Sitting in the Europa Suite at Old Trafford on Tuesday afternoon, surrounded by reminders of his club’s long history in this competition, Sir Alex Ferguson had expressed his belief that this would be a “fantastic” scoreline at the halfway point in the Champions League semi-final. However, by the end of last night, the manager’s satisfaction at a dominant Manchester United performance was tempered by a nagging regret that they had let Arsenal off the hook.
A 1-0 lead is a decent advantage to take into the second leg at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, with John O’Shea, of all people, scoring the only goal last night, but it could have been so much better for United. A single goal seemed a disappointing return for a vibrant display that was epitomised by the tenacity of Darren Fletcher, Anderson, Wayne Rooney and the recalled Carlos Tévez, but Arsenal could claim that they had the game’s outstanding performer in Manuel Almunia.
The Spaniard made three outstanding saves in the first half, with Arsène Wenger describing his performance as “excellent, top class in every sense”. The goalkeeper had to be at his best, because none of his team-mates could claim to have been anything of the sort.
Arsenal were disappointing, struggling to produce the fluent football for which they are renowned, but under the circumstances, with William Gallas and Gaël Clichy missing from their defence and no Andrey Arshavin or Robin van Persie farther forward, it was asking a lot for Wenger’s team to reach the heights to which they aspire against a United side who have the bit between their teeth once more.
The question is whether Arsenal’s youngsters have enough about them to overturn the deficit. Too many of them found the going tough last night, as illustrated by Theo Walcott’s difficulty in finding a way past Patrice Evra, and they will need to raise their game on Tuesday, just as their supporters will need somehow to make the Emirates Stadium an intimidating venue for United. Even if Arsenal get the goal that is a minimum requirement, it is hard to imagine them keeping Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo et al quiet for 90 minutes.
In one sense, it did not look a fair fight. These things are not easy to say with regard to a club who do not disclose their transfer fees, but Arsenal’s entire starting line-up cannot have cost Wenger much more than the £30.75 million that Ferguson spent on Dimitar Berbatov, who was left out of the United team. On one hand it was remarkable that Ferguson chose to go without his record signing in such a big game, but the United manager chooses horses for courses and, against Arsenal’s slightly ponderous central defenders, the selection of Tévez made perfect sense and was quickly vindicated.
Tévez has been bitterly frustrated at sitting out so many important matches in favour of Berbatov and his determination to make the most of this opportunity was clear. It was he who took the fight to Arsenal in the opening half-hour, enabling United to set the kind of tempo that does not come naturally to a player of Berbatov’s undoubted talent. Tévez dragged Kolo Touré and Mikaël Silvestre this way and that, leaving Rooney and Ronaldo to stretch the full backs.
Arsenal’s supporters were relieved to reach half-time only one goal adrift, with Almunia’s name belted out with gusto as the whistle was blown. The first of his saves, as he back-pedalled and stretched to claw Rooney’s looping header away from the goalline, was excellent, but even better were the two that followed as he flung himself to his left to keep out Tévez’s close-range shot and then to his right to repel Ronaldo’s header.
Almunia, though, could not thwart United single-handedly. From the corner that followed his save from Tévez in the seventeenth minute, Anderson’s cross travelled beyond the far post, where Michael Carrick feinted to shoot before waltzing past Bacary Sagna. Carrick’s cross was unwittingly touched on by Silvestre to O’Shea, who quickly adjusted his body to send a firm shot into the roof of the net.
It was the least that United deserved for the manner in which they started, but the complexion and the mood of the game slowly began to change thereafter. Ferguson, in a half-time television interview, suggested that his team had controlled the game for 35 minutes, pinpointing the moment where he thought that Arsenal had established a foothold as the interval approached. Chances, though, were scarce — Cesc Fàbregas hit one shot straight at Edwin van der Sar and then, to great amusement, sent another one out for a throw-in — but at least they were stringing passes together, something they had struggled to do to that point.
Midway through the second half, after Ronaldo had rattled the woodwork with a stupendous 30-yard shot at one end and Emmanuel Adebayor had sent an effort flying over the crossbar at the other, Arsenal’s supporters called for Eduardo da Silva, an indication that they thought there was an away goal to be had. Wenger chose first to send on Nicklas Bendtner for Walcott and the Denmark forward came closest to scoring the goal that Arsenal craved, heading wide with four minutes remaining after a powerful leap had allowed him to get to a Fàbregas free kick ahead of Van der Sar.
By now, United seemed more concerned with containment, eager not to concede the away goal that would have handed the initiative to Arsenal, but Ryan Giggs, making his 800th appearance for the club as a substitute, thought that he had scored with 18 minutes remaining, only to be deemed offside from Rooney’s astute pass. Ferguson raged at the fourth official, but, if he is cursing anyone this morning, it is more likely to be Almunia.
Source:The times
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Master Minded scrambles home as Punchestown Festival begins
It may have been the bracing spring sunshine or the teatime start that kept Punchestown's first-day crowd healthy in a cash crisis but those who came just to admire a lap of honour from Master Minded got more excitement than expected. The dual two-mile champion had only a head to spare over Big Zeb in the Kerrygold Champion Chase and would have been beaten if his rival had not fluffed the last fence.
Paul Nicholls, his trainer, had been convinced Master Minded was in better shape than when defending his title at Cheltenham last month but his nerves were shredded in a fraught climax. Nicholls felt Master Minded idled after being obliged to make his own running but Ruby Walsh, his jockey, was less forgiving.
“He didn't travel with the gusto or jump with the exuberance he usually has,” Walsh confessed. “He just wasn't taking me there out in front and he was pulling up again before the line. This wasn't his best effort but he's still won and he's an incredible horse.”
Nicholls, admitting it was “a gamble” to bring Master Minded here after ten months on the go, believes the personality of the horse has altered. “Just like Kauto Star, you learn about these horses all the time and I think he's got a bit complacent. You'll see him next in the Tingle Creek in December and I'd expect him to have a pacemaker.”
Bookmakers eased Master Minded slightly for a third Champion Chase but took the shears to the price of Big Zeb, running his best race yet for Colm Murphy. “It's a pity to get so close and not win but he's on the upgrade and something to look forward to,” Murphy said.
Nicholls had earlier watched with mixed emotions as Walsh initiated a grade one double by dismissing significant rivals to establish Hurricane Fly as new favourite for the 2010 Champion Hurdle. Admiring though he was of horse and rider, Nicholls now knows he may have to seek another jockey if Celestial Halo makes it back to Cheltenham next year.
There may, of course, be considerable caveats about Hurricane Fly getting there - his missed the Festival last month with minor injury and, being by Montjeu, he has hotheaded tendencies. His talent, though, is beyond question and the speed with which he put a false-run race to bed yesterday was breathtaking.
It came as no surprise to Willie Mullins, his trainer, who recounted a home gallop last Tuesday “which amazed us all”. Characteristically, Walsh anchored him towards the rear and looked to have a problem as he turned into the straight behind a wall of horses. He attracted the attention of the stewards by nudging a path through but his mount then sprinted seven lengths clear of Kempes and Riverside Theatre.
The latter, watched by a nattily clad Jimmy Nesbitt, his part-owner, was part of a decimated travelling party for Nicky Henderson, who yesterday scratched Punchestowns from the Ladbroke World Series Hurdle tomorrow after he was slightly lame behind. “It's nothing serious but we can't risk him,” Henderson said.
He had already taken Barbers Shop, owned by the Queen, out of today's feature race, the Guinness Gold Cup. Notre Pere, Ireland's leading chaser on ratings, is likely to contest favouritism with Imperial Commander, who won the Ryanair Chase for Nigel Twiston-Davies.
Cooldine, a Cheltenham winner for Mullins, is also among the 13 declared but he will not turn out again after disappointing yesterday in the Boylesports Champion Novice Chase. Walsh led from the start again but Cooldine jumped without fluency and dropped out tamely in the straight as Rare Bob, fourth in the Irish National, produced the surprise of the day.
More than 16,000 turned up, with an increase in general admission compensating for the predictable corporate decline. The jury is out on the late start and evening finish but the benefits may have been as much to local landlords as local workrate.
Source:The times
Paul Nicholls, his trainer, had been convinced Master Minded was in better shape than when defending his title at Cheltenham last month but his nerves were shredded in a fraught climax. Nicholls felt Master Minded idled after being obliged to make his own running but Ruby Walsh, his jockey, was less forgiving.
“He didn't travel with the gusto or jump with the exuberance he usually has,” Walsh confessed. “He just wasn't taking me there out in front and he was pulling up again before the line. This wasn't his best effort but he's still won and he's an incredible horse.”
Nicholls, admitting it was “a gamble” to bring Master Minded here after ten months on the go, believes the personality of the horse has altered. “Just like Kauto Star, you learn about these horses all the time and I think he's got a bit complacent. You'll see him next in the Tingle Creek in December and I'd expect him to have a pacemaker.”
Bookmakers eased Master Minded slightly for a third Champion Chase but took the shears to the price of Big Zeb, running his best race yet for Colm Murphy. “It's a pity to get so close and not win but he's on the upgrade and something to look forward to,” Murphy said.
Nicholls had earlier watched with mixed emotions as Walsh initiated a grade one double by dismissing significant rivals to establish Hurricane Fly as new favourite for the 2010 Champion Hurdle. Admiring though he was of horse and rider, Nicholls now knows he may have to seek another jockey if Celestial Halo makes it back to Cheltenham next year.
There may, of course, be considerable caveats about Hurricane Fly getting there - his missed the Festival last month with minor injury and, being by Montjeu, he has hotheaded tendencies. His talent, though, is beyond question and the speed with which he put a false-run race to bed yesterday was breathtaking.
It came as no surprise to Willie Mullins, his trainer, who recounted a home gallop last Tuesday “which amazed us all”. Characteristically, Walsh anchored him towards the rear and looked to have a problem as he turned into the straight behind a wall of horses. He attracted the attention of the stewards by nudging a path through but his mount then sprinted seven lengths clear of Kempes and Riverside Theatre.
The latter, watched by a nattily clad Jimmy Nesbitt, his part-owner, was part of a decimated travelling party for Nicky Henderson, who yesterday scratched Punchestowns from the Ladbroke World Series Hurdle tomorrow after he was slightly lame behind. “It's nothing serious but we can't risk him,” Henderson said.
He had already taken Barbers Shop, owned by the Queen, out of today's feature race, the Guinness Gold Cup. Notre Pere, Ireland's leading chaser on ratings, is likely to contest favouritism with Imperial Commander, who won the Ryanair Chase for Nigel Twiston-Davies.
Cooldine, a Cheltenham winner for Mullins, is also among the 13 declared but he will not turn out again after disappointing yesterday in the Boylesports Champion Novice Chase. Walsh led from the start again but Cooldine jumped without fluency and dropped out tamely in the straight as Rare Bob, fourth in the Irish National, produced the surprise of the day.
More than 16,000 turned up, with an increase in general admission compensating for the predictable corporate decline. The jury is out on the late start and evening finish but the benefits may have been as much to local landlords as local workrate.
Source:The times
Colin Montgomerie wants to increase Ryder Cup wild cards
Colin Montgomerie wants to increase the number of wild-card picks he will have for next year's Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor.
The European Tour's players' committee meets in Ireland on May 12 and the Europe captain wants more than the two picks his predecessors have had for the past seven matches. America regained the trophy in October after their captain Paul Azinger sought and was given four picks, two more than previously.
"I am one vote, but a more powerful one than I was being the captain," Montgomerie said. "I will put the case forward."
He did not reveal how many wild cards he would request - he once said the captain should be able to choose all 12 of the side - but did confirm his proposal is a change to the current system.
Last year, Nick Faldo overlooked Montgomerie, the German player Martin Kaymer, European Open champion Ross Fisher and Darren Clarke - winner of two qualifying tournaments, including the penultimate one - in favour of Ian Poulter and Paul Casey.
Poulter's selection was controversial because he had not flown back from America for the final event when he still had a chance to make the team automatically. However, he was Europe's top scorer in the contest with four wins out of five.
Source:The times
The European Tour's players' committee meets in Ireland on May 12 and the Europe captain wants more than the two picks his predecessors have had for the past seven matches. America regained the trophy in October after their captain Paul Azinger sought and was given four picks, two more than previously.
"I am one vote, but a more powerful one than I was being the captain," Montgomerie said. "I will put the case forward."
He did not reveal how many wild cards he would request - he once said the captain should be able to choose all 12 of the side - but did confirm his proposal is a change to the current system.
Last year, Nick Faldo overlooked Montgomerie, the German player Martin Kaymer, European Open champion Ross Fisher and Darren Clarke - winner of two qualifying tournaments, including the penultimate one - in favour of Ian Poulter and Paul Casey.
Poulter's selection was controversial because he had not flown back from America for the final event when he still had a chance to make the team automatically. However, he was Europe's top scorer in the contest with four wins out of five.
Source:The times
England overlook Michael Vaughan and Ian Bell for first Test with West Indies
Michael Vaughan, Ian Bell and Stephen Harmison have all been left out of England's 12-man squad for the first npower Test match against the West Indies on Wednesday. Owais Shah has been dropped after playing the last three Tests in the Caribbean.
Ravi Bopara, the Essex batsman, has been picked to fill the No 3 position after hitting a hundred against the West Indians in Barbados last month. And in a party of bold selections, uncapped seamers Tim Bresnan and Graham Onions will provide the back-up to James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
"This is very exciting for the two young fast bowlers to be included in the squad for a Lord's Test match and sends a message to all county players that if they put in consistently good performances they will get recognised," Geoff Miller, the national selector, said. "Both have had good starts to this season and had been close to Test match selection on a number of occasions.
"They have earned their place in the party. The selectors also felt that Ravi Bopara deserved his chance after his performance in his single Test in the Caribbean this winter.
"There was a lot of competition for that batting position but Bopara now has the opportunity to stake a claim. He showed he has the ability to play at Test level."
Left-arm spinner Monty Panesar is also included which gives captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower the opportunity to ponder the option of two slow men, a policy which some believe could be productive for the Ashes later this summer.
On the batting front, Bell, 27, was expected to return after hitting the LV County Championship's first hundred of the season for Warwickshire against Somerset and also registering a one-day century against the same opposition.
However, the selectors have demanded greater weight of runs in domestic cricket from him to emphasise a desire to get back to the international fold.
Shah, the man who displaced him for the final three Tests in the Caribbean, has been consigned to bench-warming in the Indian Premier League and therefore unable to justify his retention after a fallow return to Tests. So Bopara, currently featuring in the Indian Premier League, is back after his 104 in a one-off chance at Kensington Oval.
"The selectors felt that Ravi Bopara deserved his chance after his performance in his single Test in the Caribbean this winter," Miller added.
"There was a lot of competition for that batting position but Bopara now has the opportunity to stake a claim. "He showed in Barbados that he has the ability to play at Test level."
England squad for the 1st npower Test Match against West Indies:
A Strauss (Middlesex, captain)J Anderson (Lancashire)R Bopara (Essex)T Bresnan (Yorkshire)S Broad (Nottinghamshire)P Collingwood (Durham)A Cook (Essex)G Onions (Durham)M Panesar (Northamptonshire)K Pietersen (Hampshire)M Prior (Sussex, wicketkeeper)G Swann (Nottinghamshire)
Source:The times
Ravi Bopara, the Essex batsman, has been picked to fill the No 3 position after hitting a hundred against the West Indians in Barbados last month. And in a party of bold selections, uncapped seamers Tim Bresnan and Graham Onions will provide the back-up to James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
"This is very exciting for the two young fast bowlers to be included in the squad for a Lord's Test match and sends a message to all county players that if they put in consistently good performances they will get recognised," Geoff Miller, the national selector, said. "Both have had good starts to this season and had been close to Test match selection on a number of occasions.
"They have earned their place in the party. The selectors also felt that Ravi Bopara deserved his chance after his performance in his single Test in the Caribbean this winter.
"There was a lot of competition for that batting position but Bopara now has the opportunity to stake a claim. He showed he has the ability to play at Test level."
Left-arm spinner Monty Panesar is also included which gives captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower the opportunity to ponder the option of two slow men, a policy which some believe could be productive for the Ashes later this summer.
On the batting front, Bell, 27, was expected to return after hitting the LV County Championship's first hundred of the season for Warwickshire against Somerset and also registering a one-day century against the same opposition.
However, the selectors have demanded greater weight of runs in domestic cricket from him to emphasise a desire to get back to the international fold.
Shah, the man who displaced him for the final three Tests in the Caribbean, has been consigned to bench-warming in the Indian Premier League and therefore unable to justify his retention after a fallow return to Tests. So Bopara, currently featuring in the Indian Premier League, is back after his 104 in a one-off chance at Kensington Oval.
"The selectors felt that Ravi Bopara deserved his chance after his performance in his single Test in the Caribbean this winter," Miller added.
"There was a lot of competition for that batting position but Bopara now has the opportunity to stake a claim. "He showed in Barbados that he has the ability to play at Test level."
England squad for the 1st npower Test Match against West Indies:
A Strauss (Middlesex, captain)J Anderson (Lancashire)R Bopara (Essex)T Bresnan (Yorkshire)S Broad (Nottinghamshire)P Collingwood (Durham)A Cook (Essex)G Onions (Durham)M Panesar (Northamptonshire)K Pietersen (Hampshire)M Prior (Sussex, wicketkeeper)G Swann (Nottinghamshire)
Source:The times
McLaren hit by suspended three-race ban for 'Lie-gate' scandal
McLaren Mercedes have been hit with a suspended three-race ban after they pleaded guilty to misleading stewards at the Australian Grand Prix.
Martin Whitmarsh, the McLaren team principal, faced the FIA's World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) in Paris today, and pleaded guilty to five charges of bringing Formula One into disrepute in connection with the “Lie-gate” scandal. However, the penalty will only be enforced on the team if "further facts emerge" about this incident or if there is a "further breach" of the rules.
The team did not contest the case and threw themselves on the mercy of the FIA as a result of the attempt by Lewis Hamilton and Dave Ryan, the now dismissed McLaren sporting director, to deceive the stewards after the race in Melbourne and before the Malaysian Grand Prix.
"Having regard to the open and honest way in which McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh addressed the World Motor Sport Council and the change in culture he made clear is taking place in his organisation, the WMSC decided to suspend the application of the penalty it deemed appropriate," an FIA statement read.
"That penalty is a suspension of the team from three races [in the world championship]. This will only be applied if further facts emerge regarding the case or if in the next 12 months there is further breach by the team."
Hamilton has avoided any further punishment after his disqualification from the Australian Grand Prix. The world champion was initially promoted from fourth to third after the race stewards in Melbourne handed Jarno Trulli a 25-second penalty for passing the Briton behind the safety car.
During the meeting, Whitmarsh again took the opportunity to offer his team's sincere apologies for the mistakes made in Australia and Malaysia.
Following the hearing described by McLaren as "very fair", Whitmarsh said: "I would like to thank the FIA World Motor Sport Council members for affording me the opportunity to answer their questions this morning.
"We are aware we made serious mistakes in Australia and Malaysia, and I was therefore very glad to be able to apologise for those mistakes once again.
"I was also pleased to be able to assure the FIA World Motor Sport Council members that we had taken appropriate action with a view to ensuring that such mistakes do not occur again."
A McLaren statement added: "We now look forward with enthusiasm to continuing our efforts to develop a closer and more co-operative relationship between ourselves and the FIA.
"We will also continue to focus our efforts on closing the performance gap that exists between our car and the fastest cars.
"Following Lewis' encouraging fourth place in Bahrain on Sunday, we are now optimistic we will be able to play an increasingly competitive part in what is fast developing into a very exciting season of Formula One motor racing."
Speaking after the hearing, Max Mosley, the president of the FIA, said the WMSC's decision had been "entirely fair."
"They [McLaren] have demonstrated there is a complete culture change, that it's all different to what it was," he said. "In those circumstances it looks better to put the whole thing behind us, so unless there is something similar in the future, that is the end of the matter."
F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone described the proceedings as "good, fair, honest and straight."
"I thought Martin was happy with that. He shouldn't have done something wrong should he? So he got a slap," he said.
"But it was good for everybody that decision. They had their wrist slapped. That was all they needed. They've had enough punishment."
Source:The times
Martin Whitmarsh, the McLaren team principal, faced the FIA's World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) in Paris today, and pleaded guilty to five charges of bringing Formula One into disrepute in connection with the “Lie-gate” scandal. However, the penalty will only be enforced on the team if "further facts emerge" about this incident or if there is a "further breach" of the rules.
The team did not contest the case and threw themselves on the mercy of the FIA as a result of the attempt by Lewis Hamilton and Dave Ryan, the now dismissed McLaren sporting director, to deceive the stewards after the race in Melbourne and before the Malaysian Grand Prix.
"Having regard to the open and honest way in which McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh addressed the World Motor Sport Council and the change in culture he made clear is taking place in his organisation, the WMSC decided to suspend the application of the penalty it deemed appropriate," an FIA statement read.
"That penalty is a suspension of the team from three races [in the world championship]. This will only be applied if further facts emerge regarding the case or if in the next 12 months there is further breach by the team."
Hamilton has avoided any further punishment after his disqualification from the Australian Grand Prix. The world champion was initially promoted from fourth to third after the race stewards in Melbourne handed Jarno Trulli a 25-second penalty for passing the Briton behind the safety car.
During the meeting, Whitmarsh again took the opportunity to offer his team's sincere apologies for the mistakes made in Australia and Malaysia.
Following the hearing described by McLaren as "very fair", Whitmarsh said: "I would like to thank the FIA World Motor Sport Council members for affording me the opportunity to answer their questions this morning.
"We are aware we made serious mistakes in Australia and Malaysia, and I was therefore very glad to be able to apologise for those mistakes once again.
"I was also pleased to be able to assure the FIA World Motor Sport Council members that we had taken appropriate action with a view to ensuring that such mistakes do not occur again."
A McLaren statement added: "We now look forward with enthusiasm to continuing our efforts to develop a closer and more co-operative relationship between ourselves and the FIA.
"We will also continue to focus our efforts on closing the performance gap that exists between our car and the fastest cars.
"Following Lewis' encouraging fourth place in Bahrain on Sunday, we are now optimistic we will be able to play an increasingly competitive part in what is fast developing into a very exciting season of Formula One motor racing."
Speaking after the hearing, Max Mosley, the president of the FIA, said the WMSC's decision had been "entirely fair."
"They [McLaren] have demonstrated there is a complete culture change, that it's all different to what it was," he said. "In those circumstances it looks better to put the whole thing behind us, so unless there is something similar in the future, that is the end of the matter."
F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone described the proceedings as "good, fair, honest and straight."
"I thought Martin was happy with that. He shouldn't have done something wrong should he? So he got a slap," he said.
"But it was good for everybody that decision. They had their wrist slapped. That was all they needed. They've had enough punishment."
Source:The times
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson remain the best of enemies
The 2009 Masters was perfectly in tune with these economical times. It was the two-in-one Masters, the one that gave extra value for money.
The tournament was won by Ángel Cabrera after an incident-filled final afternoon, including the first three-man play-off for 22 years. But as major championships go, this one will be remembered as much for the final-day duel between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Perhaps more than any other, the sight of the two best players in the world going at one another on a sunny afternoon in Georgia brought the roars back to Augusta.
Billy Payne, the chairman of Augusta National, had spoken of how hurt he had been at criticism in previous years, when bad weather accentuated the testing demands of the course, making Augusta not a place of worship for golf fans but a venue where they struggled to keep warm and applaud the contestants.
It was the thrust and counter-thrust by Woods and Mickelson that brought home how the atmosphere had changed this year. They were born within a few hundred miles and less than six years apart in California. They stood on the 1st tee on Sunday afternoon within touching distance, but one looking one way, one the other. Why do they find it so hard to like one another? The historical fairways are full of rivalries. Remember the Great Triumvirate at the turn of the 20th century. Think of Ben Hogan and Sam Snead in the US and Severiano Ballesteros and Paul Azinger in the Ryder Cup. When Jack Nicklaus burst upon the scene, Arnold Palmer used to refer to him sneeringly as “the German”. Remember Nick Faldo and a number of players? Darren Clarke and Colin Montgomerie?
Perhaps Woods is more logical, cool and practical, Mickelson more artistic and harder to predict. Mickelson carried two drivers at Augusta in 2007, yet at last year’s US Open at Torrey Pines, the longest course for a major championship, he did not carry one at all. This sort of puzzling thinking may be why the Woods camp regard Mickelson as “flaky”. Mickelson once suggested that Woods’s equipment was out of date, which did not go down well in the Woods camp. When Hal Sutton paired them in the Ryder Cup in 2004, there was no chemistry between them and only Sutton was surprised when they lost — twice.
Steve Williams, Woods’s caddie, said what he thought of Mickelson in New Zealand late last year. He had been asked what the relationship was like between the two. There was no relationship, Williams replied. Mickelson, he said, was a “p****”.
Nothing more needed to be added to spice up the potency of the pairing that teed off at 1.35pm on Sunday. For 3½ hours thereafter, it was all that was expected: Mickelson, playing superb golf, reached the turn in 30, equalling the Masters record; Woods was out in 33. Two strokes told the story. While Woods’s tee-shot on the 1st went so far left it ended on the 9th fairway, Mickelson produced a stroke of pure brilliance on the 7th, a recovery from the treeline to the right, a slinging hook that curved 25 yards in the air and ended a handspan from the hole.
Goodness knows what was going through Woods’s mind as he watched this display by his rival. On many of the 23 occasions when they had played together before, Woods had come out on top. This time he was being given a masterclass. Each birdie by the world No 2 must have felt like a punch to his solar plexus.
Mickelson’s first error came on the 12th, when he failed to hit his tee-shot hard enough and his ball ran back into Rae’s Creek for a double-bogey five. His second came on the 15th, where he missed a putt that was barely longer than the shaft of his putter for what would have been an eagle three. Outplayed on the outward nine holes, Woods was slowly clawing his way back. By the time he birdied the 16th, he was ten under par and within two shots of the lead.
Then, just as it had started, it ended. It was like the popping of a balloon. Mickelson missed another short putt for birdie on the 17th, Woods bogeyed that hole and drove into the trees that line the right of the 18th fairway. The moment had gone. Mickelson finished nine under par, one stroke ahead of Woods but three strokes out of the play-off.
Rarely have two men in contention played so well. They had 12 birdies and an eagle between them over the first 16 holes. “It was a great show,” David Feherty said on CBS Television. “It was a fantastic show.”
After such a performance, you might have thought that the compatriots could forget their differences for a moment, the way boxers sometimes fall into one another’s arms at the conclusion of a title bout, or as Nicklaus and Tom Watson did at the 1977 Open at Turnberry — the “Duel in the Sun”.
But no. Perhaps the sting of defeat was too great. There was another brief handshake and that was all. Their reactions spoke a lot about their characters. Woods, stony-faced and curt, described his ball-striking as “terrible”. Mickelson, smiling, said: “Playing with Tiger was fun. We’ve had some good matches. I always enjoy it.”
And so the attention turned to Chad Campbell, Cabrera and Kenny Perry, a 48-year-old American who had a chance to become the oldest man to win a major championship. Had Perry prevailed, he would have beaten the record of Nicklaus, who was 46 when he won at Augusta in 1986, and older by four months than Julius Boros, who was 48 years and four months when he won the 1968 US PGA Championship. Instead, it was Cabrera’s day.
Rivals through the ages
Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player Known as “The Big Three”, they dominated the game in the Sixties.
Nicklaus and Tom Watson Had huge respect for one another and fought several memorable duels.
Severiano Ballesteros and Paul Azinger A tenseness was always evident in Ryder Cup play. They made up later.
Harry Vardon, James Braid and J. H. Taylor The Great Triumvirate, rivals at the end of the 19th and start of the 20th centuries.
Source:The times
The tournament was won by Ángel Cabrera after an incident-filled final afternoon, including the first three-man play-off for 22 years. But as major championships go, this one will be remembered as much for the final-day duel between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Perhaps more than any other, the sight of the two best players in the world going at one another on a sunny afternoon in Georgia brought the roars back to Augusta.
Billy Payne, the chairman of Augusta National, had spoken of how hurt he had been at criticism in previous years, when bad weather accentuated the testing demands of the course, making Augusta not a place of worship for golf fans but a venue where they struggled to keep warm and applaud the contestants.
It was the thrust and counter-thrust by Woods and Mickelson that brought home how the atmosphere had changed this year. They were born within a few hundred miles and less than six years apart in California. They stood on the 1st tee on Sunday afternoon within touching distance, but one looking one way, one the other. Why do they find it so hard to like one another? The historical fairways are full of rivalries. Remember the Great Triumvirate at the turn of the 20th century. Think of Ben Hogan and Sam Snead in the US and Severiano Ballesteros and Paul Azinger in the Ryder Cup. When Jack Nicklaus burst upon the scene, Arnold Palmer used to refer to him sneeringly as “the German”. Remember Nick Faldo and a number of players? Darren Clarke and Colin Montgomerie?
Perhaps Woods is more logical, cool and practical, Mickelson more artistic and harder to predict. Mickelson carried two drivers at Augusta in 2007, yet at last year’s US Open at Torrey Pines, the longest course for a major championship, he did not carry one at all. This sort of puzzling thinking may be why the Woods camp regard Mickelson as “flaky”. Mickelson once suggested that Woods’s equipment was out of date, which did not go down well in the Woods camp. When Hal Sutton paired them in the Ryder Cup in 2004, there was no chemistry between them and only Sutton was surprised when they lost — twice.
Steve Williams, Woods’s caddie, said what he thought of Mickelson in New Zealand late last year. He had been asked what the relationship was like between the two. There was no relationship, Williams replied. Mickelson, he said, was a “p****”.
Nothing more needed to be added to spice up the potency of the pairing that teed off at 1.35pm on Sunday. For 3½ hours thereafter, it was all that was expected: Mickelson, playing superb golf, reached the turn in 30, equalling the Masters record; Woods was out in 33. Two strokes told the story. While Woods’s tee-shot on the 1st went so far left it ended on the 9th fairway, Mickelson produced a stroke of pure brilliance on the 7th, a recovery from the treeline to the right, a slinging hook that curved 25 yards in the air and ended a handspan from the hole.
Goodness knows what was going through Woods’s mind as he watched this display by his rival. On many of the 23 occasions when they had played together before, Woods had come out on top. This time he was being given a masterclass. Each birdie by the world No 2 must have felt like a punch to his solar plexus.
Mickelson’s first error came on the 12th, when he failed to hit his tee-shot hard enough and his ball ran back into Rae’s Creek for a double-bogey five. His second came on the 15th, where he missed a putt that was barely longer than the shaft of his putter for what would have been an eagle three. Outplayed on the outward nine holes, Woods was slowly clawing his way back. By the time he birdied the 16th, he was ten under par and within two shots of the lead.
Then, just as it had started, it ended. It was like the popping of a balloon. Mickelson missed another short putt for birdie on the 17th, Woods bogeyed that hole and drove into the trees that line the right of the 18th fairway. The moment had gone. Mickelson finished nine under par, one stroke ahead of Woods but three strokes out of the play-off.
Rarely have two men in contention played so well. They had 12 birdies and an eagle between them over the first 16 holes. “It was a great show,” David Feherty said on CBS Television. “It was a fantastic show.”
After such a performance, you might have thought that the compatriots could forget their differences for a moment, the way boxers sometimes fall into one another’s arms at the conclusion of a title bout, or as Nicklaus and Tom Watson did at the 1977 Open at Turnberry — the “Duel in the Sun”.
But no. Perhaps the sting of defeat was too great. There was another brief handshake and that was all. Their reactions spoke a lot about their characters. Woods, stony-faced and curt, described his ball-striking as “terrible”. Mickelson, smiling, said: “Playing with Tiger was fun. We’ve had some good matches. I always enjoy it.”
And so the attention turned to Chad Campbell, Cabrera and Kenny Perry, a 48-year-old American who had a chance to become the oldest man to win a major championship. Had Perry prevailed, he would have beaten the record of Nicklaus, who was 46 when he won at Augusta in 1986, and older by four months than Julius Boros, who was 48 years and four months when he won the 1968 US PGA Championship. Instead, it was Cabrera’s day.
Rivals through the ages
Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player Known as “The Big Three”, they dominated the game in the Sixties.
Nicklaus and Tom Watson Had huge respect for one another and fought several memorable duels.
Severiano Ballesteros and Paul Azinger A tenseness was always evident in Ryder Cup play. They made up later.
Harry Vardon, James Braid and J. H. Taylor The Great Triumvirate, rivals at the end of the 19th and start of the 20th centuries.
Source:The times
All-Toyota front row in Bahrain
In the wet of last week’s Chinese Grand Prix, Jarno Trulli was so slow he was a hazard. Yet in the baking desert heat of qualifying in Bahrain yesterday he was sublime in slotting his Toyota on to a scintillating pole position ahead of teammate Timo Glock. Such is the enigma of Trulli, which Glock alluded to, saying: “I made a small mistake at the beginning of my lap and I knew that meant Jarno was going to beat me, because he is just so good at squeezing everything from the qualifying lap. But I’m very optimistic for the race.” That last comment was also a reference to their respective fuel loads, Trulli being fuelled light enough for a three-stop race compared with the two of most of the others.
In Trulli’s long Formula One career - he made his debut 12 years ago - the 34-year-old Italian has f r e q u e n t l y b e e n devastatingly fast in qualifying but has won only once, for Renault in 2004. That is one more win than Toyota have secured since entering the sport in 2002. As F1’s biggest spenders during that time, they have been criticised for their lack of hard results. But the Cologne-based team have been steadily improving their competitiveness in the past two seasons, and as one of the three teams to find the double diffuser loophole in the 2009 regulations, they have hit the ground running this year.
The car is now fitted with the next evolution, the triple diffuser, which extracts the underbody airflow from the car even faster, increasing its grip-inducing downforce. The car was staggeringly good through the Sakhir circuit’s fast corners. Toyota were the only diffuser team to have attended an off-season test at this circuit, so amplifying their advantage.
Which Toyota driver is favoured for the race is a moot point. Trulli is a demanding perfectionist, which is reflected in an extreme driving style. Hugely effective in a well-balanced car, he is intolerant of the changes in handling as a race progresses, the track and tyre grip change and the fuel load comes down. He is superbly precise and commits to this precision with enormous entry speeds into a corner. But when the front of the car doesn’t grip as he needs it to, he is poor at improvisation. This is in contrast to his young German teammate, whose more extrovert style is less precise but better able to adapt to changes in grip.
Their personalities reflect these styles. Trulli tends to be either bouncy and chipper or down in the dumps - something accentuated by a typically Latin flamboyance of gesture. Glock is regular as clock-wo r k . F r o m a y o u n g e r generation than Trulli - he’s in his second full season of F1 - Glock spends much of his spare time playing computer games, whereas Trulli spends his making fine Abruzzo wines. They are the artist and the craftsman; which of them is better depends on the circumstances.
Neither Toyota driver is rated as highly as the man who appears to pose their strongest threat today, last week’s winner Sebastian Vettel. He put his Red Bull third on the grid with a heavier fuel load, so he is in a better position to be ahead after the first fuel stops.
All of which is a bit of a concern for world championship leader Jenson Button. He was fourth-quickest, his Brawn apparently not as well suited to this circuit as the three previous tracks. The car lacked stability in the braking zones, which Button finds difficult to deal with, and it was all he could do to fend off Lewis Hamilton in the hitherto difficult McLaren.
In advance of the team’s appearance before the governing body’s world council on Wednesday to answer disrepute charges over lying to stewards in Australia, Hamilton has often seemed emotionally charged this weekend but he focused fantastically well in qualifying to transcend the level of his car, which has had no significant upgrades since the previous race. Regardless of the controversies surrounding him and the limitations of his car, Hamilton is driving out of his skin. What’s more, he is equipped with Kers, the energy recovery technology that has been introduced as an option this year. None of the cars ahead of him on the grid features this technology. It gives a brief extra burst of 80 horse-power, which will probably be overwhelming down to the first corner.
The Bahrain track is perfectly configured to suit Kers, with lots of heavy braking areas to recharge the batteries quickly and two key uphill sections where the extra power is particularly valuable. Seeing how Hamilton can deploy it in an effort to keep what is probably an inferior car in a flattering position could be one of the highlights of the race, but the real intrigue centres on whether the Toyotas can work as a team to thwart the theoretically faster Red Bull of Vettel from winning. To expect Hamilton to figure in that battle is perhaps asking too much.
Button will be fuelled heavily, so he should be capable of challenging the Toyotas and Vettel, but his chances may be compromised by being stuck behind the faster-starting but ultimately slower McLaren. “I’m effectively fifth on the grid thanks to the McLaren’s Kers,” he said. “We have potentially very good race pace but so much depends on what happens in the first two corners.”
Rubens Barrichello was sixth-fastest in the second Brawn but is also expecting to be swamped at the start by Kers cars starting behind him, notably Fernando Alonso’s Renault and Felipe Massa’s Ferrari, which line up seventh and eighth respectively.
Victory prospects seem to centre on the artist, the craftsman or the Wunderkind. But as Formula One has shown many times already this year, a surprise is always possible.
- Mark Hughes writes for Autosport magazine
Source:The times
In Trulli’s long Formula One career - he made his debut 12 years ago - the 34-year-old Italian has f r e q u e n t l y b e e n devastatingly fast in qualifying but has won only once, for Renault in 2004. That is one more win than Toyota have secured since entering the sport in 2002. As F1’s biggest spenders during that time, they have been criticised for their lack of hard results. But the Cologne-based team have been steadily improving their competitiveness in the past two seasons, and as one of the three teams to find the double diffuser loophole in the 2009 regulations, they have hit the ground running this year.
The car is now fitted with the next evolution, the triple diffuser, which extracts the underbody airflow from the car even faster, increasing its grip-inducing downforce. The car was staggeringly good through the Sakhir circuit’s fast corners. Toyota were the only diffuser team to have attended an off-season test at this circuit, so amplifying their advantage.
Which Toyota driver is favoured for the race is a moot point. Trulli is a demanding perfectionist, which is reflected in an extreme driving style. Hugely effective in a well-balanced car, he is intolerant of the changes in handling as a race progresses, the track and tyre grip change and the fuel load comes down. He is superbly precise and commits to this precision with enormous entry speeds into a corner. But when the front of the car doesn’t grip as he needs it to, he is poor at improvisation. This is in contrast to his young German teammate, whose more extrovert style is less precise but better able to adapt to changes in grip.
Their personalities reflect these styles. Trulli tends to be either bouncy and chipper or down in the dumps - something accentuated by a typically Latin flamboyance of gesture. Glock is regular as clock-wo r k . F r o m a y o u n g e r generation than Trulli - he’s in his second full season of F1 - Glock spends much of his spare time playing computer games, whereas Trulli spends his making fine Abruzzo wines. They are the artist and the craftsman; which of them is better depends on the circumstances.
Neither Toyota driver is rated as highly as the man who appears to pose their strongest threat today, last week’s winner Sebastian Vettel. He put his Red Bull third on the grid with a heavier fuel load, so he is in a better position to be ahead after the first fuel stops.
All of which is a bit of a concern for world championship leader Jenson Button. He was fourth-quickest, his Brawn apparently not as well suited to this circuit as the three previous tracks. The car lacked stability in the braking zones, which Button finds difficult to deal with, and it was all he could do to fend off Lewis Hamilton in the hitherto difficult McLaren.
In advance of the team’s appearance before the governing body’s world council on Wednesday to answer disrepute charges over lying to stewards in Australia, Hamilton has often seemed emotionally charged this weekend but he focused fantastically well in qualifying to transcend the level of his car, which has had no significant upgrades since the previous race. Regardless of the controversies surrounding him and the limitations of his car, Hamilton is driving out of his skin. What’s more, he is equipped with Kers, the energy recovery technology that has been introduced as an option this year. None of the cars ahead of him on the grid features this technology. It gives a brief extra burst of 80 horse-power, which will probably be overwhelming down to the first corner.
The Bahrain track is perfectly configured to suit Kers, with lots of heavy braking areas to recharge the batteries quickly and two key uphill sections where the extra power is particularly valuable. Seeing how Hamilton can deploy it in an effort to keep what is probably an inferior car in a flattering position could be one of the highlights of the race, but the real intrigue centres on whether the Toyotas can work as a team to thwart the theoretically faster Red Bull of Vettel from winning. To expect Hamilton to figure in that battle is perhaps asking too much.
Button will be fuelled heavily, so he should be capable of challenging the Toyotas and Vettel, but his chances may be compromised by being stuck behind the faster-starting but ultimately slower McLaren. “I’m effectively fifth on the grid thanks to the McLaren’s Kers,” he said. “We have potentially very good race pace but so much depends on what happens in the first two corners.”
Rubens Barrichello was sixth-fastest in the second Brawn but is also expecting to be swamped at the start by Kers cars starting behind him, notably Fernando Alonso’s Renault and Felipe Massa’s Ferrari, which line up seventh and eighth respectively.
Victory prospects seem to centre on the artist, the craftsman or the Wunderkind. But as Formula One has shown many times already this year, a surprise is always possible.
- Mark Hughes writes for Autosport magazine
Source:The times
Dirk Kuyt's brace keeps pressure on United
THE TALK beforehand, even among the City fans, was of how many, but the three goals Liverpool scored were no sort of reflection on a game in which the Tigers matched the visitors for long periods. Even after being reduced to 10 men when Caleb Folan was rightly sent off, and going two down immediately afterwards, City fought with a spirit born of desperation. They pulled a goal back and put Liverpool under severe pressure before Dutch forward Dirk Kuyt’s second strike finally made the game safe in the 89th minute, and put the pressure back on Manchester United.
It would, however, be a mistake to ascribe any defensive nervousness on Liverpool’s part to their opponents. Not at all, said Rafa Benitez afterwards, it was the fault of the pitch.
“We were a little bit nervous because the pitch was terrible, it was dry, the grass was long and it was very difficult to pass the ball, so you can make mistakes when the other team tries to press,” said the Spaniard.
“It’s part of the game, you have to accept it, and we were better in the second half. The sending-off was very clear. After this, credit to them, because even with 10 players they were pushing, but it was just a question of timing. We had to pass the ball correctly two or three times to have a chance.”
As an impression of the game it was less than generous, and certainly not generally held. It might have been after five minutes, when Liverpool nearly went ahead after Yossi Benayoun’s shot rebounded off Michael Turner to the feet of Fernando Torres. The striker’s sidefooted effort was heading for the top corner when City goalkeeper Boaz Myhill touched it over the bar.
Benayoun curled a shot on to the roof of the net soon afterwards, but City, chasing every pass, were already beginning to grow in confidence. Dean Marney shot wide, but Pepe Reina’s dive was no more than a gesture when Geovanni’s brilliantly executed 30-yard volley screamed a foot wide.
With an encouraged crowd noisily trying to recreate something of the atmosphere of the early part of the season, Liverpool’s back four looked decidedly edgy, not least when Alvaro Arbeloa gave away unnecessary corners twice in two minutes. Given that half of the 36 league goals City scored before this game had come from set-pieces, Benitez cannot have been impressed, and nor can he have been when the fact both were eventually scrambled clear owed as much to luck as to judgment.
In possession, it was a different story. Hard though Hull worked to close down the man in possession, Xabi Alonso’s influence began to grow. Martin Atkinson’s decision to award the visitors a free kick for a foul by George Boateng on Javier Mascherano shortly before half-time was generous, but Hull looked to have got away with it when Alonso curled it straight into the wall. The ball rebounded straight to him, however, and the resulting swerving volley through the crowd of players gave Myhill no chance.
For all that they were applauded off at half-time, the demeanour of the Hull players confirmed the timing of the strike was deflating. They still looked dispirited at the restart and might have been even more so shortly before the hour, when Folan was sent off for stupidly kicking out at Martin Skrtel after the defender beat him to a through-ball.
Without the benefit of a replay, the crowd let Skrtel know what they thought of him, and their disposition was not improved two minutes later, when Skrtel’s scuffed shot bounced up for Kuyt to head past Myhill.
That should surely have been that, but again Liverpool’s Achilles heel was exposed. Phil Brown had made a double substitution after Folan’s dismissal, and the two men who came on, Bernard Mendy and Daniel Cousin, combined superbly to set up Geovanni to turn the ball into the net.
Liverpool were wobbling, with Reina dealing far from convincingly with a series of high balls into the box. Torres should have eased their nerves but headed against the bar, and only a minute remained when the admirable Kuyt beat Myhill for a second time.
“The disappointing thing from my point of view is we’ve kept our best for the best — and we need to keep our best for teams that, with all respect, are not the best,” said Phil Brown. With games against Aston Villa, Stoke, Bolton and Manchester United to come, their game plan is clear.
Star man: Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool).
Yellow cards: Hull City: Marney, Fagan Liverpool: Arbeloa.
Red card: Hull City: Folan.
Referee: M Atkinson.
Attendance: 24,942.
HULL CITY: Myhill 6, Ricketts 6, Turner 6, Zayatte 6, Kilbane 6, Fagan 5 (Mendy 61min), Marney 6, Boateng 6 (Manucho 78min), Barmby 6 (Cousin 61min), Geovanni 6, Folan 4.
LIVERPOOL: Reina 5, Arbeloa 5, Carragher 6, Skrtel 6, Insua 6, Alonso 7, Mascherano 6 (El Zhar 84min), Kuyt 8 (Dossena 89min), Lucas 6, Benayoun 6 (Agger 88min), Torres 5
Source:The times
It would, however, be a mistake to ascribe any defensive nervousness on Liverpool’s part to their opponents. Not at all, said Rafa Benitez afterwards, it was the fault of the pitch.
“We were a little bit nervous because the pitch was terrible, it was dry, the grass was long and it was very difficult to pass the ball, so you can make mistakes when the other team tries to press,” said the Spaniard.
“It’s part of the game, you have to accept it, and we were better in the second half. The sending-off was very clear. After this, credit to them, because even with 10 players they were pushing, but it was just a question of timing. We had to pass the ball correctly two or three times to have a chance.”
As an impression of the game it was less than generous, and certainly not generally held. It might have been after five minutes, when Liverpool nearly went ahead after Yossi Benayoun’s shot rebounded off Michael Turner to the feet of Fernando Torres. The striker’s sidefooted effort was heading for the top corner when City goalkeeper Boaz Myhill touched it over the bar.
Benayoun curled a shot on to the roof of the net soon afterwards, but City, chasing every pass, were already beginning to grow in confidence. Dean Marney shot wide, but Pepe Reina’s dive was no more than a gesture when Geovanni’s brilliantly executed 30-yard volley screamed a foot wide.
With an encouraged crowd noisily trying to recreate something of the atmosphere of the early part of the season, Liverpool’s back four looked decidedly edgy, not least when Alvaro Arbeloa gave away unnecessary corners twice in two minutes. Given that half of the 36 league goals City scored before this game had come from set-pieces, Benitez cannot have been impressed, and nor can he have been when the fact both were eventually scrambled clear owed as much to luck as to judgment.
In possession, it was a different story. Hard though Hull worked to close down the man in possession, Xabi Alonso’s influence began to grow. Martin Atkinson’s decision to award the visitors a free kick for a foul by George Boateng on Javier Mascherano shortly before half-time was generous, but Hull looked to have got away with it when Alonso curled it straight into the wall. The ball rebounded straight to him, however, and the resulting swerving volley through the crowd of players gave Myhill no chance.
For all that they were applauded off at half-time, the demeanour of the Hull players confirmed the timing of the strike was deflating. They still looked dispirited at the restart and might have been even more so shortly before the hour, when Folan was sent off for stupidly kicking out at Martin Skrtel after the defender beat him to a through-ball.
Without the benefit of a replay, the crowd let Skrtel know what they thought of him, and their disposition was not improved two minutes later, when Skrtel’s scuffed shot bounced up for Kuyt to head past Myhill.
That should surely have been that, but again Liverpool’s Achilles heel was exposed. Phil Brown had made a double substitution after Folan’s dismissal, and the two men who came on, Bernard Mendy and Daniel Cousin, combined superbly to set up Geovanni to turn the ball into the net.
Liverpool were wobbling, with Reina dealing far from convincingly with a series of high balls into the box. Torres should have eased their nerves but headed against the bar, and only a minute remained when the admirable Kuyt beat Myhill for a second time.
“The disappointing thing from my point of view is we’ve kept our best for the best — and we need to keep our best for teams that, with all respect, are not the best,” said Phil Brown. With games against Aston Villa, Stoke, Bolton and Manchester United to come, their game plan is clear.
Star man: Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool).
Yellow cards: Hull City: Marney, Fagan Liverpool: Arbeloa.
Red card: Hull City: Folan.
Referee: M Atkinson.
Attendance: 24,942.
HULL CITY: Myhill 6, Ricketts 6, Turner 6, Zayatte 6, Kilbane 6, Fagan 5 (Mendy 61min), Marney 6, Boateng 6 (Manucho 78min), Barmby 6 (Cousin 61min), Geovanni 6, Folan 4.
LIVERPOOL: Reina 5, Arbeloa 5, Carragher 6, Skrtel 6, Insua 6, Alonso 7, Mascherano 6 (El Zhar 84min), Kuyt 8 (Dossena 89min), Lucas 6, Benayoun 6 (Agger 88min), Torres 5
Source:The times
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Hennessy can give Carl Llewellyn welcome success at Sandown Park
Former jockey Carl Llewellyn has seen his training career stall but can enjoy a welcome fillip by saddling Hennessy to success in the bet365 Gold Cup Chase (3.10) at Sandown Park today.
The lightly raced eight-year-old developed into a useful staying hurdler last season and already looks just as good over fences. He jumped like an old hand when making a winning reappearance at Folkestone and, after flopping on heavy ground on his next start, returned to form with a good fifth to Tricky Trickster in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. He faded in the closing stages there after making a rare mistake two out when in second.
Still unexposed given a test of stamina, at the right end of the handicap and with Tony McCoy taking over from an amateur in the saddle, Hennessy has plenty in his favour and looks a fair bet at the 11-1 offered by Ladbrokes.
Kalahari King has 8lb to find with Twist Magic on official ratings, but is progressing well over fences and should come out on top in the bet365.com Celebration Chase (2.35).
Beaten a short-head by Forpadydeplasterer in the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham, Kalahari King went one better in tidy fashion when easily seeing off Tatenen at Aintree and, provided those efforts have not taken too much out of him, he will be tough to beat.
The best bet of the day is Tasheba in the bet365 Best Odds Guaranteed on Every Race Handicap Hurdle (2.05). He improved as his stamina was tested on the Flat last year and has taken really well to hurdles since joining Nicky Henderson, winning his past two starts in good style. He was particularly impressive when powering away for a five-length defeat of Mountaineer at Cheltenham last time and, with this return to farther much in his favour, Tasheba can make the most of a decent mark on his handicap debut.
On a cracking mixed card, Lovelace can land the featured Flat race, the bet365 Mile (3.45). He has been campaigned abroad since an unlucky head second to Little White Lie under top weight in the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket last July, winning in this grade at Baden Baden before losing his way a little at the end of the year. He shaped well on his reappearance when fourth on unsuitably soft ground at the Curragh and, with conditions back in his favour, looks a fair bet at the 11-1 offered by Ladbrokes.
Pipedreamer and Tartan Bearer will dominate the betting for the bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes (4.15), but with most of the field preferring to be held up, this could turn into a tactical affair and that could see Charlie Farnsbarns come out on top.
He signed off last season with a good defeat of Bankable in group three company at Newmarket and faced an impossible task from a poor draw when well beaten in the group one Dubai Duty Free on his reappearance at Nad Al Sheba. That should have put him spot-on for this test and he can make his fitness advantage tell.
Source:The times
The lightly raced eight-year-old developed into a useful staying hurdler last season and already looks just as good over fences. He jumped like an old hand when making a winning reappearance at Folkestone and, after flopping on heavy ground on his next start, returned to form with a good fifth to Tricky Trickster in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. He faded in the closing stages there after making a rare mistake two out when in second.
Still unexposed given a test of stamina, at the right end of the handicap and with Tony McCoy taking over from an amateur in the saddle, Hennessy has plenty in his favour and looks a fair bet at the 11-1 offered by Ladbrokes.
Kalahari King has 8lb to find with Twist Magic on official ratings, but is progressing well over fences and should come out on top in the bet365.com Celebration Chase (2.35).
Beaten a short-head by Forpadydeplasterer in the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham, Kalahari King went one better in tidy fashion when easily seeing off Tatenen at Aintree and, provided those efforts have not taken too much out of him, he will be tough to beat.
The best bet of the day is Tasheba in the bet365 Best Odds Guaranteed on Every Race Handicap Hurdle (2.05). He improved as his stamina was tested on the Flat last year and has taken really well to hurdles since joining Nicky Henderson, winning his past two starts in good style. He was particularly impressive when powering away for a five-length defeat of Mountaineer at Cheltenham last time and, with this return to farther much in his favour, Tasheba can make the most of a decent mark on his handicap debut.
On a cracking mixed card, Lovelace can land the featured Flat race, the bet365 Mile (3.45). He has been campaigned abroad since an unlucky head second to Little White Lie under top weight in the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket last July, winning in this grade at Baden Baden before losing his way a little at the end of the year. He shaped well on his reappearance when fourth on unsuitably soft ground at the Curragh and, with conditions back in his favour, looks a fair bet at the 11-1 offered by Ladbrokes.
Pipedreamer and Tartan Bearer will dominate the betting for the bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes (4.15), but with most of the field preferring to be held up, this could turn into a tactical affair and that could see Charlie Farnsbarns come out on top.
He signed off last season with a good defeat of Bankable in group three company at Newmarket and faced an impossible task from a poor draw when well beaten in the group one Dubai Duty Free on his reappearance at Nad Al Sheba. That should have put him spot-on for this test and he can make his fitness advantage tell.
Source:The times
Absent fans insult Kenny Perry
THERE was a moment so sad in last Sunday’s final round of the Masters. Long after Kenny Perry’s over-hit chip on the 71st hole and his under-hit putt on the 72nd are forgotten, the scene as he raised his right arm after making a two on the 12th green will be in the memory. If you watched closely or were one of the few following the final pair at Augusta National, it was not Perry for whom you wanted to weep but the game.
Consider the context: Perry and Angel Cabrera were the final pairing, 17 of the previous 18 Masters winners had come from the last two to tee off and, four months short of his 49th birthday, Perry had his chance to become the oldest major champion.
Not interested? Well, consider, too, that when Perry accepted a $5,000 gift from his friend Ronnie Ferguson to get to Q-school about 232 years ago, he agreed to pay 5% of his career earnings to his church community. So far, that’s raised $1.4m and a lot of teenagers from poor backgrounds in Simpson County, Kentucky, have university scholarships.
Maybe these things don’t much matter but it’s hard not to warm to a professional golfer who borrows the money and builds a golf course that is affordable for ordinary people. Perry did that in Franklin, his home town. Green fees range from $20 to $30 at Kenny Perry’s Country Creek GC. Mostly when a top pro “designs” a golf course, his fee is part of the reason why you and I will never play it.
Then, as soon as the man speaks, the way he gently raises his right hand, open palm, after a birdie, you know you’re going to like him. Perry reminds us why some men deserve to be called gentlemen. Part of the reason he didn’t win much until his mid-40s was that he needed his three children to fly the nest before he could concentrate on golf.
Thirteen PGA Tour victories isn’t bad, he had a central role in the US’s Ryder Cup victory last year and for three days at the Masters, he played better golf than any other player. Rather than share the lead with Cabrera after 54 holes, he would have led by four or five shots had he holed a third of the birdie chances he created.
All the time it happens at Augusta, two caddies look at a putt and one says, “right edge”, the other, “an inch on the left” and both are wrong. On Augusta’s greens Perry was illiterate, a murderous handicap in an exam that lists putting as a compulsory subject.
He made plenty of good putts but sent them on errant lines. So how well did he do to be the last man to hit a tee shot on the first hole on Masters’ Sunday?
But even at that point, you could have foretold the disappointment one would feel at the 12th hole two and a half hours later. For the gallery that followed Perry and Cabrera was no more than a few hundred. You could, on the last day of the Masters, watch the leaders play their approach shots, amble up to the green and see them stroke their putts. It was like the gallery you might get for two decent players in the middle of the pack. Augusta’s patrons had eyes for only Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, even though the numbers watching meant you could barely see them.
Perry played beautifully for 11 holes. Could have made birdies at two, four, five, eight and 10, should have had birdie on seven but he made good putts on wrong lines.
Then, on the 12th, he holed a birdie putt tougher than the six he’d missed to get back into the tournament lead and the tide seemed to turn his way. He seemed to believe that and instead of the understated open-palm salute, he put his arm higher into the air and clenched his fist. As he did, he turned towards the crowd, except there was no crowd. The big stand behind the 12th tee that looks across on to the green holds maybe a thousand people. About 100 seats were occupied. It wasn’t a question of where they had all gone but why they hadn’t turned up.
At Augusta, there is a premium on good manners and old style southern civility that is charming; fans are called patrons, fans with tickets are accredited patrons, and it is routinely claimed that they are the best in the game. Nothing could be further from the reality. The empty spaces around Perry and Cabrera spoke of a tournament, however brilliant the final round, that had taken on something of the circus.
Would a vast majority of fans at the Open Championship abandon the tournament leaders to follow two players starting the day seven shots behind? Not a hope in hell.
Source:The times
Consider the context: Perry and Angel Cabrera were the final pairing, 17 of the previous 18 Masters winners had come from the last two to tee off and, four months short of his 49th birthday, Perry had his chance to become the oldest major champion.
Not interested? Well, consider, too, that when Perry accepted a $5,000 gift from his friend Ronnie Ferguson to get to Q-school about 232 years ago, he agreed to pay 5% of his career earnings to his church community. So far, that’s raised $1.4m and a lot of teenagers from poor backgrounds in Simpson County, Kentucky, have university scholarships.
Maybe these things don’t much matter but it’s hard not to warm to a professional golfer who borrows the money and builds a golf course that is affordable for ordinary people. Perry did that in Franklin, his home town. Green fees range from $20 to $30 at Kenny Perry’s Country Creek GC. Mostly when a top pro “designs” a golf course, his fee is part of the reason why you and I will never play it.
Then, as soon as the man speaks, the way he gently raises his right hand, open palm, after a birdie, you know you’re going to like him. Perry reminds us why some men deserve to be called gentlemen. Part of the reason he didn’t win much until his mid-40s was that he needed his three children to fly the nest before he could concentrate on golf.
Thirteen PGA Tour victories isn’t bad, he had a central role in the US’s Ryder Cup victory last year and for three days at the Masters, he played better golf than any other player. Rather than share the lead with Cabrera after 54 holes, he would have led by four or five shots had he holed a third of the birdie chances he created.
All the time it happens at Augusta, two caddies look at a putt and one says, “right edge”, the other, “an inch on the left” and both are wrong. On Augusta’s greens Perry was illiterate, a murderous handicap in an exam that lists putting as a compulsory subject.
He made plenty of good putts but sent them on errant lines. So how well did he do to be the last man to hit a tee shot on the first hole on Masters’ Sunday?
But even at that point, you could have foretold the disappointment one would feel at the 12th hole two and a half hours later. For the gallery that followed Perry and Cabrera was no more than a few hundred. You could, on the last day of the Masters, watch the leaders play their approach shots, amble up to the green and see them stroke their putts. It was like the gallery you might get for two decent players in the middle of the pack. Augusta’s patrons had eyes for only Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, even though the numbers watching meant you could barely see them.
Perry played beautifully for 11 holes. Could have made birdies at two, four, five, eight and 10, should have had birdie on seven but he made good putts on wrong lines.
Then, on the 12th, he holed a birdie putt tougher than the six he’d missed to get back into the tournament lead and the tide seemed to turn his way. He seemed to believe that and instead of the understated open-palm salute, he put his arm higher into the air and clenched his fist. As he did, he turned towards the crowd, except there was no crowd. The big stand behind the 12th tee that looks across on to the green holds maybe a thousand people. About 100 seats were occupied. It wasn’t a question of where they had all gone but why they hadn’t turned up.
At Augusta, there is a premium on good manners and old style southern civility that is charming; fans are called patrons, fans with tickets are accredited patrons, and it is routinely claimed that they are the best in the game. Nothing could be further from the reality. The empty spaces around Perry and Cabrera spoke of a tournament, however brilliant the final round, that had taken on something of the circus.
Would a vast majority of fans at the Open Championship abandon the tournament leaders to follow two players starting the day seven shots behind? Not a hope in hell.
Source:The times
Struggling Andrew Flintoff must have more surgery
Andrew Flintoff's humbling Indian Premier League (IPL) experience got a lot worse yesterday when he flew home for keyhole surgery on his right knee. Scans revealed a “slight medial meniscus tear” and the prognosis, given successful surgery, is a three to five-week layoff. He will miss the opening two npower Test matches of the summer against West Indies.
Already cast in an unfavourable light after a series of expensive bowling displays, Flintoff - jointly with Kevin Pietersen the IPL's highest-paid player with an auction fee of $1.55 million (about £1.05 million) - felt a niggle in his right knee at Wednesday's practice with Chennai Super Kings, but felt fit enough to play against Delhi Daredevils in Durban the next day.
It turned out to be a bad day for his pride and his body: the most expensive bowling analysis in IPL history on the pitch, nought for 50 in four overs, was inflamed by further knee trouble off it, resulting in scans analysed by Nick Pierce, the ECB's chief medical officer, who recommended surgery.
So, having played three of the six games to which he was contracted, his IPL adventure is over, although it is understood that he will keep his full £450,000 fee.
Flintoff's principal employer, the ECB, was quick to go into damage-limitation mode yesterday, no doubt expecting the flak that inevitably will come its way, given the widespread feeling that England's best players - like those of Australia - should be resting, or preparing for an Ashes summer with first-class cricket in England. Pierce emphasised that such a degenerative injury could have happened “any time, anywhere”.
Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, found a way to put some positive spin on the situation by implying that the timing of the injury was almost fortuitous, given that Flintoff will be available for the Ashes and the World Twenty20. By doing so, Morris not only highlighted England's disregard for West Indies again, but also attempted to divert attention from his decision to allow England's players to compete in the IPL, which has been widely criticised.
Pierce may well be correct to imply that Flintoff could have been injured just as easily playing for Lancashire, but would he have been tearing around the outfield at Hove, sliding on his injured knee to save a boundary, as he was on Thursday? In any case, getting injured playing for the Super Kings, instead of Lancashire or England, somehow makes things worse.
Given the player's injury record and contractual situation, the ECB had every reason and right to prevent him from playing, but by cravenly capitulating to the demands of the players and the Professional Cricketers' Association, it immediately rendered worthless the central contracts - the point of which is to prevent exactly this type of thing happening. The ECB and Morris deserve all the criticism that will be thrown at them.
The players are under contract to England for a reason, and are well remunerated for a reason. The ECB ought to have asked a simple question of those who wanted to play in the IPL: do you want to be a centrally contracted player or a free agent? You cannot have it both ways.
Despite Morris's assurances, there is no guarantee that Flintoff will be fit for the start of the World Twenty20 in the first week of June. Surgery can go wrong and, being the type of bowler he is, Flintoff is always more prone to other injuries after a long layoff. Last summer, after recovering from an ankle injury, he immediately tore an intercostal muscle because his body had become soft from lack of bowling.
There is usually a high degree of sympathy when a player gets injured, particularly one as amiable and important as Flintoff, but in this instance any sympathy is tempered by the context. Flintoff is extremely wealthy and if, as he constantly assures us, England are his first priority, he did not need to take the rupee.
As for Morris and the ECB, they will wake up to a raft of people who would be well within their rights to scream: “We told you so.”
Source:The times
Already cast in an unfavourable light after a series of expensive bowling displays, Flintoff - jointly with Kevin Pietersen the IPL's highest-paid player with an auction fee of $1.55 million (about £1.05 million) - felt a niggle in his right knee at Wednesday's practice with Chennai Super Kings, but felt fit enough to play against Delhi Daredevils in Durban the next day.
It turned out to be a bad day for his pride and his body: the most expensive bowling analysis in IPL history on the pitch, nought for 50 in four overs, was inflamed by further knee trouble off it, resulting in scans analysed by Nick Pierce, the ECB's chief medical officer, who recommended surgery.
So, having played three of the six games to which he was contracted, his IPL adventure is over, although it is understood that he will keep his full £450,000 fee.
Flintoff's principal employer, the ECB, was quick to go into damage-limitation mode yesterday, no doubt expecting the flak that inevitably will come its way, given the widespread feeling that England's best players - like those of Australia - should be resting, or preparing for an Ashes summer with first-class cricket in England. Pierce emphasised that such a degenerative injury could have happened “any time, anywhere”.
Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, found a way to put some positive spin on the situation by implying that the timing of the injury was almost fortuitous, given that Flintoff will be available for the Ashes and the World Twenty20. By doing so, Morris not only highlighted England's disregard for West Indies again, but also attempted to divert attention from his decision to allow England's players to compete in the IPL, which has been widely criticised.
Pierce may well be correct to imply that Flintoff could have been injured just as easily playing for Lancashire, but would he have been tearing around the outfield at Hove, sliding on his injured knee to save a boundary, as he was on Thursday? In any case, getting injured playing for the Super Kings, instead of Lancashire or England, somehow makes things worse.
Given the player's injury record and contractual situation, the ECB had every reason and right to prevent him from playing, but by cravenly capitulating to the demands of the players and the Professional Cricketers' Association, it immediately rendered worthless the central contracts - the point of which is to prevent exactly this type of thing happening. The ECB and Morris deserve all the criticism that will be thrown at them.
The players are under contract to England for a reason, and are well remunerated for a reason. The ECB ought to have asked a simple question of those who wanted to play in the IPL: do you want to be a centrally contracted player or a free agent? You cannot have it both ways.
Despite Morris's assurances, there is no guarantee that Flintoff will be fit for the start of the World Twenty20 in the first week of June. Surgery can go wrong and, being the type of bowler he is, Flintoff is always more prone to other injuries after a long layoff. Last summer, after recovering from an ankle injury, he immediately tore an intercostal muscle because his body had become soft from lack of bowling.
There is usually a high degree of sympathy when a player gets injured, particularly one as amiable and important as Flintoff, but in this instance any sympathy is tempered by the context. Flintoff is extremely wealthy and if, as he constantly assures us, England are his first priority, he did not need to take the rupee.
As for Morris and the ECB, they will wake up to a raft of people who would be well within their rights to scream: “We told you so.”
Source:The times
Dirk Kuyt's brace keeps pressure on United
Dirk Kuyt struck twice as title-chasing Liverpool ground out a crucial Barclays Premier League victory at Hull.
The away side were given a rigorous test by relegation-threatened Hull, who were reduced to 10 men, but held on to keep the pressure on Manchester United at the top of the table.
Kuyt put Liverpool 2-0 up after a controversial Xabi Alonso strike in the first half but Hull battled hard and pulled one back through Geovanni after Caleb Folan was sent off.
But Kuyt sealed the win in the closing minutes from close range.Liverpool, perhaps feeling the pace after Tuesday's pulsating 4-4 draw with Arsenal, were second best for large periods.
Hull sensed they had nothing to lose but their performance should at least offer encouragement for their remaining four games.
Yossi Benayoun created the first opening with a weaving run into the box but his shot was blocked and Fernando Torres lifted the rebound over the bar.
Benayoun, who has emerged as a strong creative force in the continued absence of the inspirational Steven Gerrard, then curled another shot over soon after.
Yet Hull, anxious for points after just one win in 17, showed an energy that belied their position and Folan spurned a chance when he failed to control in the area.
Jose Manuel Reina also needed to deal with a dipping cross from Craig Fagan and Dean Marney scuffed a 20-yard shot after being put clear by Geovanni on halfway.
Geovanni went closer himself with a ferocious shot after a clearance fell to him 30 yards out, his half-volley flashing just wide of target.
Hull also tested the Liverpool defence with a corner and a couple of long Sam Ricketts throws during a prolonged spell on the front foot but a final touch was lacking.
Geovanni then seized on a poor Reina throw only to slip as he looked to deliver a cross and Lucas almost caught the hosts on the counter-attack when he screwed a shot wide.
Kuyt then tried his luck with a fizzing a shot from the edge of the box but Boaz Myhill was not tested.
Liverpool finally made the breakthrough in the last minute of the first half, although Hull were far from happy when Javier Mascherano was ruled to have been fouled on the edge of the area.
Alonso fired the resulting free-kick into the wall but the rebound fell kindly and the Spaniard lashed home from 25 yards.
Hull continued their protests after the half-time whistle and Barmby was booked for dissent by referee Martin Atkinson.
The second half began tamely with Torres firing one half-chance too high and clipping another just over.
But the atmosphere changed markedly just before the hour as Folan was sent off for kicking out at the recalled Martin Skrtel and Atkinson threatened to lose control.
There could be no debate about the red card after Folan tussled with the defender trying to intercept a Jamie Carragher pass and then lashed out as the Slovakian went to ground.
Hull were furious at a perceived injustice and Fagan was booked moments later for clashing with Skrtel.
The hosts then switched off after Kamil Zayatte conceded a corner and a weak clearance allowed Skrtel to shoot and Kuyt to turn in the misdirected effort.
Hull still felt aggrieved and Atkinson was under intense pressure as the tackles flew in and the crowd scrutinised his every decision.
Hull manager Phil Brown had attempted to shake things up just before Kuyt's goal by introducing Daniel Cousin and Bernard Mendy and the pair combined for Geovanni to score after 73 minutes.
Mendy found Cousin with a long ball and the Gabon striker raced into the area before pulling back for an unmarked Geovanni to turn in.
It was the least Hull deserved but Torres almost finished them off on 80 minutes when he headed against the bar from a Kuyt cross.
Kuyt wrapped up the points two minutes from time from in front of goal after Alvaro Arbeloa's deflected shot was pushed out by Myhill.
Source:The times
The away side were given a rigorous test by relegation-threatened Hull, who were reduced to 10 men, but held on to keep the pressure on Manchester United at the top of the table.
Kuyt put Liverpool 2-0 up after a controversial Xabi Alonso strike in the first half but Hull battled hard and pulled one back through Geovanni after Caleb Folan was sent off.
But Kuyt sealed the win in the closing minutes from close range.Liverpool, perhaps feeling the pace after Tuesday's pulsating 4-4 draw with Arsenal, were second best for large periods.
Hull sensed they had nothing to lose but their performance should at least offer encouragement for their remaining four games.
Yossi Benayoun created the first opening with a weaving run into the box but his shot was blocked and Fernando Torres lifted the rebound over the bar.
Benayoun, who has emerged as a strong creative force in the continued absence of the inspirational Steven Gerrard, then curled another shot over soon after.
Yet Hull, anxious for points after just one win in 17, showed an energy that belied their position and Folan spurned a chance when he failed to control in the area.
Jose Manuel Reina also needed to deal with a dipping cross from Craig Fagan and Dean Marney scuffed a 20-yard shot after being put clear by Geovanni on halfway.
Geovanni went closer himself with a ferocious shot after a clearance fell to him 30 yards out, his half-volley flashing just wide of target.
Hull also tested the Liverpool defence with a corner and a couple of long Sam Ricketts throws during a prolonged spell on the front foot but a final touch was lacking.
Geovanni then seized on a poor Reina throw only to slip as he looked to deliver a cross and Lucas almost caught the hosts on the counter-attack when he screwed a shot wide.
Kuyt then tried his luck with a fizzing a shot from the edge of the box but Boaz Myhill was not tested.
Liverpool finally made the breakthrough in the last minute of the first half, although Hull were far from happy when Javier Mascherano was ruled to have been fouled on the edge of the area.
Alonso fired the resulting free-kick into the wall but the rebound fell kindly and the Spaniard lashed home from 25 yards.
Hull continued their protests after the half-time whistle and Barmby was booked for dissent by referee Martin Atkinson.
The second half began tamely with Torres firing one half-chance too high and clipping another just over.
But the atmosphere changed markedly just before the hour as Folan was sent off for kicking out at the recalled Martin Skrtel and Atkinson threatened to lose control.
There could be no debate about the red card after Folan tussled with the defender trying to intercept a Jamie Carragher pass and then lashed out as the Slovakian went to ground.
Hull were furious at a perceived injustice and Fagan was booked moments later for clashing with Skrtel.
The hosts then switched off after Kamil Zayatte conceded a corner and a weak clearance allowed Skrtel to shoot and Kuyt to turn in the misdirected effort.
Hull still felt aggrieved and Atkinson was under intense pressure as the tackles flew in and the crowd scrutinised his every decision.
Hull manager Phil Brown had attempted to shake things up just before Kuyt's goal by introducing Daniel Cousin and Bernard Mendy and the pair combined for Geovanni to score after 73 minutes.
Mendy found Cousin with a long ball and the Gabon striker raced into the area before pulling back for an unmarked Geovanni to turn in.
It was the least Hull deserved but Torres almost finished them off on 80 minutes when he headed against the bar from a Kuyt cross.
Kuyt wrapped up the points two minutes from time from in front of goal after Alvaro Arbeloa's deflected shot was pushed out by Myhill.
Source:The times
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Epsom manages to put brave face on sponsorship snub
Epsom, field of dreams for all who aspire to racing glory, reopens on Wednesday - and it looks terrific. An outlay of £37 million has transformed shabby to chic, creating a 21st century stage for the greatest Flat race. The danger, however, is that it could be a case of the Emperor's new clothes.
The Derby meeting starts six weeks on Friday. Yesterday (Monday), in racing's insular parish, avid talk concerned the shrinking price of an Irish colt who might have been named to win the premier classic, Fame And Glory. More pertinent, though, was the untimely financial crisis that imperils the relaunch of an iconic venue.
Epsom has built a 120-room hotel and a three-storey grandstand, to be opened on Wednesday by the Duchess of Cornwall and named in her honour. It is civilised, airy and unimaginably different from the dark, primitive claustrophobia that preceded it. But its style does not reflect the pinched climate imposing on the Derby.
Nick Blofeld, Epsom's managing director, has wide experience in consumer and marketing fields but he admits never facing anything so fraught as selling the Derby to a commercial backer in a deepening recession. “It's the toughest challenge I've known,” he said. “Not because people don't like the brand but because they don't feel they can do it right now.”
Blofeld's role, assumed last February, has been oddly invisible as Epsom has stood unused since the last Derby. “I've sometimes felt like Bob the Builder,” he said. He has doubtless also felt like an unwelcome guest in boardrooms as he strained, with the help of various consultants, to find a suitable replacement for Vodafone's long-standing sponsorship, extended as a courtesy to cover the 2008 race but now most definitely history.
He has come tantalisingly close. In January, I understand, a global company of the very stature Epsom covets was within a single signature of committing to the meeting. A heads of agreement had been drawn up and the deal was to cover the entire meeting on a three-year basis. Then the rug was pulled from under Blofeld's feet once again.
The situation is not his fault, nor that of anyone else in racing. It is a product of this precarious age. Epsom is far from alone in such strife. Even Cheltenham, a financial Nirvana in recent years, is encountering such changed times that its three-day meeting last week proceeded almost devoid of sponsors.
For Epsom, though, the problem is acute and dramatic. Theirs is the Flat race to which everyone relates, the ultimate racing product bar the Grand National. Yet time has evidently run out to find any partner for this year, unless a last-minute deal of demeaning thrift is agreed with a bookmaker.
The ground was prepared for this by separate comments made last weekend by Blofeld and Simon Bazalgette, chief executive of Jockey Club Racecourses. Bazalgette spoke of “protecting and nurturing” the Derby brand, a code for confessing the game was up. “We are prepared to absorb the cost for 2009, if need be,” he added.
Blofeld applied positive spin and enthused about returning the Derby to its status of “the people's race”, free of the vulgar appendages of modern commercialism. In truth, it is a case of making do, and for as short a time as possible.
Epsom will look different in other ways this Derby day. Three marquees are being withdrawn from the site due to the collapsing hospitality market and there will be no funfair on Tattenham Corner for the first time in most memories. The atmosphere will be changed. The race, and its glistening new stand, has seldom needed a memorable winner quite so badly.
Source:The times
The Derby meeting starts six weeks on Friday. Yesterday (Monday), in racing's insular parish, avid talk concerned the shrinking price of an Irish colt who might have been named to win the premier classic, Fame And Glory. More pertinent, though, was the untimely financial crisis that imperils the relaunch of an iconic venue.
Epsom has built a 120-room hotel and a three-storey grandstand, to be opened on Wednesday by the Duchess of Cornwall and named in her honour. It is civilised, airy and unimaginably different from the dark, primitive claustrophobia that preceded it. But its style does not reflect the pinched climate imposing on the Derby.
Nick Blofeld, Epsom's managing director, has wide experience in consumer and marketing fields but he admits never facing anything so fraught as selling the Derby to a commercial backer in a deepening recession. “It's the toughest challenge I've known,” he said. “Not because people don't like the brand but because they don't feel they can do it right now.”
Blofeld's role, assumed last February, has been oddly invisible as Epsom has stood unused since the last Derby. “I've sometimes felt like Bob the Builder,” he said. He has doubtless also felt like an unwelcome guest in boardrooms as he strained, with the help of various consultants, to find a suitable replacement for Vodafone's long-standing sponsorship, extended as a courtesy to cover the 2008 race but now most definitely history.
He has come tantalisingly close. In January, I understand, a global company of the very stature Epsom covets was within a single signature of committing to the meeting. A heads of agreement had been drawn up and the deal was to cover the entire meeting on a three-year basis. Then the rug was pulled from under Blofeld's feet once again.
The situation is not his fault, nor that of anyone else in racing. It is a product of this precarious age. Epsom is far from alone in such strife. Even Cheltenham, a financial Nirvana in recent years, is encountering such changed times that its three-day meeting last week proceeded almost devoid of sponsors.
For Epsom, though, the problem is acute and dramatic. Theirs is the Flat race to which everyone relates, the ultimate racing product bar the Grand National. Yet time has evidently run out to find any partner for this year, unless a last-minute deal of demeaning thrift is agreed with a bookmaker.
The ground was prepared for this by separate comments made last weekend by Blofeld and Simon Bazalgette, chief executive of Jockey Club Racecourses. Bazalgette spoke of “protecting and nurturing” the Derby brand, a code for confessing the game was up. “We are prepared to absorb the cost for 2009, if need be,” he added.
Blofeld applied positive spin and enthused about returning the Derby to its status of “the people's race”, free of the vulgar appendages of modern commercialism. In truth, it is a case of making do, and for as short a time as possible.
Epsom will look different in other ways this Derby day. Three marquees are being withdrawn from the site due to the collapsing hospitality market and there will be no funfair on Tattenham Corner for the first time in most memories. The atmosphere will be changed. The race, and its glistening new stand, has seldom needed a memorable winner quite so badly.
Source:The times
Absent fans insult Kenny Perry
THERE was a moment so sad in last Sunday’s final round of the Masters. Long after Kenny Perry’s over-hit chip on the 71st hole and his under-hit putt on the 72nd are forgotten, the scene as he raised his right arm after making a two on the 12th green will be in the memory. If you watched closely or were one of the few following the final pair at Augusta National, it was not Perry for whom you wanted to weep but the game.
Consider the context: Perry and Angel Cabrera were the final pairing, 17 of the previous 18 Masters winners had come from the last two to tee off and, four months short of his 49th birthday, Perry had his chance to become the oldest major champion.
Not interested? Well, consider, too, that when Perry accepted a $5,000 gift from his friend Ronnie Ferguson to get to Q-school about 232 years ago, he agreed to pay 5% of his career earnings to his church community. So far, that’s raised $1.4m and a lot of teenagers from poor backgrounds in Simpson County, Kentucky, have university scholarships.
Maybe these things don’t much matter but it’s hard not to warm to a professional golfer who borrows the money and builds a golf course that is affordable for ordinary people. Perry did that in Franklin, his home town. Green fees range from $20 to $30 at Kenny Perry’s Country Creek GC. Mostly when a top pro “designs” a golf course, his fee is part of the reason why you and I will never play it.
Then, as soon as the man speaks, the way he gently raises his right hand, open palm, after a birdie, you know you’re going to like him. Perry reminds us why some men deserve to be called gentlemen. Part of the reason he didn’t win much until his mid-40s was that he needed his three children to fly the nest before he could concentrate on golf.
Thirteen PGA Tour victories isn’t bad, he had a central role in the US’s Ryder Cup victory last year and for three days at the Masters, he played better golf than any other player. Rather than share the lead with Cabrera after 54 holes, he would have led by four or five shots had he holed a third of the birdie chances he created.
All the time it happens at Augusta, two caddies look at a putt and one says, “right edge”, the other, “an inch on the left” and both are wrong. On Augusta’s greens Perry was illiterate, a murderous handicap in an exam that lists putting as a compulsory subject.
He made plenty of good putts but sent them on errant lines. So how well did he do to be the last man to hit a tee shot on the first hole on Masters’ Sunday?
But even at that point, you could have foretold the disappointment one would feel at the 12th hole two and a half hours later. For the gallery that followed Perry and Cabrera was no more than a few hundred. You could, on the last day of the Masters, watch the leaders play their approach shots, amble up to the green and see them stroke their putts. It was like the gallery you might get for two decent players in the middle of the pack. Augusta’s patrons had eyes for only Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, even though the numbers watching meant you could barely see them.
Perry played beautifully for 11 holes. Could have made birdies at two, four, five, eight and 10, should have had birdie on seven but he made good putts on wrong lines.
Then, on the 12th, he holed a birdie putt tougher than the six he’d missed to get back into the tournament lead and the tide seemed to turn his way. He seemed to believe that and instead of the understated open-palm salute, he put his arm higher into the air and clenched his fist. As he did, he turned towards the crowd, except there was no crowd. The big stand behind the 12th tee that looks across on to the green holds maybe a thousand people. About 100 seats were occupied. It wasn’t a question of where they had all gone but why they hadn’t turned up.
At Augusta, there is a premium on good manners and old style southern civility that is charming; fans are called patrons, fans with tickets are accredited patrons, and it is routinely claimed that they are the best in the game. Nothing could be further from the reality. The empty spaces around Perry and Cabrera spoke of a tournament, however brilliant the final round, that had taken on something of the circus.
Would a vast majority of fans at the Open Championship abandon the tournament leaders to follow two players starting the day seven shots behind? Not a hope in hell.
Source:The times
Consider the context: Perry and Angel Cabrera were the final pairing, 17 of the previous 18 Masters winners had come from the last two to tee off and, four months short of his 49th birthday, Perry had his chance to become the oldest major champion.
Not interested? Well, consider, too, that when Perry accepted a $5,000 gift from his friend Ronnie Ferguson to get to Q-school about 232 years ago, he agreed to pay 5% of his career earnings to his church community. So far, that’s raised $1.4m and a lot of teenagers from poor backgrounds in Simpson County, Kentucky, have university scholarships.
Maybe these things don’t much matter but it’s hard not to warm to a professional golfer who borrows the money and builds a golf course that is affordable for ordinary people. Perry did that in Franklin, his home town. Green fees range from $20 to $30 at Kenny Perry’s Country Creek GC. Mostly when a top pro “designs” a golf course, his fee is part of the reason why you and I will never play it.
Then, as soon as the man speaks, the way he gently raises his right hand, open palm, after a birdie, you know you’re going to like him. Perry reminds us why some men deserve to be called gentlemen. Part of the reason he didn’t win much until his mid-40s was that he needed his three children to fly the nest before he could concentrate on golf.
Thirteen PGA Tour victories isn’t bad, he had a central role in the US’s Ryder Cup victory last year and for three days at the Masters, he played better golf than any other player. Rather than share the lead with Cabrera after 54 holes, he would have led by four or five shots had he holed a third of the birdie chances he created.
All the time it happens at Augusta, two caddies look at a putt and one says, “right edge”, the other, “an inch on the left” and both are wrong. On Augusta’s greens Perry was illiterate, a murderous handicap in an exam that lists putting as a compulsory subject.
He made plenty of good putts but sent them on errant lines. So how well did he do to be the last man to hit a tee shot on the first hole on Masters’ Sunday?
But even at that point, you could have foretold the disappointment one would feel at the 12th hole two and a half hours later. For the gallery that followed Perry and Cabrera was no more than a few hundred. You could, on the last day of the Masters, watch the leaders play their approach shots, amble up to the green and see them stroke their putts. It was like the gallery you might get for two decent players in the middle of the pack. Augusta’s patrons had eyes for only Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, even though the numbers watching meant you could barely see them.
Perry played beautifully for 11 holes. Could have made birdies at two, four, five, eight and 10, should have had birdie on seven but he made good putts on wrong lines.
Then, on the 12th, he holed a birdie putt tougher than the six he’d missed to get back into the tournament lead and the tide seemed to turn his way. He seemed to believe that and instead of the understated open-palm salute, he put his arm higher into the air and clenched his fist. As he did, he turned towards the crowd, except there was no crowd. The big stand behind the 12th tee that looks across on to the green holds maybe a thousand people. About 100 seats were occupied. It wasn’t a question of where they had all gone but why they hadn’t turned up.
At Augusta, there is a premium on good manners and old style southern civility that is charming; fans are called patrons, fans with tickets are accredited patrons, and it is routinely claimed that they are the best in the game. Nothing could be further from the reality. The empty spaces around Perry and Cabrera spoke of a tournament, however brilliant the final round, that had taken on something of the circus.
Would a vast majority of fans at the Open Championship abandon the tournament leaders to follow two players starting the day seven shots behind? Not a hope in hell.
Source:The times
Ferrari trying not to panic after pointless start
The Chinese Grand Prix this weekend produced signs from McLaren Mercedes that the Woking-based Anglo-German team is starting to improve its competitive position after a shaky start to the season with both its drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen, finishing in the points in Shanghai.
Sadly, the same cannot be said for McLaren’s old Italian rivals Ferrari who are enduring their worst start to a campaign for years. With no points for either of their drivers in China and no points at the first two races in Australia and Malaysia, the Scuderia are firmly at the bottom of the league and already there is talk of them abandoning development work on this year’s car.
The suggestion was made at the weekend by the seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher who is retained as a consultant by Ferrari and who believes the moment is already not far away when the team will have decide whether it would not be better to switch its attention to next year’s machine and effectively write this season off.
That is exactly what Brawn GP did this time last year, when still under Honda ownership team principal Ross Brawn realised the 2008 challenger was hopelessly off the pace. Now he is reaping spectacular rewards as a result, with his two drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello in first and second places in the championship respectively.
Stefano Domenicali, the Ferrari team principal, is trying not to panic but he admitted in China that a similar decision may not be far off and could be made after the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona on May 10. “I think we have to wait,” he said. “We need to stay cool. It is not easy, I know, but we need to stay cool because there are too many things that can change very quickly. The number one priority is to move from zero points. I think for sure we will see after Spain where we are.”
Ferrari is struggling on all fronts. Just as McLaren did, the Scuderia threw everything but the kitchen sink at last year’s title battle which Felipe Massa lost to Hamilton by one point at a thrilling last race in Brazil. That contest hoovered up a huge amount of technical resource and mental energy at the team base at Maranello, very little of which was of any relevence to the new car for this year which is governed by a new technical standard. As a result the F2009 is under-developed and is not quick enough. Added to that is a serious reliability problem with Kimi Raikkonen’s car in China being only the second to finish a race. As if those two issues were not enough, the Ferrari brainstrust on the pitwall has been making some howlers which have only compounded the technical problems.
There is no doubt that Domenicali, an engineer promoted from within at the start of 2007 and one of the most genuine individuals in the paddock, is already under pressure to keep his job. He has Luca di Montezemolo, the ambitious Ferrari president who expects championships almost as of right, breathing down his neck and the expectations of the Ferrari faithful to live up to. Inevitably comparisons are being made with his predecessor Jean Todt who masterminded the Schumacher ascendancy, along with Brawn as technical director, at a time when Ferrari was a more unpleasant outfit than now, but more successful too.
Domenicali has already re-shuffled his race team to try to improve performance and he was encouraged by Massa’s early showing in Shanghai. “For sure it is very tricky,” he said. “It is not easy. The only way we can get out from the moment is to work hard and to try to stay cool. We know we have a lot of things to do, and there is no reason to get into a panic mode because that would be worse.”
Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, has never given the impression that he has put any effort into getting the team behind him, but he is at least saying the right things in the current crisis. “We’ll do the best that we can and I’m sure we are going to be back in a position to challenge for wins, but it will take a little while, so we just need to go through this hard time and we are definitely going to get back,” he said before leaving China.
Massa is more of a fighter and closer to the heart of the team. “It’s a very tough situation,” he said. “We are in a different condition than we were in the past but I still believe in the team. I think we have a good chance to move away from this problem. I’m very motivated to help the team get away from that. And I will do my best.”
Source:The times
Sadly, the same cannot be said for McLaren’s old Italian rivals Ferrari who are enduring their worst start to a campaign for years. With no points for either of their drivers in China and no points at the first two races in Australia and Malaysia, the Scuderia are firmly at the bottom of the league and already there is talk of them abandoning development work on this year’s car.
The suggestion was made at the weekend by the seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher who is retained as a consultant by Ferrari and who believes the moment is already not far away when the team will have decide whether it would not be better to switch its attention to next year’s machine and effectively write this season off.
That is exactly what Brawn GP did this time last year, when still under Honda ownership team principal Ross Brawn realised the 2008 challenger was hopelessly off the pace. Now he is reaping spectacular rewards as a result, with his two drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello in first and second places in the championship respectively.
Stefano Domenicali, the Ferrari team principal, is trying not to panic but he admitted in China that a similar decision may not be far off and could be made after the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona on May 10. “I think we have to wait,” he said. “We need to stay cool. It is not easy, I know, but we need to stay cool because there are too many things that can change very quickly. The number one priority is to move from zero points. I think for sure we will see after Spain where we are.”
Ferrari is struggling on all fronts. Just as McLaren did, the Scuderia threw everything but the kitchen sink at last year’s title battle which Felipe Massa lost to Hamilton by one point at a thrilling last race in Brazil. That contest hoovered up a huge amount of technical resource and mental energy at the team base at Maranello, very little of which was of any relevence to the new car for this year which is governed by a new technical standard. As a result the F2009 is under-developed and is not quick enough. Added to that is a serious reliability problem with Kimi Raikkonen’s car in China being only the second to finish a race. As if those two issues were not enough, the Ferrari brainstrust on the pitwall has been making some howlers which have only compounded the technical problems.
There is no doubt that Domenicali, an engineer promoted from within at the start of 2007 and one of the most genuine individuals in the paddock, is already under pressure to keep his job. He has Luca di Montezemolo, the ambitious Ferrari president who expects championships almost as of right, breathing down his neck and the expectations of the Ferrari faithful to live up to. Inevitably comparisons are being made with his predecessor Jean Todt who masterminded the Schumacher ascendancy, along with Brawn as technical director, at a time when Ferrari was a more unpleasant outfit than now, but more successful too.
Domenicali has already re-shuffled his race team to try to improve performance and he was encouraged by Massa’s early showing in Shanghai. “For sure it is very tricky,” he said. “It is not easy. The only way we can get out from the moment is to work hard and to try to stay cool. We know we have a lot of things to do, and there is no reason to get into a panic mode because that would be worse.”
Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, has never given the impression that he has put any effort into getting the team behind him, but he is at least saying the right things in the current crisis. “We’ll do the best that we can and I’m sure we are going to be back in a position to challenge for wins, but it will take a little while, so we just need to go through this hard time and we are definitely going to get back,” he said before leaving China.
Massa is more of a fighter and closer to the heart of the team. “It’s a very tough situation,” he said. “We are in a different condition than we were in the past but I still believe in the team. I think we have a good chance to move away from this problem. I’m very motivated to help the team get away from that. And I will do my best.”
Source:The times
Samit Patel shows best and worst qualities
Samit Patel fell five runs short of a century when he was run out in bizarre fashion. Attempting a quick single to Vikram Solanki at mid-off, Patel absent-mindedly veered off to the left and failed to ground his bat as Solanki hit the stumps with his throw.
Despite this setback, Nottinghamshire had comfortably the better of the first day's play with Adam Voges, the Australia batsman, making 99 before he was caught behind down the leg side just before the close.
Ryan Sidebottom is certain to miss the first Test match against West Indies, starting on May 6, as he continues his recovery from an operation on an Achilles tendon. He is unlikely to play for Nottinghamshire's first XI until early May and yesterday he played for MCC against Rugby School.
Against a Worcestershire attack badly missing Kabir Ali, who has a hamstring injury, Patel had enjoyed some fortune, being dropped three times. But he also played some wonderful straight drives in front of James Whitaker, the England selector, making his 95 from 137 balls with 15 fours and a six. The pick of his strokes was a beautifully timed back-foot drive for four between Ashley Noffke, the bowler, and mid-off.
With several of Nottinghamshire's top-order batsmen injured, Patel had volunteered to move up to No 3 in the order. Having been dropped from England's one-day squad recently because of his poor attitude towards fitness, these are a crucial few weeks in his career.
“I wouldn't say we've seen a marked change in his attitude; we've seen a slight change and he's going in the right direction,” Mick Newell, the Nottinghamshire director of cricket, said. Although his innings yesterday offered a reminder of his sparkling talent, his dismissal was another sign of mental lassitude. “He asked to have a look at the replay of his run-out, but I told him he'd be better not to,” Newell said.
Patel's dismissal left Nottinghamshire on 186 for three, but Voges and Chris Read strengthened their position with a fifth-wicket stand of 114, Read finishing unbeaten on 69. Voges had a disappointing first season at Trent Bridge last year, passing fifty only three times in the championship. He also struggled for Western Australia during the winter, but yesterday looked in good touch, only to fall one run short of his first first-class hundred since December 2007 when he got a thin edge to a leg-side ball from Matt Mason and was caught by Steven Davies. He had faced 224 balls, hitting nine fours and two sixes.
Nottinghamshire: First Innings M A Wagh c Davies b Mason 19 B M Shafayat c Mitchell b Arif 14 S R Patel run out 95 A C Voges c Davies b Mason 99 A D Brown lbw b Whelan 4 *C M W Read not out 69 G P Swann not out 19 Extras (b 5, lb 4, w 2, nb 4) 15 Total (5 wkts, 96 overs) 334
S C J Broad, M A Ealham, A R Adams and D J Pattinson to bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-46, 3-186, 4-199, 5-313.
Bowling: Noffke 18-6-47-0; Mason 19-7-60-2; Arif 22-4-91-1; Whelan 18-1-81-1; Batty 19-5-46-0.
Worcestershire: D K H Mitchell, S C Moore, *V S Solanki, B F Smith, M M Ali, S M Davies, A A Noffke, G J Batty, C D Whelan, Imran Arif, M S Mason.
Umpires: R J Bailey and R A Kettleborough.
Source:The times
Despite this setback, Nottinghamshire had comfortably the better of the first day's play with Adam Voges, the Australia batsman, making 99 before he was caught behind down the leg side just before the close.
Ryan Sidebottom is certain to miss the first Test match against West Indies, starting on May 6, as he continues his recovery from an operation on an Achilles tendon. He is unlikely to play for Nottinghamshire's first XI until early May and yesterday he played for MCC against Rugby School.
Against a Worcestershire attack badly missing Kabir Ali, who has a hamstring injury, Patel had enjoyed some fortune, being dropped three times. But he also played some wonderful straight drives in front of James Whitaker, the England selector, making his 95 from 137 balls with 15 fours and a six. The pick of his strokes was a beautifully timed back-foot drive for four between Ashley Noffke, the bowler, and mid-off.
With several of Nottinghamshire's top-order batsmen injured, Patel had volunteered to move up to No 3 in the order. Having been dropped from England's one-day squad recently because of his poor attitude towards fitness, these are a crucial few weeks in his career.
“I wouldn't say we've seen a marked change in his attitude; we've seen a slight change and he's going in the right direction,” Mick Newell, the Nottinghamshire director of cricket, said. Although his innings yesterday offered a reminder of his sparkling talent, his dismissal was another sign of mental lassitude. “He asked to have a look at the replay of his run-out, but I told him he'd be better not to,” Newell said.
Patel's dismissal left Nottinghamshire on 186 for three, but Voges and Chris Read strengthened their position with a fifth-wicket stand of 114, Read finishing unbeaten on 69. Voges had a disappointing first season at Trent Bridge last year, passing fifty only three times in the championship. He also struggled for Western Australia during the winter, but yesterday looked in good touch, only to fall one run short of his first first-class hundred since December 2007 when he got a thin edge to a leg-side ball from Matt Mason and was caught by Steven Davies. He had faced 224 balls, hitting nine fours and two sixes.
Nottinghamshire: First Innings M A Wagh c Davies b Mason 19 B M Shafayat c Mitchell b Arif 14 S R Patel run out 95 A C Voges c Davies b Mason 99 A D Brown lbw b Whelan 4 *C M W Read not out 69 G P Swann not out 19 Extras (b 5, lb 4, w 2, nb 4) 15 Total (5 wkts, 96 overs) 334
S C J Broad, M A Ealham, A R Adams and D J Pattinson to bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-46, 3-186, 4-199, 5-313.
Bowling: Noffke 18-6-47-0; Mason 19-7-60-2; Arif 22-4-91-1; Whelan 18-1-81-1; Batty 19-5-46-0.
Worcestershire: D K H Mitchell, S C Moore, *V S Solanki, B F Smith, M M Ali, S M Davies, A A Noffke, G J Batty, C D Whelan, Imran Arif, M S Mason.
Umpires: R J Bailey and R A Kettleborough.
Source:The times
Andrey Arshavin's four goals hand title initiative to Manchester United
Rafael Benítez conceded that Liverpool’s title hopes had suffered a severe blow against Arsenal last night after watching Andrey Arshavin score four breathtaking goals on an evening of high drama at Anfield.
A mesmerising 4-4 draw was enough to take Liverpool above Manchester United on goal difference at the top of the Barclays Premier League, but the champions will move three points clear if they win the first of their two games in hand, against Portsmouth at Old Trafford this evening.
Arshavin appeared to have won it for Arsenal in the 90th minute of an extraordinary game, putting his team 4-3 in front, only for Liverpool to come from behind for the third time when Yossi Benayoun scored his second in stoppage time.
Liverpool’s 4-4 draw in their previous outing, against Chelsea in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final at Stamford Bridge last week, had been hailed as a classic, but if anything this rollercoaster ride of a game bettered it, even if Benítez acknowledged that the result had swung the title momentum firmly in United’s favour. “United had the initiative before, so they are still in the driving seat, but we will see what happens,” said Benítez, who refused to respond to claims by Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, that he was “arrogant” and “contemptuous”.
“If they do win [against Portsmouth] it be more difficult for us, but United still have to play Arsenal as well. Before we were talking about needing to win almost all our games, but we have to keep pushing. We showed tonight that we can fight until the last minute and we need to do the same until the end of the season.”
Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, paid tribute to Arshavin, his £12 million signing from Zenit St Petersburg, and claimed that the outcome of United’s game against Portsmouth could come to determine the title race, even though Benítez will hope that the championship is still up for grabs by the time last night’s opponents visit Old Trafford on May 16.
“Arshavin can play everywhere, like all the great players,” Wenger said. “I have been in the job a long time and I have not seen many players take goals like that. He has scored seven goals in seven games now, but I didn’t expect him to score so many.
Arshavin said: “I have scored two hat-tricks before, but never four goals. It was a great game for the fans but not for the team. It was like basketball out there.”
Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, the estranged Liverpool co-owners, sat together in the directors’ box for the first time since December 2007, when Liverpool lost 1-0 to United, and if ever there was a game that might convince them to bury their differences and work together in the best interests of the club, it was this. Arsenal were ahead 1-0, 3-2 and 4-3, but every time Liverpool found it within themselves to force an equaliser.
Having come from behind to lead 2-1 with goals from Fernando Torres and Benayoun during a seven-minute burst at the start of the second half, Liverpool were trailing again in the space of three frantic minutes when Arshavin completed a memorable hat-trick to make it 3-2. Torres hit back almost immediately to level the scores again, before the game reached a remarkable climax.
“We wanted three points, so it’s two points dropped,” Steven Gerrard, the Liverpool captain who was watching the drama from a TV studio, said.
“We’re relying on others to do us favours. It was a tremendous game for the neutral, but not for me. It would have been a disaster if we’d lost, but in the end that point could be big.” However, Ladbrokes now make United 8-1 on to win the title.
Source: The times
A mesmerising 4-4 draw was enough to take Liverpool above Manchester United on goal difference at the top of the Barclays Premier League, but the champions will move three points clear if they win the first of their two games in hand, against Portsmouth at Old Trafford this evening.
Arshavin appeared to have won it for Arsenal in the 90th minute of an extraordinary game, putting his team 4-3 in front, only for Liverpool to come from behind for the third time when Yossi Benayoun scored his second in stoppage time.
Liverpool’s 4-4 draw in their previous outing, against Chelsea in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final at Stamford Bridge last week, had been hailed as a classic, but if anything this rollercoaster ride of a game bettered it, even if Benítez acknowledged that the result had swung the title momentum firmly in United’s favour. “United had the initiative before, so they are still in the driving seat, but we will see what happens,” said Benítez, who refused to respond to claims by Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, that he was “arrogant” and “contemptuous”.
“If they do win [against Portsmouth] it be more difficult for us, but United still have to play Arsenal as well. Before we were talking about needing to win almost all our games, but we have to keep pushing. We showed tonight that we can fight until the last minute and we need to do the same until the end of the season.”
Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, paid tribute to Arshavin, his £12 million signing from Zenit St Petersburg, and claimed that the outcome of United’s game against Portsmouth could come to determine the title race, even though Benítez will hope that the championship is still up for grabs by the time last night’s opponents visit Old Trafford on May 16.
“Arshavin can play everywhere, like all the great players,” Wenger said. “I have been in the job a long time and I have not seen many players take goals like that. He has scored seven goals in seven games now, but I didn’t expect him to score so many.
Arshavin said: “I have scored two hat-tricks before, but never four goals. It was a great game for the fans but not for the team. It was like basketball out there.”
Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, the estranged Liverpool co-owners, sat together in the directors’ box for the first time since December 2007, when Liverpool lost 1-0 to United, and if ever there was a game that might convince them to bury their differences and work together in the best interests of the club, it was this. Arsenal were ahead 1-0, 3-2 and 4-3, but every time Liverpool found it within themselves to force an equaliser.
Having come from behind to lead 2-1 with goals from Fernando Torres and Benayoun during a seven-minute burst at the start of the second half, Liverpool were trailing again in the space of three frantic minutes when Arshavin completed a memorable hat-trick to make it 3-2. Torres hit back almost immediately to level the scores again, before the game reached a remarkable climax.
“We wanted three points, so it’s two points dropped,” Steven Gerrard, the Liverpool captain who was watching the drama from a TV studio, said.
“We’re relying on others to do us favours. It was a tremendous game for the neutral, but not for me. It would have been a disaster if we’d lost, but in the end that point could be big.” However, Ladbrokes now make United 8-1 on to win the title.
Source: The times
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Hello Bud takes Scottish Grand National
Hello Bud put up a heroic performance to make all the running over an extended four miles in the Coral Scottish Grand National at Ayr.
The 12-1 shot, ridden by Paddy Brennan and trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, held the late thrust of Tony McCoy on Gone To Lunch (12-1).
Out The Black (12-1) and Chiaro (10-1), both trained by Philip Hobbs, were third and fourth respectively.
King Barry kept Hello Bud for company in the early stages, while Out The Black, Coe and Brooklyn Brownie were all close up.Arteea was pulled up in the rear before the field went out on the final circuit, with That's Rhythm a faller.
Hello Bud fended off all challengers up front and though Gone To Lunch came with a late flourish, McCoy's mount was half a length down at the line.
Brennan said of Hello Bud's half-length triumph: "He loves it. I've not won on him before so David England takes a lot of credit.
"I've got the best boss in the world and he keeps on producing big winners.
"What a fantastic season and this is the icing on the cake."
Source:The times
The 12-1 shot, ridden by Paddy Brennan and trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, held the late thrust of Tony McCoy on Gone To Lunch (12-1).
Out The Black (12-1) and Chiaro (10-1), both trained by Philip Hobbs, were third and fourth respectively.
King Barry kept Hello Bud for company in the early stages, while Out The Black, Coe and Brooklyn Brownie were all close up.Arteea was pulled up in the rear before the field went out on the final circuit, with That's Rhythm a faller.
Hello Bud fended off all challengers up front and though Gone To Lunch came with a late flourish, McCoy's mount was half a length down at the line.
Brennan said of Hello Bud's half-length triumph: "He loves it. I've not won on him before so David England takes a lot of credit.
"I've got the best boss in the world and he keeps on producing big winners.
"What a fantastic season and this is the icing on the cake."
Source:The times
Sachin Tendulkar sends Andrew Flintoff to opening IPL defeat
Sachin Tendulkar hit an unbeaten half-century as he led the Mumbai Indians to a 19-run win against the Chennai Super Kings in the opening match of the Indian Premier League at Newlands on Saturday.
Tendulkar's 59 not out provided the foundation for Mumbai's 165 for seven after they were sent in on a blustery, grey day.
Former Australian opening batsman Matthew Hayden hit 44 and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni 36 for Chennai but the 2008 runners-up could only manage 146 for seven.
Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga bowled superbly to take three for 15 in four overs for Mumbai.
Mumbai's innings was anchored by Tendulkar, who largely played conventional cricket, punctuated by lofted off-drives.
Although he opened the batting he faced only 48 balls, hitting seven fours.
Tendulkar and Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya (26) put on 39 for the first wicket. He then shared a second wicket stand of 43 with Shikhar Dhawan (22).
Batting conditions were tricky under grey skies and Mumbai were struggling at 102 for four in the 15th over before the left-handed Abhishek Nayar lashed 35 off 14 balls in a fifth wicket stand of 46 with Tendulkar.
Nayar slammed three sixes in an over from Andrew Flintoff which cost 22 runs. Flintoff, who is on a 1.55-million dollar a season contract, was the most expensive Chennai bowler, conceding 44 runs in four overs.
Flintoff made 24 in Chennai's reply as he helped Hayden put on 52 for the third wicket. He hit two fours and a six off 22 balls before he heaved a ball from Harbhajan Singh high in the air for the off-spinner to take a catch off his own bowling.
Hayden hit his 44 off 35 balls before Zaheer Khan took a stinging catch in the cover off a fierce drive against Jayasuriya's left-arm spin. Dhoni hit 36 off 26 balls before being bowled by Malinga in the final over.
Source:The times
Tendulkar's 59 not out provided the foundation for Mumbai's 165 for seven after they were sent in on a blustery, grey day.
Former Australian opening batsman Matthew Hayden hit 44 and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni 36 for Chennai but the 2008 runners-up could only manage 146 for seven.
Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga bowled superbly to take three for 15 in four overs for Mumbai.
Mumbai's innings was anchored by Tendulkar, who largely played conventional cricket, punctuated by lofted off-drives.
Although he opened the batting he faced only 48 balls, hitting seven fours.
Tendulkar and Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya (26) put on 39 for the first wicket. He then shared a second wicket stand of 43 with Shikhar Dhawan (22).
Batting conditions were tricky under grey skies and Mumbai were struggling at 102 for four in the 15th over before the left-handed Abhishek Nayar lashed 35 off 14 balls in a fifth wicket stand of 46 with Tendulkar.
Nayar slammed three sixes in an over from Andrew Flintoff which cost 22 runs. Flintoff, who is on a 1.55-million dollar a season contract, was the most expensive Chennai bowler, conceding 44 runs in four overs.
Flintoff made 24 in Chennai's reply as he helped Hayden put on 52 for the third wicket. He hit two fours and a six off 22 balls before he heaved a ball from Harbhajan Singh high in the air for the off-spinner to take a catch off his own bowling.
Hayden hit his 44 off 35 balls before Zaheer Khan took a stinging catch in the cover off a fierce drive against Jayasuriya's left-arm spin. Dhoni hit 36 off 26 balls before being bowled by Malinga in the final over.
Source:The times
Sebastian Vettel takes Red Bull's first pole
Sebastian Vettel grabbed Red Bull's first pole position on Saturday when he clocked a late fastest lap to top the times in a gripping qualifying session for the Chinese Grand Prix.
The 21-year-old German, who joined the team from sister outfit Toro Rosso after earning his first career win at last year's Italian Grand Prix, went out late and nailed it in the final seconds.
"This morning we had a problem with the car," said Vettel. "The mechanics did a very good job and fixed the car. Basically it is all down to them. We have the best position for tomorrow but no points yet. There is a long way to go and we have to keep digging."
Resurgent two-times world champion Fernando Alonso of Spain took second for Renault in a car fitted overnight with new floor parts and a new diffuser, his team having worked until 5am to complete the job.
Australian Mark Webber was third in the second Red Bull ahead of Brazilian Rubens Barrichello in the leading Brawn, with his teammate Briton Jenson Button fifth after taking pole in Australia and Malaysia.
Italian Jarno Trulli took sixth place for Toyota with German Nico Rosberg seventh for Williams and Finn Kimi Raikkonen eighth for Ferrari.
Defending world champion Briton Lewis Hamilton was ninth for McLaren Mercedes while Switzerland's Sebastien Buemi took 10th for Toro Rosso.
On a bright day with sunshine, qualifying began with a familiar 2009 story as the two Brawn cars roared to the top of the timesheets.
But Q1 was a less happy mini-session for the BMW Sauber team and the luckless Robert Kubica of Poland who failed to make the cut.
He was 18th fastest and a weekend of experiments with KERS continued disappointingly.
Also out went the two Force Indias of German Adrian Sutil and Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, along with Brazilian Nelson Piquet of Renault and Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais of Toro Rosso.
In Q2, there was more confirmation that the field was tightening up and some improvements at Ferrari and Renault as the two Red Bulls topped the times.
Vettel was quickest with team-mate Webber second ahead of Barrichello and Button, third and fourth. All of the cars were running with the lightest possible fuel loads.
This session saw Kubica's BMW teammate German Nick Heidfeld fail to make the cut as he qualified 11th ahead of Finn Heikki Kovalainen in his McLaren Mercedes.
Brazilian Felipe Massa of Ferrari will start 13th, German Timo Glock in a Toyota was 14th and Japan's Kazuki Nakajima in a Williams was 15th quickest.
Source:The times
The 21-year-old German, who joined the team from sister outfit Toro Rosso after earning his first career win at last year's Italian Grand Prix, went out late and nailed it in the final seconds.
"This morning we had a problem with the car," said Vettel. "The mechanics did a very good job and fixed the car. Basically it is all down to them. We have the best position for tomorrow but no points yet. There is a long way to go and we have to keep digging."
Resurgent two-times world champion Fernando Alonso of Spain took second for Renault in a car fitted overnight with new floor parts and a new diffuser, his team having worked until 5am to complete the job.
Australian Mark Webber was third in the second Red Bull ahead of Brazilian Rubens Barrichello in the leading Brawn, with his teammate Briton Jenson Button fifth after taking pole in Australia and Malaysia.
Italian Jarno Trulli took sixth place for Toyota with German Nico Rosberg seventh for Williams and Finn Kimi Raikkonen eighth for Ferrari.
Defending world champion Briton Lewis Hamilton was ninth for McLaren Mercedes while Switzerland's Sebastien Buemi took 10th for Toro Rosso.
On a bright day with sunshine, qualifying began with a familiar 2009 story as the two Brawn cars roared to the top of the timesheets.
But Q1 was a less happy mini-session for the BMW Sauber team and the luckless Robert Kubica of Poland who failed to make the cut.
He was 18th fastest and a weekend of experiments with KERS continued disappointingly.
Also out went the two Force Indias of German Adrian Sutil and Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, along with Brazilian Nelson Piquet of Renault and Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais of Toro Rosso.
In Q2, there was more confirmation that the field was tightening up and some improvements at Ferrari and Renault as the two Red Bulls topped the times.
Vettel was quickest with team-mate Webber second ahead of Barrichello and Button, third and fourth. All of the cars were running with the lightest possible fuel loads.
This session saw Kubica's BMW teammate German Nick Heidfeld fail to make the cut as he qualified 11th ahead of Finn Heikki Kovalainen in his McLaren Mercedes.
Brazilian Felipe Massa of Ferrari will start 13th, German Timo Glock in a Toyota was 14th and Japan's Kazuki Nakajima in a Williams was 15th quickest.
Source:The times
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Wisden: birth of the Twenty20 revolution
It was a son et lumière worthy of the Sphinx or Grand Canyon. The opening ceremony of the Indian Premier League, on a shirtsleeve evening in mid-April in Bangalore, was the most spectacular that cricket has seen. I sensed the same ingredients of success at the first official day/night international, between Australia and West Indies, at Sydney in 1979: people hurrying to a ground to see the cricket they wanted, of the duration they wanted, at the time they wanted.
Brendon McCullum lit up the night sky as brilliantly as the fireworks by hitting 158 from 73 balls, and most of the major talents in world cricket joined in over the next six weeks. While there were initial doubts about whether Indian crowds and television audiences would identify with an Australian or South African, and a sizeable proportion of each crowd was admitted free, city-based cricket soon became as popular in India as soap operas. In spite of the poor television camerawork, and advertisements that shaved many overs to five balls, tens of millions - perhaps hundreds of millions - watched, for evening after evening, live cricket.
The IPL is a clever mixture of ingredients because its administrators have understood their market - their mass market. Although it is impossible to be sure from such a recent perspective, it looks as though the supranational IPL is the single biggest change in cricket not merely since the advent of the limited-overs game in the 1960s but of fixtures between countries in the 19th century: that is, since the invention of international or Test cricket.
Above all, until the time of writing, the IPL has had luck on its side. As the world went into economic crisis, the IPL gave every appearance of bucking the trend. The two auctions of players which it staged, the second on February 6 this year, must have appealed to anyone who has played Monopoly: they gave the franchise-owners the feeling they had power over the world's finest cricketers, and everyone else the illusion. At a time of the most serious recession since the 1930s, Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen were signed for two years at $1.55million per six-week tournament (or pro rata for the number of games they played). The IPL radiated wealth, wellbeing, exuberance, and prospects for future growth: in a word, hope.
It was during the third IPL match, in Delhi, that the principal defect of 20-over cricket became apparent. Shane Warne led the Rajasthan Royals against the Delhi Daredevils - and was anonymous. It was not simply that his bowling was ineffective on a flat pitch, or his innings brief, or his captaincy unable to avert a large defeat. The defect was that he had no time to manifest his personality.
Warne's strength of character soon made itself felt, as he turned what had seemed in Delhi to be a bunch of Indian club cricketers into the first IPL champions. But on the field, such is the bustling pace of the 20-over game, Warne had no time to transmit his personality to spectators or television viewers; and the interplay of personalities is the essence of drama.
A 50-over game can sometimes allow the necessary scope: remember how Warne, gradually but inexorably, bent the 1999 World Cup semi-final at Edgbaston to his will. But although a Twenty20 game offers plenty of action over three hours, and an exciting finish almost as often as not, it lacks the drama that a full day of intense cricket provides. As the novelty of 20-over cricket wears off, it will be seen that cricket's characters can only be formed in longer versions of the game.
Administrators could not cash in quickly enough. The ECB announced the English Premier League, with 20 teams, to start in 2010 (when the recession bit, the two overseas teams were quietly dropped, along with other modifications). An alternative business plan of a nine-franchise league, based at England's international venues, was proposed by Keith Bradshaw, chief executive of MCC, and David Stewart, Surrey's chairman; but it was seen as the thin end of a wedge which would have driven half of the 18 counties out of existence.
I am in favour of 18 first-class counties, provided - and it is a provision far from being fulfilled - they devote much more of their resources to promoting cricket within their own communities, instead of relying for recruitment on public schools and the southern hemisphere. These two breeding grounds each supplied about one third of England's county cricketers last season, while Britain's inner cities remained mostly untrawled waters.
The Pro-Active South London Schools Survey 2008 should ring like a fire alarm at the ECB's offices. More than 26,000 children at secondary schools were asked which three sports they would like more access to: football was first, badminton eighth, cricket 21st. Even among boys alone, it ranked no higher than twelfth. A major factor is the virtual disappearance of Afro-Caribbean cricketers. Such findings show that the hold on the public imagination which cricket had in 2005 has been lost completely.
As well as the midsummer English Premier League, which was a good idea, the ECB announced a late- summer 20-over competition, which was not. Filling up the domestic season with four competitions is the surest way to prevent an improvement in standards. It is only right that the counties should want to do more to stand on their own financial feet, to be less dependent on the £1.5million that the ECB distributes to each one, but two 20-over competitions cannot be right - especially as August is the time to stage 50-over cricket, not May when the ball seams around and powerplays are irrelevant.
The only point in favour of the second 20-over competition was that the 40-over league had to be abolished to make space. Launched in 1969 as a fun afternoon to follow the Sunday roast, it had long since outlasted its purpose and become the ball and chain around the legs of English cricket, choking the calendar, preventing the pursuit of excellence, draining intensity out of the system - and the single biggest reason why England, alone among the major Test-playing countries, have never won a global one-day tournament.
Source: The times
Brendon McCullum lit up the night sky as brilliantly as the fireworks by hitting 158 from 73 balls, and most of the major talents in world cricket joined in over the next six weeks. While there were initial doubts about whether Indian crowds and television audiences would identify with an Australian or South African, and a sizeable proportion of each crowd was admitted free, city-based cricket soon became as popular in India as soap operas. In spite of the poor television camerawork, and advertisements that shaved many overs to five balls, tens of millions - perhaps hundreds of millions - watched, for evening after evening, live cricket.
The IPL is a clever mixture of ingredients because its administrators have understood their market - their mass market. Although it is impossible to be sure from such a recent perspective, it looks as though the supranational IPL is the single biggest change in cricket not merely since the advent of the limited-overs game in the 1960s but of fixtures between countries in the 19th century: that is, since the invention of international or Test cricket.
Above all, until the time of writing, the IPL has had luck on its side. As the world went into economic crisis, the IPL gave every appearance of bucking the trend. The two auctions of players which it staged, the second on February 6 this year, must have appealed to anyone who has played Monopoly: they gave the franchise-owners the feeling they had power over the world's finest cricketers, and everyone else the illusion. At a time of the most serious recession since the 1930s, Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen were signed for two years at $1.55million per six-week tournament (or pro rata for the number of games they played). The IPL radiated wealth, wellbeing, exuberance, and prospects for future growth: in a word, hope.
It was during the third IPL match, in Delhi, that the principal defect of 20-over cricket became apparent. Shane Warne led the Rajasthan Royals against the Delhi Daredevils - and was anonymous. It was not simply that his bowling was ineffective on a flat pitch, or his innings brief, or his captaincy unable to avert a large defeat. The defect was that he had no time to manifest his personality.
Warne's strength of character soon made itself felt, as he turned what had seemed in Delhi to be a bunch of Indian club cricketers into the first IPL champions. But on the field, such is the bustling pace of the 20-over game, Warne had no time to transmit his personality to spectators or television viewers; and the interplay of personalities is the essence of drama.
A 50-over game can sometimes allow the necessary scope: remember how Warne, gradually but inexorably, bent the 1999 World Cup semi-final at Edgbaston to his will. But although a Twenty20 game offers plenty of action over three hours, and an exciting finish almost as often as not, it lacks the drama that a full day of intense cricket provides. As the novelty of 20-over cricket wears off, it will be seen that cricket's characters can only be formed in longer versions of the game.
Administrators could not cash in quickly enough. The ECB announced the English Premier League, with 20 teams, to start in 2010 (when the recession bit, the two overseas teams were quietly dropped, along with other modifications). An alternative business plan of a nine-franchise league, based at England's international venues, was proposed by Keith Bradshaw, chief executive of MCC, and David Stewart, Surrey's chairman; but it was seen as the thin end of a wedge which would have driven half of the 18 counties out of existence.
I am in favour of 18 first-class counties, provided - and it is a provision far from being fulfilled - they devote much more of their resources to promoting cricket within their own communities, instead of relying for recruitment on public schools and the southern hemisphere. These two breeding grounds each supplied about one third of England's county cricketers last season, while Britain's inner cities remained mostly untrawled waters.
The Pro-Active South London Schools Survey 2008 should ring like a fire alarm at the ECB's offices. More than 26,000 children at secondary schools were asked which three sports they would like more access to: football was first, badminton eighth, cricket 21st. Even among boys alone, it ranked no higher than twelfth. A major factor is the virtual disappearance of Afro-Caribbean cricketers. Such findings show that the hold on the public imagination which cricket had in 2005 has been lost completely.
As well as the midsummer English Premier League, which was a good idea, the ECB announced a late- summer 20-over competition, which was not. Filling up the domestic season with four competitions is the surest way to prevent an improvement in standards. It is only right that the counties should want to do more to stand on their own financial feet, to be less dependent on the £1.5million that the ECB distributes to each one, but two 20-over competitions cannot be right - especially as August is the time to stage 50-over cricket, not May when the ball seams around and powerplays are irrelevant.
The only point in favour of the second 20-over competition was that the 40-over league had to be abolished to make space. Launched in 1969 as a fun afternoon to follow the Sunday roast, it had long since outlasted its purpose and become the ball and chain around the legs of English cricket, choking the calendar, preventing the pursuit of excellence, draining intensity out of the system - and the single biggest reason why England, alone among the major Test-playing countries, have never won a global one-day tournament.
Source: The times
Liverpool left on the ropes after Branislav Ivanovic lands one-two combination
The resident disc jockey opted for a Beatles classic at the final whistle. We Can Work It Out sounded like wishful thinking on Liverpool’s part at the end of an evening when the fortress of Anfield was not just stormed but ransacked, but, to put it in another context, who can possibly work out the remarkable transformation that Guus Hiddink has managed in only two months in charge of Chelsea?
It cannot be rocket science, just a case of restoring some much-needed confidence and tactical discipline to a team who had lost their way under Luiz Felipe Scolari. Given the way that Chelsea capitulated at the same venue just before his arrival, though, the Hiddink effect is looking like something close to alchemy. Only not alchemy, since Chelsea, after crowning a superb performance with two goals from Branislav Ivanovic and one from Didier Drogba, are dreaming not of gold but of silver and, specifically, the European Cup that has proved elusive during the Roman Abramovich era.
Hiddink called Chelsea’s performance “perfect”, at least after they had recovered from the blow of conceding a sixth-minute goal to Fernando Torres. At that point it seemed as though Liverpool’s momentum was propelling them towards yet another Champions League semi-final, but as Michael Essien began to relish his man-marking assignment against Steven Gerrard and, as Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, Drogba and the rest warmed to their task, it became a quite outstanding Chelsea display on an evening when they finally cast aside the caution of the José Mourinho era.
Chelsea’s performance contained certain parallels with Liverpool’s tactical masterclass in winning 4-1 away to Manchester United last month, a result that stripped the losers of their aura of invincibility. It remains to be seen whether this result will have such a demoralising effect on Liverpool in their bid for the Barclays Premier League title, but, as Drogba tormented Martin Skrtel and Jamie Carragher much as Torres had given the runaround to Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, it was easy to see why Sir Alex Ferguson had suggested that the winners of this tie would pose a far greater threat to United on the domestic front than the losers.
With three away goals to his team’s name, Hiddink was even asked afterwards whether John Terry’s suspension for the second leg, after he was booked for an overzealous challenge on José Manuel Reina, might now be regarded as a blessing in that it would free him up for a semi-final against, one presumes, Barcelona. Hiddink was not too keen to follow that particular line of inquiry, but, given the manner in which Terry exchanged barbs with Gerrard, his England team-mate, in the heat of the battle, the Chelsea captain might just be able to see the logic behind that argument.
It was a glorious night for Terry and his team-mates. They have suffered at Liverpool’s hands in the Champions League in recent years, as well as tasting two defeats in the Premier League this season, but they dealt with everything that Rafael Benítez’s team could throw at them. By the end, Gerrard and Torres looked frustrated and the fervour of the home crowd had been reduced to a whimper — a far cry from the opening minutes, when Torres seemed to have lit the fuse for another of those Anfield glory nights.
Hiddink had identified Gerrard as the main threat to Chelsea, but the Liverpool captain had only a fleeting involvement in the goal that gave his team the lead. It was his lung-busting run into the penalty area that forced Alex into a wild clearance, but then came a surprisingly deft piece of control from Dirk Kuyt and an even better reverse pass into the path of Álvaro Arbeloa on the overlap. Arbeloa surged into the penalty area and picked out Torres, who, neglected by Alex, had the time and the space to steer a cool shot past Petr Cech.
For Chelsea, it was the nightmare start, but their recovery was almost immediate. Within 60 seconds Salomon Kalou harried Fábio Aurélio into a mistake and set up Drogba, who should have scored but shot straight at the advancing Reina.
Drogba then squandered an even better chance on the half-hour, shooting high into the Kop after a perfect first touch, from Ballack’s cross, had taken him away from Jamie Carragher in the penalty area. Drogba’s moment would arrive, but first came not one but two goals from a player who could not get close to the Chelsea teamsheet 12 months ago, let alone the scoresheet.
For the first eight months of his Chelsea career, after his arrival from Lokomotiv Moscow in January 2008, Ivanovic looked destined to go down as the new Winston Bogarde, but his contribution last night will not be forgotten. Five minutes before half-time Florent Malouda swung in a corner from the right and the Serbia defender escaped the attentions of Xabi Alonso and then rose between Skrtel and Albert Riera to beat Reina with a firm header. In the 62nd minute he repeated the act, this time getting between Gerrard and Arbeloa to score again.
Questions will be asked about Liverpool’s zonal marking from set-pieces, as they are on every occasion that they concede from such situations, but Benítez will be more concerned by the way that Chelsea outmuscled and outplayed his team. The third goal was a classic, Ballack releasing Malouda, who hit a superb cross into the six-yard box, where Drogba, attacking the ball ahead of Carragher and Sktel, slammed the ball past Reina.
The closing stages were played out to near-silence until the home supporters responded to questions about the atmosphere by asking “where’s your European Cups?” — note the plural. The Chelsea fans had no answer, but more of this and their players may soon be able to provide the perfect riposte, Barcelona notwithstanding.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): J M Reina — Á Arbeloa, M Skrtel, J Carragher, F Aurélio (sub: A Dossena, 75min) — X Alonso, Lucas Leiva (sub: R Babel, 80) — D Kuyt, S Gerrard, A Riera (sub: Y Benayoun, 68) — F Torres. Substitutes not used: D Cavalieri, S Hyypia, D Agger, D Ngog. Booked: Aurélio.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): P Cech — B Ivanovic, Alex, J Terry, A Cole — M Ballack, M Essien, — S Kalou, F Lampard, F Malouda — D Drogba (sub: N Anelka, 80). Substitutes not used: Hilário, R Carvalho, M Mancienne, J Belletti, J O Mikel, Deco. Booked: Kalou, Terry.
Referee: C B Larsen (Denmark)
Source: The times
It cannot be rocket science, just a case of restoring some much-needed confidence and tactical discipline to a team who had lost their way under Luiz Felipe Scolari. Given the way that Chelsea capitulated at the same venue just before his arrival, though, the Hiddink effect is looking like something close to alchemy. Only not alchemy, since Chelsea, after crowning a superb performance with two goals from Branislav Ivanovic and one from Didier Drogba, are dreaming not of gold but of silver and, specifically, the European Cup that has proved elusive during the Roman Abramovich era.
Hiddink called Chelsea’s performance “perfect”, at least after they had recovered from the blow of conceding a sixth-minute goal to Fernando Torres. At that point it seemed as though Liverpool’s momentum was propelling them towards yet another Champions League semi-final, but as Michael Essien began to relish his man-marking assignment against Steven Gerrard and, as Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, Drogba and the rest warmed to their task, it became a quite outstanding Chelsea display on an evening when they finally cast aside the caution of the José Mourinho era.
Chelsea’s performance contained certain parallels with Liverpool’s tactical masterclass in winning 4-1 away to Manchester United last month, a result that stripped the losers of their aura of invincibility. It remains to be seen whether this result will have such a demoralising effect on Liverpool in their bid for the Barclays Premier League title, but, as Drogba tormented Martin Skrtel and Jamie Carragher much as Torres had given the runaround to Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, it was easy to see why Sir Alex Ferguson had suggested that the winners of this tie would pose a far greater threat to United on the domestic front than the losers.
With three away goals to his team’s name, Hiddink was even asked afterwards whether John Terry’s suspension for the second leg, after he was booked for an overzealous challenge on José Manuel Reina, might now be regarded as a blessing in that it would free him up for a semi-final against, one presumes, Barcelona. Hiddink was not too keen to follow that particular line of inquiry, but, given the manner in which Terry exchanged barbs with Gerrard, his England team-mate, in the heat of the battle, the Chelsea captain might just be able to see the logic behind that argument.
It was a glorious night for Terry and his team-mates. They have suffered at Liverpool’s hands in the Champions League in recent years, as well as tasting two defeats in the Premier League this season, but they dealt with everything that Rafael Benítez’s team could throw at them. By the end, Gerrard and Torres looked frustrated and the fervour of the home crowd had been reduced to a whimper — a far cry from the opening minutes, when Torres seemed to have lit the fuse for another of those Anfield glory nights.
Hiddink had identified Gerrard as the main threat to Chelsea, but the Liverpool captain had only a fleeting involvement in the goal that gave his team the lead. It was his lung-busting run into the penalty area that forced Alex into a wild clearance, but then came a surprisingly deft piece of control from Dirk Kuyt and an even better reverse pass into the path of Álvaro Arbeloa on the overlap. Arbeloa surged into the penalty area and picked out Torres, who, neglected by Alex, had the time and the space to steer a cool shot past Petr Cech.
For Chelsea, it was the nightmare start, but their recovery was almost immediate. Within 60 seconds Salomon Kalou harried Fábio Aurélio into a mistake and set up Drogba, who should have scored but shot straight at the advancing Reina.
Drogba then squandered an even better chance on the half-hour, shooting high into the Kop after a perfect first touch, from Ballack’s cross, had taken him away from Jamie Carragher in the penalty area. Drogba’s moment would arrive, but first came not one but two goals from a player who could not get close to the Chelsea teamsheet 12 months ago, let alone the scoresheet.
For the first eight months of his Chelsea career, after his arrival from Lokomotiv Moscow in January 2008, Ivanovic looked destined to go down as the new Winston Bogarde, but his contribution last night will not be forgotten. Five minutes before half-time Florent Malouda swung in a corner from the right and the Serbia defender escaped the attentions of Xabi Alonso and then rose between Skrtel and Albert Riera to beat Reina with a firm header. In the 62nd minute he repeated the act, this time getting between Gerrard and Arbeloa to score again.
Questions will be asked about Liverpool’s zonal marking from set-pieces, as they are on every occasion that they concede from such situations, but Benítez will be more concerned by the way that Chelsea outmuscled and outplayed his team. The third goal was a classic, Ballack releasing Malouda, who hit a superb cross into the six-yard box, where Drogba, attacking the ball ahead of Carragher and Sktel, slammed the ball past Reina.
The closing stages were played out to near-silence until the home supporters responded to questions about the atmosphere by asking “where’s your European Cups?” — note the plural. The Chelsea fans had no answer, but more of this and their players may soon be able to provide the perfect riposte, Barcelona notwithstanding.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): J M Reina — Á Arbeloa, M Skrtel, J Carragher, F Aurélio (sub: A Dossena, 75min) — X Alonso, Lucas Leiva (sub: R Babel, 80) — D Kuyt, S Gerrard, A Riera (sub: Y Benayoun, 68) — F Torres. Substitutes not used: D Cavalieri, S Hyypia, D Agger, D Ngog. Booked: Aurélio.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): P Cech — B Ivanovic, Alex, J Terry, A Cole — M Ballack, M Essien, — S Kalou, F Lampard, F Malouda — D Drogba (sub: N Anelka, 80). Substitutes not used: Hilário, R Carvalho, M Mancienne, J Belletti, J O Mikel, Deco. Booked: Kalou, Terry.
Referee: C B Larsen (Denmark)
Source: The times
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Andrew Strauss admits that power trip of Twenty20 is not for him
Andrew Strauss is relaxed about losing the England captaincy for the ICC World Twenty20 but hopes to lead the team to victory over West Indies and Australia this summer in both Test and one-day cricket.
Speaking at the launch of the county season at Lord’s, Strauss said that he has “no problem handing over the reins to someone else” for the 16-day tournament in June. “They asked my opinion on it and I felt that it was not my strongest form of the game by any means,” he said. “Whoever captains any team should be worth their place. I didn’t feel that I was one of the strongest 11 Twenty20 players in the country.”
There was expectation that Strauss, whose highest Twenty20 score since 2003 is 33, would be named in the 30-man provisional squad announced on Monday after he made 79 off 61 balls as England won the fourth one-day international against West Indies last month, but Strauss demurred.
“That innings proves there’s more to my game than being a stodgy Test opener,” he said. “I hope I can continue doing a job in 50-over cricket, but in Twenty20 you need the team to be scoring 170 to 180, and to do that you need power players, which is not necessarily a strength of mine.” While he was named as captain in all forms of the game for the tour to the Caribbean, the fact that he played the only Twenty20 match in a shirt borrowed from Matt Prior, with Prior’s name taped over, suggested that Strauss was not wholly part of England’s Twenty20 plans.
Strauss said that missing the World Twenty20 would give him time to prepare for the Ashes series. “If there is an opportunity to play some championship matches I’d jump at it,” he said. Middlesex play two four-day games during the tournament, away to Essex and Gloucestershire.
A stand-in captain will be named on May 1, when the squad is whittled down to 15 names. Strauss gave a boost to Rob Key’s hopes by praising the job he had done with Kent. “Key is a good operator and definitely one of the names on the list,” he said.
“The fact that some of the county players have played more Twenty20 helps them. It is a very different format and you need to plan for that. Whoever captains has to definitely be worth their place in the XI.” He questioned whether Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood, his regular team-mates, had the hunger for the role. “If someone is going to be good at the job, they have got to want the job,” he said.
Dwayne Bravo has been ruled out of West Indies’ two Tests against England next month after failing to recover from ankle surgery. Daren Powell, the fast bowler, and Ryan Hinds, the middle-order batsman, were left out of a 17-man tour party that includes three uncapped players in Nelon Pascal, a fast bowler, Andrew Richardson, a medium-pace bowler, and Dale Richards, a batsman.
Source:the times
Speaking at the launch of the county season at Lord’s, Strauss said that he has “no problem handing over the reins to someone else” for the 16-day tournament in June. “They asked my opinion on it and I felt that it was not my strongest form of the game by any means,” he said. “Whoever captains any team should be worth their place. I didn’t feel that I was one of the strongest 11 Twenty20 players in the country.”
There was expectation that Strauss, whose highest Twenty20 score since 2003 is 33, would be named in the 30-man provisional squad announced on Monday after he made 79 off 61 balls as England won the fourth one-day international against West Indies last month, but Strauss demurred.
“That innings proves there’s more to my game than being a stodgy Test opener,” he said. “I hope I can continue doing a job in 50-over cricket, but in Twenty20 you need the team to be scoring 170 to 180, and to do that you need power players, which is not necessarily a strength of mine.” While he was named as captain in all forms of the game for the tour to the Caribbean, the fact that he played the only Twenty20 match in a shirt borrowed from Matt Prior, with Prior’s name taped over, suggested that Strauss was not wholly part of England’s Twenty20 plans.
Strauss said that missing the World Twenty20 would give him time to prepare for the Ashes series. “If there is an opportunity to play some championship matches I’d jump at it,” he said. Middlesex play two four-day games during the tournament, away to Essex and Gloucestershire.
A stand-in captain will be named on May 1, when the squad is whittled down to 15 names. Strauss gave a boost to Rob Key’s hopes by praising the job he had done with Kent. “Key is a good operator and definitely one of the names on the list,” he said.
“The fact that some of the county players have played more Twenty20 helps them. It is a very different format and you need to plan for that. Whoever captains has to definitely be worth their place in the XI.” He questioned whether Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood, his regular team-mates, had the hunger for the role. “If someone is going to be good at the job, they have got to want the job,” he said.
Dwayne Bravo has been ruled out of West Indies’ two Tests against England next month after failing to recover from ankle surgery. Daren Powell, the fast bowler, and Ryan Hinds, the middle-order batsman, were left out of a 17-man tour party that includes three uncapped players in Nelon Pascal, a fast bowler, Andrew Richardson, a medium-pace bowler, and Dale Richards, a batsman.
Source:the times
Andy Murray confines high living to his world ranking
As far as the eye could see - and from Andy Murray's vantage point on the 25th floor the vista was pretty stunning - the sky was a radiant shade of blue. One sentence from him summed it up. “I've got a good thing going,” he said. And so he has.
The eleventh title of his career - as many as Tim Henman collected and he did not get off the mark in ATP World Tour terms until he was 22, an age that Murray reaches next month - sparked yet more intrigue and debate about how far the Scot can go in a sport grateful that he chose to excel at it.
In this purple period for men's tennis, where heroic matches and high achievement are commonplace, Murray is excelling to the extent that his 6-2, 7-5 victory over Novak Djokovic in the Sony Ericsson Open final on Sunday was his 57th success in 64 singles matches since Wimbledon 2008. No one, not even Rafael Nadal, the world No1, can beat that across the same time frame.
When Murray said at the breakfast table yesterday that he was feeling a bit rough, it was nothing to do with partying the night away, for he lives a famously abstemious lifestyle. After 12 high-intensity matches (plus three doubles) in 26 days, reaching successive Masters finals and landing the crown here, it was natural for the body to take some picking up. There was no alcoholic intake - he has not had a drink for four years.
I just hate the taste of the stuff. I did have a sip of my girlfriend Kim's strawberry cocktail last night but it was horrible,” he said. He recalls his days at the Barcelona training camp as a teenager where, after five days of solid toil, he would have a bit of a shakedown at the weekend.
“Then I'd feel terrible on the Monday and into the Tuesday and that was a complete waste. I didn't enjoy going out, the music was too loud, you couldn't hear yourself speak and you'd wake up with a terrible sore throat.”
He is not a puritan, far from it, but the enormous amount of dedication to making himself the best player that he can be is shown in his present form and how much he is hopeful that it can be maintained and improved upon. At another time, he says, all of the present top three - Murray is No 4 but closing fast on Djokovic - would have accumulated enough ranking points to be the No 1 player. How about himself? “I don't know, but I suppose I wouldn't be far off,” he said.
The clay-court season is advancing and he flies to Monte Carlo on Friday to prepare for an unremitting seven weeks of tournament play and heavy-duty practice. There is much to work on, much to take in, much to achieve. Keeping one step ahead tactically is everyone's aim.
“It is about understanding how to use my game best,” he said. “My serve is improving, I'm more comfortable with many things but I still think I need to move forward more. It's getting to the stage where everyone is so good from the baseline that it is essential to be able to end the points more quickly. That needs to become a bigger part of my game.”
Source:the times
The eleventh title of his career - as many as Tim Henman collected and he did not get off the mark in ATP World Tour terms until he was 22, an age that Murray reaches next month - sparked yet more intrigue and debate about how far the Scot can go in a sport grateful that he chose to excel at it.
In this purple period for men's tennis, where heroic matches and high achievement are commonplace, Murray is excelling to the extent that his 6-2, 7-5 victory over Novak Djokovic in the Sony Ericsson Open final on Sunday was his 57th success in 64 singles matches since Wimbledon 2008. No one, not even Rafael Nadal, the world No1, can beat that across the same time frame.
When Murray said at the breakfast table yesterday that he was feeling a bit rough, it was nothing to do with partying the night away, for he lives a famously abstemious lifestyle. After 12 high-intensity matches (plus three doubles) in 26 days, reaching successive Masters finals and landing the crown here, it was natural for the body to take some picking up. There was no alcoholic intake - he has not had a drink for four years.
I just hate the taste of the stuff. I did have a sip of my girlfriend Kim's strawberry cocktail last night but it was horrible,” he said. He recalls his days at the Barcelona training camp as a teenager where, after five days of solid toil, he would have a bit of a shakedown at the weekend.
“Then I'd feel terrible on the Monday and into the Tuesday and that was a complete waste. I didn't enjoy going out, the music was too loud, you couldn't hear yourself speak and you'd wake up with a terrible sore throat.”
He is not a puritan, far from it, but the enormous amount of dedication to making himself the best player that he can be is shown in his present form and how much he is hopeful that it can be maintained and improved upon. At another time, he says, all of the present top three - Murray is No 4 but closing fast on Djokovic - would have accumulated enough ranking points to be the No 1 player. How about himself? “I don't know, but I suppose I wouldn't be far off,” he said.
The clay-court season is advancing and he flies to Monte Carlo on Friday to prepare for an unremitting seven weeks of tournament play and heavy-duty practice. There is much to work on, much to take in, much to achieve. Keeping one step ahead tactically is everyone's aim.
“It is about understanding how to use my game best,” he said. “My serve is improving, I'm more comfortable with many things but I still think I need to move forward more. It's getting to the stage where everyone is so good from the baseline that it is essential to be able to end the points more quickly. That needs to become a bigger part of my game.”
Source:the times
Godolphin team primed for early start to the Flat campaign
The royal blue procession is back in Newmarket this morning as Godolphin's expensively assembled stable resumes work on the gallops, charged with restoring lustre to the creation of Sheikh Mohammed. His brother, Sheikh Hamdan al-Maktoum, is meanwhile monitoring events in America and France, where two of his classic contenders are set for critical runs.
Questioning the policies and productivity of Godolphin is almost an annual rite of spring but those involved will expect no different this year. Saeed bin Suroor, who has trained the oscillating team since its inception 15 years ago, dipped to ninth in the championship last season, his lowest placing since 2003.
Once more, there were no classics to celebrate and only one group one victory in Europe. The defence, as ever, is that Godolphin races worldwide, and enjoyed greater successes elsewhere, but the home base for the northern hemisphere summer is Britain and that is where many will continue to judge them.
Central to the ongoing debate is Godolphin's routine of taking many of their horses to Dubai for the winter, and the effect such changes of climate have upon them. An earlier return date has been forced upon them this year, the building of the new Meydan racecourse compromising their facilities, and they plan to have rare runners at the Craven meeting which opens Newmarket's season next week.
Simon Crisford, racing manager to Godolphin and himself just back from Dubai, said yesterday: “April has historically been the only month when we've had no runners, so this will be interesting. Our plan at this stage is to run Liberation, City Style and Hatta Fort at the meeting.”
Crisford rejects the argument that shipping horses back from Dubai has contributed to Godolphin's recent slow starts. “Coming back earlier might prove to be a good thing but I'd never considered the previous way was bad. We won nine Guineas within a month of coming off the plane, which must say something. Horses don't mind coming from hot climates to cold - it's the other way that can affect some of them.”
A second batch of 35 horses arrived from Dubai yesterday and Crisford expects the Newmarket strength to be around 175 this year. He pinpoints Shaweel as their likeliest candidate for the 2,000 Guineas and reports that Kite Wood, a heady purchase out of the Michael Jarvis yard, is on target to reappear in the Dante Stakes at York.
“He stayed behind through the winter,” he explained. “I saw him yesterday and he's certainly a fine, strong horse. He'll be trained for the Dante, and hopefully then the Derby, but he wasn't bought specifically for that project and we have longer-term ambitions for him.”
The short term is paramount for Mafaaz and Naaqoos, who will represent Sheikh Hamdan in Keeneland and Paris respectively this weekend. Naaqoos, trained by Freddie Head and 6-1 for the 2,000 Guineas after a fine juvenile season, returns in the Prix Djebel at Maisons-Laffitte on Friday, while Mafaaz is already in America to contest the grade one Blue Grass Stakes on Saturday.
This race was identified by John Gosden, his trainer, as preparation for the Kentucky Derby berth he earned at Kempton last month. Richard Hills will travel to Keeneland for the mount.
Source:the times
Questioning the policies and productivity of Godolphin is almost an annual rite of spring but those involved will expect no different this year. Saeed bin Suroor, who has trained the oscillating team since its inception 15 years ago, dipped to ninth in the championship last season, his lowest placing since 2003.
Once more, there were no classics to celebrate and only one group one victory in Europe. The defence, as ever, is that Godolphin races worldwide, and enjoyed greater successes elsewhere, but the home base for the northern hemisphere summer is Britain and that is where many will continue to judge them.
Central to the ongoing debate is Godolphin's routine of taking many of their horses to Dubai for the winter, and the effect such changes of climate have upon them. An earlier return date has been forced upon them this year, the building of the new Meydan racecourse compromising their facilities, and they plan to have rare runners at the Craven meeting which opens Newmarket's season next week.
Simon Crisford, racing manager to Godolphin and himself just back from Dubai, said yesterday: “April has historically been the only month when we've had no runners, so this will be interesting. Our plan at this stage is to run Liberation, City Style and Hatta Fort at the meeting.”
Crisford rejects the argument that shipping horses back from Dubai has contributed to Godolphin's recent slow starts. “Coming back earlier might prove to be a good thing but I'd never considered the previous way was bad. We won nine Guineas within a month of coming off the plane, which must say something. Horses don't mind coming from hot climates to cold - it's the other way that can affect some of them.”
A second batch of 35 horses arrived from Dubai yesterday and Crisford expects the Newmarket strength to be around 175 this year. He pinpoints Shaweel as their likeliest candidate for the 2,000 Guineas and reports that Kite Wood, a heady purchase out of the Michael Jarvis yard, is on target to reappear in the Dante Stakes at York.
“He stayed behind through the winter,” he explained. “I saw him yesterday and he's certainly a fine, strong horse. He'll be trained for the Dante, and hopefully then the Derby, but he wasn't bought specifically for that project and we have longer-term ambitions for him.”
The short term is paramount for Mafaaz and Naaqoos, who will represent Sheikh Hamdan in Keeneland and Paris respectively this weekend. Naaqoos, trained by Freddie Head and 6-1 for the 2,000 Guineas after a fine juvenile season, returns in the Prix Djebel at Maisons-Laffitte on Friday, while Mafaaz is already in America to contest the grade one Blue Grass Stakes on Saturday.
This race was identified by John Gosden, his trainer, as preparation for the Kentucky Derby berth he earned at Kempton last month. Richard Hills will travel to Keeneland for the mount.
Source:the times
Tiger Woods in the mood for more heroics
The performances of Tiger Woods in the press conferences he gives on the eve of major championships rarely vary, whether he is in the United States or Britain. He always says that he believes he can win and that he has prepared well, and he acknowledges his rival golfers gracefully but without giving them a scintilla more respect than they deserve.
From time to time he flashes that wide smile of his, the one that looks as though it could light up a darkened room. He is quietly composed, assured in himself, seemingly incapable of a verbal stumble. From top to toe, he is the warrior prepared for battle.
And so it was at Augusta yesterday before the Masters, starting tomorrow, the first major championship in which he has competed since winning the US Open in June. In April last year, two months before he had surgery on his left knee to mend an anterior cruciate ligament, he had said that he thought it was “easily within reason” that he would win all four major championships in one year.
Asked yesterday if he thought it was on for this year, he replied: “I know I can do it. It’s hard for me to sit here and tell you that it can’t be done because I have done it.” [Woods won four consecutive major championships in 2000 and 2001, rather than in one calendar year.]
For all the talk of Padraig Harrington’s chances of winning a third major championship in a row, of the youthful promise of Rory McIlroy, Danny Lee and Ryo Ishikawa, three teenagers who are playing in this event for the first time, and of Greg Norman’s first appearance at this event since 2002, the fact is that Woods is the firm favourite to win a fifth Green Jacket and claim a fifteenth major championship.
He will launch his bid in the company of Stewart Cink, his fellow American, and Jeev Milkha Singh, of India, in the penultimate group. Immediately behind Woods, and his inevitable huge gallery, will be McIlroy and Ishikawa, alongside another talented youngster, Anthony Kim, of the US.
So compelling was Woods’s form and so remarkable was the way he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill ten days ago that he is 2-1 to win here. He sounded satisfied with his golf, even though he said he was “not in it at Doral”, his first strokeplay event back, the CA Championship, in early March. “I was on the periphery there,” he said. “I played my way into a back-door top ten. This past week it was different. That was great. To be able to control the flight of a seven-iron and to see how well my body reacted.”
His behaviour yesterday was that of a man whose mind is set on the next few days and not interested in the past few months. It was as if the knee injury had not occurred. There was no mention of the hours spent doing rehabilitation, only a few of the times when he felt depressed, and only one of the times when he was uncertain how well his injured knee would recover. “I was surprised at how quickly I got the feeling of being back,” Woods said. “It came back to me at the Match Play [in February, his first event since his operation]. Stevie [Williams, his caddie] said: ‘It’s just like we haven’t left. It feels the same.’ Coming here feels just like any other major.”
This week Woods has not been able to have his favoured early-morning practice rounds. On Monday, rainstorms prevented him from playing and yesterday a 25mph wind was blowing.
And this brought him to the single biggest doubt in his mind. It was not about the form of any of his rivals. Even Woods did not know whether the course would be as firm and unyielding as it had been in 2008 or whether it would be as cold and wet as it had been in 2007. This was the question he was thinking most about on the eve of his 47th major championship as a professional. Even Woods has no control over the weather.
Source:the times
From time to time he flashes that wide smile of his, the one that looks as though it could light up a darkened room. He is quietly composed, assured in himself, seemingly incapable of a verbal stumble. From top to toe, he is the warrior prepared for battle.
And so it was at Augusta yesterday before the Masters, starting tomorrow, the first major championship in which he has competed since winning the US Open in June. In April last year, two months before he had surgery on his left knee to mend an anterior cruciate ligament, he had said that he thought it was “easily within reason” that he would win all four major championships in one year.
Asked yesterday if he thought it was on for this year, he replied: “I know I can do it. It’s hard for me to sit here and tell you that it can’t be done because I have done it.” [Woods won four consecutive major championships in 2000 and 2001, rather than in one calendar year.]
For all the talk of Padraig Harrington’s chances of winning a third major championship in a row, of the youthful promise of Rory McIlroy, Danny Lee and Ryo Ishikawa, three teenagers who are playing in this event for the first time, and of Greg Norman’s first appearance at this event since 2002, the fact is that Woods is the firm favourite to win a fifth Green Jacket and claim a fifteenth major championship.
He will launch his bid in the company of Stewart Cink, his fellow American, and Jeev Milkha Singh, of India, in the penultimate group. Immediately behind Woods, and his inevitable huge gallery, will be McIlroy and Ishikawa, alongside another talented youngster, Anthony Kim, of the US.
So compelling was Woods’s form and so remarkable was the way he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill ten days ago that he is 2-1 to win here. He sounded satisfied with his golf, even though he said he was “not in it at Doral”, his first strokeplay event back, the CA Championship, in early March. “I was on the periphery there,” he said. “I played my way into a back-door top ten. This past week it was different. That was great. To be able to control the flight of a seven-iron and to see how well my body reacted.”
His behaviour yesterday was that of a man whose mind is set on the next few days and not interested in the past few months. It was as if the knee injury had not occurred. There was no mention of the hours spent doing rehabilitation, only a few of the times when he felt depressed, and only one of the times when he was uncertain how well his injured knee would recover. “I was surprised at how quickly I got the feeling of being back,” Woods said. “It came back to me at the Match Play [in February, his first event since his operation]. Stevie [Williams, his caddie] said: ‘It’s just like we haven’t left. It feels the same.’ Coming here feels just like any other major.”
This week Woods has not been able to have his favoured early-morning practice rounds. On Monday, rainstorms prevented him from playing and yesterday a 25mph wind was blowing.
And this brought him to the single biggest doubt in his mind. It was not about the form of any of his rivals. Even Woods did not know whether the course would be as firm and unyielding as it had been in 2008 or whether it would be as cold and wet as it had been in 2007. This was the question he was thinking most about on the eve of his 47th major championship as a professional. Even Woods has no control over the weather.
Source:the times
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