was somehow surprising to see Onions not selected for the last test match but his contribution to this series will be remebered for many years to come. Twice helping England draw the the test match, he also took 8 wickets, although he deserved more wickets than he actually got. Ntini on the other hand was poor, and one wonders whether he will ever play another test again.

All in all, its been a thrilling series. A series which shows what makes test cricket so special. Ups and downs, a win a piece for each team with two fantastic drawn tests which went down to the last ball. Special praise to Graeme Smith, Paul Collingwood, Mark Boucher, Graeme Swann, Morne Morkel, Ian Bell and Dale Steyn for their parts in a series that could have been so different had they not contributed be it with bat or ball while I feel a star of test cricket could have been born in Wayne Parnell. Lastly, well done to SA for retaining the Basil D'Oliveira trophy!

Here are some more pics of the Newlands test match:

Newcastle United team of the Noughties

With the so called Noughties having just passed, it came to my mind to come up with a team of the decade. Of course being a massive Newcastle United supporter, I've chosen to do one with a team of the decade for Newcastle United. So here goes:

Goalkeeper: Shay Given
I don't think Newcastle have ever had a more consistent goalkeeper than Shay Given. Capable of making outrageous saves, saving penalties and the ultimate professional he deserves every honour that comes his way! Some may call him a traitor, but to me, we have never had better, not in my time at least.

Right Back: Habib Beye
He may not have been at the club for as long as Given, but he managed to become a toon favourite almost instantly. The passion, commitment and class he possessed when playing for the club was clearly visible so he gets the right back slot for me.

Centre Backs: Steven Taylor & Jonathan Woodgate
During the decade centre back was never really our strongest position, but in Woodgate we had a player who was simply outstanding. He unfortunately had many injuries but when he played, he was amongst the very best. It came as no surprise when Real Madrid came knocking on the door, but for me he was an easy pick for this team. I've chosen Steven Taylor as his partner, I may be forgetting some players but no one else really stood out. Taylor has always played for the shirt and many see him an England international in the future so he just about makes it into my team.

Left Back: Aaron Hughes
I struggled finding an appropriate left back, so instead I've gone for the versatility of Aaron Hughes. Always willing to play in different positions when needed and many supporters only realised his value when he left the club. Consistent and a very good professional I feel he deserves to be in the team ahead of players such as Bernard and Enrique who may have been natural left sided players but lacked the consistency to excel in the premier league.

Right Midfield: Nolberto Solano
The Peruvian was very much a fans favourite in his two spells at the clubs. Scoring something like 47 goals in 315 appearances all in all shows that he was capable on finding the net fairly regularly, while also he provided many assists with his quality set piece delivery.

Centre Midfield: Gary Speed and Kieron Dyer
It was difficult to find two players for this position, but in the end I went for the consistency of Gary Speed and the controversial but talented Kieron Dyer. Speed was very much an unsung hero in getting us 5th, 3rd and 4th finishes in consecutive premier league seasons. He also chipped in with crucial goals otherwise did an outstanding job in midfield. Dyer on the other hand, had an injury plagued career with Newcastle but he still managed some 251 appearances and 36 goals so his contribution should not be overlooked.

Left Midfield: Laurent Robert
The Frenchman claims the left midfield slot simply for his ability to do something out of the ordinary. He scored some absolute crackers in his time at Newcastle and his set pieces were also note worthy. Perhaps not the most hard working of players but few could deny his talent.

Strikers: Alan Shearer and Craig Bellamy
Shearer picks himself. Goals, passion, commitment and strong leadership are only some of the many qualities he possessed. Arguably the greatest striker to pull on the black and white shirt but his selection in this team no one can argue with. I've chosen Craig Bellamy as his partner, simply for his pace, skill and ability to combine excellently with Shearer. He was instrumental in getting us into the champions league and few fans will ever forget his last minute winner against Feyenoord. Another controversial selection some may say but another whose talent can not go unnoticed.

Its a pretty easy choice to make the late Sir Bobby Robson our manager of the decade. His service to the club will never be forgotten and so its only fair that he makes it as the manager of the decade and that's without even looking at what a great job he did in getting us champions league football.

So there you go, that's my team Newcastle United team of the Noughties. Be sure to comment and add your own team if you can. Here's to hoping for a better decade with more success than decades past!

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!