The Wrap - Save The Tickertape

1. The Ashes. A draw in the Fourth Test through the help of rain is still a series 'retention', despite how many English pundits and cranky ex-players want to believe otherwise. A small matter of two well won opening Tests by Australia is a fact. There have only ever been six series where Ashes have been retained through a series draw (2023, 2019, 1972, 1968, 1962-63 and 1938) - and five of them have been in England.

However, since then, we have been belted really. Nathan Lyon has been missed, tactics have been baffling, odd field placings have abounded and catching has been woeful. This poor catching is a symptom of unhappiness and lack of confidence typically. And it moves across the whole cordon! The captain and coach, Ronnie McDonald and his million sub-coaches have been found wanting. Pat Cummins looks completely confused at times. 

The performance in the first session on Day Two was diabolical by Khawaja and Labuschagne in particular - under clear instructions. It has cost us this Test because it set up a defensive mindset which we are incapable of sustaining. No aggression, never really rotating the strike or looking for singles and a clear instruction to build slowly across the day which in the end ironically yielded more runs that England on Day 1. However, we are playing scared. We lack courage.

Very rarely do we see English cricket look more aggressive and commanding than us. It is an uneasy feeling for us all.

To think that Duckett and Crawley have dominated us so easily early is staggering. Crawley has been a standout really because we have bowled to his strengths. But both are moderate operators really and not a sign of any other bowlers in our camp. Jhye Richardson could have been handy and does Lance Morris regret being twelfth man for the last nine months? Boland's disappointment has meant that the other pacemen have taken on a lot of work, struggled and look jaded.

With one innings to come, Starc has been valiant with the most wickets for any team thus far (23). Our batting has been ordinary. Green was dropped and Carey has not been the same since the Bairstow moment. He is on notice with the bat. It is simply not good enough. Bairstow has twice his average and has gotten better. 

Khawaja has been our best with an average of 47.11...no one else averaging in the 40s tells a story. Yet Khawaja was told to do the go slow on the second morning! Please.

Conversely, with England, their averages with the bat are staggeringly better: Crawley (53), Root (51), Stokes (45), Brook (40), Bairstow (40) and even Duckett (35.66). All would be in our top three.

However, this has been a story of an Australian team that is scared and will seemingly settle for a loss in this test and tell us how wonderful they were. Remember when we used to have tickertape parades for returning Ashes teams? Hold the shredders and work on the ticker of the team. It has not been a great series for us, but yes, they have retained the Ashes.

2. Stuart Broad - Retired. He still looks like he will get a wicket most deliveries, but a great career of over 600 Test wickets. A legend of the game... and plenty of incidents over the year as well, including famously hitting one to first slip and not being given out - or walking. Went for six sixes in a T20 (Yuvraj Singh) when he started his career, but smarter now.

3. NRL. Cronulla and Parramatta. Parramatta are nearly finished for 2023. Every top team they play they struggle to beat.  Their run home (St George, Broncos, Roosters, Panthers, bye) is not good with Brown returning but Campbell-Gillard still suspended. They need to start purchasing quality players out wide to make a dent. Waqar Blake is possibly the most error prone, poorest defensive winger the game has seen in the last ten years. It is embarrassing, but he can make a few years from the back if he doesn't drop it. Yet Brad Arthur persists in giving opponents a huge leg up. Baffling. Their for and against has been hammered too.

Cronulla meanwhile have the attack with speed to burn, but their defence outside of McInnes is not great. Cameron McInnes made 84 tackles v Manly. Incredible! They have fallen hard in recent games. Other teams are onto it and Matt Moylan (bench) cannot be blamed for it all.

Newcastle are surging back into semi-final contention with a bad loss by the Raiders. The Cowboys hit a hurdle but have a bye in hand too. 30-32 points is typically the magic semi-final goal. Five rounds to go.

4. AFL Upsets. Carlton beat Collingwood, Fremantle beat Geelong, Adelaide beat Port Adelaide, GWS

beat Western Bulldogs and Gold Coast beat Brisbane - all major upsets in one weekend when some teams clearly had more to play for than others. The Swans tried their usual fourth quarter trick and almost lost after a strong lead. They are so inconsistent. Richmond had Melbourne on toast as well, but

let them off the hook. Almost the first time the top four could have lost in the same weekend for a million years. Getting tight on the table now with many teams a chance. This weekend proves it could well be any team!

5. Buddy Franklin. Surely a retirement announcement will arrive soon. He has struggled this year to be truthful, but remains one of the greatest ever kicks the game has ever seen. Calf injuries and hamstrings are 'old man' injuries sadly - as many know.

6. Wallabies v All Blacks. We have no answers for the All Blacks and they will simply get better next year under coach Scott Robertson. He won seven Super Rugby titles in seven years! Now he will soon have the full All Blacks resources and talent at his fingertips. 

Eddie Jones has started with three successive losses. He is quick to be cocky and pass comment, but does not like it when he is under the pump. Mass changes in teams never works sadly, but Australian rugby with their hundred strong squads never work this out. We see it time and time again. As for the tempo of the game and how slow it is... a yawn fest.

7. Australian Swimming - World Championships. Only the second time ever an Australian team has achieved more gold medals than the USA at a major swim meet. There has been some sensational work done here by coaches behind the scenes. Amazing commitment by these athletes.

8. Matildas - Sam Kerr. A terrible loss to 40th ranked Nigeria and now a win against the fancied Canadian team is the only road back. Two wins would have had them into the final 16. Only two hosting teams have ever missed making the Group Stage of a World Cup, mens or womens: Qatar and South Africa (both mens). Sam Kerr's return gives hope as she is a gun. Hopefully some tickertape is required here.

The Wrap - Tactics in Ashes

1. The Ashes. When a team starts looking at weather forecasts over their plans, they have lost before the battle has really started. Australia batted appallingly in the first innings. Starts and not much more on a decent deck where they could have pushed for victory. The second innings was not much better and an hour or two of play was all that was/ will be needed. So from 2-0 up and on the cusp of glory...back to possibly 2-2. Negative field placements, short pitched rubbish bowling.

Marnus stepped up at the right time, helped by those silly deep leg side fields that this Ashes tour has seen grow out of control for both teams. Boring cricket by many measures.

In the Third Test we lost after having them 6/171... Short pitched rubbish bowling again. Defying belief they keep it going in the fourth test. Stupidity of the highest order. The captain is rightfully needing to be questioned strongly by the media - not cream puff questions. Lucky he won the Test Championship recently. Ronald McDonald has done pretty well, but this is not clever when the Hamburgular is close by.

2. The Ashes - Player Spotlight. Cameron Green needs to lift today. D-Day. His technique is simply too lumbering at times - not good enough. It is getting to axing time for him soon if he doesn't produce, especially with Marsh arriving so powerfully. 35 innings in tests and he has been bowled or LBW in 55% of the time (Tendulkar was 39%, Smith 36%, Ponting only 32%, Steve Waugh 30%. The great LBW third umpire review man himself was Shane Watson 42% - admittedly all over many more innings).

Dave Warner also needs to hit the ball straighter down the ground. The best batsmen do this because their technique and eye sight is right. Those who just look for runs on the drive square of the wicket are doomed - especially in England. We all know how hard it is to execute a straighter drive. Warner was very silly calling out a SCG retirement. He looks set to go a long time before then. Heaven help us when Khawaja, Warner and Smith retire. Is Will Pucovski any better?

Carey's batting has been pretty ordinary as well. There have been a lot of Australian keepers with good hands and gloves...think Rixon, Zoehrer, Dyer, Emery, Woolley, Wright, Maclean, Manou, Nevill and Paine (no Test tons), but these days we need a reliable 30-50 runs each time... and tons. Gilchrist scored 17 of them. Healy, Haddin and Wade all scored four Test tons. Marsh got two and Wayne B. Phillips got two. Carey has one.

3. NRL - Wrap. 

• A long time waiting for success, but Adam O'Brien keeps on defying the critics - and the journalists who battle to understand him. They are pretty slick and are using two firebrand 'rejects' - Tyson Gamble (Broncos) and Jackson Hastings (Tigers) - to really good effect. They played with great intensity against Melbourne for the victory. 
• North Queensland keep steaming on. Absolutely impossible to beat them in the humidity up there. Parramatta were a mess in Darwin earlier in the season and exactly the same v North Queensland. No learning, especially with ball control.
• Great to see Waqar Blake back from his exile. His special brand of incompetence in defence has been missed. Great runner off his own try line in trouble, but sadly the other players around him have absolutely no faith in him. Haze Dumpster is no better. They need strong and fast outside backs.
• The Cowboys are in excellent defensive hands with Paul Bowman. He was a mastermind on the sand tackling sessions back in the premiership winning day. Their defence will get them into a preliminary final again. Some sort of coaching effort by Todd Payton who started terribly in 2023.
• Andrew Webster has done an outstanding job with the Warriors. Their whole crowd war cry before the game is something else!
• The Sharks...oh my goodness. A defensive mess. Suddenly they are being questioned big time. Wade Graham and Dale Finucane will sharpen them up.
• The Tigers... save us. They have now signed two unknowns. That will sell memberships and win a comp? They have at least five to eight years of misery ahead.
• Just jot this one down...Ethan Sanders, a lower grade/ junior half at Parramatta is set to join the Raiders. He could be the next great thing in NRL halves. No chance getting past Mitchell Moses who is in career best form.

4. AFL. The top four are almost sealed now: Collingwood, Port, Brisbane and Melbourne. Hard to believe that Carlton and Richmond are still in close contention for the top eight. Discussion recently of a wild card round to get into the top eight is a great fundraiser for marginal teams! Western Bulldogs, St Kilda and GWS are solidly into fifth, but no errors will be possible. A tight table, a little like the NRL.

Port v Collingwood was a tough game. Possibly the best we have seen all year. Port are really benefiting from their pacy midfield. Such a success story, but Collingwood are the comeback experts and knocked them over by a couple of points. They sneak well ahead on the table and firm for the minor premiership first place. 

Swans squeak home, but are still so inconsistent, especially in the final quarter. Both the Melbourne Demons and Swans are terrible in the final quarter. The Swans are a win behind the best after a few shocking losses. The draw with Geelong and loss to Richmond a few weeks back will be regretted.

5. British Open. Always something magic about the Open Championships, and at courses like Royal Liverpool. A place where wind can be your worst enemy. It always seems to throw up a surprise performer. Brian Harman is that person in 2023. It is his to lose  five shots up into the final round. Unfortunately when a little known player looks like winning, the interest fades for many fans.

Jon Rahme never seems far away either. What a talent! Viktor Hovland is often there or thereabouts too. Jason Day is doing real well too - a little unexpectedly. India even have a top ten player in Shubhankar (not to be confused with 'Shrub shankar'). 

Why do black Afro-American golfers seem to be in short supply on the world circuit? World golf may need to ponder that equity question, but never will.

More pleasant weather on the west coast there than at Manchester. Back to Royal Troon next year.

6. Football World Cup - The Matildas. A fabulous crowd for their first game and win v the Irish. Hopefully Sam Kerr is back soon. The fans want to see the best in the business. An exciting tournament, with the scope of the tournament on par with the men with 32 teams! The USA are the team to beat. 

We should knock over Nigeria, but Canada will be tough. Not an easy group to be in as hosts! Losing host nations are rare.

7. Wimbledon. Great five set win by young Alcaraz. No 24th Grand Slam for Djokovic!

8. Wallabies v All Blacks next week. I wonder how many mug punters can name ten blokes in the 110 man Wallaby squad? Once upon a time everyone knew them all! Eddie Jones is under pressure already. Can we aim up or will it be the same old, same old? Hard to see us troubling the top nations. 

The Wrap - Dribble and Engravers

1. NRL. Has anyone missed the interview dribble from NRL players in post game coverage? The producers at Channel 9 and Fox simply need to change and when the silly ban is lifted, transform the coverage (ideas: put up regular metres gained and tackles completed, etc... show updates!). League coverage has not changed in a million years. They need to watch the Kentucky Derby for real coverage. Take the fans into the stands and into the rooms and ignore players. Even Rex Mossop used to have the cameras at the rub down tables. 

The biggest innovations in recent years since the "Action Replay" have been the camera behind the goal posts, the 'fake field advertising markings' and the corner post cameras. They need to update and minimise player chat. The pictures and data will be much better received.

The video ref is the biggest game change - and often a blight on the game. It has slowed down the game so much, but greater accuracy comes at this price.

2. NRL Table. The Cowboys hit five wins in a row and Newcastle keep looking good for about 60 minutes each week. They are not far away from the top eight. Put the engraver to work on the wooden spoons for the Wests Tigers. Bulldogs marginally better. If Mahoney gets injured, they will leak 50 points every week. The Dragsters are a complete disappointment.

The surge of the Cowboys will squeeze the Roosters out of the eight potentially.

3. AFL. Remarkably, the Swans, Gold Coast Suns and Carlton win in a single weekend. Disappointment for the Western Bulldogs who were pipped...without the troubled superstar, Bailey Smith. The effort of St Kilda was awful. Carlton led by 31 at three quarter time and pushed on to sensationally crush the fifteen game winning streak of Port Adelaide. The table takes on a completely different complexion.

Melbourne beating Brisbane by a point was helpful to a number of teams too.

Carlton could yet make the semi finals which would be a complete surprise and Collingwood may just about have sealed the minor premiership as they keep winning, this time against the hopeless/ hapless Fremantle.

4. The Ashes - Fourth Test. Hopefully our team can actually play cricket and abandon the ridiculous bouncer policy which basically cost them the win in Headingley. Outrageous stupidity and a complete lack of patience in the second innings when they could have won it there and then. Remember this silly tactic. Sometimes Cummins and McDonald stun you with the dopey moments (think sacking Head in India, negative field placings...). It seems as though Bazball has settled down now? A bit like the Y2K bug hysteria.

Dave Warner will be selected. Green is averaging less than Warner. He has hit 84 runs @21 average, taking 3 wickets @57 average. Boland will be rested however...ordinary really (2 wickets @ 115!).

Surely Harris and Renshaw are complete risks. Neither excite any confidence, even if Warner is a complete sacrifice. Dave needs to move his feet! I wonder if the plethora of national coaches have told him this?

Funny line by Kerry O'Keefe re the Bairstow stumping... "I never got out stumped in over 200 first class innings in the hard nose 70's. The popping crease was my safehouse. It was where I felt like Julian Assange in the Equadorian safe house".

5. T20 - MLB. Great to see the Major League T20 Cricket series kick off in the USA this weekend. The usual globetrotting faces and usual results...nothing you can or will ever remember.

6. Coach Justin Langer. He is back, joining the Lucknow Super Giants. They are an impatient newer franchise having come in the last two seasons. Langer will be under a lot of pressure, no risk. They came third in both seasons they have existed and just sacked their coach, Andy Flower!

The Australian Women's cricket team have also let England back into the picture, staring at an Ashes decider soon.

7. Women's Football World Cup. This week sees the Matildas in action in the Women's FIFA World Cup. How good is our team? Better than the men's one is certainly possible!

8. Golf - Scottish Open. Rory McIlroy has a chance to win and make a big statement, leading after three rounds. Will he collapse again? A remarkably consistent golfer however, missing two cuts all year (The Masters and TPC event). In six out of eleven 2023 events he has competed in, he has finished with top 10 finishes! This will be his seventh! On good terms with the bank manager.

9. Wimbledon - Men. As predicted (!) from a lean field really, Alcarez plays Djokovic tonight in the men's final.

Novak Djokovic is amazing. Unpopular, but amazing. His Grand Slam roll will keep going v Alcarez as he hits 24 Grand Slam titles tonight (equalling Federer's 8 Wimbledon wins, 10 Australian Opens, 3 French Opens and 3 US Opens). He moves two clear of the injured Rafa. Extraordinary!

This is already TWICE as many titles as Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver (11 each)!

This will be THREE TIMES as many as Agassi, Lendl, Connors and Rosewall (all on 8 titles) - and  Newcombe, Willander and McEnroe (all on 7 titles). 

Also, he will have FOUR TIMES as many titles as Edberg and Becker (6 titles).

These are outrageously impressive stats based on how good those other players were in their prime.

10. Wimbledon - Women. In the women's final, the unseeded Marketa Vondrousova (third Czech to win a Grand Slam) won her FIRST Grand Slam against Ons Jabeur in comfortable fashion, 6-4, 6-4. She is the first unseeded and lowest ranked player ever to win a women's Wimbledon final. Jabeur is in a unique club, joining Clijsters and Evert, in losing her first three Grand Slam finals!

The only two unseeded males to win Wimbledon will be remembered by us all... Boris Becker (1985) and Goran Ivanisovic (2001).

11. Harry Kane. If Ange Postocoglou can retain Kane at Tottenham, he will be sending a huge statement to the competition and to fans. The greed of English footballers however, is something else, so the chances are he departs. A pivotal moment in the coach's early progress.

12. Wallabies. I wonder who Eddie Jones will blame this time? Another journalist? His reign has started in the darkest of ways. What a schemozzle. Australia is an international also-ran now. Cheika, the Pumas coach, will be laughing loudly today! Rugby has fallen in a heap. "Come here and say it!".

13. All Blacks. Under Scott Robertson in 2024, the All Blacks will not lose a game. He is a top coach and that team just re-invents itself every year to be bigger and better. They are awesome in 2023 and will win the Rugby Championship again. The Springboks were not in the hunt and they whacked us. We are playing for the spoon. Engraver please...

The Wrap - Spare Body Parts

1. State of Origin. The timing of Origin just gets worse - especially when a dead rubber awaits. Teams are really down on troops at the best of times, but taking Origin players out of teams makes the comp a bit of a farce. It doesn't seem to affect The Wests Tigers however who continue to lose.  

Brad Fittler and Greg Alexander are extremely defensive and this looks bad. It sounds like failure to most.

With the salary cap, it is nearly impossible to have enough dynamic players on your roster. Sharp backs are in short supply. Really liked this Tallis Duncan. Tough - and fast. I would be breaking out the cheque book there. He is 21 years old with a huge future. Souths could not compete with a decent offer.

Parramatta. An unacceptable performance after a string of wins. They blew a chance for a top four finish for mine. The Bunnies are really struggling too but have two byes in hand. 

How about the excitement in the Titans v Dolphins fixture? Just when we thought it would offer nothing...golden point. A dreadful casualty of this State of Origin mid season fiasco. Four game NRL weekends is not enough. Move State of Origin and run it into a Kangaroo Tour. Three byes is an inflated farce. Parramatta do not have a bye in Origin and Warriors (full strength) do!

The Tigers look like definite wooden spooners.

2. The Ashes. The performance of Dave Warner are under real scrutiny. The outcome of this test will dictate his future. If Australia win 3-0, it might be it for him. If Australia lose and are down 1-2.

I get a bad feeling about Headingley where the pitch plays better the longer the game progresses. We have been terrible there for a long time!

We have also butchered things once more in England. Staring at a big first innings led, short pitched silly bowling (a bit like the English bowling to Travis Head) gave up a million runs. Murphy was hammered and yet Cummins persists...like with Cameron Green last test. The tail is horrific for Australia. Murphy-Boland-Hazelwood...add in Warner and we are in all sorts. Labuschagne has been very disappointing too.

Last night, we collapse in a heap in record time. This does not win Test matches.

Stuart Broad is a first class fool, but he can get wickets. He is now on 598 wickets at 27.58 in 165 Tests. By way of comparison, McGrath got 563 wickets at 21.6 in 124 Tests. Nathan Lyon is anchored on 496 Test wickets at 31.01 in 122 Tests.

Also very troubling to see Steve Smith have an outburst v Bairstow on the field - and an outburst at the media re a haircut Carey was not meant to have paid for...ridiculous. This is how we lose...remember Ponting as well? Lake of composure. Caught up in reactions and anger...not calm Mark Taylor type clarity. The English media were outdone by the Australian media sledges re the Carey stumping and Pommy whinging. However, they are a stern media adversary and should not be trifled with - especially by a player in his 100th Test! They can be relentless.

Smith is one of the true greats. He has beaten almost every batting record outside of Bradman and even had five catches in the first English innings. Amazing. His batting has been inconsistent.

Neither team has a batting order to capitalise on rain. Usman and Cummins have been the stars for Australia thus far!

3. Cricket - 'Body Parts Team of the Century'. Following the recent Australian and England cricket team selections, a World XI team of body parts has been selected:

'Body Parts' Team of The Century

Salman Bhutt

Julian Weiner

Warwick Armstrong

Travis Head

John Badcock

Peter Handscomb

Peter Willey

Graeme Beard

David Brain

Josh Tongue

Doug Insole

Jasprit Bumrah

Ryan Sidebottom

Keith Rigg

Umpire: Darrel Hair

3. AFL. The game is narrowing off nicely now for the semi finals. The Swans squandered another game and Port Power, Coolingwood and Melbourne surged on...the GWS team limped home again and it is well placed now just outside the top eight on for and against.

Bailey Smith at the Bulldogs is woefully out of form. This becomes more and more disturbing for the Bulldogs who need him firing to make a dent in the 2023 competition. St Kilda seem to look great and fold easily. Not premiership winning material sadly. Freo have given up too so it seems.

13 wins in a row for Port Adelaide is dominant! Collingwood are up there too. West Coast are the clear wooden spooners. North are barely any better.

4. Netball. Adelaide Thunderbirds beat the Sydney Swifts in a tense final. I am yet to be convinced a pile on atop of those hard wood floors is sensible. Anyhow, excitement prevails!

5. Wimbledon. Quiet as a mouse. Alacrez and Djokovic loom as the victors. Medvedev. Tsitsipas and Zverev perhaps may trouble them. Kygrios seems done from the sport. 

6. Women's Football World Cup. Looking forward to attacking football without the histrionics.

7. Eddie Jones. A terrible Wallabies defeat v South Africa...again. He is whinging already at journalists. "Come here and say it!".

The Wrap - Toothless Shemozzle

1. NRL - Wests Tigers, St George and Bulldogs. For the Tigers, a 70 point thrashing is an appalling statement on club organisation, leadership, coaching and morale of an ordinary playing roster. No player at the Tigers appears to have improved under Marshall and Sheens, except the young fullback Bula, who is supremely talented. 

A 66-0 thumping from Newcastle is not much better. Gus Gould and Cameron Ciraldo surely thought they would do better than this. The Fox and Burton are questionable inclusions for Origin now...sorry. Ben Hunt is not doing much for the Dragons at present either. Two 50 point losses in a fortnight. They need to clear the decks and move on. 

140 unanswered points certainly helps your for and against as the Cowboys rattle back into contention for the top eight again and the Knights are saved from a loss of coach Adam O'Brien (who definitely needs media training). They have some rich talent in both squads.

At the Tigers, recruits go backwards and new players are ineffective at the Tigers presently (Bateman, Klemmer, Korisau, Papalii, Staines). The place needs a sustained review of its operations and playing personnel. The arrival of a new recruitment officer seems to be the last thing the place needs. The surname is powerful, but a huge job to turn this lot around. They mistreated Brooks looking for a million replacements (Munster, Moses, Pearce, Johnson...) and were surprised when he wanted to go to Manly! Stunning hypocrisy. A shemozzle of the highest order.

The Richmond Tigers were nearly as bad too v Brisbane who crushed them without a whimper. Home ground bullies abound in the AFL.

2. NRL - Entertainment. How good are some of these outside backs in the game at present? Selwyn Cobbo is unbelievable. Hammer is up there too. So is Latrell and Val Holmes. So strong and tough...speed and strength. Bradman Best goes well too...and what do you know the ill disciplined and mouthy Zac Lomax is looking for a new club. Parramatta will go knocking there, but not for $800K.

Alex Johnston scored two tries this weekend and is now onto 180 tries and equals Steve Menzies. Billy Slater stands on 190 and Ken Irvine on 212 tries. Barring injury he could pass Ken Irvine next year! Especially lethal when Latrell Mitchell returns.

3. Ashes Test Cricket. Steve Smith knocks his 32nd Test ton in 70 fewer tests than Steve Waugh who now both sit in second place to Ricky Ponting who has 41 Test tons. It took Steve Waugh 26 Tests and 4 years to hit his first Test ton (at Headingley on the Ashes tour). A critical first innings ton and yet another one abroad for Smith.

The loss of Lyon is a tough blow, but young Todd Murphy may have to step up sooner than he thought. He was pretty good in India but will face the sting of an English side intent on aggression. Hazelwood is not doing the business yet. Sure, injured and all that but don't play if that is a factor. His batting is atrocious and is a determining factor in any selection. Murphy needs to improve his batting too to play regularly. 

The 15 run last wicket stand between Lyon and Starc could yet prove to be very valuable.

The barrage of short pitched bowling is not how you win a Test - it saves face. The English team don't know what to do really... they love the media hype of 'Bazball" but cannot play freely or distinctively. Staring at 0-2, they have serious issues to confront. 

The umpiring in this test - especially Day 4 - was abysmal. England retreat to bouncers every delivery - bumper after bumper is bowled without a whimper from the useless umpires. Not great cricket to watch, that is for sure and TV ratings would have taken a considerable hit. Then they deny Starc a clear catch. What a nonsense! Honestly, cricket does a top job of shooting itself in the foot a lot. Have we had bad light yet? Maybe on the last day.

Kevin Pietersen continues to be extremely painful as a commentator. He is a little demented in suggesting Lyon may have been looking for a concussion in going out to bat late. Kevin has always sought controversy. Ponting however, is insightful but you can tell why he was such a winner...confident and teflon coated. Others would be intimidated by his strength and steel. He takes no prisoners.

4. AFL - Finals. Western Bulldogs are back in business and semi final bound now, especially with the Melbourne Demons inexplicably losing to the GWS Giants who have won 4 of their last 5 games. Too many stars for the Bulldogs not to be there, but there is a problem with Bailey Smith's form that needs to be fixed. Big wins by Collingwood and Adelaide. It was interesting to see West Coast run on with cricket pads this week, but it helped them more this week.

The twelfth consecutive win by Port Adelaide v Essendon was gripping. An after the siren win - like the one earlier in the season v the Swans at the SCG. This is eight valuable competition points they have and they keep the record rolling. A superb kick by Dan Houston under pressure. Marked with 17 seconds to go and he lands it from 50m+!

5. AFL - Swans. This season they have been pipped by Port Adelaide on the siren by two points, lost to GWS by one point and then squandered a win v Geelong and had to settle for a draw with 18 behinds. Really poor kicking. They have wasted so many opportunities this season and will pay a heavy price... no semi-final football.

6. Sydney Swifts Netball. A close win on the weekend against the West Coast Fever (named pre COVID?) and will play the Grand Final they thought they had missed v the Adelaide Thunderbirds. Not a top spectator sport, but big crowds filling the sport's coffers which they then sadly waste, despite the huge junior playing numbers.

7. West Indies Cricket. In the cellar at present, failing to beat Scotland and extremely unlikely to qualify for the ODI World Cup. Ouch. The old legends must be shaking their heads.

8. Wimbledon Starts This Week. Great tradition and grace, but Novak Djokovic wins this in a canter. I cannot see him dropping a set in winning this title, even if he is set to play Kygrios at some point. Swiatek will be hard to toss in the women's draw.