Cricket: Australia v India: David Warner steals Day One show

David Warner holds his helmet high dedicated to Phil Hughes as he celebrates a century (photo: Getty Images)

A sunny and dry Adelaide greeted Australia and India, on what was a heartfelt but heavy day for cricket.  Tributes to Phil Hughes flowed pre-game, as Australian skipper Michael Clarke won the toss and confidently chose to bat.

His decision was ultimately justified by the powerful David Warner, who decided to put Indian fast bowler Varun Aaron to the boundary three times in his opening over.  His very first delivery was smashed with precision timing to the cover ropes.

Advertisement

Cricket: Saying goodbye to a little champion personally

Tributes for Phil Hughes left outside the South Entrance at the Adelaide Oval (photo: Davis Harrigan)

It has been one of the most emotional weeks of cricket during my lifetime.

I did not know the man Phillip Hughes – aka “Hughesy” or “Boof” – but I saw him play many times live and on TV.  The situation that unfolded this week, bringing the cricket world to a standstill, truly hit home when I attended a women’s Twenty20 game between the South Australia Scorpions and the Australian Capital Territory Meteors on Friday, at Adelaide Oval No. 2, behind the spectacular main ground.

AFL: How Brisbane need to set themselves for the future

Tom Rockliff v Adelaide (photo: Getty Images)

The battle at the MCG on Saturday night between Collingwood and the Brisbane Lions, in some aspects, is a game-changer.

On the back of a 105 point belting at the hands of the Adelaide Crows, the young Lions brigade received a rude shock.  They cannot make finals, but they can ruffle the Magpies feathers if they bring an A-Game performance.

Cricket: Day/night test cricket a pink blow to the heart

Kane Williamson of NZL v West Indies; shots like this may disappear with the pink ball (photo: WICB Media/Randy Brooks)

As the traditional form of the game, test cricket is not something that can – or should – be radically altered.

Now, though, that scene has the potential to change.

Australian University Games: La Trobe Day 3 – Tenpin Bowling, Basketball and Squash

Women’s Basketball Team, 2013 AUG (photo mine)

TENPIN BOWLING

La Trobe dft University of Adelaide 5-0

La Trobe dft University of New South Wales 3-2

La Trobe dft Griffith University 5-0

Taking on Adelaide University in the morning, the hard nights and long days were really beginning to take their toll. 

Australian University Games: a La Trobe University preview

My personal Australian University Games Banner (Google Images – Source)

Back in July almost 2,000 students converged on Ballarat for Southern University Games for four days and nights of sport and socialising.

Now, it’s September, and University Games is back for its biggest event of the year.  This time, the number of students will be somewhat closer to 6,000, and the location will be the Gold Coast. It’s time for Australian University Games (AUG).

Southern University Games: La Trobe University: Ultimate Frisbee Preview

La Trobe University Ultimate Frisbee logo

Playing for a sports team at university means you meet new friends, try new things and have new adventures.

One of those new adventures could be ultimate frisbee.  In 2013, the La Trobe University Ultimate Frisbee club (otherwise known as LATUUF) has seen a new cohort of players not only join the club, but stick with the club.

Southern University Games and La Trobe University Preview

Southern University Games 2013/La Trobe University Banner

Southern University Games (SUG) is the biggest university sport event on the calendar in July for Victoria, and there is plenty of action and partying happening all week.

There are 16 sports to be contested over four days between Victorian universities, a couple of TAFE institutes, with Adelaide and Tasmania also included in the mix.

Before I continue, here are the 16 sports for the 2013 games, to be held in Ballarat, in partnership with the University of Ballarat:

AFL: Brisbane Lions v Adelaide Round 2 Preview

Adelaide Crows Logo
(sourced from Wikipedia)

Redemption is on the minds of both Brisbane Lions and Adelaide fans this weekend, with neither side posting a win in round one.

Adelaide were beaten at home by Essendon, while the Lions were huge fancies to beat the Western Bulldogs in Melbourne, but ultimately succumbed to not being able to run out the four quarters.

After a superb pre-season competition, the Lions wanted to start season 2013 off with a bang-a goal which proved to be unachievable.  Hope, however, may lay in store at the Gabba in front of loyal hometown fans.

Cricket: Players In Focus: Peter Siddle and Phil Hughes

Peter Siddle, Boxing Day 2012 (photo mine)

The Australian cricket summer took a series of unexpected twists and turns.  From the series loss to South Africa, to the Aussies losing several pace bowlers to injury, it was a long and toiling summer.

Two players who stood the test of summer were Phil Hughes and Peter Siddle.  The battler and the workhorse were prime indications of players who had worked hard to prepare themselves for the test (and in Hughes’ case, the one-day) series.