1. BBL. The BBL is becoming a familiar two horse race again. It has a fascinating history where since 2011-2012 (eleven seasons), the Sydney Sixers have won it THREE times (and THREE as Runners Up) and the Perth Scorchers have won it FOUR times (and THREE as Runners Up). They have played each other in a final FIVE times in that period.
There have only been three years out of eleven where neither the Sixers nor the Scorchers have been involved in the final. Nothing looks like changing this year. Both are by far the most superior teams.
Darren Lehmann is a winner however and has done well to reinvent the Brisbane Heat who loom as the only credible threat. Hobart have been a disappointment all season too. The Thunder - chunder.
Look for Olly Davies to join the Sixers next year.
2. Steve Smith. Steve Smith is a phenomenon. He hits back to back BBL centuries (the second on the dodgiest of pitches) and completely dominates. He is a special gift to the viewers like us. The fans will wait years for someone as good to ever appear again. There is a reason he averages 60 in Test cricket, second to Bradman (and the great Adam Voges of course).
3. Sydney Pitches. The pitches ditched up to the players, public and TV viewers are appalling for T20 cricket. Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane - even Melbourne, kill it. The lack of true bounce means it is always a scramble. The Thunder continue to fall in a heap every time and are hard for their fans to follow. Time for drop in pitches.
4. NFL. Philadelphia Eagles crushed the New York Giants and The Kansas City Chiefs exited the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 49ers v Cowboys and Bengals v Bills games tomorrow loom as the more impressive match ups. Conference finals next week.
5. EPL - Everton. Grim times there. Relegation looms and Frank Lampard needs to be sacked quickly. The tears from the Toffee supporters will drop like acid.
6. Australian Open Tennis. Injury seems to have ruined a lot of this year's tournament and crashining out of seeds like Medvedev and Swaitek has hurt too. Djokovic seems to be hanging in there with a hamstring complaint (beware the injured player), but surely a new name or two will be required on the honour board in 2023!
7. Parramatta Luck. Missing out on signing Marty Tapau could be a slice of gold. A tough hombre and great at his peak, but well passed it. Of course the mandatory pre-season injuries have arrived of course too. The great Waqar Blake (in his last contracted season) has broken his arm. It was apparently a freak training injury, not another botched effort to catch a high bomb hitting the forearms.
8. Michael Clarke. The less said the better, but what a disgrace having such a public spat...the lot of them. Spoiled brats who have little regard for others. Like a scene out of The Great Gatsby.
F Scott Fitzgerald's words in 1920 seem so relevant 100 years later. "They were careless people... they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made".
9. Eddie Jones. He returns with a new harder attitude and instantly the fans will be more interested as Eddie brings his brand of toughness and character to the side. The players will know they need to aim up more as well. The party is over. Rennie it must be said, may have been unlucky, but sadly (despite a string of extremely narrow losses and draws), he was also ultimately unsuccessful.
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