1. T20 World Cup. We look to be in a world of pain once again in T20. The capitulation v Pakistan and 3-0 loss last week was appalling. Yet we don't have enough quality spinners there (Khunemann, Zampa, Maxwell, Connolly will not be in the league of the sub-continent spinners). We also look completely lost against spin.
Our batters just got massively embarrassed.
- Connolly picked up two ducks from three innings and scored one run! He is really poor against slow bowling.
- Renshaw scored 18 runs in three innings. He struggles massively against spin too.
- Marsh (19), Head (27) and Short (34) runs were our best total run scorers across three games, behind Cameron Green, who scored 93 runs in three innings (our best).
- Hazelwood looks just about finished now too...but will be back for the IPL no doubt.
This batting will not win the tournament. It is a commentary on the slow pitches on the sub-continent and our inability to play spin. Steve Smith is one bloke who plays spin better than most. Maybe our arrogant selectors might make a necessary late change.
2. NRL. Payne Haas is a massive signing coup (three years) for South Sydney. What a superb player and a player who wins at every turn. An incredible signing which has beaten off all others with a lot of organisational skill and strategy. Bad bunnies!
The Broncos have nearly every other great player, so it is the fairness play that spreads talent, which the salary cap set out to uphold. Surely Wayne Bennett must be staying on at Souths too.
Miami? Saudi Arabia? The NRL are certainly looking at financial prosperity long term post their Vegas deal. The wily financial acumen of V'landys and Abdo is pretty exceptional and has built the code into an amazing entity, despite the critics.
Trials are underway, but 1 March is the Las Vegas launch. You miss the NRL!
The AFL conversely has been pretty quiet. No major off season controversies... yet!
3. Super Bowl LX. We will have a clash of the titans tomorrow Sydney time with the much fancied Seattle Seahawks taking on the outsiders, the New England Patriots. The Pats will complete and amazing turnaround if they can win. If coach Mike Vrabel can adjust their defence, they are a big chance.
Can't wait to watch Bad Bunny perform at halftime. Who? Such an exciting event and we hope the NRL are watching to see how they do their half time show. The entertainment for NRL GF watchers is appalling. Mascot races don't do it for anyone.
4. EPL. The Hammers of West Ham are inching back to move from the drop zone (but they have a poor goals for and against differential). They won v Burnley and needed to, but are still three points away from Notts Forest who deserve a stint back in the Championship tier of English football. Let's see how this one plays out.
5. LIV Golf. Elvis Smylie has won $5.6M, winning the first 72 hole event under lights in Saudi Arabia. A stunning statement ahead of LIV Adelaide next week and the crazy scenes there!
Meanwhile the Phoenix Open with a round to go is evenly poised, but Matsuyama (-13) looks favourite. Scheffler is a way off (-8), but a six under round again will have him near winning it! Min Woo is tied 11th (-9).
6. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The fourteen year old cricket phenomenon from India (if you can believe the birth certificate) absolutely brained them in the U/19 World Cup final hitting 175 (15 sixes/ 15 fours) in the final. Some of his sixes were out of the ground. India beat England hitting 9/411 on the back of that mind blowing effort.
7. Sheffield Shield. Hit a ton these days and you are near Australian selection! Kurtis Patterson hit 175 and the selectors shuffle. He is so talented, but so inconsistent. The batting continues to be horrible on seaming decks around the country. A Victoria and Queensland final is nearly a certainty.
8. Winter Olympics. As a minnow we are still on a duck egg with Australian medal winners. It could be a long wait, but the uniforms look good.
9. Australian Open Tennis. How good is Carlos Alcaraz? After winning the Australian Open, he moves to seven Grand Slam wins with a career Grand Slam (winning every Grand Slam on every surface) ... the same number of wins as McEnroe, Newcombe and Wilander and at such a young age. He is now only one behind Connors, Lendl, Rosewall and Agassi on eight Grand Slam wins. An absolute legend.
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