Chris Tremlett: Sam Curran deserves his place in England’s Test side despite tough first day in Barbados January 23, 2019 England had a difficult decision to make before play even got under way in the first Test against the West Indies in Barbados today. They delayed their team selection until the latest possible moment so captain Joe Root could have a good look at the Kensington Oval pitch. Reading conditions and the wicket is a [...]
Hong Kong horse racing: Beauty the best of his Generation January 23, 2019 THERE is something very special happening in Hong Kong horse racing these days. Beauty Generation is fast becoming the iconic horse of the racing-mad nation and, after a brilliant hat-trick of Group One victories in 2018, he was confirmed as the world’s top miler at the Longines World’s Best Racehorse awards in London on Wednesday. [...]
Is Stefanos Tsitsipas’s progress at the Australian Open a sign of a changing of the guard in men’s tennis? January 22, 2019 Men’s tennis has a habit of proclaiming a new era, and the events at the Australian Open over the last week have once again pushed the sport’s favourite topic into the spotlight. Stefanos Tsitsipas’s defeat of Roger Federer on Sunday and his subsequent progression to the semi-finals, where he’ll face another all-time great in Rafael [...]
Trevor Steven: Wolves have Nuno Espirito Santo and super-agent Jorge Mendes to thank for their successful return to the Premier League January 22, 2019 Wolves are having a tremendous first season back in the Premier League. Currently eighth in the table and, with just 23 games gone, already nearing a points tally that should end any lingering worries about relegation; they have taken the momentum of their promotion campaign and maintained it in the top flight. Their impressive manager [...]
West Indies v England preview: Hosts beset by off-the-field problems ahead of Test opener January 21, 2019 As well as with the idyllic Caribbean landscape, England begin their Test series against the West Indies on Wednesday against a backdrop of stark contrasts. While Joe Root’s side are looking up from their position of No3 in the world rankings following a positive run of results and the hosts languish in eighth, it is off [...]
Why have Premier League clubs made so few signings in the January 2019 transfer window? January 21, 2019 On the field, the action continues to come thick and fast in the Premier League. Liverpool and Manchester City remain locked in a title race of the highest quality, there are compelling battles both to finish in the top four and to avoid relegation, and the most recent round of fixtures saw not one but [...]
Stuart Law: Middlesex’s new hard-nosed head coach believes he can turn around club’s fortunes in 2019 January 20, 2019 It’s all change at Middlesex in 2019. After a disappointing season in which the team failed to secure promotion back to Division One and flopped in white-ball cricket, heads rolled. Richard Scott was sacked as head coach midway through the campaign, with coaches Richard Johnson and Dave Houghton then leaving for new roles at Surrey [...]
Fulham 1-2 Tottenham: Five things we learned as Harry Winks’ late header wins it for below-par Spurs January 20, 2019 This was a match which summed up both sides’ seasons. Fulham played some exciting, expansive football at Craven Cottage yesterday; the visitors played some ordinary, limited football. Yet after 93 minutes the score read Fulham 1-2 Tottenham as Spurs turned around their mediocrity to snatch three points and the hosts capitulated embarrassingly to lose yet [...]
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has chosen a dangerous time to gamble on his criticism provoking a positive reaction January 20, 2019 Conventional wisdom dictates that football managers shouldn’t criticise their players in public. Point out their flaws, tear strips off them and give them the hairdryer treatment behind closed doors, but in front of the cameras it’s generally regarded as counter-productive. Maurizio Sarri has never been one for convention, though. The Chelsea manager, who had a [...]
Forward thinking: Eddie Jones reveals unorthodox idea to field nine forwards ahead of England’s Six Nations campaign January 17, 2019 Eddie Jones is no stranger to causing a stir, and in his first media appearance of a World Cup year he was at it again. The England head coach said on Thursday, as he named his squad for the Six Nations opener against Ireland on 2 February, that he is considering turning conventional wisdom on [...]