Did I Leave The Iron On?
Created | Updated Mar 21, 2005
Stop Me If I Get Boring
Another slowish week here, I'm afraid. British sport, like British politics is entering Silly Season, that portion of the year when the weather is too nice to worry about much other than golf, cricket or Rugby League. And I'll confess to not knowing much about the latter...
Obscure American wins Open. Again.
Todd Hamilton raised a few eyebrows by winning the British Open this week. Unlike Ben Curtis' victory last year, where assorted big names succumbed to untimely bouts of mediocre golf, Hamilton won on merit. His playoff victory over Ernie Els (whom your correspondent had tipped to play well) gave the hacks another year of praising a relative unknown.
The question has been frequently asked of late: is there something wrong with European golf? We have not had a Major winner since 1999 now. My gut reaction would be no. Forget ye not, Europe are still the Ryder Cup champions and I fully expect them to have the teamwork and attitude to defend it successfully this year. The lack of success in the majors can be attributed to bad luck, especially at Augusta and choice of courses. Big-hitting Americans have made a mockery of many traditionally British links courses: it is sad to see, but 'target golf' at courses such as the K-Club and the Oxfordshire is now becoming the norm on this side of the Atlantic. Meanwhile, over in the States, the US Open and PGA tournament committees are opting for brutally long fairways and lightning greens. This is supposed to provide a test for golfers, but in my view makes for unremittingly dull viewing. While the Open remains on links courses, Europe's best - and only - chance of a major remains at the Masters.
Gloucestershire - A Tribute
Gloucestershire are the best One Day team in the country. Full stop. In fact, they may even be better than our distinctly average national side.
They have lost just 5 Cup matches in the last 7 years - a nearly unbelievable record. Their demolition of Yorkshire on Saturday saw them through to yet another C&G cup final. So what makes them such a success? They have few household names - probably none after Jack Russell's retirement. And he was the best One Day wicketkeeper in the country, yet the Gladiators (which the marketing people will insist on calling them) are barely diminished. Here are the key players:
- Craig Spearman. An opening batsman, in theory, shouldn't have limitations. But most of them do. Boycott couldn't time an innings to save his life; Gooch had an irritating habit of losing form for months on end; Atherton was a duffer against spin bowlers. Spearman has a fairly severe limitation - he can't bat on the off-side to save his life. But he knows it. Hence, he doesn't play shots there. Simple. Fewer snicks to the wicketkeeper or the slips means less chance of getting out. Instead, he displays the great trait of wandering across his wicket before pulling or driving everything to the leg side. Marvellous. His 143 not out was the innings that beat Yorkshire.
- Martyn Ball and Mike Smith. These guys have been playing the County Circuit and are now both in their mid-to late-thirties. Yet, I bet not many of you have heard of them. Their big asset to One Day Cricket is the ability to send down consistent ball after consistent ball, not unplayable yorkers, but all in the danger area, 3-6 inches away from the off-stump. Then, with a magical tweak of seam, they will move one the other way, and the unsuspecting batsman will play on or push one back to the bowler. Neither bowls more than fast-medium pace, and they look distinctly unthreatening, but they could be a major asset to England's erratic front-line bowlers.
- Mark Alleyne. By far and away, Gloucestershire's biggest asset. A decent medium-pace bowler and staunch batsman, his pure cricketing credentials are fairly unremarkable. However, his captaincy is phenomenal. He works a fielding side ragged - the Gladiators never have a fielder out of place, and go through much more fielding practice than any other team. Good fielding is much under-rated as a one-day winner: this is a large reason why the lackadaisical West Indians have never excelled at the game. Alleyne is also a brilliant reader and researcher of a batsman; this, combined with his human touch on the field, is the key explanation behind Gloucester's success.
The Gladiators were expected to struggle this season after losing their 'talisman', flamboyant Australian, Ian Harvey. When Harvey lined up for Yorkshire last weekend, however, his old side ripped him apart, both with bat and ball. In this case, the team is much, much more than any individual.
Hmmm... I seemed to have waffled on a bit there. I was going to do a preview of the West Indies tests, but suffice to say that England's new, young Test squad looks exciting enough to beat them. Harmison has beaten the critics to justify his position as the world's top bowler, and I expect more big knocks from Flintoff and Thorpe. As long as Robert Key isn't fielded, anything is possible.
Several A/K/A Random's 'sporting blues'
Hi AmSports fans! No real big news this last week, but, looked at another way, there was. The 7-6, 300-plus pound center for the three-time National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Lakers, Shaquille O'Neal, was traded (along with his hefty contract) to the Miami Heat after the Lakers were defeated in the NBA championship finals by the smaller and quicker Detroit Pistons. Shaq-Daddy has been a dominant offensive force but, age 32, even his massive body is showing the strain of 13 years in the league with several bouts of foot, leg and back strains the past two years.
His arrival with the Heat is expected to kindle basketball interest in Greater Miami, however, as it is not known as a great basketball area, the club drawing well below capacity in their arena.
Two of the better stories from the US Olympic track and field Olympic qualifying meet were those of Gail Deavers and Stacy Dragula in the 100-m hurdles and pole vault, respectively. Devers, age 33, became only the third American athlete to qualify for five Olympic summer games appearances. She is a three-time world champion, but has never medaled in the Olympics.
Dragula, however, at age 33, is the defending Olympic champion, and won the vault easily. On her last three tries, she failed to top the world record 16-foot vault made earlier this year by Svetana Feofanova in European competition.
As always, mini-steroids controversies have competitors wondering who does, and who doesn't (and where can they get some of that stuff?) So that's a quick look at AmSports for what has been a busy week. Over and out.
Did I Leave The Iron On? Archive
Master B
with Several a.k.a. Random
