Europe wins it for Seve

Europe came from behind to record a record breaking victory in the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club. Late on day two, Europe trailed 10-4 and only pulled it back to 10-6 overnight thanks to some heroics from Ian Poulter. Nonetheless, it was still an uphill struggle, but Europe chipped away at the American lead throughout, before Martin Kaymer holed a clutch put on the 18^th green to confirm victory. The final score was 14.5-13.5, meaning Europe not only retained the Cup, but won it outright.

The final day singles went back and forth on a crazy afternoon. Every time Europe got a run together, the Americans would hit back. But the tone was set by Europe’s lead-out players, with the top 5 matches all ending in European victories. Luke Donald led by example, and was 4 up with 4 to play. A minor wobble was overcome, and he beat Bubba Watson 2&1. Rory McIlroy won by the same margin over Keegan Bradley, despite having overslept and having no practise time. The Northern Irishman never trailed at any point in his match. But the star was Paul Lawrie who, without fuss, annihilated the in-form Brandt Snedeker 5&3. Snedeker was level par in his round, but Lawrie collected four birdies and an eagle in a mistake-free round.

Ryder Cup 2012: The Greatest Event in Golf

The Ryder Cup is the greatest event in golf. Sport is at its best when it is partisan; one team against another. In individual sports, spectators can support their favourite but rarely do so with the fervour with which they would support a team in a head-to-head battle. For this reason, the Ryder Cup is hotly anticipated.

The Europe-USA battle is always an intriguing one. Golf is a sport invented by the Scots and made popular by Europeans, but it was traditionally perfected by the Americans. The USA has won the fêted trophy on 25 occasions, and lost only 11 times. But in recent times, Europe has become the dominant competitor having won four of the last five events. It is ironic that the beginning of Europe’s domination of the Ryder Cup coincided with the continent’s struggles in major championships. From Paul Lawrie’s victory at the Open in 1999, no European won a major until Padraig Harrington in the Open in 2007. In that time, Europe won the Ryder Cup three times in succession, each time convincingly. Since then Europe’s fortunes in the majors as improved, but Ryder Cups performances have waned. Europe won the last event in 2010 which went down to the wire on a dramatic extra day forced by rain, after a comfortable US victory in 2008.

The Fastest Man on Three Wheels: Why David Weir should be BBC Sports Personality of the Year

I've written an article for The Student Journals about why David Weir, who won four gold medals at the London Paralympics, should be recognised as BBC Sports Personality of the Year. In what has been a vintage year of British sport, Weir's acheivements stand out. Add to that the public response to the Paralympics, which fulfilled the 'Inspire a Generation' slogan even more so than the Olympics, and it becomes apparent that our Paralympians deserve more recognition at the Sports Personality of the Year ceremony.

Click here to read The Fastest Man on Three Wheels: Why David Weir should be BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

England batsmen in race to make history

On the first day of the first Test Match against South Africa on Thursday, Alastair Cook hit his twentieth Test century. He was eventually dismissed on the second morning for 115. And so continues one of the richest veins of batting form in world cricket. True, he has not hit the heights of the 2010-11 Ashes Series in Australia. In that series he recorded three centuries (from seven innings) and amassed 766 runs at an average of just under 130. That series well and truly silenced his critics; his place had become under question as he struggled for consistency. Cook’s form continued through the 2011 English cricket season where he added another three centuries, including his career best 294. However, since then he had failed to hit another Test match century (despite coming close on more than one occasion). Interestingly, his promotion to the One-Day International captaincy has invigorated his form in that form of the game. Not only has he now led England to ten consecutive ODI wins, but he has added four centuries (having only scored one previous ton in ODIs). He has now become England’s most reliable batsman.

Now that Cook has reached the milestone of twenty, he will surely have in mind the England Test record of 22, held jointly by Geoff Boycott, Wally Hammond and Colin Cowdrey. It would appear inevitable that, without career-ending injury other unforeseeable circumstances, Cook will end his career with this record, and almost certainly extend it far beyond its current 22. Cook is only 27 years old, having played in 81 Tests since his debut six years ago. It would be well within his capabilities to double that appearance figure before he retires. He is also the obvious successor to Andrew Strauss as England captain. It has been common for England captains to see their form deteriorate as a result of the added burden, Michael Vaughan being a prime example in recent years. Yet Cook’s ODI form since receiving the captaincy in that form of the game would suggest that, if anything, captaincy should push him on to improve the rate at which he makes big scores. He certainly has the potential to end his career as England’s statistically greatest batsman.

However there are two other players who sit lurking in the wings to take down the record for most centuries by an Englishman. Andrew Strauss has now reached 21 Test centuries, just one away from tying the current mark, whilst Kevin Pietersen is on 20 with Alastair Cook. All three will, therefore, by vying to be the man to take down the current mark. Strauss is the closest, but it would be fair to say that he no longer scores centuries at the rate he once did. Since his debut in 2004 up to and including 2009, Strauss hit at least three centuries every year, except for 2007 when a decline in form saw him lose his place in the team. Since 2010, he has only hit three centuries, although admittedly he has experienced a renaissance in 2012 with two hundreds. Pietersen will, in the long-term, be the greatest challenger with Cook for the title of ‘Most prolific Test match century-maker for England.’ Strauss is now 35 and reaching the twilight of his international career.  Pietersen is 32 and should have a good few years left in the team, especially considering his recent retirement from ODIs and Twenty20 Internationals.

All three will be looking to equal the mark this series against South Africa. Pietersen, of course, has significant history with his former countrymen and for him more than the others, two centuries would be of added importance. He also has the most explosive ability of the trio, and if he gets the bit between his teeth he is easily capable of hitting back-to-back hundreds. Strauss only needs one more ton to reach 22, but his first innings duck in the First Test shows the task he has ahead of him considering his patchy current form. Cook would appear to be the front-runner. He has a tendency, as in the most recent Ashes, to get into the habit of scoring centuries. He rarely looked troubled when hitting 115 in the first innings on Thursday, and when in the mood he can become almost impossible to dismiss. This should be of concern to South Africa, who can’t be reliant upon the sort of collapse England suffered on Friday in order to win the series. If Cook’s form remains imperious, then all that is needed is for England’s middle-order to show greater resolution than in this Test.

If I was a betting man, I would back Cook to get to the mark first. He has been England’s best batsman for almost two years now, and shows no sign of letting that tag slip. Perhaps most importantly for Cook, he has more time in which to build up his statistics. Even if he does not reach 22, or surpass it, first, he will almost certainly end his career as the leader. From and England stand-point, it is no coincidence that one of the periods of greatest success for England has coincided with the prosperity of these three prolific run-scorers. Looking to the future, any competition between them to be the first to reach the new record can only be positive. Hopefully, some friendly rivalry within the team in this series will propel England to a series win as the three compete to be the first man to break the record.

England: On the verge of greatness?

When I was growing up, world cricket was dominated by Australia. I was thirteen before I saw England defeat Australia in an Ashes series, and the first three Cricket World Cups that I was old enough to watch were won by the Aussies. However, over the last decade, England has gradually been building a cricketing dynasty. And now, with the Australian team on the wane, England host South Africa over three tests in what can be fairly billed as a series between the world’s two best teams, vying for supremacy.

It is true that the England team’s progression has not been without blips; the post-Ashes series in Pakistan in 2005, The Ashes whitewash of 2006-7 and, more recently, the winter tour to Dubai where England lost 3-0 in the test match series with Pakistan. Yet even that disappointing loss has coincided with a run of ten consecutive ODI victories, still ongoing. And England sits a comfortable first in the ICC Test Match World Rankings, ahead of Australia and upcoming opponents South Africa. But while the Australians seem to be in a period of decline, the South Africans have been one of cricket’s most consistently strong teams over recent years. They will provide a tough test for Andrew Strauss’ men, and a series victory would surely set apart this England team as one of the best.

This is nowhere better illustrated than by the World Rankings. As mentioned England are a clear first in Test matches, but they also sit tied for second (with South Africa) in the ODI series, marginally behind Australia (who England recently thrashed 4-0). It is a rarity in England that an ODI series can take on as much importance as a Test series. But the upcoming matches against South Africa are an exception. A series win could propel England to the top of the ODI rankings. Those of us that have sat through the characteristically turgid England ODI performances of the last ten years can probably hardly believe it has come to this. It’s a shame really that there isn’t a World Cup for another two and a half years! Remarkably England also sits comfortably atop the Twenty20 International Rankings too. There is the potential that, at the end of the summer, England will be top of the World Rankings in all three forms of the game.

That said, it will not be easy. South Africa is ranked third in Tests, and second in both ODIs and T20Is. In real terms, considering the current decline of the Aussies, England and South Africa are the two best cricket teams in the world. This series should be a corker. It is just a shame that there are only three Test matches. A five-match series, where the series can go full circle from start to finish, would have been ideal. South Africa must not be underestimated. It is down mainly to the captaincy of Graeme Smith, who is scheduled to earn his one hundredth cap in the First Test, that South Africa confidence has been rebuilt and mentalities changed. This is not the same South African team that were regularly labelled chokers in the late nineties and early noughties. Smith is also handy with the bat, averaging almost 50 in Tests. Jacques Kallis will, without doubt, be a handful with bat and ball in what may be his final Test Match series. Another player who was due to bow out after the series, Mark Boucher, suffered an horrific eye injury in a warm up game, prompting his retirement from the game. It is a shame that Boucher, one of the greatest wicket-keeper-batsmen of his generation and of all-time for his country, will not have one last hurrah. One suspects that Kallis, if this is to be his last hurrah, will make the most of it. And then there is Dale Steyn, the stand-out bowler, who will undoubtedly cause England’s batsmen no end of problems. Steyn has undergone a remarkable transformation. He is no longer the erratic young fast bowler whom England encountered in 2004-5, but is now the refined finished product, and one of the most consistent, and most feared, fast bowlers in world cricket.

England will be given hope by the lack of star names after Steyn amongst the bowlers. Importantly, considering the importance of Graeme Swann to the balance of the England bowling attack, the South Africans lack a quality spinner. Two spin bowlers make the trip: Robin Petersen and Imran Tahir. Tahir is a journeyman leg-spinner, but he has limited test match experience and is yet to make a significant contribution to the team with the ball. Petersen is vastly more experienced but is a more defensive option. If South Africa are reluctant to play a spinner, or a play one but do not use him, this could have a detrimental effect on their fast bowling.

For England, ten of the names who will play should be no surprise. The question for England, especially in the most important series they have played since the last Ashes, is whether to go with a fifth bowler or an extra batsman. The three men vying for the final spot are Ravi Bopara, Graeme Onions and Steven Finn. Bopara can provide fill-in overs, but nothing more. The more attacking choice would be Finn or Onions, and that would be one I would advocate. England’s top order is a very strong one and it would be fair to back them to score the runs. Graham Swann, Tim Bresnan and Stuart Broad are all accomplished lower order batsmen in their own right, and if necessary they are capable of taking the slack. Personally, I would go with Onions, who has been in imperious form this season, the one bright light in an otherwise miserable season for Durham.

I predict a close series. It is certainly not one to miss. I fancy England to sneak the Test matches, probably 1-0 with two draws. The ODI and T20I series are well and truly up for grabs; I can see them finishing 3-2 and 2-1 respectively, with either team capable of coming out on top.

Is it right that men and women earn equal prize money in tennis?

Here's my latest article for The Student Journals. It was written during the second week of Wimbledon but has been updated with regard to the completion of the tournament. In the article, I look into the equal prize money debate in tennis, determining whether it is fair and right that women are given the same amount of prize money to men. Please read and enjoy!

http://www.studentjournals.co.uk/comment/sport/1494-is-it-right-that-men-and-women-earn-equal-prize-money-in-tennis

Class of Alonso continues to shine with British Grand Prix Pole

The ongoing Formula One season has been one of the closest of all time. The first seven races were won by seven different drivers, the first five races by five different constructors. Six former World Champions are on the grid. There has been no undisputed dominant force. Yet one man has risen above the equal playing field to demonstrate his true class. Sadly for Britatin, his has been neither of the McLaren drivers. Jenson Button began the season with a victory but has since been unable to recreate that form with a series of disappointments dropping him well of the World Championship pace. Lewis Hamilton has been closer to the front but has characteristically lacked the application required to dominate. Neither has it been the Red Bulls of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel. Red Bull dominated the Formula One World Championship in 2010, only for reliability issues to mean Vettel only secured the title in the final race. 2011 saw no such problems as Vettel cruised to his second crown. But this season the team has come back to the pack. Both Lotus and Mercedes have shown flashes of brilliance, but these have been too few and far between, while the drives by Pastor Maldonado of Williams to win in Spain, and Sergio Perez of Sauber to come second in Malaysia, have been outstanding, but neither has been able to replicate it across the season as a whole.

The man who has come closest to dominating, against the odds, has been Fernando Alonso. To those who are not close followers of Formula One, this may not be such a surprise. He is a two-time world champion, and is driving for Ferrari, probably the most iconic team in motor sports. However, this is not the same Ferrari team that dominated the sport in the early noughties, masterminding five successive world championships for Michael Schumacher from 2000 to 2004. The team has gone through a number of years of struggle, still amongst the best in the sport but not quite reaching the high standards they once had set. Fans of Formula One will tell you that, this season, little was expected of the Ferrari car, far from a vintage model for the team. It was expected to be a struggle to compete at the front for the Italians.

Many would argue that the concerns over the car have come to fruition. It would be wrong to claim that it was entirely the car which won Schumacher’s world championships. After all, he won two titles at Benneton in the mid-nineties. Similarly, it would be wrong to say that the car has been nothing but a burden this season for Alonso. Yet it must be admitted that at the start of the season the team was given no chance to compete, even in the knowledge that one of the great drivers in Alonso would be behind the wheel. But the Spaniard has really pulled it out of the bag. The first, and so far only, driver to record multiple race wins this season, he seems to have recreated the form which won him two world championships. He has had a canny knack of being towards the front of the pack in races this year.

The question is, can he keep it up? Certainly his performances have been no fluke, but a return of the class which we all knew he was capable of.  His driving has been nearly faultless and he has extracted all he can from the car. It is often said that it is in the rain that drivers’ true skill is demonstrated. At Silverstone this afternoon, Alonso showed this to be true. He may have had some luck in the second qualifying session as the stewards chose not the penalise him for speeding through waved yellow flags, though on second look this decision would appear fair and well thought through. In the final session, he recorded the fastest time and will sit on pole for tomorrow’s race. It will be his first pole position since 2010, perhaps making it all the more remarkable that he leads the Drivers’ Championship in a sport which many have labelled as boring due to lack of overtaking. I do not agree with this interpretation, but even those who stand by it must agree that Alonso is an exception to it.

A victory tomorrow is far from guaranteed. There are too many variables in Formula One for any worthwhile predictions to be made. With more rain forecast, genuinely anything could happen. But Alonso has given himself the best chance of victory, and it is no coincidence that in a year when most of the cars seem to be on a level playing field, it is him who has managed to take the lead at this stage of the Drivers’ Championship. A win and his class will be beyond dispute. This could be a special year for Alonso. If he can complete his third World Championship, it would surely be the most satisfying for him.

Serena triumph over spirited Radwańska gives hope and warning for Murray

Serena Williams recorded her fifth Wimdbledon Ladies’ Singles title earlier this afternoon, defeating Agnieszka Radwańska in a great display of skill and power. The match itself was far closer than at one stage it looked like it was going to be. From a set and a break up, Serena dropped two service games as Radwańska took the match into a third set. But Serena managed to pull through in the final set, in the end winning it convincingly. The match ended in Serena’s favour 6-1, 5-7, 6-2.

The parallels between this match-up and tomorrow’s Gentlemen’s singles final between Roger Federer and Andy Murray should act as a warning to Murray about what he should expect, but it should also give him some hope. Serena and Federer have been the greatest players of their generation, perhaps no longer at their peak but still a force to be reckoned with.  On paper, the Ladies’ final looked like a close one. Despite being in her first Grand Slam final, Radwańska, world number three, went into the match ranked three places above Serena in the world rankings. The Pole’s semi-final victory over German Angelique Kerber was an impressive display and demonstrated the true scope of her ability. Until May, only world number one Victoria Azarenka had beaten Radwańska in 2012.

Unfortunately for Radwańska, she did not count on the destructive power of Serena. Admittedly the one-sided first set was as much down to Radwańska’s disappointing display as Serena’s domination. The subsequent rain break came at a good time for the Pole, who came out fighting in the second set. She finally demonstrated the flashes of brilliance of which the female tennis world knows she is capable. The cheers of the crowd when Radwańska broke Serena in the eighth game of the second set, tying that set at 4-4, were nothing short of uplifting. Perhaps tellingly, the greater cheer came at the end of the next game. Radwańska won four straight points from 0-30 to hold serve. It felt like Serena would inevitably break back straight away, but she couldn’t. And then when Radwańska managed another break, against all odds she had levelled the match at one set each.

Sadly, the improvement could not last. From 2-2 in the third, Serena powered through thanks to the potent serving that has become her trademark and with two breaks of serve took the victory. The emotion shown by Serena at the end demonstrated how much the victory meant to her. It was her first victory in two years at a Grand Slam, coming after significant health problems which had put her career at threat. Her victory means she has now tied with her sister Venus on five Wimbledon Singles titles.

So what can Andy Murray learn from this match? Of course he comes into the match ranked one place below Federer, though should Federer win he would recapture the world number one position. The Swiss goes into the match in a similar Grand Slam drought to Serena, having not won since the Australian Open of 2010. For most tennis players this could hardly be called a drought, but for two of the best ever in the game, particularly for Federer who has seen his dominance eclipsed by the younger pairing of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, this is longer than they would like to go without a Grand Slam. The hunger which Serena clearly showed in her victory will be replicated in equal measure by Roger Federer on Sunday.

Murray will have to watch out. The Scot has Grand Slam final experience, which Radwańska had lacked before today’s encounter. Yet his experience, twice having lost to Federer at the US Open and Australian Open, and once to Djokovic in Australia, will be of little comfort. Overall, the maxim that form is temporary but class is permanent has never been more appropriate than for the efforts of Serena and Federer at this tournament. Roger will be eager to recapture the world number one ranking, which would help him surpass Pete Sampras for most weeks at number one all time, as well as re-establish the dominance at Wimbledon which saw him win five consecutive titles from 2003 to 2007 and a sixth in 2009.

But Murray can take some positives. Serena was highly favoured but was outplayed by Radwańska in the second set. The Pole was also playing through illness which seemed to affect her early on, and meant she did not have the stamina to compete in the final set. Murray has no such concern. He actually has a winning record against Federer overall despite the two Grand Slam final defeats. In a five set match, Murray has more leeway with regards the time he has to get into the match. Radwańska’s best hope, considering her illness, was to get ahead early, which she could not do. Murray can afford to start slow, as if he can recreate the performance of his fellow underdog in the Ladies’ final, he has a far better chance of making it stick.

Finally, he will have the crowd on his side. Radwańska experienced this in the second set, receiving support in appreciation of her earlier travails. Serena, like Federer, is a popular figure at Wimbledon, appreciated as a consummate professional. But the British crowd love an underdog. The masses in Centre Court will, without doubt, be right behind Murray despite the unquestionable respect they have for Roger. This could be his trump card.

Weekend washouts getting long in the tooth

Another weekend and another game of cricket called off. This has not been a vintage summer for cricket, with the risk of cancelled games hanging over every weekend. So far, from a possible twelve matches, the Seconds at Haughton have only managed to play seven, and that is the highest in the whole league. The Firsts have completed five matches, whereas some teams in the league have played as few as two matches all year. Additionally, numerous cup matches have been repeatedly postponed thanks to the weather.

Obviously this weather has not only affected club cricket. Over the last two weeks at Wimbledon the schedule has been heavily affected by the rain. This is the first year where there has been significant and substantial use of the roof over Centre Court, leading to certain discussionabout exactly when it should be used. The terrible weather, then, is something which can be appreciated by players and spectators of all outdoor sports alike.

The only benefit of cricket being rained off for me personally was that today I had the opportunity to watch two great British sporting events. Appropriately, both suffered from periods of delay as a result of the weather. First there was the Qualifying session for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, and then the Ladies’ Singles Final at Wimbledon. Both were entertaining watches, yet were only the prequels to greater things tomorrow. Obviously the Gentlemen’s Singles Final at Wimbledon is no more prestigious than the Ladies’ equivalent, but it takes on added importance this year with Andy Murray’sparticipation, the first Briton since 1938 to appear in a Wimbledon final.

The day without cricket has given me the time not only to watch, but to write about both the tennis and Formula One. I intend to upload both posts later today, so please keep checking back!