Wednesday, December 2, 2009
The nature of mixed martial arts dictates that stars come and go. Injuries, burnout, contract issues and illness make it so that few fighters can dominate for a long period of time. But there have been a few who have stayed at or near the top of the pile for the past decade. As part of Yahoo! Sports' look back at the past ten years in sports, here are the top ten mixed martial artists of the decade.
10. Matt Hughes: Though he's faded in recent years, Hughes was one of the UFC's most successful champs. His win over MMA pioneer Royce Gracie signaled a change of the guard, and he defended his welterweight belt eight times. Hughes also has wins over both B.J. Penn and Georges St. Pierre.
9. Tito Ortiz: The "Huntington Beach Bad Boy" ended the decade on a weird note, with a decision loss to Forrest Griffin. Before his exile from the UFC, Ortiz was the longest reigning UFC champ with wins over Wanderlei Silva, Vitor Belfort and a trilogy of wins over nemesis Ken Shamrock.
8. Wanderlei Silva: In his prime -- which covered the bulk of the decade -- no one could stop "The Axe Murderer." His reign over Pride's 205-lb. division lasted for four years and included two epic wins over Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.
7. Georges St. Pierre: GSP represents the new guard in MMA, the type of fighter who sticks to a strategy, blends together different disciplines, and gets sponsored by huge companies like Gatorade and Under Armour. He's also the sort of guy who avenges his only two losses, and puts together a 19-2 record over his career.
6. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: Fighting in both Pride and the UFC, Big Nog has wins over Randy Couture, Tim Sylvia, Josh Barnett, Fabricio Werdum, Mirko Filipovic, Dan Henderson and Mark Coleman. His bout with Couture was one for the ages, and out of his five losses, two are to Fedor Emelianenko, and two were later avenged.
5. Anderson Silva: In the second half of the decade, Silva has been unstoppable. Currently, he is riding an 11-fight winning streak. In his career, he has wins over Forrest Griffin, two over Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson and the best fighter impressions on the planet.
4. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua: You may be surprised to see Rua so high on the list until you take a close look over his record in both Pride and the UFC. He has just four losses. One of them was the recent razor-thin decision to Lyoto Machida, and another was the controversial loss to Mark Coleman which Rua later avenged. Wins include Alistair Overeem, Quinton Jackson,
3. Fedor Emelianenko: The Last Emperor has one loss in his career, which includes fights in Strikeforce, Pride, Affliction and Rings. The only thing keeping him from the top of the list is the fact that he has not faced top-notch competition in the latter part of the decade.
2. Randy Couture: Before fighting Brandon Vera at UFC 105, Bruce Buffer took a full minute to announce Couture. With all of Couture's accolades, Buffer needed that much time. Couture is the former heavyweight and light heavyweight champ of the UFC, as well as a Hall-of-Famer. He is still fighting top-flight competition at the age of 46.
1. Chuck Liddell: Few people's names have become so synonymous with MMA. Before taking to the dance floor, Liddell was the king of the UFC, a light heavyweight champion with wins over Randy Couture, Wanderlei Silva, Tito Ortiz, Renato Sobral. As the decade comes to a close, Liddell's style has caught up with him and he might be done with fighting, but there is no question who owned the past 10 years.
Vettori warns against complacency
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori has warned against complacency ahead of the second Test against Pakistan in Wellington.
"There is a series that needs to be won, we went 1-0 up against England and lost the series by resting on our laurels. There is a desire in the need to celebrate the Dunedin win but it's not the end of the summer," Vettori said.
Daryl Tuffey has been called in as a cover for Shane Bond for the rest of the series.
Vaughan wants players freed up for IPL
London: England stand no chance in next year's T20 World Cup in the West Indies if their players are not allowed to play the IPL next season, believes former captain Michael Vaughan.
"We've got a T20 World Cup in May and at the minute we've got no chance. England should take the guys who could do with a rest from Test cricket and send them to play in the IPL to develop their Twenty20 skills," he said.
Pak players given security clearance
Karachi: A Pakistan ministry gave security clearance to the national cricketers to participate in IPL 3 in India in March-April next year.
"The foreign ministry had already given political clearance for the players to take part in the IPL and now the interior ministry has also given its security clearance," a senior official said.
The Pakistan government had stopped players from participating in the second season of the IPL 2 on security grounds after the Mumbai terror attacks.
Botham cheers tsunami survivors
Seenigama: Ian Botham said he was moved by the progress of post-tsunami rebuilding in Sri Lanka, as he visited a sports project he has backed. "Coming back has been heart-warming and very, very emotional," Botham said on his third visit to the island since 2005.
"There is a series that needs to be won, we went 1-0 up against England and lost the series by resting on our laurels. There is a desire in the need to celebrate the Dunedin win but it's not the end of the summer," Vettori said.
Daryl Tuffey has been called in as a cover for Shane Bond for the rest of the series.
Vaughan wants players freed up for IPL
London: England stand no chance in next year's T20 World Cup in the West Indies if their players are not allowed to play the IPL next season, believes former captain Michael Vaughan.
"We've got a T20 World Cup in May and at the minute we've got no chance. England should take the guys who could do with a rest from Test cricket and send them to play in the IPL to develop their Twenty20 skills," he said.
Pak players given security clearance
Karachi: A Pakistan ministry gave security clearance to the national cricketers to participate in IPL 3 in India in March-April next year.
"The foreign ministry had already given political clearance for the players to take part in the IPL and now the interior ministry has also given its security clearance," a senior official said.
The Pakistan government had stopped players from participating in the second season of the IPL 2 on security grounds after the Mumbai terror attacks.
Botham cheers tsunami survivors
Seenigama: Ian Botham said he was moved by the progress of post-tsunami rebuilding in Sri Lanka, as he visited a sports project he has backed. "Coming back has been heart-warming and very, very emotional," Botham said on his third visit to the island since 2005.
India recall Sreesanth for first two Sri Lanka ODIs
Indian pace bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth was recalled to the one-day team for the first two games against Sri Lanka following his match-winning spell in the second test.
Sreesanth took five for 75 in a memorable comeback to the national team after a 19-month absence.
Sreesanth replaced Munaf Patel and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha took the place of leg-spinner Amit Mishra in the 15-man one-day squad named by the national selectors on Wednesday.
India have rested spearhead Zaheer Khan and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh for the two Twenty20 internationals that precede the five-match one-day series.
Uncapped off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and Ashok Dinda were named in the Twenty20 team.
The two Twenty20 internationals will be played on Dec 9 in Nagpur and on Dec 12 in Mohali and the first two one-dayers in Rajkot (Dec 15) and Visakhapatnam (Dec 18).
The other three ODIs will be played at Cuttack, Kolkata and Delhi.
First two ODIs: Mahendra Dhoni (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Pragyan Ojha, Sudeep Tyagi, Virat Kohli.
For Twenty20: Mahendra Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthik, Yusuf Pathan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Ashok Dinda, Sudeep Tyagi, Pragyan Ojha, Rohit Sharma.
Sreesanth took five for 75 in a memorable comeback to the national team after a 19-month absence.
Sreesanth replaced Munaf Patel and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha took the place of leg-spinner Amit Mishra in the 15-man one-day squad named by the national selectors on Wednesday.
India have rested spearhead Zaheer Khan and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh for the two Twenty20 internationals that precede the five-match one-day series.
Uncapped off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and Ashok Dinda were named in the Twenty20 team.
The two Twenty20 internationals will be played on Dec 9 in Nagpur and on Dec 12 in Mohali and the first two one-dayers in Rajkot (Dec 15) and Visakhapatnam (Dec 18).
The other three ODIs will be played at Cuttack, Kolkata and Delhi.
First two ODIs: Mahendra Dhoni (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Pragyan Ojha, Sudeep Tyagi, Virat Kohli.
For Twenty20: Mahendra Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthik, Yusuf Pathan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Ashok Dinda, Sudeep Tyagi, Pragyan Ojha, Rohit Sharma.
India recall Sreesanth for first two Sri Lanka ODIs
Indian pace bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth was recalled to the one-day team for the first two games against Sri Lanka following his match-winning spell in the second test.
Sreesanth took five for 75 in a memorable comeback to the national team after a 19-month absence.
Sreesanth replaced Munaf Patel and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha took the place of leg-spinner Amit Mishra in the 15-man one-day squad named by the national selectors on Wednesday.
India have rested spearhead Zaheer Khan and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh for the two Twenty20 internationals that precede the five-match one-day series.
Uncapped off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and Ashok Dinda were named in the Twenty20 team.
The two Twenty20 internationals will be played on Dec 9 in Nagpur and on Dec 12 in Mohali and the first two one-dayers in Rajkot (Dec 15) and Visakhapatnam (Dec 18).
The other three ODIs will be played at Cuttack, Kolkata and Delhi.
First two ODIs: Mahendra Dhoni (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Pragyan Ojha, Sudeep Tyagi, Virat Kohli.
For Twenty20: Mahendra Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthik, Yusuf Pathan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Ashok Dinda, Sudeep Tyagi, Pragyan Ojha, Rohit Sharma.
Sreesanth took five for 75 in a memorable comeback to the national team after a 19-month absence.
Sreesanth replaced Munaf Patel and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha took the place of leg-spinner Amit Mishra in the 15-man one-day squad named by the national selectors on Wednesday.
India have rested spearhead Zaheer Khan and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh for the two Twenty20 internationals that precede the five-match one-day series.
Uncapped off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and Ashok Dinda were named in the Twenty20 team.
The two Twenty20 internationals will be played on Dec 9 in Nagpur and on Dec 12 in Mohali and the first two one-dayers in Rajkot (Dec 15) and Visakhapatnam (Dec 18).
The other three ODIs will be played at Cuttack, Kolkata and Delhi.
First two ODIs: Mahendra Dhoni (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Pragyan Ojha, Sudeep Tyagi, Virat Kohli.
For Twenty20: Mahendra Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthik, Yusuf Pathan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Ashok Dinda, Sudeep Tyagi, Pragyan Ojha, Rohit Sharma.
Dilshan, Mathews lift Sri Lanka vs. India
Sri Lanka opener Tillakaratne Dilshan posted his 11th test century Wednesday as the visitors made 366-8 on a fluctuating first day of the third and final test against India.
Dilshan's 160-ball 109 and his brisk 93-run partnership for the opening wicket with Tharanga Paranavitana (53) were the feature of Sri Lanka's innings after captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and elected to bat.
India offspinner Harbhajan Singh (4-107) struck some crucial blows to stop Sri Lanka's progress as the hosts bounced back into the contest after struggling in the opening session.
Sri Lanka allrounder Angelo Mathews hit a career-best 86 not out to give Sri Lanka a narrow edge as it seeks to level the series.
Mathews, who had just one half-century in his previous six tests, struck 13 boundaries off 118 balls and featured in two prosperous partnerships: 74 for the fifth wicket with Dilshan and 67 for the sixth with Prasanna Jayawardene (43).
Sri Lanka lost three wickets in the closing stages, leaving Muttiah Muralitharan at the crease at stumps, yet to score.
Dilshan struck two sixes and 10 fours to stamp his authority against India's pace attack, and forced home captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to turn to his spinners earlier than he would have hoped.
He was finally given out caught by Murali Vijay at forward short leg but replays showed that the ball bounced off his pad.
Paranavitana struck seven boundaries off 81 balls before offspinner Harbhajan got India's first breakthrough, inducing an edge to Rahul Dravid at first slip.
After toiling in the field against Sri Lanka's opening pair, India struck back with three wickets in the afternoon session to slow the visitors' scoring. Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha (2-97) dismissed Sangakkara caught behind for 18.
Pace bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth (1-39) then removed Mahela Jayawardene, who top-edged an intended pull-shot to Yuvraj Singh at backward square-leg.
Harbhajan then snared Thilan Samaraweera's (1) wicket, inducing a bat-pad catch to Vijay at short-leg. Harbhajan later dismissed Rangana Herath (1) and also featured in Prasanna Jayawardene's dismissal, taking the catch off Ojha's bowling.
Dilshan's 160-ball 109 and his brisk 93-run partnership for the opening wicket with Tharanga Paranavitana (53) were the feature of Sri Lanka's innings after captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and elected to bat.
India offspinner Harbhajan Singh (4-107) struck some crucial blows to stop Sri Lanka's progress as the hosts bounced back into the contest after struggling in the opening session.
Sri Lanka allrounder Angelo Mathews hit a career-best 86 not out to give Sri Lanka a narrow edge as it seeks to level the series.
Mathews, who had just one half-century in his previous six tests, struck 13 boundaries off 118 balls and featured in two prosperous partnerships: 74 for the fifth wicket with Dilshan and 67 for the sixth with Prasanna Jayawardene (43).
Sri Lanka lost three wickets in the closing stages, leaving Muttiah Muralitharan at the crease at stumps, yet to score.
Dilshan struck two sixes and 10 fours to stamp his authority against India's pace attack, and forced home captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to turn to his spinners earlier than he would have hoped.
He was finally given out caught by Murali Vijay at forward short leg but replays showed that the ball bounced off his pad.
Paranavitana struck seven boundaries off 81 balls before offspinner Harbhajan got India's first breakthrough, inducing an edge to Rahul Dravid at first slip.
After toiling in the field against Sri Lanka's opening pair, India struck back with three wickets in the afternoon session to slow the visitors' scoring. Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha (2-97) dismissed Sangakkara caught behind for 18.
Pace bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth (1-39) then removed Mahela Jayawardene, who top-edged an intended pull-shot to Yuvraj Singh at backward square-leg.
Harbhajan then snared Thilan Samaraweera's (1) wicket, inducing a bat-pad catch to Vijay at short-leg. Harbhajan later dismissed Rangana Herath (1) and also featured in Prasanna Jayawardene's dismissal, taking the catch off Ojha's bowling.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
David Beckham tops English football 'rich list'
. David Beckham has been named as England's richest footballer, according to to FourFourTwo magazine's 'Rich List'.
The Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder enjoys a personal fortune of £125 million, dwarfing the wealth of his nearest rival, Michael Owen. Owen is reportedly worth £38 million.
Owen's Manchester United colleague Wayne Rooney (£37m) comes next, with another two United stars, Rio Ferdinand (£30m) and Ryan Giggs (£24m), completing the top five.
England boss Fabio Capello is the wealthiest manager, with a fortune of £30m. Ipswich Town boss Roy Keane (£27m) and Alex Ferguson (£22m) are second and third.
As far as owners are concerned, Queens Park Rangers shareholder Lakshmi Mittal is the wealthiest man in English football. The steel magnate boasts a fortune reportedly worth £18.4 billion.
The Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder enjoys a personal fortune of £125 million, dwarfing the wealth of his nearest rival, Michael Owen. Owen is reportedly worth £38 million.
Owen's Manchester United colleague Wayne Rooney (£37m) comes next, with another two United stars, Rio Ferdinand (£30m) and Ryan Giggs (£24m), completing the top five.
England boss Fabio Capello is the wealthiest manager, with a fortune of £30m. Ipswich Town boss Roy Keane (£27m) and Alex Ferguson (£22m) are second and third.
As far as owners are concerned, Queens Park Rangers shareholder Lakshmi Mittal is the wealthiest man in English football. The steel magnate boasts a fortune reportedly worth £18.4 billion.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Revolution in the United States of America in the late ’90’s. He has won the WCW/WWE Cruiserweight championship eight times – more than anyone else in history. He’s touted as the greatest “underdog” champion of all time, given his height and weight compared to his opponents.Gutierrez is a lucha libre luchador as is his uncle and trainer, Rey Misterio, Sr. He debuted as a wrestler in April 1989 at the age of 14 in Tijuana, Mexico. He was too young to wrestle in the United States, as athletic commissions would not give him a license. Technically, he was also underage in Mexico, but enforcement was generally low. In Mexico, using the stage name Colibri (hummingbird in Spanish), he began a feud with another luchador, Psicosis (who was also trained by Rey Misterio, Sr.). This feud lasted several years even after Gutierrez’s career moved to the U.S. When he turned 18, his uncle allowed him to use the ring name “Rey Misterio, Jr.” Gutierrez later changed the spelling to “Rey Mysterio, Jr.” and eventually dropped the “Junior”. In Asistencia AsesorÃa y Administración (AAA) he feuded with Juventud Guerrera which included a tag match with Guiterrez & Misterio, Sr. versus Juventud and his father, Fuerza Guerrera.Relationship with Eddie Guerrero
On February 20, 2005, Rey won his third WWE Tag-Team Championship with Eddie Guerrero after defeating Doug Basham and Danny Basham (a.k.a The Basham Brothers) at WWE No Way Out 2005. However, in a departure from traditional booking, the new champions did not defend their titles at WrestleMania 21 on April 3, 2005, but instead faced one another, with Rey winning. This led to a storyline in which the team broke up and had Guerrero turn heel due to being frustrated by being unable to defeat Mysterio on various occasions.
Guerrero and Rey continued to feud, with Guerrero threatening to reveal a secret he and Rey shared involving Rey’s son, Dominic. Unless Rey deferred to Guerrero’s authority, he threatened to go public with the secret. Guerrero later revealed that he was Dominic’s biological father.
Jimmy Anderson bowled England to the brink of their first one-day series victory in South Africa just a week after they considered sending him home to recover from his right-knee injury.
As England arrived in the rain and gloom here on Monday to prepare for Friday’s final match of the series, they admitted the man who gave them a 2-1 lead with the best bowling figures of his one-day career was advised to miss the whole limited-overs leg of this tour.
It has also now emerged that Anderson is playing with a suspected broken toe after kicking a chair in frustration at his bowling at Newlands on Friday.
Despite playing on with this discomfort, the 27-year-old is confident his knee problem is getting ‘better every day’ and showed no signs of trouble while taking five for 23 in Port Elizabeth on Sunday. But only the rain that washed out the first international in
Johannesburg saved England from the possibility of ruling him out of the series to try to get him fit for the first Test on December 16.
‘Yes, we were worried about Jimmy and thought about taking him out of the one-day series completely,’ said Andy Flower, the England team director. ‘But we gambled on playing him in what turned out to be the first match in Centurion even though some of our advice was not to.
‘We thought we had better see how his knee reacted to a 10-over spell and 50 overs in the field and he was surprised at how well he came through it. The rained-off game at the Wanderers was a godsend for him. Now the knee’s getting better all the time and
Jimmy’s emergence as a more consistent threat with the ball is one of the main reasons why we are seeing progress in our one-day cricket.’
England left Port Elizabeth with barely a cloud hovering over them but the miserable weather in Kwazulu-Natal, which could even threaten Friday’s game, was somehow apt as Durban prepared to welcome back one of its estranged sons.
Kevin Pietersen has been an unusually subdued figure on this tour and has looked out of sorts as he seeks to regain his form after an achilles injury forced him to miss the bulk of the Ashes. Flower is unconcerned about England’s best batsman, who will spend this week catching up with family before seeking to make an impact at the Kingsmead ground he once called home.
‘I thought he might be a little rusty because four months out is a long time when you are used to playing all the time like KP,’ said Flower. ‘He’s impatient because he’s a high achiever and an outstanding sportsman, but he will come right, I’ve no doubts about that. He’s confident the achilles is fine and he’s practising and playing the way he should. I’m sure he will score heavily on this tour.’
What has made it worse for Pietersen is that the South African crowds have continued to barrack him, as they did when he first returned here with England in 2005, while ignoring Jonathan Trott, who has followed an identical path and has also made an outstanding start to his England career.
It may be more than coincidence that Pietersen has twice been dismissed to poor shots in this series while batting with Trott who, for the time being at least, is the top South African-born dog in England’s pack.
‘I think the crowd reactions have been really disappointing,’ said Flower. ‘I didn’t like hearing boos when Ricky Ponting came out to bat in the Ashes and I don’t like hearing boos when somebody takes a conversion in rugby. I just think it’s sad that a great
cricketer is again being booed when he is walking out to compete for his country.’
Flower confirmed that former England captain Graham Gooch will continue in his new role as part-time batting coach beyond the two-week stint he is about to embark on here.
‘I’ve found it hard in my new position to give the time that’s needed to the batsmen and I couldn’t ask for better help than Graham’s,’ said Flower. ‘He will be with us for chunks of time as we move on and will bring experience, expertise, competitive spirit and patriotism to the camp. He’ll be a great guy to have around.’
THE TOP SPIN: Consistency has become the Holy Grail of this England team
Quiz question. What links these England Test wins? Lord’s 2000 (v West Indies), Kandy 2000-01, The Oval and Trent Bridge 2003, Johannesburg 2004-05, Edgbaston 2005, Mumbai 2005-06, Wellington 2007-08, The Oval 2009?
Answer: they all followed demoralising defeats.
So when England’s bowlers were given a lesson in ingenuity and chutzpah by AB de Villiers at Cape Town on Friday, you could almost guess what was coming next: South Africa all out for 119 – their lowest total in home one-day internationals – and England on the brink of winning a series that most observers, this one included, felt was another limited-overs accident waiting to happen.
You couldn’t make it up. And if you did, you’d be sacked for over-embellishment.
Consistency is a strange thing. It’s got so many syllables you imagine sportsmen nodding off when the captain uses it in his team-talk. Neither is it the sexiest concept in the sporting dictionary.
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It’s also wonderfully understated. Why not just say: ‘We want to win every game’? But it has become the Holy Grail of this England cricket team – a reasonable, modest, unflashy goal for those embodiments of reason, modesty and non-flash, Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower.
The good news is England are aware of the problem. In the 1990s, their stirring victories were undoubtedly too seldom and almost always too late: at The Oval in 1993 and 1997, at Bridgetown in 1993-94, at Adelaide in 1994-95, and at Melbourne in 1998-99, the series could not be won.
Worse, all those games took place in series England went on to lose. The games mentioned in the first paragraph, by contrast, were all part of series England either drew after being behind or won. Progress comes in all shapes and sizes.
The journey, though, may only be beginning. After England’s win on Sunday, Strauss was keeping his size 11s on the ground. ‘The see-saw nature of this series so far suggests that if we expect to [win at Durban on Friday], we will probably come unstuck,’ he said. ‘So we have to keep building.’
For common sense, he sure takes some beating.
But then this is a captain who, in less than 12 months back in the job, has presided over a Test-series defeat by West Indies, a red-faced Twenty20 night against the orangemen of the Netherlands, Ashes glory, a 6-1 NatWest Series walloping, a Champions Trophy campaign that lurched from the sublime to the less so, and now a one-day series in South Africa that resembles a tight finish in a boat race: it all depends who gets the shove on when the line approaches.
Answer: they all followed demoralising defeats.
So when England’s bowlers were given a lesson in ingenuity and chutzpah by AB de Villiers at Cape Town on Friday, you could almost guess what was coming next: South Africa all out for 119 – their lowest total in home one-day internationals – and England on the brink of winning a series that most observers, this one included, felt was another limited-overs accident waiting to happen.
You couldn’t make it up. And if you did, you’d be sacked for over-embellishment.
Consistency is a strange thing. It’s got so many syllables you imagine sportsmen nodding off when the captain uses it in his team-talk. Neither is it the sexiest concept in the sporting dictionary.
Never allow an edition of The Top Spin to fizz past your outside edge, sign up now to receive the column direct to your inbox by clicking here
It’s also wonderfully understated. Why not just say: ‘We want to win every game’? But it has become the Holy Grail of this England cricket team – a reasonable, modest, unflashy goal for those embodiments of reason, modesty and non-flash, Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower.
The good news is England are aware of the problem. In the 1990s, their stirring victories were undoubtedly too seldom and almost always too late: at The Oval in 1993 and 1997, at Bridgetown in 1993-94, at Adelaide in 1994-95, and at Melbourne in 1998-99, the series could not be won.
Worse, all those games took place in series England went on to lose. The games mentioned in the first paragraph, by contrast, were all part of series England either drew after being behind or won. Progress comes in all shapes and sizes.
The journey, though, may only be beginning. After England’s win on Sunday, Strauss was keeping his size 11s on the ground. ‘The see-saw nature of this series so far suggests that if we expect to [win at Durban on Friday], we will probably come unstuck,’ he said. ‘So we have to keep building.’
For common sense, he sure takes some beating.
But then this is a captain who, in less than 12 months back in the job, has presided over a Test-series defeat by West Indies, a red-faced Twenty20 night against the orangemen of the Netherlands, Ashes glory, a 6-1 NatWest Series walloping, a Champions Trophy campaign that lurched from the sublime to the less so, and now a one-day series in South Africa that resembles a tight finish in a boat race: it all depends who gets the shove on when the line approaches.
Liverpool star Fernando Torres aiming to return against Blackburn as boss Rafa Benitez aims to rebuild troubled season
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres could be back to face Blackburn this weekend, as the Merseysiders look to rebuild their season.
Rafa Benitez saw his team ride their luck in winning the Merseyside derby at Everton, and with his star striker aiming to return on Saturday, Liverpool's fortunes could finally be on the up.
Benitez said: 'Fernando is close, but he still has some pain. We now have a week to work with him and for the physios to try to get him fit to play.
'We will monitor this every day and then decide. But we do not want to take any risks with him now, he needed three weeks of treatment and that is not fully completed yet.
'There is no deadline. We will have to decide after we have watched him working this week.'
Liverpool were a long way from their best at Goodison Park, but after edging a victory that moves them up to fifth supporters will be hopeful of a decent run over the crucial festive period.
Steven Gerrard certainly wasn't at his best, but still lacks match fitness and Benitez admitted: 'Gerrard has found it hard. He has played three difficult games in a row
without training for three weeks prior, and that is tough.
'People have to understand that some players are trying very hard to help the team when they are not really fit. But they want to play, and their attitude is very positive.
Benitez: Hoping for a change in fortune
'Now we have a week of training, and that I hope will see a lot more of them much fitter for the next game.'
Benitez praised the players fighting to recover from injuries, who are forcing themselves through matches.
Yossi Benayoun, Glen Johnson, Albert Riera, Daniel Agger, Fabio Aurelio and Gerrard are all still at various stages of recovery.
Benitez said: 'There are several players who maybe should not be out there at the moment. They are not fully fit, they are not training and they have injuries.
'But we are working so hard together. We are seeing players involved when they should really be on the treatment table.
'But they all wanted to play, to do a job for the team and to work to get us going again as a team.'
Reflecting on the crucial win over Everton, Benitez said: 'It was a big result for us, any derby win is important. But to win when we knew that Aston Villa, Spurs and Manchester City had all drawn at the weekend was very important.
'We knew that if we won then we would be much higher in the table and that will give us more confidence.
'We feel we deserved that bit of luck for the first goal, a deflection. Because a lot of bad luck has come our way over the recent weeks, and that has gone some way to evening things for us.'
Rafa Benitez saw his team ride their luck in winning the Merseyside derby at Everton, and with his star striker aiming to return on Saturday, Liverpool's fortunes could finally be on the up.
Benitez said: 'Fernando is close, but he still has some pain. We now have a week to work with him and for the physios to try to get him fit to play.
'We will monitor this every day and then decide. But we do not want to take any risks with him now, he needed three weeks of treatment and that is not fully completed yet.
'There is no deadline. We will have to decide after we have watched him working this week.'
Liverpool were a long way from their best at Goodison Park, but after edging a victory that moves them up to fifth supporters will be hopeful of a decent run over the crucial festive period.
Steven Gerrard certainly wasn't at his best, but still lacks match fitness and Benitez admitted: 'Gerrard has found it hard. He has played three difficult games in a row
without training for three weeks prior, and that is tough.
'People have to understand that some players are trying very hard to help the team when they are not really fit. But they want to play, and their attitude is very positive.
Benitez: Hoping for a change in fortune
'Now we have a week of training, and that I hope will see a lot more of them much fitter for the next game.'
Benitez praised the players fighting to recover from injuries, who are forcing themselves through matches.
Yossi Benayoun, Glen Johnson, Albert Riera, Daniel Agger, Fabio Aurelio and Gerrard are all still at various stages of recovery.
Benitez said: 'There are several players who maybe should not be out there at the moment. They are not fully fit, they are not training and they have injuries.
'But we are working so hard together. We are seeing players involved when they should really be on the treatment table.
'But they all wanted to play, to do a job for the team and to work to get us going again as a team.'
Reflecting on the crucial win over Everton, Benitez said: 'It was a big result for us, any derby win is important. But to win when we knew that Aston Villa, Spurs and Manchester City had all drawn at the weekend was very important.
'We knew that if we won then we would be much higher in the table and that will give us more confidence.
'We feel we deserved that bit of luck for the first goal, a deflection. Because a lot of bad luck has come our way over the recent weeks, and that has gone some way to evening things for us.'
Sports Watch: Brian O'Driscoll is the Irish Beckham
10) Thierry Henry (down, down)
It is easy to like Henry for his all-round good eggy demeanour and for not being William Gallas. But now he has deliberately handled a ball and he is the devil incarnate. The truth lies in the middle ground, but this is not an area regularly populated by the media and so Henry is the new Profumo. He has certainly sullied his reputation in a way not seen since he was driving Renault Clios. Handball? Next week he'll be slaughtering sheep.
9) Ireland (down and out)
They want a replay because of a handball. What a load of tosh. While we are at it, let's replay the 2005 Champions League Final because Steven Gerrard dived to get a penalty. Or, indeed, any Premiership match where players repeatedly try to con officials with dives, shirt-pulling and feigned injuries. Certainly, the 1966 World Cup Final should be erased from the records. The game is awash with little cheats and the way to clean it up is not by making refs fitter. It's by making players pass a fit and proper person test.
8) Lord's (up)
Sports Watch has mixed feelings about news that the old ground is going to be subjected to a £400 million makeover. The philosophy behind this lavish plan is that bigger is always better. However, Lord's is one of the best sporting arenas in Britain. Does it need year-round burger vans and an underground academy, the latter sounding like a slightly edgy prep school? We say no and bring back the twin towers while you are at it.
7) Martin Johnson (down)
English rugby is at a low ebb but Johnson can't win. Even if, and I know that it is highly unlikely, he does. England, you may remember, were rubbish and slated for most of the 2003 World Cup. In fact until it started raining against France in the semi-final. We want running rugby but when we try it and that fails, as in the 1991 World Cup Final, we ask why we didn't play to our strengths. Last week England beat the side ranked fourth in the world. It was deemed rubbish because it was not achieved with the sort of free-flowing rugby never seen in this country. Madness.
6) Jenson Button (down)
Funny old game that Formula One lark. You win the world title but end up being ushered towards the door by the team. If that does not back up the oft-fought claim that you could put any of the top 10 drivers in the best car and they would probably win the title, we don't know what does. Or maybe it is money. Either way, Jenson is now Lewis Hamilton's team-mate at McLaren. We suspect the champ may have had a better time had he simply superglued his head to a rabid pitbull.
5) Brazil (up)
We know England had a second string out, but you have to remember that our first string includes Emile Heskey. Look at Brazil and then England and the difference in class is a chasm. Sports Watch hopes Jinky Joe Cole becomes a stalwart in the coming months because he is the only player in the team who knows panache is not a low budget airline. Can England win the World Cup? Of course, but we will need a lot of luck, a Gerrard swan dive, some good penalty takers and an iffy handball.
4) Manny Pacquiao (new entry)
His fight with Miguel Cotto was a throwback to the violent ring duels of yore. It made Sports Watch wince to witness the mad bravery of Cotto who looked like a beef casserole by the end, and it is hard not to wonder whether this is still a valid sport in 2009. Pacquiao, though, is an all-time great and now looks set to enter politics in the Philippines. It may be statement on the way boxing is regarded around the globe that, while he runs for office, Joe Bugner is being forced to eat kangaroo testicles in a jungle with PJ and Duncan.
3) Sir Alex Ferguson (up)
God love him, the old sourpuss has been speaking sense this week, having a dig at players. Referees was last week and the one before, if you remember. Next week it will be the Tate Modern. You can't keep a good grouser down. “Today they are very protected, more fragile than ever, and that’s a lot to do with the type of people who guide them." Reading between the lines we think that is actually a dig at himself. Very magnanimous.
2) Brian O'Driscoll (up)
You are about to lose to Australia. Time is almost up. The defence is rock solid. Who you gonna call? No, not Ray Parker Junior and Sigourney Weaver, but BOD. It just happened to be his 100th cap for Ireland. It was a sleight of hand not seen in an Ireland match since, er, Thierry Henry. O'Driscoll writes his own scripts. He is the Irish Beckham.
1) Video technology (up)
Everyone wants it apart from a few hardy old souls who do not want to diminish the influence of match-wrecking refs. If we insist on remaining in the dark ages then it seems only right that Alan Wiley and Martin Hansson should be thrown into the nearest river to see if they float. If we refuse to employ simple goalline technology, we risk more tainted results. As ever Ian Holloway put it best. "Otherwise you may as well be a monkey with a stick poking in the ground for some ants."
It is easy to like Henry for his all-round good eggy demeanour and for not being William Gallas. But now he has deliberately handled a ball and he is the devil incarnate. The truth lies in the middle ground, but this is not an area regularly populated by the media and so Henry is the new Profumo. He has certainly sullied his reputation in a way not seen since he was driving Renault Clios. Handball? Next week he'll be slaughtering sheep.
9) Ireland (down and out)
They want a replay because of a handball. What a load of tosh. While we are at it, let's replay the 2005 Champions League Final because Steven Gerrard dived to get a penalty. Or, indeed, any Premiership match where players repeatedly try to con officials with dives, shirt-pulling and feigned injuries. Certainly, the 1966 World Cup Final should be erased from the records. The game is awash with little cheats and the way to clean it up is not by making refs fitter. It's by making players pass a fit and proper person test.
8) Lord's (up)
Sports Watch has mixed feelings about news that the old ground is going to be subjected to a £400 million makeover. The philosophy behind this lavish plan is that bigger is always better. However, Lord's is one of the best sporting arenas in Britain. Does it need year-round burger vans and an underground academy, the latter sounding like a slightly edgy prep school? We say no and bring back the twin towers while you are at it.
7) Martin Johnson (down)
English rugby is at a low ebb but Johnson can't win. Even if, and I know that it is highly unlikely, he does. England, you may remember, were rubbish and slated for most of the 2003 World Cup. In fact until it started raining against France in the semi-final. We want running rugby but when we try it and that fails, as in the 1991 World Cup Final, we ask why we didn't play to our strengths. Last week England beat the side ranked fourth in the world. It was deemed rubbish because it was not achieved with the sort of free-flowing rugby never seen in this country. Madness.
6) Jenson Button (down)
Funny old game that Formula One lark. You win the world title but end up being ushered towards the door by the team. If that does not back up the oft-fought claim that you could put any of the top 10 drivers in the best car and they would probably win the title, we don't know what does. Or maybe it is money. Either way, Jenson is now Lewis Hamilton's team-mate at McLaren. We suspect the champ may have had a better time had he simply superglued his head to a rabid pitbull.
5) Brazil (up)
We know England had a second string out, but you have to remember that our first string includes Emile Heskey. Look at Brazil and then England and the difference in class is a chasm. Sports Watch hopes Jinky Joe Cole becomes a stalwart in the coming months because he is the only player in the team who knows panache is not a low budget airline. Can England win the World Cup? Of course, but we will need a lot of luck, a Gerrard swan dive, some good penalty takers and an iffy handball.
4) Manny Pacquiao (new entry)
His fight with Miguel Cotto was a throwback to the violent ring duels of yore. It made Sports Watch wince to witness the mad bravery of Cotto who looked like a beef casserole by the end, and it is hard not to wonder whether this is still a valid sport in 2009. Pacquiao, though, is an all-time great and now looks set to enter politics in the Philippines. It may be statement on the way boxing is regarded around the globe that, while he runs for office, Joe Bugner is being forced to eat kangaroo testicles in a jungle with PJ and Duncan.
3) Sir Alex Ferguson (up)
God love him, the old sourpuss has been speaking sense this week, having a dig at players. Referees was last week and the one before, if you remember. Next week it will be the Tate Modern. You can't keep a good grouser down. “Today they are very protected, more fragile than ever, and that’s a lot to do with the type of people who guide them." Reading between the lines we think that is actually a dig at himself. Very magnanimous.
2) Brian O'Driscoll (up)
You are about to lose to Australia. Time is almost up. The defence is rock solid. Who you gonna call? No, not Ray Parker Junior and Sigourney Weaver, but BOD. It just happened to be his 100th cap for Ireland. It was a sleight of hand not seen in an Ireland match since, er, Thierry Henry. O'Driscoll writes his own scripts. He is the Irish Beckham.
1) Video technology (up)
Everyone wants it apart from a few hardy old souls who do not want to diminish the influence of match-wrecking refs. If we insist on remaining in the dark ages then it seems only right that Alan Wiley and Martin Hansson should be thrown into the nearest river to see if they float. If we refuse to employ simple goalline technology, we risk more tainted results. As ever Ian Holloway put it best. "Otherwise you may as well be a monkey with a stick poking in the ground for some ants."
Jenson Button leads candidates for BBC Sports Personality of the Year award
Jenson Button, the Formula One world champion, heads the list of candidates on the shortlist, announced today, for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award to be presented on December 13.
Button, who led the F1 World Championship for much of the season after a scintillating start to the campaign which saw him win six of the first seven grands prix in his Brawn GP car, finally clinched the title in the penultimate race in Brazil, thereby becoming Britain's second consecutive Formula One world champion, following Lewis Hamilton. It is easy to forget that the man from Frome started the season without a drive after Honda's decision to pull out of the sport.
Among the other leading contenders for the prestigious BBC award are Jessica Ennis, the athlete, who ended years of frustration with injuries by claiming gold in the heptathlon at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin in August. Another gold medallist from Berlin, Philips Idowu, the triple jumper, is also on the shortlist, although the man with the unmistakable red hair is considered by the bookmakers to be more of a long-shot to claim the award.
David Haye, however, will be considered among the front-runners after beating Nikolai Valuev, the Russian, to become World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight champion despite being 7st (45kg) lighter than his opponent. Two judges put Haye ahead on points, with one declaring the bout a draw.
Button, who led the F1 World Championship for much of the season after a scintillating start to the campaign which saw him win six of the first seven grands prix in his Brawn GP car, finally clinched the title in the penultimate race in Brazil, thereby becoming Britain's second consecutive Formula One world champion, following Lewis Hamilton. It is easy to forget that the man from Frome started the season without a drive after Honda's decision to pull out of the sport.
Among the other leading contenders for the prestigious BBC award are Jessica Ennis, the athlete, who ended years of frustration with injuries by claiming gold in the heptathlon at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin in August. Another gold medallist from Berlin, Philips Idowu, the triple jumper, is also on the shortlist, although the man with the unmistakable red hair is considered by the bookmakers to be more of a long-shot to claim the award.
David Haye, however, will be considered among the front-runners after beating Nikolai Valuev, the Russian, to become World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight champion despite being 7st (45kg) lighter than his opponent. Two judges put Haye ahead on points, with one declaring the bout a draw.
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