Monthly Archives: March 2009

England travel to Trindad for 5th Test

Posted on March 5, 2009
by

England take on the West Indies on Friday, the same day Australia hope to secure a series win against South Africa in Durban. It’s a win or lose situation for England and unless they set out to attack and take the game to the hosts the series will be a confidence sapping defeat.

Following the horrific scenes in Lahore all eyes will be on Strauss and his merry men as they attempt to salvage a series draw against a team that has produced some dazzling cricket with extraordinary results. With one Test remaining in the series West Indies hold a slender 1-0 lead. At best England can only hope for a series leveller but anything other than a win will hand the unlikely series win to the hosts.

Sky bet currently have the West Indies as favourites to win the final Test match at 11/4 or 3.75 with England drifting at 13/8 or 2.62.

England interim coach Andy Flower has been taking about Steve Harmison in the press leading up to the final Test in Trinidad and he didn’t pull any punches either, Harmison will not be left wondering what he has to do, that’s for sure!

According to Flower Harmison is simply not up to standard and has little chance of being recalled to the starting XI,

“At the moment he hasn’t, otherwise he would have done it,” Flower said. “But I don’t think by any means that Steve’s finished. He’s still got a hell of a lot to offer. Fast bowling is long, hard work and at the age of 30 it is only going to get harder work, so it is up to Steve really. He’s got to put in the performances which make the selectors pick him time and time again. I’ve only known …

[ 1 Reply ]

South Africa favourites to level series

Posted on March 3, 2009
by

With the second Test match starting in Kingsmead, Durban this Friday Australia has its hands full according the latest odds across the board. Betfair have South Africa at 2/1 to win with Australia at 13/5 and the draw an outside chance at 6/4.

Despite the predicted second Test win for South Africa, Australia are clear favourites to take the series with odds of 4/5. South Africa is a distant 9/2 with a healthy offer of 11/4 for the draw.

I was quite surprised when I noticed this earlier today especially given the fact that Australia won the first Test in Johannesburg by 162 runs. In a shortened series anything could happen I guess and one thing is for sure – the Boks will be up for revenge after the bowlers failed to take advantage of the visitors in the first innings.

Following on from the terrible atrocities in Lahore today, it will be interesting to see how the players will handle the attack on the Sri Lankan team. Although none of the players sustained any critical injuries others within the party have perished and it is truly a dark day for cricket and Pakistan.

Australian captain Ricky Ponting had this to say in response to the gun attack in Pakistan:

“On behalf of the Australian cricket team I would like to express our deepest condolences to those who have been affected by the tragic events in Pakistan this morning. An act of violence like this is a terrible thing and when it involves those who are part of our cricketing family, players the world over are affected.

The wider cricketing community has been shocked by what has occurred and our thoughts and full support is with those involved.

We have spoken with members of the

…

Comments Off

Gunmen shoot Sri Lanka cricketers

Posted on March 3, 2009
by

Terrible news coming out of Lahore this morning is that gunmen have attacked a bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricket team on its way to play in the Pakistani city of Lahore.

At least five members of the Sri Lankan cricket team were injured – two from bullets – and five Pakistani policemen escorting the team bus were killed.

This is a terrible attack and will be a huge blow to cricket in general and especially the general loving Pakistan community. We all know that cricket Pakistan have struggled over the last few years due to major concerns over security with major teams refusing to travel. This will certainly not help and it is unlikely that any team will travel to Pakistan for the forseeable future.

Cricket Australia are reported to be shocked by the news according to The Times of India.

Pakistani officials said about 12 gunmen were involved and grenades and rocket launchers have been recovered.

The BBC’s Barbara Plett in Islamabad says the incident will come as a big blow to Pakistani cricket.

Pakistan invited Sri Lanka to tour after India’s cricket team pulled out of a scheduled cricket tour following the deadly November attacks in the western Indian city of Mumbai.

…

[ 1 Reply ]

New England Home Kit for 2009/11

Posted on March 2, 2009
by

UPDATE: We are less than 7 hours away from revealing the new England Kit. It will be revealed here at 17:15 PM on Saturday as England take to the pitch. Don’t forget to come back and check out the brand new kit.

We are now just 5 days away from revealing the new England Home Kit for 2009/11 season. The new England Home kit for 2009/11 is available to pre-order now. The kit isn’t launched until 1st April but demand for the strip has been so big that it’s worth getting in and securing your order now to avoid disappointment on the 1st.

Sales of new England kits are always extremely strong on Kitbag at both pre order stage and reveal / launch stage, so it’s a great range of products for you to promote. The new England kit will be revealed on 28th March at 5.15pm (when the England players wear it for the first time against Slovakia at Wembley) – until then nobody will know what the kit looks like (Umbro have done a great job of keeping this one under wraps!!)

Any customer that buys any England Home Kit (2009/11) will be automatically entered into a prize draw to win a 1966 World Cup winner England shirt, which has been personally signed by all the surviving England World Cup winning players (namely Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Geoff Hurst, Jack Charlton, Martin Peters, Roger Hunt, Gordon Banks, George Cohen, Ray Wilson, Nobby Stiles) plus the late great Alan Ball).…

[ 1 Reply ]

Australia cruise to 162 run win in Johannesburg

Posted on March 2, 2009
by

Australia have taken a one-nil lead in the three Test series against South Africa with an impressive 162 runs win against the Boks. The visitors have shown the true value of batting to number 10 over the last 12 months but no more so than here in Johannesburg.

Day five loomed bright and early this morning with the game finely balanced with both sides in with a chance of snatching victory. Unless the weather had intervened the draw was the only unlikely result especially with a full day’s play on offer.

Australia required eight second innings wickets for victory and South Africa just 276 runs to win, both a possibility given the pedigree of the two teams on show. Unfortunately for South Africa the win was very much a distant dream by lunch with the home side sitting on a precarious 5 for 247.

Tight bowling was the key to the early success as the visitors just sat back and waited for the mistakes to come. Hilfenhaus and Johnson bowled well and troubled both batsmen (Kallis and Amla) early on. Despite the onslaught they survived the double pronged attack until Siddle forced a mistake from Amla who held out to Hughes at mid-wicket.

Five runs later Andrew McDonald, who is still learning his international trade, applied constant pressure and it was AB De Villiers who lost his patience and fell to a leg before decision with Billy Bowden officiating. Aware of the importance of his wicket South Africa went to a referral but it was in vain.

Kallis struggled to push the game on and was eventually bowled by Johnson five runs short of a dogged 50. The promising and highly sought after Duminy shared a brief 39 run partnership with Boucher until Duminy gave Siddle his second …

Comments Off

Schapelle Corby’s Ganja Queen – revisit

Posted on March 1, 2009
by

I watched Channel Nine’s “Schapelle Corby: Hidden Truth” a few weeks ago and although I thought Schapelle innocent before I watched the two part documentary, I was left with a few more questions than I had anticipated.  The documentary was my first insight into the allegations against Schapelle I had come across (other than the net) and it left me with a slight feeling of confusion as to who was telling the truth, who were the good guys and who I could trust?

With this in mind I decided to read (my first impressions) Schapelle’s book “No More Tomorrows” and I wasn’t prepared for such a marked difference between the TV programme and the book. The television documentary gave, in my opinion, a fair and balanced version of events, however, for me the book cleared things up and laid to rest a few questions I had lingering. This is only my opinion and I’m positive other readers/viewers will take a different view.

The Ganja Queen DVD is available to buy on DVD in America. (Not available in the UK) – please note this is listed as a 92 minute dvd.

With this in mind I decided to re-visit the two part documentary and hopefully see what I missed first time around. The programme, known in the United States as “The Ganja Queen” was well received abroad and certainly helped bring Schapelle’s plight to thousands of people unaware of the travesty of justice that had befallen the Queenslander.

I had two nagging doubts from my first viewing and they centred on the two “supporting” roles within the documentary; namely Mercedes Corby and Ron Bakir (inc Robin Tampoe). I had (and have) no doubt of the love within the family both from Mercedes, her mother and her father. However on just …

[ 7 Replies ]

Matt Hayden and Layne Beachley’s Beach cricket

Posted on March 1, 2009
by

They’re skilled, smart, sassy and with the help of the Layne Beachley Aim For The Stars Foundation, a new breed of female sports heroes will have their names on the lips of the nation this season. In a show of camaraderie for women in sport, Australia’s top female cricket and surfing champions battled it out in a beach cricket match to celebrate the ICC Women’s World Cup which kicks off in March as well as surfing’s ASP Women’s World Tour at the LG Mobile Roxy Pro, at Snapper Rocks, Gold Coast this weekend.

The event was designed to celebrate up-and-coming Australian female sports stars and inspire girls and women across the country to dream and achieve. Teams included representatives from the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars and the ASP Women’s World Tour with world surfing veteran Matt Hoy as umpire.

Promoting women in sport and supporting the dreams of Australian girls is a cause close to the heart of seven time ASP Women’s World Champion Layne Beachley. In 2003, Beachley established the Aim for the Stars Foundation, “encompassing academic, sport, cultural and community pursuits, my foundation offers ambitious and dedicated females an opportunity to receive financial and moral support to help them achieve their goals,” said Beachley, ” it is important that women sports support one another and what better way than to play some beach cricket, look out Southern Stars!”

Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars Cricketers

  • Matthew Hayden
  • Ellyse Perry
  • Alex Blackwell
  • Delissa Kimmince
  • Sarah Andrews

ASP Women’s World Tour Surfers

  • Layne Beachley
  • Steph Gilmore
  • Jessi Miley-Dyer
  • Sally Fitzgibbons
  • Sam Cornish

Delissa Kimmince, Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars cricketer and Female Development Officer at Queensland Cricket knows first-hand how inspiration and determination can see young women achieve great things.

“I grew up in a country town near Brisbane and at 12 …

Comments Off

24 to get eighth and final season

Posted on March 1, 2009
by

Kiefer Sutherland’s 24 character Jack Bauer gets to live another day!

The hit show’s executive producer Howard Gordon has told E! that there will be an eighth season of the series.

“We’re gearing up for a May start date,” he said. “I’m with the writers now just putting our heads together, coming up with an idea. Unless we fail to come up with an idea that’s satisfactory, you’ll see an eighth season.”

However, the producer also hinted that the eight season could be Jack Bauer’s last, despite rumours of a possible post series movie.

“We may decide ultimately if there’s not a movie (story] worth telling, Jack may see his last day on television,” he said. “He could die in the series. I think that’s possible.”

Sutherland says he’s undecided as to whether day 8 will be his last, he’s watching the clock in a way he never has before.

“I don’t think about [the end of 24] a lot, but I did this year for the first time,” he confesses. “It was one of those weird moments where the stage was unusually quiet; it was like a ghost town. I was looking around [thinking] about all the work that went into building this thing and it hit me: This will end one day, and I’m going to be sad about it.

“Whether season 8 is the end or not, I don’t know,” he continues. “I love making the show, so I’m leaving my options open. And in all fairness, I think the audience will dictate that more than anybody.”

So there you have it! The end is not quite set in concrete but the producers have started the machines and the cement is being prepared. Terrorists around the world rejoice, Jack only has a day left on his …

[ 1 Reply ]
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox

Join other followers: