February 2013
Ben Barba: the long and winding road
The situation surrounding Canterbury’s superstar full-back Ben Barba is a sad one, made more so by the fact that it is being played out in public. If ever there was to be a validation of the oft-used saying, ‘sport is a microcosm of life’, this is it. What Barba is now forced to face is […]
Read More →India will prove how much we still need Warne
According to chairman of selectors, John Inverarity Australia will most likely take one specialist spinner into tomorrow’s opening Test against India at Chennai. On ABC Radio’s Grandstand program on Sunday afternoon Inverarity said, with regard to the pitch at the Chidambaram Stadium, that “there is not a blade of grass, so you’d suggest it is […]
Read More →The best 12 innings against Australia since 1980 (part 2)
Two days ago I posted the bottom half of my top-12 innings played against Australia in Test cricket since 1980. Here is my top six. 6 – Brian Lara, 277 at Sydney, 1992-93 Lara arrived in Australia in late-1992 as a virtual unknown, having played just two Tests. He left our shores as a man […]
Read More →Oscar Pistorius arrested – the sporting world dealt another blow
That is the only way of describing the news out of South Africa that double-amputee sprinter and six-time Paralympic gold medallist Oscar Pistorius has been charged with the alleged murder of his girlfriend. It is alleged that he shot his 30-year-old model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp four times including once in the head. Initial reports stated […]
Read More →The 12 best innings against Australia since 1980 (part 1)
Over my next two columns I am turning my attention to the finest 12 innings against Australia since 1980. As always, it is bound to cause dissension, if not dissent! What the hell, here we go with the bottom half of my dozen. 12 – Bruce Edgar, 161 at Auckland, 1981-82 Heading into the second […]
Read More →It is time to put an end to sport’s two-faced gambling hypocrisy
It is often said that Australians will bet on two flies climbing up a wall. If you were a gambler in days’ past that was a good way to sustain your penchant. Nowadays, there is no need to invent situations on which to place a bet as most gambling agencies have myriad markets available on […]
Read More →Here’s what we need to do to really fight drugs in sport
At present, anti-doping agencies and campaigners in this country are peddling a substantial amount of hot air. Several times it was mentioned at the media conference on Thursday where the whistle was blown on systemic and widespread doping in this country, which is if use performance enhancing substances you will be caught. But how? The […]
Read More →Where to now for sport in this country?
Australian sport finds itself today in the biggest maelstrom in its history. A 12-month investigation by the Australian Crime Commission has blown the lid on widespread drug use and the involvement of organized crime in sport in this country. The shock waves will no doubt continue to reverberate for many months to come as criminal […]
Read More →Australia’s best individual Test innings since 1980 (part 2)
Two days ago here on ‘The Roar’, I posted numbers 10 to 6 in my top-10 Test innings played by an Australian batsman since 1980. Here now are the final five. 5 – Mark Waugh, 116 v South Africa at Port Elizabeth 1996-97 The Waugh brothers may be twins, but alike they are not, especially […]
Read More →Australia’s best individual Test innings since 1980 (part 1)
Continuing a recent theme, I’ve decided to don the flak jacket once again, this time as I produce my top-10 Australian Test innings since 1980. Since the start of the qualifying period Australia has played 353 Tests – winning 178, losing 83, drawing 91 and recording one tie. In that time, Australian cricket has experienced […]
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