Latest news with #MartinPegan
The Guardian
04-04-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Australia v South Korea: women's international friendly
Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Martin Pegan Hello and welcome to live coverage of the women's international friendly between Australia and South Korea at Allianz Stadium in Sydney. The Matildas are seeking a return to form in back-to-back friendlies against their Asian rivals after a horror campaign at the SheBelieves Cup but will have to do so without some of their leading players. Australia lost all three matches at the tournament in the United States in February and have now slumped to a 20-year low in the Fifa world rankings at No 16. But they have no time to lick their wounds with the 2026 Women's Asian Cup on home soil now less than 11 months away. South Korea knocked the Matildas out of the last continental tournament with a 1-0 victory at the quarter-final stage and loom as a stern challenge in a pair of friendlies as both sides gear up for another shot at winning an Asian Cup. The Matildas have handed several debuts and additional opportunities to emerging and fringe players during interim head coach Tom Sermanni's third stint in charge and are likely to call on many of those fresh faces with the first-choice XI hit hard by injury. Katrina Gorry (ankle) withdrew ahead of the players landing back in Australia while Ellie Carpenter (ankle) and Hayley Raso (thigh) were ruled out on Thursday and sent back to their respective clubs. Goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold will also miss at least tonight's game after injuring an arm in Matildas training this week. Liverpool shotstopper Teagan Micah will take the gloves at Allianz Stadium while Arnold will hope to return to face the world No 19 In Newcastle on Monday night. Kick-off is at 8.10pm AEDT. I'll be back shortly with the line-ups and team news. In the meantime, get in touch with any questions, thoughts and predictions. You can shoot me an email, or find me on X @martinpegan and Bluesky @ Let's get into it! Share
The Guardian
26-03-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
New Zealand v Australia: third women's T20 international
Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Martin Pegan Hello and welcome to live coverage of the third women's T20I between New Zealand and Australia. Australia set out to make a statement in the three T20Is against the world champions, after giving up their crown last November, and are well down the path to doing just that after a pair of resounding victories – by eight wickets, and then by 82 runs – so far. The tourists can now target a clean sweep at Sky Stadium while the White Ferns have much more than just pride to play for against their arch-rivals. Australia won the only previous clash between the sides at this venue in Wellington though Ellyse Perry and coach Shelley Nitschke are the only players still with the squad that played in that game in 2010. Darcie Brown has returned to Australia for family reasons, leaving the tourists to make at least one change with Megan Schutt sure to have been pressing her claims. There can be no complaints about the conditions in Wellington with a predicted high of 19C and plenty of sun around. First ball will be at 2.45pm local time or 12.45pm AEDT. I'll be back shortly with the toss and team news, but in the meantime keep me company with your thoughts and predictions on email or @martinpegan on Bluesky or X. Let's get into it! Share
The Guardian
21-03-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
New Zealand v Australia: first women's T20 international
Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Martin Pegan Hello and welcome to live coverage of the first women's T20I between New Zealand and Australia. The White Ferns arrive at Eden Park as the T20 world champions after their stunning form reversal last year ended with a historic win over South Africa in the final. Australia had claimed the T20 World Cup at the three previous tournaments before their shock defeat to South Africa in the semi-finals, and have been on a tear since then with 12 victories from as many completed matches across all formats. Both sides are close to full strength though Australia are most crucially without captain Alyssa Healy for this three-match series as the star keeper-batter rehabilitates a foot injury. New Zealand have recalled Sophie Devine, who has given up the T20 captaincy since lifting the trophy last year, while Melie Kerr also returns after sitting out the white-ball matches against Sri Lanka and impressing in the WPL. The conditions in Auckland are looking promising for a full 40 overs, with a predicted high of 24C and little cloud around. First ball will be at 2.45pm local time or 12.45pm AEDT. I'll be back shortly with the toss and team news, but in the meantime keep me company with your thoughts and predictions on email or @martinpegan on Bluesky or X. Let's get into it! Share
The Guardian
20-03-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Australia v Indonesia: World Cup 2026 qualifier
Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Coach Tony Popovic won't be letting any complacency creep into his Socceroos side against Indonesia especially with the race for a place at the 2026 World Cup so tight and tense and the neighbouring nation evidently on the rise. The expectation of the Australian public, is that they should expect their national team to produce and to play good football. Then I expect every Australian to get behind the team tomorrow, which is what we want and we know that that'll help us tomorrow night. Share Martin Pegan Hello and welcome to live coverage of the 2026 World Cup qualifier between Australia and Indonesia at Sydney Football Stadium (known to most in these parts as Allianz Stadium). The Socceroos are out to tighten their rather loose grip on second place in Group C of Asian qualification and edge closer to a spot at next year's showpiece event in the US, Mexico and Canada. Coach Tony Popovic's side currently sit in the critical second place in the group that will in short time automatically qualify for the World Cup. But the margins could hardly be finer with Australia on seven points from six matches, while tonight's opponents Indonesia, as well as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and China are just one point behind in the five-way battle for what has become a single prized spot. Tearaway leaders Japan are already on 16 points and all but assured of taking the other spot and could even book their ticket to North America with a win at home against Bahrain tonight or if other results simply fall their way. With Saudi Arabia hosting China in the group's other clash in the wee hours of tomorrow morning (AEDT), Australia need a positive result in Sydney to at the very least keep their hopes in their own hands. Indonesia successfully frustrated Australia with a determined, low block when these two sides last met in the second batch of Group C matches last September, holding the six-time World Cup qualifiers to a 0-0 draw in what proved to be coach Graham Arnold's last match in charge. Popovic took the Socceroos' reins just days later and first led the team to win at home over China and a gallant draw in Japan, before less impressive performances in draws with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. That's the state of play in Group C as we enter classic 'must-win' areas which should be more than enough to ensure a tense, cagey contest. Kick-off is at 8.10pm AEDT. I'll be back shortly with the line-ups and team news. Remember to get in touch with any comments, questions, thoughts and predictions. You can shoot me an email, or find me on X @martinpegan and Bluesky @ Let's get into it! IT'S MATCHDAY IN SYDNEY! 🙌🆚: Indonesia 🇮🇩⏰: 8:00pm AEDT🏟️: Sydney Football Stadium📱💻📺: Live on 10, Paramount+, 10 Play 📻: ABC Radio via the ABC Listen App#Socceroos #FeelNewSydney
The Guardian
31-01-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Women's Ashes: Australia v England only cricket Test, day two
11m ago 02.50 GMT Preamble Martin Pegan Hello and welcome to live coverage of day two of the Women's Ashes Test at the MCG. Australia will resume on 56 for 1 after dismissing England for 170 in front of more than 11,000 fans yesterday, with Phoebe Litchfield (20) and Annabel Sutherland (24) back at the crease in about 45 minutes. The hosts are in a commanding position after Kim Garth and Darcie Brown set the tone with the new ball, then leg-spinner Alana King ripped through the England middle-order to continue her superb series. Nat Sciver-Brunt was the only batter to go on with a start as she passed fifty for the seventh time in Tests but lacked enough partners to build a decent first-innings total for the tourists. King showed that there is enough life in the pitch to whet the appetite of the likes of Sophie Ecclestone, though Australia have selected an especially deep batting line-up stacked with supposed all-rounders. Australia will be sweating on the fitness of Ellyse Perry who injured a hip while fielding yesterday. The all-rounder was bumped down the order, with Sutherland stepping in at No 3 after Georgia Voll's dismissal in her debut Test, but it remains to be seen whether Perry will be able to return to play at all. First ball will be at 2.30pm local time / AEDT or 3.30am GMT. In the meantime, let us know your predictions or just expectations for the day ahead – shoot me an email or find me @martinpegan on Bluesky or X. Let's get into it!
