Joey's ULTIMATE touring party would RUN A MUCK! Immortal Behaviour
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Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
Timely boost for Aussie Webster in Championship
Beau Webster has combined with Zen Malik to earn Warwickshire one of their most prized victories in the County Championship. The Australian Test allrounder hit an unbeaten 100 of 166 balls, while Malik made a career-best 142 as Warwickshire chased down 393 - the third-highest target in their history - to beat Worcestershire by five wickets in Division One. Worcestershire needed 338 with eight wickets in hand at the start of the day before Malik and Webster took control. Dan Mousley chipped in with 69 before Kai Smith (48 off 40) joined Webster to see the hosts home with almost 14 overs to spare to leave bottom side Worcestershire staring at relegation. It will give the Tasmanian plenty of confidence with the end-of-the year Ashes series looming large in Australia. In other matches, Essex inflicted Sussex's first championship defeat at Hove since May 2022 after wrapping up only their second victory of the season inside 25 minutes on the final day. The home side began play needing another 55 just to make Essex bat again and while James Coles got the single he needed for his third consecutive century there was little else to cheer as they were bowled out for 261 to lose by an innings and 39 runs. Top two Surrey and Nottinghamshire both had to settle for draws, at Yorkshire and Hampshire respectively. Division Two leaders Leicestershire strengthened their promotion push with a 189-run victory over Derbyshire at Derby. England allrounder Rehan Ahmed finished with 7-93, and 13 wickets in the match, as the hosts were dismissed for 256. Second-placed Glamorgan kept up the chase with a five-wicket win at home to struggling Kent after Kiran Carlson scored an unbeaten 89 in a successful pursuit of 189, the hosts knocking off the remaining 164 required for the loss of only three further wickets. England spinner Tom Hartley claimed 5-99 - and match figures of 11 for 215 - as Lancashire beat Gloucestershire by nine wickets with five overs to spare at Cheltenham. Following-on at 98 without loss Hartley took advantage of a helpful pitch to leave the visitors needing 110 from 26 overs and an unbeaten second-wicket stand of 103 between Keaton Jennings (57no) and Josh Bohannon saw them home. Middlesex boosted their hopes of avoiding the wooden spoon with an innings and 107-run victory over Northamptonshire. The visitors began the day 3-64 following-on and despite battling Rob Keogh's unbeaten 61 made in nine minutes short of five hours they could not stave off defeat.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- News.com.au
‘We'll lose the fans': Wayne Bennett's simple solution to State of Origin eligibility debate
South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett has weighed in on proposed changes to State of Origin eligibility while also calling for calm as English recruit Lewis Dodd prepares to make his first start at halfback after a rough first year in Australia. Dodd was signed for three years on a lucrative deal but has played just four games off the bench this season despite the Rabbitohs going through a horror injury run in 2025. He'll finally start in the No.7 jersey against the Sharks with Jamie Humphreys in concussion protocols, with Bennett refusing to make any comments about Dodd's future before he sees how he performs. 'We're all going to be a lot smarter after tomorrow night, so let's wait until tomorrow night and answer some questions then,' he said, with suggestions the club could try to move him on at the end of the year. 'He's been good since he's been here. He's trained well, is well-mannered and has been highly respectful of the other players and his teammates. Nothing has changed for him. 'It could be a big month for him.' While Bennett didn't want to comment on Dodd's future, he was strong on Origin eligibility rules after it emerged that the Australian Rugby League Commission was considering making changes to stop players from having to choose between the Blues or Maroons and international sides England and New Zealand. As it stands, Origin stars like Stephen Crichton, Payne Haas and Jarome Luai can represent the Blues and then play for Samoa at the end of the year because of their tier 2 status. That loophole isn't available to guys like Victor Radley, who chose England over NSW, while there have been plenty of Kiwis who have been blocked from representing their state, while others have chosen to represent Tonga or Samoa so they can also play Origin. Bennett, who was in the mix to coach Australia in this year's Ashes series, has no issue with guys playing both formats but wants players to pick a country and stick with that choice for the rest of their careers. 'I don't believe they're going to play with the rules of Origin itself, and that's really important because the minute the fans realise it's not the genuine Queensland v NSW that it is, then we'll lose the fans,' Bennett warned. 'That's the great thing about it, the rivalry is real and it's not false, so we need to maintain that. 'The off side of that is players leaving that arena to then go and play for Tonga, Samoa, England, whatever. 'I'm happy for them to do that, but they can't do it as they're doing at the moment where you play for Tonga because they're second tier. If you play for England, it's first tier, so you can't swap nations. 'My point with it is that Origin eligibility won't change, and after that if you want to play for England and you qualify for England, then you do that. 'I'm happy for that because it makes the international game stronger, but I just don't want to see them playing for England and then coming back to play for Tonga because they're a second-tier nation. 'It's served its purpose and it's time to move on from that situation.' Fans would have loved to have seen Kiwis legend Benji Marshall play Origin, but he still wouldn't have been eligible even under the proposed changes given he moved to Australia after his 13th birthday. Regardless, he said he was never jealous given he's proud of his heritage. 'I always found it to be an Australian thing,' the Wests Tigers coach said. 'I just thought it was respectful to what it was that players from Australia played in that. 'We were always fans growing up in New Zealand. There was NSW and Queensland, but there was no wanting to play for them. I always wanted to play for New Zealand.'
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Should Souths risk bringing Cam Murray? Wayne Bennett has his say
The easy thing for Wayne Bennett would be to keep skipper Cameron Murray on ice, take no risks bringing him back early after a ruptured Achilles and allow him to start day one of pre-season training fully fit. But Bennett has no plans of doing that, and if Murray is fit, says he will welcome his late cameo which is a reward for the hard work he has put in behind the scenes the past nine months. Bennett has been in coaching 40 years and admitted he had never experienced an injury toll like the one that has rocked the Bunnies this year, which included a Wednesday training run in February when Murray and Latrell Mitchell went down within a couple of minutes of each other. Murray has ramped up his running loads in recent weeks, and is desperate to return, provided he gets the all clear from the medical team. Working towards playing a game in August is much easier to keep working hard, opposed to waiting until next March. There is no desire to get back for the sake of putting himself in the shop window to be selected for Australia's Ashes series – but simply a case of giving himself a short-term goal of playing some competitive football with his teammates who have sorely missed him. 'If it's important for Cam to play a couple of games at the end of the season, he can do that – I won't spoil it for him,' said Bennett, whose team host Cronulla on Saturday night in Gosford. 'There is a chance he'll play before the season finishes. He's done a remarkable job with his recovery.... I'll do what he wants to do. He's worked so hard to be a part of the team again.
