1. Ashes - First Test. 1-0 Head Start. After a seeming fiasco of a pitch in Perth, with two shaky batting orders, a spectacular albeit quick end. Chasing 205 for a win was always going to be tough on an interesting pitch which proved to be a little more even. Hard to believe there was a result possible on Day 2!
Losing 19 wickets on Day 1 probably included ten reckless batting errors to be fair. This test has broken all sorts of records for the quickest and fewest balls bowled. A lack of composure from many players was evident at key times.
However, Travis Head stepped into greatness. Summonsed here last week to produce after a string of disappointments, he rose to any challenge and exceeded it. His tenth Test ton (sixth fastest ever) sees him join Simpson, Katich and Hassett. He turned the game as he has done in India in the IPL and in the ODI World Cup and World Test Championship final v India two years back. A masterpiece ton. Great to see England get whacked. A stunning MOTM effort!
Usman must surely be on his last legs. He is slow and now injured. It has been good for him and us all, but time to go. We need some youth and confidence - or Travis Head to open. Usman will be well placed to play as much golf as he wants now. When calf, hamstring and back injuries arrive... so does retirement. Hazelwood remains injured too. Honestly... he will be back for the IPL.
2. Mitchell Starc - Incredible. Mitchell Starc is a star. The first innings specialist and the first over king - just ask Zak Crawley who picked up a pair. His caught and bowled was something else. He bowls at extreme pace and consistently so. Starc has really improved and was faced with a lot of pressure (10 wickets tells us he delivered!) in the absence of experienced team mates. Boland was better in the second innings, but charging him is not such a bad tactic.
Harry Brook is an unbelievable talent, but he is also helped by our terrible desperately short bowling when it counts. He can be hit and miss, but when he hits, he hits! He is also decidedly chirpy for someone so new...despite his multiple Test tons. He could be in Australia's sights with the short ball.
Marnus looked excellent too. Full credit to him on his re-invention. He looks so much tighter in defence.
3. Awesome Steve Smith. Steve Smith takes another four catches as he closes in (205) on Joe Root's Test catching record (213). He has played thirty fewer Tests, but has magnificent hands. Third most catches ever in Test cricket!
The way that Australia came back - again under Steve Smith's leadership - making a brilliant comeback has added some spice to the series. Smith wins a hell of a lot as captain (A better winning % than Border, Taylor, G Chappell and Clarke with a similar no. of tests in charge for most of them). Only Bradman, Steve Waugh, Ponting and Cummins are ahead of him.
4. Wallabies v France. In Paris in the cold/ snow. The crushing loss surely puts Joe Schmidt on the instant chopping block. His announcement of a bailout a year ago has brought dreadful results. Yet another combination, another key positional shift...yet a familiar result. This is our worst result on the European tour of all time. Also, ten Test losses/ four wins in a year is a terrible record, especially when two narrow wins over Japan and Argentina count here. The excellent Lions/ Springboks efforts are a distant memory.
5. NRL. Lomax is on the move from yet another Parramatta disaster at the signing table. Maybe weeding out problems is needed too. A one year extension for the Fox doesn't sound too confident either (?). Lomax's exit from St George was dreadful. The game will move on and another Lomax will appear, as it always does.
Jayden Campbell is talented, but paying him $1.2M per season... please. That is ridiculous. The Perth Bears are going to be awful if that is their early level of desperation. An English outside back, Harry Newman and Liam Henry are it so far unfortunately. Proven leaders are needed.
6. EPL. A ripping competition this year. Man City lose and Liverpool's sad decline after the off season death of their star, Diogo Jota, is sad. The impact there must be horrible. Arsenal have it all in their grasp if they want it. They have a habit of tripping over their own feet most years. Nottingham have picked up post Ange and seem destined for more positive results in the weeks ahead. The tight topsy turvey nature of it all brings added excitement. Chelsea could be a smokey.
7. NFL. The Philadelphia Eagles are surging to yet another Super Bowl. The Patriots, Colts, Rams and Broncos are up there, but not in their class. The big game experience will shine when it matters.
8. Las Vegas F1. The Norris v Verstappen and Piastri show is reaching a climax. Needing to win, Piastri gets a respectable fourth, but fourth and fifth places don't win championships. The qualifying rain didn't help either. Verstappen is getting closer and closer. A mighty champion! Norris looks to have it in the bag with Qatar and Abu Dhabi GPs remaining.
9. ATP Tennis Final. Sinner crushed Alcarez. Extraordinary consistency.
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