1. Australian Test Cricket. Usman's backlift looks like his bat path is coming from far too square. He cannot get behind the lifting ball on off stump well enough and is suffering, edging everything. He may do well to last till Sydney.
Nathan McSweeney's style is fresh with a quiet confidence. To start your Test career against Bumrah and India is the toughest of tests. He needs to be championed for a while yet, but Bumrah has his measure. He is sharp in the field which shows his stamp as a player. However, he too is under threat. He holds one of the worst records for a starting opener in Australian Test Cricket history.
Travis Head was again superb. He is critical in our flimsy order. Smith and Head were outstanding really. Head now has nine test tons and six of them are in the first innings. Marnus has massive problems but has an exceptional test record. Hopefully he can bounce back. Mitch Marsh... really? Pat Cummins looks safer than Mitch Marsh with the bat. He is on notice. A lame caught and bowled chance not taken, a top edge that fell safely and then a lame edge to second slip.
A great end result from Day Two. Is there any memory of Australia hitting over 400 in recent Tests? You need to go a long way back... 14 December 2023 - a year ago v Pakistan.
2. BBL. It is the deja vous competition. No one can barely remember much about it from one year to the next, except that we need new players and new talent to cheer. The lack of superstar quality is a worry and this three week contract before jetting off elsewhere is not how we like our sport. It is viewed as a low level tournament on the world stage as everyone world wide tries to grab cash. Sad. T20 is a rare night out for anyone over 30 years of age.
The Scorchers are the exception. Huge crowds and lots of traditional success, but they are not what they used to be.
3. Oscar Piastri. He seals McLaren's (Mercedes) victory in the constructor's championship and finishes fourth in the driver's championship. He is earning $30M plus. A good year by anyone's standards.
4. EPL. Ange is suddenly really on the ropes. A loss to Chelsea and a draw with Rangers. Injury stricken but struggling. A 4-3 loss to Chelsea showed enterprise, but defence is near non-existent. Angle has started to target players too (Timo Werner)...a sure sign that he is in need of a complete form reversal, or the axe.
The songs have been silenced in the one win from his last eight games. He moves on to play the lowly Southampton on Monday morning. A victory is the only outcome for Ange or he could be gone by next week.
Liverpool and Chelsea look strong this season, but all the top teams keep dropping points. Nottingham are surging into the top five.
Rangers v Celtic in the Scottish League Cup Final is tonight too. Ange may be wishing he was there.
5. LIV-USPGA. Interesting that Trump hasn't solved this yet. Anytime now... tick tock.
6. Wests Tigers. Talk of them losing their identity and becoming the 'Wests Magpies' sounds revolutionary, but it comes with a warning. The Wests Tigers have won three wooden spoons, Balmain Tigers won four wooden spoons, but the Wests Magpies have won 18 wooden spoons! PNG have a great tax free incentive, but wood is not a big export or import. They could surprise in time.
7. NZ v England Cricket. Tim Southee is about to call it quits and sits on 98 sixes in Test Cricket (the same number as Chris Gayle). There are only four players to have hit 100 sixes in Test Cricket. Ben Stokes (133), Brendon McCullum (107) and Gilchrist (100).
They are really loose in this series after a cracking series in India. Down 2-0 already to England, but they have been tougher this Test.
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