Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Sports World |
| Could England's confidence backfire? Posted: 24 Nov 2010 06:12 AM PST With Australia heavily favoured in the months leading up to the Ashes 2010 series, which gets underway later today in Brisbane, England were widely touted as the underdogs in the Ashes betting markets. However, as the days leading up to the action have come and gone, England have grown in confidence and the Aussies have slipped the other way, seemingly mired in instability and a lack of confidence emphasised by outrageous comments in certain elements of the hosts' media. Now, support for the English is coming from all corners of the cricketing world, with Sir Ian Botham predicting live on English television that England should return home complete with the famous little urn they brought over with them. Botham's confidence in England appears to revolve around the near perfect preparation that the tourists have experienced, with the batsmen getting runs, the bowlers getting wickets, and a high standard of fielding being displayed in the crucial weeks leading up to the action. Botham contrasted this momentum that England seem to have gathered to the confusion that seems to be disrupting the preparation of the Australians. However, before the England players get too carried away by such proclamations of support, they should take careful notice of Botham's assertion that the hosts will "come out fighting". For some teams, and the Aussies are no different, being written off, particularly by your own media and fans, provides the ideal motivation with which to prove doubters wrong. If complacency creeps into the English game as the action in Brisbane gets underway and they start to believe their own hype, Botham and the other vocal English supporters could find themselves regretting such early confidence.  |
| Posted: 24 Nov 2010 05:41 AM PST Australia's reserve wicket keeper, Tim Paine, has been ruled out for between six and eight weeks following a broken finger inflicted during an exhibition match on Sunday night. The player, who was part of the Australia 'A' side which was dismantled by England last week, damaged his right index finger after being hit by a 148 km/hour delivery from team-mate Dirk Nannes and will subsequently miss being involved in any Ashes betting odds. It is the fourth broken finger Paine has suffered in the past two years, with the most recent in a One-Day International against India last October which ended his tour of the sub-continent early This means that there will be even more pressure on first choice wicket keeper, Brad Haddin, who whilst excellent with the bat, has still not filled the enormous shoes left by Adam Gilchrist following his retirement. Not that this is any reflection on the New South Wales player – he has taken 110 catches and 2 stumpings at Test level – but more proof of just how talented his predecessor was. Paine is heavily tipped by Ashes online betting pundits to become Haddin's long-term replacement and his injury is another little distraction which captain Ricky Ponting and the under-fire board of selectors could have done without in this most important of preparatory weeks. Graeme Manou is expected to be drafted in as Paine's replacement – the same man who ironically made his debut by replacing Paine in India when he had again broken a finger – but since then, Manou has not added to that Test cap.  |
| ATP World Tour Finals day three preview Posted: 24 Nov 2010 03:18 AM PST Day three is the crucial one in Group B of the 2010 ATP World tour Finals singles. One player will but be guaranteed a place in the semi finals whilst another can pack their bags and get ready for their end of season break. Roger Federer and Andy Murray won their opening matches against David Ferrer and Robin Soderling with such ease that the victor of the evening match between the latter two will not be confident of progress, but they will at least give themselves a shot at knocking out one of the group's two favourites. That will in all probability according to the tennis betting odds be Soderling. Both he and Ferrer were blown away in their openers, so not much can be read into their current form. Both made too many errors against quality opposition but the more aggressive Soderling, who holds an 8-4 head-to-head advantage over the Spaniard, has the power and aggression to keep Ferrer on the back foot. The other clash is harder to call. Murray famously has a superior record in previous matches with Federer. Leading eight wins to five, including a heavy straight sets victory in their last meeting in the Shanghai Masters final. Federer and Murray do not read too much into that history as they know the Swiss legend wins their most important encounters. Whilst this is not a Grand Slam showdown or even a knockout match – the loser will probably still reach the semi finals – they will be desperate to make a statement to the barclays atp betting odds ahead of next season. Question marks regarding their prospects in 2011 hang over both men and victory in London will remind their critics that they will be major forces next year. Both have plenty to prove and it is Federer who should be backed to edge this one that should need a deciding set.  |
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