Nothing can save test cricket
We knew the last pair would have to run to try to keep Woakes off the strike. What if he had tripped? That happens on cricket pitches – a lot. And what if he had had to face a ball? Some poor Indian bowler would have had to work out what to do with a very hard ball that he was about to hurl at somebody seriously injured. I love a plucky last-wicket stand as much as the next man but Woakes should not have been out there, whatever he was willing to do.
The series was certainly thrilling, with the right result. As for the scheduling, it seems a pity that Test cricket is now over halfway through the summer. White ball series against South Africa and Ireland in September are not much to look forward to. The cricket calendar is a mess with no solution in sight. Test cricket is well and truly alive in England and Australia when England or India are touring, but that's about it.
Tests in the West Indies are all but over except when they can be staged as tourism events for English visitors. It's heading the same way in Sri Lanka and South Africa. Unless we are careful, Test cricket will soon be like riding a penny farthing in a top hat. Nice and vaguely skilful but nobody gives a damn. I am sure there will still be an Ashes in a decade but viewed as a period piece. All fine and dandy but teetering on the brink of pastiche.
How cheery to see two palindromic footballers up against each other when Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike met Palace's Eberechi Eze in the season's opener. Palace seems to be a haven for palindromes, with the likeable Romain Esse yet to step out for the Eagles. Palindromic footballers are not that common though scholars might recall Marcelo Salas, the scary-looking Chile striker, or Massimo Oddo, the Milan academy coach. It's tennis where palindromic players flourish, with three grand slam-winning palindromes. Monica Seles and Marin Cilic spring to mind; Lottie Dod is more difficult to recall, though she won Wimbledon five times in the late 19th century and is still the youngest ladies' singles champion at 15.
Invented 500 years ago by Scotsmen knocking pebbles around in sand dunes, golf continues to be a funny old game, as we were reminded last Sunday when Englishman Justin Rose kept on winning at the age of 45, while his 34-year-old compatriot Tommy Fleetwood kept on losing. Rose's victory in the $20 million St Jude Classic was his 12th on the US PGA tour; Fleetwood on the other hand has played 162 events on the tour without winning, despite coming close several times. He has the highest PGA tour earnings without a victory, having trousered more than $31.4 million for the honour of being a perpetual loser.
Why is it, however, that men of a certain age tend to stop winning golf events when a 50-year-old is just as capable as a 20-year-old of reaching the green of a par-four hole in two shots? Experts say it is the putting that sorts the old men from the boys. Rose's defiance of the putting yips is remarkable; he puts it down to physical fitness and concentrating on 'the feel of the stroke' rather than the outcome. A concept that might have baffled those early Scottish pioneers as much as the fact that Rose has picked up £54.5 million in prize money – and that's just on the PGA tour.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
22 minutes ago
- BBC News
Being tased made me UFC world champion
This article contains descriptions of violent activity which could be imitatedDricus du Plessis is nonchalant but firm when asked if he has been punished with a Taser-like implement during his training camp before facing Khamzat Chimaev."Absolutely, multiple times," the South African tells BBC Sport. "I get tased every fight camp."That's how it is. If you make mistakes constantly - if you repeatedly make the same mistake - you're getting tased, and that's it."It was revealed last year that Du Plessis' coach Morne Visser uses the Taser-like tool on the fighters he trains as punishment for mistakes they make in the showed Du Plessis lying face down on his stomach, with Visser tasing the soles of his is an unorthodox and controversial training method - and potentially very dangerous - but Du Plessis credits it with helping him become a UFC Saturday, the 31-year-old will make the third defence of his middleweight title against Russia's Chimaev at UFC 319 in Chicago, Illinois."I always say this - I'm South African and we are built different. We do whatever it takes to become a champion and this is my coach's method," says Du Plessis."Do I like it? No. But that's his method and if I don't like it I can leave that gym any time."Did it make me a world champion? Yes, it did. You can't expect different results doing the same thing as everybody else, it's not going to work."Du Plessis gives a wry smile before taking a sip of his drink after revealing what it feels like to be tased."It feels absolutely terrible," he says. "It's like touching an electric fence - you just know it's going to be terrible. But it does make that mental note stick." It is legal to own and carry a Taser in South Africa for self-defence some ways, Du Plessis' training methods mirror his fighting style, with the South African questioned throughout his UFC career for an unconventional is known for blitzing forward and looping punches in a manner which appears reckless, but one which works to devastating Plessis is on a nine-fight winning streak at middleweight - the current longest in the division - and returning to the octagon six months after outpointing Sean his past four fights, he has two wins over Strickland and has stopped Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker - all of whom are former UFC Plessis says his record speaks for itself."Since the day I started doing this I didn't care about money, I didn't care about fame. I just wanted to be the greatest that has ever done it," he explains."The people that do doubt, what do they know about fighting? Where's their world title?" In 31-year-old Chimaev, Du Plessis is facing one of the UFC's most exciting talents and long predicted to become a is unbeaten, winning the first 14 fights of his career, but his momentum in the UFC has been stifled over the past two fought just once in 2023 and once again in 2024 after illness and injuries led to a number of cancelled also suffered visa issues, due to his ties to controversial Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, which prevented him from fighting in the United returns to America for the first time since 2022 to face Du Plessis with the Russian crediting president Donald Trump for securing his Du Plessis' confidence is unwavering as he predicts a 24th win in 26 bouts."If I go 100%, my opponent has to go 100% or I will finish you," he says."Which means we are going to a place of who has the biggest heart and who is not willing to give up, and that fight I win, 10 times out of 10."
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Mikel Arteta on Max Dowman's 'unusual' behaviour behind the scenes at Arsenal
EXCLUSIVE: Max Dowman has emerged as the latest Arsenal wonderkid to break into the first team set-up as Mikel Arteta divulged the 15-year-old's two traits that make him such an exceptional talent Mikel Arteta has shed light on the 'unusual' traits Max Dowman has that make him so special. The Arsenal manager has become known for his eye for talent and his faith in young players in recent seasons. That same trust in academy starlets has served the Gunners well, with 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly breaking into the starting eleven last season while Ethan Nwaneri, also 18, scored nine goals in all competitions. If this pre-season was anything to go by, 15-year-old wonderkid Dowman will be the next Hale End teenager to become a hit this season under Arteta. The Spaniard was this week unveiled as American sportswear giant Under Armour's new global ambassador. The role will see him share his insights and understanding of the sport in areas such as brand development, talent identification and leadership, as well as developing the next generation of athletes with his role in Under Armour's Next Programme. Arteta has been fortunate enough to be supplied with a seemingly endless stream of talent by Arsenal academy manager and former team-mate Per Mertesacker. Despite his own managerial prowess, Arteta admitted as much during the announcement of his new Under Armour role this week, shedding light on just how special the aforementioned trio are. Speaking exclusively to Mirror Football, he pinpointed not only their attitude but their rare physical maturity to fit in seamlessly at the elite level, when even some of the brightest academy prospects need to be sent out on loan initially to find their feet in less challenging leagues. He began by saying: "There are two very important ones [qualities] at this level. One is attitude; a special attitude and feeling confident about the opportunity that you're going to be given. 'And then, the second is the physical part because without the physical part in this game, you have no chance and we're talking about kids who haven't had any loan periods. 'They haven't been to the Championship or been to Holland, they've just been playing under 16s and under 18s and go straight to playing in the Premier League and Champions League and that's a massive gap in every sense. 'But if you don't have that personality, that emotional education and emotional control, and the physical part and if you can't cope with that, you have no chance. Those two (Dowman and Lewis-Skelly), and Ethan [Nwaneri] as well, have had the ability to overcome that massive gap very quickly, which is very unusual.' Nwaneri made a mark on English football in his very first Premier League game, becoming the league's youngest ever player aged 15 back in 2022. The creative midfielder then spent several seasons bouncing between the Under-18s and first team. Despite playing just 1,378 minutes of football, he finished as one of the Gunners' top scorers last season, netting twice in the Champions League and once against Manchester City in the Premier League. His childhood friend Lewis-Skelly began to play regularly from December onwards and nonchalantly claimed the starting left-back position. He delivered memorable performances in the home wins against Tottenham and City before registering an assist in the quarter-final Champions League clash with Real Madrid. Dowman, who still hasn't finished his GCSEs, got his first taste of training with the senior squad at just 14. Despite Arteta's tendency to protect youngsters from the spotlight, the Spaniard saw enough potential to include him in the winter trip to Dubai. He was recently included in the pre-season training camp in Spain before gaining widespread attention for his displays during the team's tour of Asia, where he was one of the standout players. Those connected with Arsenal will be well aware of the extraordinary talent Dowman possesses, having monitored his development through the youth system. Despite his tender age, the left-footed attacking midfielder has been accelerated into the first team set-up. Statistics provide some insight into Dowman's immense potential. He was only 13 when he became the youngest player to play for Arsenal's Under-18s and was just 14 when he first featured for the Under-21s, again setting a new record. In September of the previous year, he made history as the youngest player to ever score in the UEFA Youth League. Dowman has also been a standout for England, playing and scoring for the Under-17s at just 14 years old. During this summer's Under-17 European Championship, he was the tournament's youngest participant but started all three of England's matches, netting an impressive solo goal against the Czech Republic. The FA Youth Cup quarter-final against Manchester United in February offered many Arsenal supporters their first glimpse of his talent. Playing at the Emirates Stadium for the Under-18s, Dowman was head and shoulders above the rest on the pitch. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
Today's rugby news as clubs circle around Wales star and Louis Rees-Zammit starts to 'feel pain'
Today's rugby news as clubs circle around Wales star and Louis Rees-Zammit starts to 'feel pain' The latest rugby headlines from Wales and around the world Tomos Williams of the British & Irish Lions (Image: Getty Images) Here are the latest rugby headlines on Saturday, August 16. Clubs circle for Wales star's signature English and French teams have already started to "sniff" around Tomos Williams as the Wales star goes into the last year of his contract with Gloucester. The report from RugbyPass says PREM Rugby and Top 14 sides are interested in acquiring his services. Williams has been one of the standout performers in northern hemisphere rugby since he joined Gloucester last season. The scrum-half went on to earn the Premiership Player of the Season award after a string of highly impressive outings in Cherry and White. Williams was also included in the British and Irish Lions squad for their tour of Australia but suffered a hamstring injury in the warm-up games, ending his time Down Under. The Welshman had been backed to challenge Jamison Gibson-Park for the starting nine jersey in the Tests, but never got his opportunity. Article continues below This season at Kingsholm he will be partnered with former Leinster fly-half Ross Byrne in the half-backs. Last season, he played alongside Wales teammate Gareth Anscombe, who is now with Bayonne in the Top 14. Rees-Zammit to 'feel pain' as he jets off Louis Rees-Zammit has been warned he will feel some pain over the next few weeks as he re-acclimatises to rugby. The Welshman has jetted off to Guernsey to meet his teammates on a pre-season training camp after completing his move to the English giants and knows he must get his fitness levels back up to standard after 18-months of very different training in the NFL. The 24-year-old has admitted American football training was nowhere near the aerobic intensity of rugby, with the focus on explosive short bursts and learning playbooks rather than conditioning for 80 minutes of constant action. 'He's going to feel a little bit of pain over the next couple of weeks and that's what he's signed up for,' Lam told the Telegraph, ahead of some brutal running sessions to fine tune his rugby fitness. 'But we're not taking an NFL player. We're taking a world-class rugby player who has learned a lot from NFL about what he can do with his body. When we transfer him back, I think he'll be an even better rugby player.' On Friday afternoon, the former American football player posted an image of a plane with the Guernsey flag emoji attached. The Welshman signed for Bristol Bears in the PREM on Thursday, and as part of their pre-season campaign, the squad and coaches are at Guernsey Rugby Academy in the Channel Islands. "This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for our young players," said David McGall, vice chair of the Guernsey Rugby Academy. "The Academy has been fortunate to have individual former professionals both share knowledge and run training sessions with groups of players, but the island has never hosted an entire squad including coaches, so we are extremely lucky that the Bears have agreed to spend time running a session with the players. It's an experience they will never have again, and we are all looking forward to it." "The club's links with Guernsey are well-known but this is the first time that we have had the opportunity to come across and enjoy a weekend off before the start of what will be a busy season," said Bears team manager, Jack Targett "To spend time with youngsters is something the team does regularly in Bristol through the Bears Community Foundation, so we're delighted to be meeting the players from the Guernsey Rugby Academy and building a relationship with them." Siya Kolisi admission Springboks captain Siya Kolisi has admitted he stays away from social media because criticism from fans and pundits affects him badly. The legendary skipper, who lines up at number eight against Australia on Saturday in the opening match of the Rugby Championship, says he advises team-mates to focus only on the opinions of those closest to them. "I try and stay away from social media because sometimes I am not strong enough to take the criticism,' he said. 'Sometimes it does affect me, so I try not to read it. It is either very good or very bad, with little in between. The most important voices that I listen to are my coach, my coaching staff. 'You can be looking for something else [online], and you come across somebody saying you are not good enough. And it has affected me quite a lot in the past,' he said honestly. 'So I try to stay away from it and look at facts. I watch the games and study my opposition – that works a whole lot more for me. 'People can say that a certain player is not good enough or ready, and then on the day that player shows up. 'I look at what the opposition has done in the past. That helps me focus and get me ready for the game because I know what he is about to do. I watch clips over and over, which gives me the idea that he might do that again. 'I try and tell the up-and-coming guys that we have to focus on the people who matter, people who coach you. 'I'm not saying they shouldn't listen to the media, because the media helps us with our stories and helps us get known. Article continues below 'When you do well, your stories are told, and when you are doing badly, they are also being told. 'But for us, it's all about rugby. 'I actually don't have time to read everything because the amount of clips that we have to study is so much that I can't add another layer.'
