The Wrap - Headaches and Heartaches

1. NRL. A few rounds in now and a few teams are starting to get headaches. The Roosters did not look a patch on the Panthers who keep rolling on with great consistency. Manly dropped their bundle and so did the Cowboys. Canberra gave up an 18-0 lead which was staggering too. If the Grand Final ever returned to Brisbane, the Broncos would be red hot favourites. They were electric at times. The Titans look so far off the pace it is incredible. They need a roster clean out there. The coach looks like he is under a lot of pressure.

St George looked like their Round 1 selves in defence again. This Tyrell Sloan can play. Electric pace. Has anyone ever seen Shane Flanagan smile?

2. AFL. Melbourne showed some amazing steel to knock off Port Adelaide. Impressive. The form of Carlton continues to rise and the Swans...dreadful once again on the big MCG field. Fit enough? Too much down the centre and no width at key times. Kick and hope. The always entertaining Richmond crushed them with their superior defence and marking skill. Shae Bolton is outstanding. West Coast and North Melbourne are spoon certainties again - already. 

3. Cricket. Interesting that the CA contracts were distributed last week and nothing for Bancroft, Harris or Renshaw. The selectors are clearly not sold on any of them, hence Steve Smith opening. There was room for Aaron Hardie, Nathan Ellis (?), Jhye Richardson (?), Xavier Bartlett, Matt Short and Lance Morris who mixes a great cordial but rarely bowls. That in itself is a worry... no Spencer Johnson (hard to believe), Beau Webster...The value of these contracts stretches from $400,000 to $3M. The uncontracted are a worry as they become 'live' targets for international T20 franchises.

Interesting to read that for the next Shield season, Jason Sangha will head to SA who lost coach Jason  Gillespie this week as well. Daniel Hughes to VIC, Nic Maddison to NSW, Josh Phillippe to NSW... WA won well and will continue to dominate. Coach Adam Voges looks set to be our next national coach.

Olly Davies picked up a duck in the Sydney Grade Cricket final for Manly v St George and 81no in the second innings. A great leveller this game of cricket.

4. IPL. Underway and a tighter contest in most games than many seasons before. The great Virat Kohli already dominating. Cameron Green looking better. Tim David solid, but Mitchell Starc is struggling. Our 2024 Australian IPL players:

• Mitchell Starc ($4.43 million)

• Pat Cummins ($3.67 million)

• Cameron Green ($3.15 million)

• Glenn Maxwell ($2 million)

• Spencer Johnson ($1.78 million)

• Marcus Stoinis ($1.7 million)

• Tim David ($1.53 million)

• Travis Head ($1.2 million)

• Mitch Marsh ($1.2 million)

• Jhye Richardson ($890,000)

• Ashton Turner ($178,000)

• Nathan Ellis ($135,000)

• Jake Fraser-McGurk ($92,000)

5. EPL. Tottenham win v Luton Town to become equal fourth now with Aston Villa. These two teams look to be fighting out fourth spot, but Tottenham have a crushing draw coming up soon, playing West Ham, Nottingham, Newcastle - then Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool in consecutive weeks! 

6. NBL. The Tasmanian Jackjumpers almost beat Melbourne United mid week, but instead it headed to the fifth and deciding final today, winning it 3-2. A huge upset. Revenge for the Sheffield Shield loss!

7. Boxing - Tim Tszyu. Great to see the end of the hoopla. The "disrespect", the media high jinks, the dark sunnies, the microphone domination, the fifteen weigh-ins, the private jets, the money... please. The height and reach of the big mantis, Fundora, was pretty awesome. Tszyu got unlucky with his Benny Elias head cut, but it was never going to be easy. Maybe less mouth and more fighting might be good advice for the future.

8. Kris Lees. An amazing training record of recent with Kalapour (@$50) winning at Rosehill in the Tancred Stakes ($900,000). Nice if you were on it! The young jockey, Dylan Gibbons, is one to watch too.

9. Waratahs. After so much promise, they went down to of all teams, the Rebels. A terrible result. There are more and more blue stadium seats than not. Imagine working in marketing there... They have lost four in a row by six points or fewer. This is not what the fans want... or their coach. 

The Wrap - A Crusade Gone Wrong

1. Tassie - A Devil of a Time. Tasmania have had a mixed week sadly. Their new jersey in the AFL looks a bit drab (are there any jersey's that don't jar when there is no history? I could only imagine the hoo har when the Hawthorn one with the poo brown was announced - even the GWS one when that was launched). 

The Tassie Jackjumpers have taken the lead in the NBL finals v Melbourne 2-1 in a cracking display  but the Tassie Sheffield Shield hopes have all but evaporated. Nothing like a hard headed cricketer in a final to take it away from a team. Sam Whiteman (104) and Hilton Cartwright (55 and 94) have been exemplary, but Tassie batted poorly all the way through their order, both times. The fascination of a Shield final is why they change the format all year and use a completely different approach (five day game) for the one game that truly counts? 

Cameron Gannon bagged three wickets in the first innings and two early ones in the second innings (five in all). He has made a huge difference. Wade a pair of failures in his last game. 500 to win in the fourth innings chase? WA will win their third straight Sheffield Shield final.

Tassie also had an election on the weekend too. Exciting place at present.

2. NRL. The Roosters look sharp in 2024. How quick is Dom Young? Totally deceptive, but what a signing. Put him down for a weekly try. Just needs to watch his cross field running... Pythagoras' Theorum tells you he will not be as quick as he thinks in such moments. JWH played really well in his 300th. He is amazingly agile for a big man. His toughness when disciplined, is formidable.

Souths? Like most underperforming people, organisations or enterprises...excuses and disharmony. Latrell, for all his talent, needed to be sanctioned by the NRL last week. Not for his swearing, but for the intentional way he did it. He is a great ambassador for the game, but this was not a career highlight of pride. Too many impressionable kids out there... and mothers who decide what sport their children play. However, I can't imagine 2MMM has much of an audience either just quietly.

Nothing sadder than seeing Des Hasler crumbling. He looks like time has passed him by. He needs to get fitter too himself and set that example. They were awful. Yet they have a lot of talent in the ranks at the Titans. Foran may needs to go soon. It is a younger man's game. St George fell in a heap too. They will rue that one with their capitulation. 

Clearly some teams are simply fitter than others.

Should we get too excited about the Wests Tigers? A great win (how uncharacteristically bad were the Sharks?). Surely they cannot be as bad as they have been in the past few seasons. The Titans look early spoon favourites. Thankfully they have the bye victory already.

Parramatta? 50:50. One week a win, the next a loss. They have proven that Manly and themselves (if injury free) will be in the top eight this year. Great intensity in that game. Parramatta may just have found an excellent centre with pace! Just what they needed. Morgan Harper promises a lot at times, but he may be Waqar Blake in disguise sometimes too. Incredible how only the Cowboys (and possibly Melbourne who are struggling early in the second half) are the only teams that remain undefeated after three rounds.

3. AFL. A nasty clash between Essendon and the Swans on Saturday night. Typical Brad Scott coaching effort - the 'Essendon edge'...phff.  Peter Wright might get a few weeks. Draper's cheap shot was worse in so many ways. A bizarre weekend of AFL with a crowd intruder collared by a player and a runner grabbing his own players to prevent a brawl! Travis Boak 350 games as well. Impressive career.

Essendon were run ragged eventually. Errol Gulden killed them. A complete gun since he was a tiny kid (with a huge mouth at that time) learning his trade at Heffron Oval in Maroubra. The Collingwood performances early are of concern. Melbourne are rolling through a few teams, but the season is but young! Sydney 3-0 to start is a dream position to be in. 

Richmond and the Western Bulldogs are clearly two of the most entertaining teams in the AFL, but lose games they should not.

4. F1. Ferrari celebrating loud! Sainz and Le Clerc. A shame that there were no Max at the end, but both these drivers are now on the great Max Verstappen's hammer. 

Daniel Ricciardo? Woeful qualifying luck on the weekend and finished well back in twelfth spot. Oscar Piastri, the mild-mannered quieter driver, nailed fourth and just seems to be driving really well and consistently. Coming fifth on the F1 driver's standings at present.

5. A-League. In case you cared, Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers are sitting fifth and sixth on the table, led by Wellington Phoenix. Do you know anyone who has actually attended an A League game?

6. IPL. Warner (29) and Marsh (20) are opening for the Delhi Capitals with starts but no more. M Marsh bowled terribly 0/52 off four. Starc (0/53 off four and 6no) and Cummins (1/32 off four and 0no) are also in action, weighed down a little in the opening game by the coins in their pockets. They will win games for their teams soon enough (Starc - Kolkata Knightriders and Cummins - Sunrisers Hyderabad).

7. Waratahs. Another narrow loss. In the last three weeks, a three point loss (Highlanders), two point loss (Blues) and three point loss (Drua) is not good for your season. Narrow wins is what you want. The Rebels next week should brighten it all up! They are showing better signs than the past few seasons. There is hope!

0-5 from the Crusaders has New Zealand in free fall! The breakdancers are nervous. Most peculiar mumma.

8. EPL. A week off. In the Championship (second division English football), three teams look destined for promotion with an eight point break on the chasing pack: Leicester City, Leeds United and Ipswich Town. Interesting to note Sunderland (Till I die) are in twelfth position, but are in no risk of relegation this year!

The Wrap - Tassie Tigers

1. Alex Carey. Great to see him step up at a critical time v New Zealand. While not a super attack, over there is always tricky. Seaming decks against an enthusiastic, talented opponent is a challenge. A shame Cummins did not allow him to hit the ton, but a win is a win! Mitchell Marsh (80) and Carey 98no were superb. It is rare to see us consolidate in the middle order, rarer to see us chase down a fourth innings total. Cummins really knows how to win and can do it with the bat as well. He has done it in his first ever test v South Africa, the most recent Ashes series and now against New Zealand. A tough cameo innings.

It sealed a highly successful campaign in the end on the back of a T20 whitewash too. With those ten catches, Carey was rated MOTM. A fantastic outcome for a player who promises much and had quite frankly, not really delivered in test cricket. Hopefully he is set to really shine now and will consolidate. India will be a huge test for the whole team.

Our bowlers x 4 are the four highest wicket takers so far in test cricket from 2023-2025. We are also now sitting second on the ICC Test Championships 2023-2025 table. 

It is amazing in twelve months to see the ups and downs in test cricket. We saw Khawaja dominate, Labsuchagne-Smith dominate then fade, Travis Head win the World Cup and do zip since, Cameron Green bounce back in NZ, Mitchell Marsh win the AB Medal and now Carey. It is a fickle game, but you need to rise when the team needs you. Cummins smashed them in Australia (how often does he hit the stumps!?), Hazelwood bounced back and took a lot of wickets, Starc broke DK Lillee's record and Lyon hit the 500+ test wicket mark. 

2. Ellyse Perry. Consecutive IPLW player of the match awards, taking 6/15 and hitting runs for fun. What a talented player. A match winner and should deservedly cash in at next year's IPLW auction. She has been the dominant player. The final is tomorrow night.

3. Shield Final This Week. A big week this week for Tasmania who play Western Australia in Perth. This is where Bancroft is put under the microscope for mine. Can he produce under pressure? He has scored runs again, but not the most. A Shield final ton takes the notice of selectors. It is a bit of a media hobby horse to promote his return at present, but he can put it beyond doubt. The final Shield run scoring numbers (the final yet to be added) are below. 

Tasmania's Beau Webster could be a miracle man and hit 1,000 shield runs. The first since 2018-19 (Marcus Harris). Tassie gave up the home final with a shock last round loss, but they will be primed. Matt Wade plays his last long form red ball game as well.

Chris Tremain (NSW) had a tremendous year with the ball picking up 50 wickets. Very clever work. Olly Davies scored a third Shield ton and is in the mix for an Australian gig as well. The highest legitimate batting average as well in the 2023-2024 Shield season (67). Three tons and three fifties, striking at 81. Impressive.

4. IPL Carnival. This action starts this week again. Starc and Cummins will need to produce on their fat salaries and will... It is the cornerstone of the world cricketing calendar. Such hype. Dave Warner will be looking for a tough showing granted he seeks T20 World Cup selection too. His record in the IPL is stunning.

5. NRL - Xavier the Saviour. Awesome try at the death for the Storm. How the Warriors lost that game defies belief, but that is why the Storm are the benchmark. And all of it without the genius of Munster. They are destined for greatness again. Interesting how they did not concede points to the Panthers, but leaked a bit this week v Warriors.

6. NRL Panic Merchants. How tough has the draw been for the highest teams to start the season? Souths will bounce back when they get an easier team or two. They looked awful v Broncos and there seem to be too many captains and views. Cody Walker for all his talent, is getting long in the tooth. Warriors no points yet either. Hand off the red buzzer, there are many weeks to go. The Bulldogs and Tigers look very plain. You do get the sense that the Tassie Tigers may be the best lesson...prosper or perish!

Not sure Jerome Luai is  the answer at the Tigers. His dancing and prancing at the line does not help a team's attack. Nor does his ill discipline. He needs to run straighter and take the line on. Incredible to see how late Cleary passes the ball when taking on the line. He has them guessing constantly. A genius. It is staggering the other half backs don't study him more closely.

The 'middle teams' who are also fringe top eight teams (Parramatta, Manly, Cowboys, Newcastle, Souths, Canberra) need to beat top eight teams to make their mark. Turning around their fortunes takes a long time. Manly look fabulous and have done it twice in two rounds. They are semi-final bound. Luke Brooks looks like a new player. 

7. AFL. The Swans continued a dominant start to the year knocking over the 2023 Premiers and Finalists in Melbourne the week previously. They are beating top eight opponents already too. They are in form and firing. Like the Storm, they just seem to produce excellence every year. Pies terrible and need to lift. The Suns could be about to shine...

8. NBL. Great week for Tasmania. The Jackjumpers are into the finals v Melbourne. Runners Up in 2022 and named after a venomous ant! Interesting that Melbourne United their opponents sit at the top with seven titles (equal with the Sydney Kings). Brian Goorjian is a top shelf international and national coach coming back to Sydney next season.

9. Six Nations Rugby. Ireland become back to back winners and Wales break eight straight seasons of wooden spoons for Italy! Wales need a rethink. 

10. EPL Misery. A huge loss by Tottenham against Fulham 0-3. Terrible in the context of the season after a cracking win last week. ' Consistency is the greatest measure of high performance'.

11. Paris Olympics. Fast approaching. Sadly drug taking stories will start to emerge no doubt. The sacrifice of the athletes is amazing. Reading about the female swimmers - Titmus, McKeon, et al is very inspirational. These athletes are incredible.

12. Waratahs. Beat the Crusaders and a narrow loss to the Highlanders now compounded by a two point loss the Auckland Blues. Much better form than pre-season, but like all teams, they need to win close games! The Brumbies continue to impress as well. Better signs for Australian rugby.

13. Zougotcha. Amazing win in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic on Saturday. JMac on board makes him unbeatable. How good is James McDonald as a jockey? Incredible intuitive rides. Gets some good horses of course, but his work constantly earns high distinctions.

The Wrap - Greatest Ever

1. Racism. As much as we'd all like to see things differently, the racial comments this week have been the big thing, as predicted, overshadowing much of the great footy on show last weekend in Vegas. Leniu made a hash of the whole thing (game behaviour, hotel behaviour, with an eventual authentic apology driven by the Roosters leadership) and will now await what looks like a strong sentence. He was a Vegas promotions player as well. Unfortunately Sam Kerr is in trouble too. Keeping it quiet from everyone may be her bigger crime.

It has raised the question of "racism" and what the definition is. 'Man' Mundine has absolutely levelled Latrell Mitchell, telling him he is under performing and not as great as him! Others have even apologised to Sam Kerr (Craig Foster) and see no real problem with her comments (Premier Chris Minns). No shortage of opinions.

Hopefully kindness to others is the fundamental take away - and respect of difference. It is a low grade effort and a window into one's character to lean into racist comments - no matter who you are.

2. NRL. St George Illawarra were impressive against the disappointing Titans, with their defence and attitude much improved. Much more disciplined and focused. They moved the ball and looked fitter. Ravalawa looks really fit and trim too. Their backline looked pretty good with Lomax on the end of it.

Parramatta's defence was also swarming and the impressive bit was they did not collapse in a heap in the last ten minutes, as they have been known to do. Brad Arthur has started well, but 10 years in any club is a long time without premiership medallions. Lomax possibly joining the Eels would be an useful signing. 

Canberra winning in Newcastle was outstanding and Cronulla in New Zealand too. Melbourne win their 28th thousand first round game. Bellamy is the king. Let's not forget Manly, Roosters, Brisbane and Souths from Las Vegas, where I notice the USA Fox Sports 1 channel ratings were sadly a quarter of the usual average number. Few heard of the game on the East Coast either. Small steps.

The season looks a little grim for the Titans who have been the worst on show. The Dolphins were dreadfully loose too. The Bulldogs still lack a halfback and a big boppa to dominate oppositions and their attack is poor. Bronson Xerri should have played. Sheer speed, but mixed form with the hands. Round 1 is a hard task master.

This year's comp could be one of the greatest on record.  Lots of great play early for eight spots. Are we starting to see, like the NFL, that every week is a high quality event? The crowds have been outstanding on the back of the Vegas popularity in Australia. The current warm weather helps.

3. Waratahs. A crushing close after the hooter loss after much promise v the Highlanders. Talk about a form reversal, beating the Crusaders last start. The biggest challenge is letting the public know they are actually playing! It and the Reds knocking over the Chiefs spells better things for Australian rugby. The Crusaders went down to the Fijian Drua as well... their all conquering head coach, Scott Robertson, has definitely moved on.

4. Test Cricket v New Zealand. Steve Smith is really struggling at present, even though he is one of the game's true greats. His first LBW was extraordinary. His second innings LBW was worse. The same old, same old sadly for the rest when a strong first innings could have sealed the deal for Australia. Head out in the 20s, Carey not even and Mitchell Marsh his second duck in a row (duck or a hundred?). All three are once again under the spotlight for their Test careers in the second innings. Inconsistency is a curse.

Glory awaits these three... a ton or two and they are locked in forever. ICC wicketkeeper of the year or not. AB medal winner or not. IPL contract or World Cup ODI winning innings or not.

Our past few series in Test cricket? 1-2 loss v India, 2-2 draw in the Ashes, 3-0 win v Pakistan; 1-1 draw v West Indies; 1-0 so far v New Zealand. 5 Test cricket series for one winning series is not a great result.

Here is a quote from the great Ivan Cleary (from a visit we were lucky enough to make to the Panthers to learn about their high performance culture late last year):

Last few series batting form (Pakistan-West Indies-NZ):

Head: 40, 14, 17, 0, 10, 119, 0, 0, 1, 29, 21.

Carey: 34, 4, 53, 38, 15, 65, 2, 10, 3, 14.

M Marsh: 41, 96, 54, 5, 21, 10, 40, 0, 0.

Marnus: 16, 2, 65, 4, 60, 62*, 10, 1, 3, 5, 1, 2, 90, 6.

Marnus hit a 90 and it must be said, was dismissed to possibly the best catch we have seen since Channel 9 put a bullet through their most successful promo: "Classic Catches". He batted very well under a lot of pressure. Thankfully between the bowlers they are keeping us in the contest. Hazlewood has been in fine fettle. However, this will not be enough v India. Batting needs to be much stronger and more patient.

I notice the press climbing into Carey now he has dropped a critical catch. He did take 10 of them in this Test, but one dropped catch is when the microscope sharpens right up. A score in his second innings is critical. Josh Inglis just hit a highly stylish Shield ton.

Starc (358 Test wickets in 89 tests at 27.59) has now taken more wickets than the great Lillee (355 Test wickets in 70 Tests at 23.9)? Well done and a lucrative IPL contract reward as well, but is it time the WSC wickets and stats were counted? Lillee played 14 SuperTests and took 67 wickets at 26.86. (the most prolific SuperTests wicket taker after him? Ray 'doorknobs' Bright - 42! That is hard to believe, but true. Images of Viv putting him into the stands regularly come flashing back).

5. Test Cricket - India v England. England have an old habit of falling in a heap at the back end of a series. A 1-4 result is incredibly poor in the end after starting well. The relentless Indians play in hot, steamy sunshine every day and are an awesome force. The record of Brendan McCullum since he started in 2022 v NZ has taken a dive. 15 wins (two series v NZ and India, then also SA, Ireland, Australia) and 10 losses. The current series averages tell the story:

England batting nosedived and was poor at critical times: Crawley (40.7), Root (38.55), Duckett (34.3), Bairstow (23.8), Stokes (19.9) v India batting: Jaiswal (89), Gill (56.5), Sharma (44.44), Jadeja (38.66). Beating India at home is tough, but better poise and composure is needed. 

England bowling: Bashir 17 wickets at 33.35 v India: Ashwin 26 wickets (24.8) and 19 wickets by Bumrah and Jadeja. What a fairytale story for young Shoaib Bashir? In Lindfield playing at Roseville last year and the surrounding dodgy suburban pitches to the hotbed of India. He then tops the English bowling averages! Clever.

Ravi Ashwin has now taken 36 lots of 5 wicket hauls...the most ever by an Indian player. He is 37 years old however and time is short (not that you would notice with his form).

Jimmy Anderson getting 700 Test wickets was a mammoth feat. But in how many tests? 187 Tests and 348 innings. A trooper but it would be a travesty for him to beat Shane Warne (708 test wickets in 145 Tests and 273 innings). He may retire now - or be retired. He is now 41 years old. 

6. AFL. GWS were on fire v Collingwood. Toby Greene is a despised opponent, but so talented. He brings great strength and belief to that squad. An impressive start knocking over the premiers. The Swans were also tough on the postage stamp SCG. Hopefully Longmire has the ks in the legs because they will need them on the bigger grounds. Interesting to see the Gold Coast Suns winning their first round game too under their new coach Hardwick. Maybe they may fulfil their long held promise...maybe... An interesting 'bye' round for many teams to start their season. 

7. EPL. As mentioned, a huge test for Ange tonight v fourth placed Aston Villa. Tottenham (fifth placed) simply MUST win or they risk not playing in Europe. A win positions them really well as they then play Fulham, Luton, West Ham, Nottingham and Newcastle where full points are needed and possible.

They then have a really tough three week test: Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool back to back! To take 5 points there would be remarkable. They then finish with Burnley and Sheffield United who will both be trying to avoid relegation. They have the winning attitude and flair.

Meanwhile the Man City show rolls on...winning mid week and almost for fun. Coach Pep Guardiola is some sort of talent.

7. FI Grand Prix. It has to be said that young Oscar Piastri is doing great business with a fourth place in Saudi Arabia. The unlucky, frustrated Riccardio? 16th. Noticing a young 18 year old - Oliver Bearman - is driving for Ferrari. Impressive skill at that age. He would get a start at Brighton Le Sands on a Saturday night with that talent... or in Auto Alley at Terry Shields Toyota, Boyded Holden or Thomson Ford.

Max Verstappen continues to build a formidable record. He was the youngest ever driver, starting back in 2015 at the Australian GP when he was all of 17! 56 F1 wins now, passing Vettel, Prost, Senna and Alonso. Only Hamilton (103 wins) and Schumacher (91 wins) stand in front of him.

8. Greatest Ever! We have been treated to some of the best ever sports folk the planet has seen in the prime of our lives... Tiger Woods, later Jack Nicklaus, Shane Warne, Murali, Sachin Tendulkar, Serena Williams, Steffi Graf, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Kelly Slater, Layne Beachley, Stephanie Gilmore, Cameron Smith (NRL), Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Ellyse Perry, the All Blacks, ManU, Man City, the Crusaders...Carl Lewis, Michael Johnson, Emma McKeown, Katie Ledecky, Simone Biles, Ian Thorpe, Tom Brady, Michael Phelps, Michael Jordan, Usain Bolt...the list goes on. (Who is missing?).

Enter Le Bron James. 40,000 points now following a game v the Denver Nuggets this week - the most ever in the NBA... with the most three pointers ever. Incredible talent.

The Wrap - Triumphs and Disappointments

1. NRL - Vegas. Looks like the hoopla and profile has made all teams want to head across there over the next five years. Quite a spectacular standard of league to be honest. All four teams on show look semi-final bound. Manly were really impressive. Spencer Leniu needs to pull his head in. Racial accusations in the USA are fifty times worse than in Australia. This can undermine the whole show.

You now have all the club CEOs queuing up wanting the sponsorship profile and the gaming dollar.  Sad that the game is seeking gaming revenue for its future, when there are so many talented athletic blokes who could endorse products with an Aussie twang and make the game great. However, that is modern sport. In the end, it is a small game in a massive pond. Better than the Veterans Stadium experiment, but hopefully of the 41,000 crowd, there were at least a few Americans watching.

The Funky Miller advice that you don't get more attractive after midnight in Vegas will be tested tonight and in the coming days. 

2. Test Cricket. A strong win v New Zealand in the end, but our shabby batting order was on display again. It is starting to impact. We saw it v England, Pakistan and the West Indies and now in New Zealand...and their bowling attacks are not that great! We lost 1-2 to India, we drew the Ashes 2-2, we beat Pakistan 3-0 and drew with the West Indies 1-1, so a win v New Zealand is welcomed! A series win will be crucial for the World ICC Test Championship standings.

2a. Test Cricket Batting Inconsistency. Travis Head is wasteful and to get Green (great innings), Marsh and Carey scoring runs at the same time is a miracle. So inconsistent. Carey is on the thinnest of ice for mine. Greg Dyer was a great gloveman, so was Peter Nevill, Roger Woolley, Steve Rixon and the greatest of all - Darren Berry. However, they all had what Carey risks...poor batting records. Gilchrist set a new standard.

Nathan Lyon continues to accumulate the wickets, sneaking along to 527 Test wickets now, and in doing so in this Test (10 wickets for the match), he passed the great Courtney Walsh on 519 (in fewer Tests). His trajectory with approx. 4 wickets per Test would mean that he will take another 10 Tests to overtake McGrath (563) and another 45 Tests or so to beat Warne (708). That would require him to play the most ever Tests for Australia to beat Warnie.

Lyon has played 128 Tests (same as Mark Waugh) and Ponting and Steve Waugh both played 168 Tests. If he played the same number as Ponting and Steve Waugh, in 40 Tests at 4 wickets per Test, Lyon would finish on approx. 685 Test wickets. Superb.

For all his recent heroics, Kane Williamson continues his struggles against top line attacks - India, England and Australia. (Robbo was onto this!).

Marnus surely needs to be dropped on his head. When a player makes the same mistake time and time again, he is a huge risk. I would push Daniel Hughes (NSW) into the opener's role and let Smith bat at number 3. Nic Maddinson has scored three tons in a row for Victoria as an opener since Jan 1 2024. Nice form. Has anyone noticed the cocky and loud "no run" with the exaggerated waving of the bat when leaving a ball seems to have deserted both Smith and Marnus as the runs have dried up? Smith needs to learn to leave balls as an opener.

Poor old Will Pucovski is absolutely spooked. He almost fell into the latest short one from Riley Meredith today while batting in the Shield. He is gone unfortunately. Ollie Davies is clearly an avid reader of The Wrap. He scored a fine ton today for NSW, converting his starts into substance.

3. Grade Cricket. Nice to see cricket in First Grade Sydney is still full of the goose element. Chris Green is threatened by a player or two from Penrith and then invites them to punch on after the game. This etiquette is not in 'Calling All Cricketers'.

Please note the last paragraph which has undone many a cricketing career.

4. Shield Cricket 2023-2024. Our man Beau Webster smashed them again on the weekend. He now has hit 840 runs for the year. Webster, Wakim and Jewell (all Tassie) are the most solid performers averages wise. Interestingly, Bancroft still struggles to average over 40 in first class cricket, hence his omission from the Australin team. Notice Harris and Renshaw down lower. How Renshaw is in the reckoning is beyond everyone's belief.

Batting:

Shield Bowling. Surprising to see the NSW warhorse, Chris Tremain at the top! Impressive. Beau Webster has 19 wickets as well. Handy.

5. Ange - Tottenham. A big 3-1 win over Crystal Palace who are a middling team. They needed to beat them. Ange needs to get serious about winning over the name teams. They seem unable to do this and are running short on excuses now. Injuries are with everyone and all players are back on deck. They are playing an expansive and exciting brand of football.

6. EPL Dopes. The EPL fools who deducted 10 points from Everton for a financial misdemeanour (while not addressing some of the biggest clubs' indiscretions) have reduced it to 6 points, allowing Everton some breathing space around relegation. They will need every point possible based on their work of late.

Nice to see Erling Haaland hit 5 goals in a FA Cup match v Luton Town again. This is the best striker in world football. Despite missing a million games in the EPL through injury this year, he is still perched on top of the EPL goal scorer list this season with 17 goals! (27 in all forms this season). He hit an awesome 36 EPL goals last season (52 overall in all competitions) to set the record.

7. Tahs-Crusaders. Fancy that! NSW beat the Crusaders. Surely a misprint! Great effort from the depths of despair. Ireland won their first cricket Test match (v Afghanistan) this weekend too! Anything is possible.

8. Tennis. Is there a worse sight in world sport than a tennis player screaming at their box (? go figure) or at a match official. They should be defaulted as Andrey Rublev was as well. Spoilt brat sport. Bring back Ash Barty! 

9. Sporting Word Companions. Daniel Ricciardo and 'disappointment'. How often? The media do ride him hard, but a high profile world sport brings that pressure, amidst the yachts and glamour.