El Mundo Del Deporte
Created | Updated Nov 15, 2007
More Major League Baseball, and Great Britain beat the Kiwis twice in the Rugby League Test Series
Major League Baseball – The Business End Of the 2007 Season Part Three
Following on from the review of the American and National League Championship Series in my last column, now it's time for the World Series, to discover who will be become Major League Baseball's 2007 Champions. This series pitched the American League Champion Boston Red Sox against the National League Champion Colorado Rockies. The Red Sox came into the Series on a high after they had come back from a 3-1 series deficit in the AL Championship series against the Cleveland Indians to win 4-3, and they carried this form in to the Fall Classic, as the World Series is known, with a 13-1 victory at their Fenway Park home. The Rockies seemed unable to cope with the offensive prowess of the Boston team in the first game, but in the second game it was a much closer affair with Boston coming out 2-1 victors. Many people then expected the Rockies to come back into the series with Games 3 and 4 being played at their Coors Field home. However, the Red Sox continued with their unstoppable momentum and were victorious in the third game by 10 runs to 5. This set up the possibility of the Red Sox claiming the title by sweeping the World Series. The Red Sox started well in Game 4 and opened up a 4-1 lead. The Rockies then rallied and scored two runs but could not find the all important fourth run to tie the game, handing the Boston Red Sox the World Series crown with a 4-0 series win.
The Rugby League Test Series – Great Britain v New Zealand (Second Test)
On Saturday 3 November, the second test of the series between Great Britain and New Zealand took place at Hull's KC Stadium. With Great Britain having won the first test, they were looking to seal a series win and it was they who scored the first points of the match when captain Jamie Peacock beat five tacklers to score after two minutes and Kevin Sinfield added the extras to make the score 6-0. Great Britain then extended their lead when Leon Pryce scored after 14 minutes and again Sinfield added the extra two. A further try from Hull winger Gareth Raynor made the half time score 16-0 to the Lions.
GB again extended their lead on 49 minutes when St Helens full back Paul Wellens scored after taking a high hanging kick from Pryce. Scrum half Rob Burrow added the extras and then fed winger Ade Gardner to score in the corner 7 minutes later. Further tries followed from Burrow, Keith Senior and a second from Pryce to make the final score Great Britain 44 New Zealand 0.
The Rugby League Test Series – Great Britain v New Zealand (Third Test)
On Saturday 10 November, Great Britain took on New Zealand in the 3rd test match of the series. With the Lions already having completed the series victory by winning the first two tests, they were aiming to complete their first series whitewash since 1993. The Kiwis started well and took the lead when Chase Stanley touched down and the extras were added to make the score 6-0. They then doubled their advantage when Huddersfield's Paul Whatuira touched down after a mistake by Great Britain forward Adrian Morley. This sparked the hosts into life and on 30 minutes James Graham ploughed through to score with six of the New Zealanders hanging off him. Further tries from Keith Senior and David Hodgson followed and with two conversions added, the hosts found themselves 14-12 ahead at the break.
Four minutes into the second half the Lions extended their lead when Burrow touched down and then made it 26 unanswered points as Danny McGuire touched down following Sean O'Loughlin's kick, with Burrow adding the extras to both tries. Just after this, a sudden downpour of rain made it difficult for both teams to play the expansive rugby that may have brought many more points. New Zealand were the next team to score when Stanley crossed for his second of the night, with Jeremy Smith adding the extras. Burrow then slotted over a penalty for GB and although the final points of the match were scored by New Zealand's Taniela Tuiaki, this was not enough to deny the Lions their series whitewash with the final score Great Britain 28 New Zealand 22.
And Finally…
In the recent English Premier League between Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers, Blackburn winger David Bentley took to the field in a shirt that had his name on the back printed as 'Betnley'. As pointed out in various media outlets at the time, if the Blackburn staff cannot spell 'Bentley', maybe that explains why Georgian international Zura Khizanishvili can't get into the side.
