Thanks everyone for keeping me company on this afternoon of sport. Time for me to head off as we get ready to launch into our cricket live blog. Hang around and see if India can get the job done or if England can manage to do it for their home fans. Enjoy and see you next time!
AFL: Lions beat Demons 15.17 (107) to 11.8 (74)
The Dees couldn’t hold on to their half-time lead and the Lions slowly but surely ran away with the game. Eric Hipwood starred for the home team with five goals, while teammate Dayne Zorko was also in scorching form, with three goals, two behinds and 31 disposals. The win will give the Lions plenty of confidence as they prepare for their big match up against the fourth placed Giants in Sydney next weekend.
Zorks follows through and kicks another!
— Brisbane Lions (@brisbanelions) June 30, 2019
Lions: 93 - Dees: 67 #AFLLionsDees #Uncaged pic.twitter.com/Q9dkEiswFY
NRL: Bulldogs 14-12 Sharks
A pounce on a loose ball and an all-out sprint for the tryline by Sharks’ interchange player Jack Williams threatened to derail the Bulldogs’ dreams of a fourth win this season with 90 seconds on the clock. But utter desperation in defence saw the home team walk away with the two points and skip happily into their bye round, despite not scoring in the second half. Some kicking practice on the agenda for the Sharks as they failed to convert any of their three tries.
💪 We hold on for the win!
— Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (@NRL_Bulldogs) June 30, 2019
https://t.co/UcOmoHud1d #NRLBulldogsSharks #NRL pic.twitter.com/eaSz143hqc
Cricket: It’s about 45 minutes until our live blog kicks off, which is just enough time to listen to an episode of The Guardian’s cricket podcast The Spin. May I recommend this one, which features Australia’s own Geoff Lemon and Felicity Ward. Lots of laughs to be had.
Rugby league: This is a great story from the UK about the PDRL - the Super League adjacent competition for players with physical disabilities. Aaron Moon’s story is a fascinating one and this competition is sure to produce many more.
Tennis: Serena Williams is keen to partner Andy Murray in the mixed doubles it seems, after Murray was turned down by a number of women’s players he approached. Whether or not it will come to pass remains to be seen, but it would certainly add some interest and fire to the mixed doubles tournament.
Hockey: Just for something a little bit different on this Sunday evening, the Hockeyroos finished with silver in the inaugural FIH Hockey Pro League. The Australians were locked up 2-2 with the Netherlands at full time before falling to the home team 4-3 in a penalty shootout. The Kookaburras will play their Pro League final tonight against Belgium.
A huge cheer for the @Hockeyroos for an amazing season and finishing as the silver medalists in the inaugural edition of the #FIHProLeague pic.twitter.com/1bBTtIPbeK
— International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) June 29, 2019
AFL: Some warm and fuzzy news out of the Saints and Tigers game, with over $100,000 raised for Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision, a charity that raises money for medical research into Bone Marrow Failure Syndrome.
In total, we ended up raising over $100,000 for @MaddiesVision pic.twitter.com/2hnIgOnIlY
— St Kilda FC (@stkildafc) June 30, 2019
Cricket: Not long now until our live blog for the England v India match begins. While we wait, it seems like a good time to re-live some England misery (to be fair, any time is a good time for that). And if you ever doubted Geoff Lemon’s ability to write an entire article about one delivery, he has well and truly proved you wrong with this wonderful article about Starc’s yorker to remove Stokes. Geoff is the master of imagery and this article is no exception. My personal favourite line is “Starc is long and lean, a figure stretched out like a Quentin Blake drawing.” Enjoy reading this and picturing Starc as the BFG, with Aaron Finch perched on his hand peering at him quizzically like a little Sophie.
NRL: Half-time in Homebush and it’s the Bulldogs who have the ascendancy over their southern rivals, leading 14-8. The Sharks appeared to have been caught out early by a Bulldogs team hungry for a win, having only won three games this season and not recording a win since Round 10. With their bye coming next week the Dogs will be desperate to secure this victory, however they will need to lift again in the second half after letting in two tries late in the first half.
The @NRL_Bulldogs start = 🔥🔥🔥#NRLBulldogsSharks #TelstraPremiership pic.twitter.com/KN434nTun1
— NRL (@NRL) June 30, 2019
Netball: The delightful Erin Delahunty wrote this week about the Folau saga finally creeping into Super Netball after Maria Folau reposted her husband’s GoFundMe campaign. Lots of interesting implications for the competition and how players are being prepared to comment on issues like this in the increasingly professional era.
AFL: Half-time in Brisbane and the Dees are leading the Lions 6.5 (41) to 4.11 (35). Bad news for the Lions as a groggy Oscar McInerney was led from the field with five minutes remaining in the half with blood streaming from his nose after a clash with Christian Salem’s shoulder. It’s been a scrappy game so far and both teams will be looking for improvement in the second half.
Brisbane's Oscar McInerney received an ovation as he left the field following a collision with Melbourne's Christian Salem.#AFLLionsDees pic.twitter.com/VNgAnikT8K
— AFL.com.au (@AFLcomau) June 30, 2019
Cycling: Another great read from during the week about the lack of good Tour de France level races for women. While La Course was by all accounts a challenging course and produced a great spectacle, it lacks the gravity of a multi-day race.
NRL: Warriors 18-19 Panthers (golden point)
The Warriors looked the goods in the first half, but a strong second half from the Panthers saw the game go into golden point that was sealed by a James Moloney field goal. A pretty good week in all for Moloney, after steering the Blues to victory in Origin in Perth last Sunday.
FULL-TIME. YES! James Maloney WINS IT with a Golden Point Field Goal 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽#pantherpride 🐾#NRLWarriorsPanthers pic.twitter.com/hJPrHs3FHr
— Penrith Panthers (@PenrithPanthers) June 30, 2019
From AAP:
Naden the hero as Panthers sink Warriors
Brent Naden scored an NRL try for the ages and James Maloney had the final say as Penrith snatched a dramatic 19-18 golden point win over the Warriors in Auckland.
The Panthers unleashed one of the gutsiest performances seen on Mt Smart Stadium, overcoming two contentious sin bin rulings and a 10-point deficit to notch their fifth straight win. Rookie centre Naden was the hero with two tries in the final half-hour, including a memorable 90-metre solo try with three minutes remaining to put his team two points in front. Maloney was deemed offside from the subsequent Warriors short kick-off and Patrick Herbert held his nerve, levelling the scores with a 35m penalty in the final minute of regular time.
A week after his influential State of Origin performance for NSW and without injured halves partner Nathan Cleary, Maloney capped an exceptional game with the winning field goal, after he and opposite Blake Green had both missed earlier attempts. Maloney also laid on two of his team’s three tries, setting up a leaping Naden with a pinpoint bomb to start the fightback from 16-6 down.
The Warriors appeared destined to end their miserable run of home form when David Fusitu’a crossed after a fuming Penrith had been reduced to 11 players.
Maloney, who had a running battle with referee Gerard Sutton, was firstly enraged by Liam Martin’s 10-minute punishment for repeated Panthers offending soon before halftime. He believed he hadn’t been given sufficient warning that a sin bin was looming. The veteran’s blood pressure doubled soon after the break when halves partner Jarome Luai was given his marching orders, reducing the visitors to 11 for three minutes.
Sutton deemed Luai had committed a professional foul for tripping Warriors skipper Roger Tuivasa-Sheck - a questionable ruling on two counts. The contact appeared accidental and Tuivasa-Sheck had already knocked on in the lead-up.
Maloney’s men somehow regrouped in the most spectacular win of their mid-season revival, highlighted by 23-year-old Naden’s defence shredding run in just his fourth NRL game.
Updated
Cricket: This delightfully scathing article on Geoff Boycott’s opinions on a no-deal Brexit (I can’t say I ever thought that was a sentence I would compose) by Marina Hyde during the week is just so good. Do yourself a favour and have a read. It had me cackling on the train with lines like “In fact, it is rather easier to see his whole career as being of a coherent piece when you remember it is all underpinned by the same inability to think much – or indeed anywhere – beyond what suits himself.”
Women’s sport: I don’t like to toot my own horn* but while you’re enjoying this lovely afternoon of sport you might enjoy reading this article I wrote about our world-beating sportswomen during the week.
*This isn’t true, I love tooting my own horn.
Richmond beat St Kilda 16.7 (103) to 10.10 (70)
After a slow start, the Tigers were simply too good for their local rivals, building their lead throughout the second half. Sydney Stack was a standout, with four goals and 15 disposals, while Josh Bruce did his best to keep the Saints in the game with three goals and 13 disposals.
FT: @Richmond_FC 16.7 (103) defeats @stkildafc 10.10 (70).#AFLSaintsTigers pic.twitter.com/EtKJGFSVgw
— AFL (@AFL) June 30, 2019
From AAP:
Tigers’ AFL win adds to Saints pressure
The pressure ramps up on St Kilda coach Alan Richardson, after Richmond broke clear in the last term for a 33-point AFL win. Tigers ruck-forward Mabior Chol starred in his third senior game as Richmond broke their three-game losing streak and returned to the top eight with the 16.7 (103) to 10.10 (70) win on Sunday at Marvel Stadium.
The Saints have made it clear the team needs to claim a big scalp or two for Richardson to retain his job beyond this season. They lacked nothing for effort - and it was a significant improvement on last week’s shocker against Brisbane - but they could not maintain a promising first half. After starting the game with 7.0, St Kilda butchered their chances in the last term and sprayed a wasteful 2.7 as the Tigers piled on seven goals.
Chol sealed the win in the last quarter when he capitalised on St Kilda’s mix-up at a boundary throw in, grabbing the ball and kicking an easy goal. The Sudanese-born player took nine marks and kicked three goals. Sydney Stack also kicked four goals and Dustin Martin racked up 36 disposals.
Richmond, who came out of the mid-season bye with seven changes, looked scratchy early. Josh Bruce kicked the first goal of the game after a minute as the Saints made a bright start. They kicked the opening three goals of the match - the first time St Kilda have managed that this season - and Richmond were on the back foot.
Stack and Chol made early statements, kicking the Tigers’ first two goals to keep it tight at quarter-time. After Stack also kicked the opening goal of the second term, St Kilda went on a four-goal run and they broke out to a 23-point lead.
But again Chol and Stack kicked goals and the Tigers were only four points down at the main break as the 2017 premiers started finding their groove. Richmond kicked another four goals in the third term and the dam wall was creaking.
Cult figure Matt Parker’s goal late in the third term stalled the Richmond surge, but the seven-point Tigers lead at three-quarter time felt like a lot more.
Updated
Rugby: With the Brumbies out of the Super Rugby race, Australia’s focus now turns to September’s Rugby World Cup in Japan. Michael Cheika says the Wallabies will try a new style of attack after the departure of former attack coach Stephen Larkham. Though “new” is likely code for “actually quite old” because isn’t that always the way rugby likes to do things?
Tennis: Still on Barty, Kevin Mitchell gave us some incredible insight into the champion this week as she prepares to embark on her Wimbledon campaign. Although the life of an athlete often seems wonderfully exciting to us mere mortals, I found the line “I would love to be home every single minute of every single day” so resonant. Barty clearly loves her tennis, but the struggle between playing the sport she loves and the constant travel when you’re such a homebody is so striking.
Wimbledon: Another great piece from this week is Simon Cambers’ analysis of some of the big names carrying injuries into Wimbledon. Not so for Australia’s Ash Barty who, despite pulling out of the Nature Valley International in Eastbourne, appears fit and raring to go as she enters her first grand slam as world number one.
Cricket: It seems strange to be talking about cricket so much in the depths of winter, but definitely strange in a good way. The women’s Ashes are coming up and the games are certain to be incredible. Former Australian captain Lisa Sthalekar gave us a great primer for the tournament during the week. Can’t wait to see what Meg Lanning and her team have in store for us when it begins.
NRL: Half-time over in Auckland and it’s the Warriors leading the Panthers 12-6. A penalty goal broke the deadlock for the home team in the 31st minute before Bunty Afoa pushed the Warriors further ahead with his 37th minute try.
Crowd favourite Bunty Afoa crashes over 💪#NRLWarriorsPanthers New Zealand hits the lead: 12-6#TelstraPremiership pic.twitter.com/vfEq4zaY32
— NRL (@NRL) June 30, 2019
Women’s World Cup: Hope Solo has provided some great insight during the World Cup and this is a great read on how the Lionesses can overcome the might of the US team. No doubt it will be an incredible semi-final on Wednesday and certainly worth the 5am alarm.
Cricket: With the big game between India and England coming up later this evening, now is a good chance to re-live last night’s game - unless you’re a Black Caps fan that is! Mitchell Starc seems to be building a fairly decent career out of crushing New Zealand and I’m sure I can’t be the only one wondering if he’s could skip on over to Wallabies training camp once he’s done with the Cricket World Cup? Our intrepid reporter Geoff Lemon was on the ground to witness all the glorious Kiwi-destroying action and has analysed the win beautifully.
Netball: With the Super Netball at the start of their Netball World Cup break, this weekend the finals of the Australian Netball League filled the void for fans who were at a loss. A nailbiter of a grand final was won by the Victorian Fury, defeating NSW Waratahs 53-52. In the earlier bronze medal match, the Tasmanian Magpies defeated the Canberra Giants 59-50. A lot of great young talent on show, many faces who will no doubt be in the mix for the Diamonds team at the 2027 Netball World Cup, which the NSW Government this week announced it will be bidding for in partnership with Netball Australia.
WHAT A THRILLER! The Fury win by a goal in the Grand Final! 🏆
— Netball Victoria (@netballvic) June 30, 2019
Fantastic game by both the Fury and the Waratahs, such a great contest between two strong teams!
#GoFury pic.twitter.com/n5OAZQxNHS
Updated
AFL: Half-time in Melbourne and the Saints have a narrow lead over the Tigers, ahead 7.0 (42) - 6.2 (38). Sydney Stack has been dominant for Richmond, with three goals and seven disposals in the first half, while the Saints have shared the scoring more evenly.
"What a gun!" 🔫
— AFL (@AFL) June 30, 2019
Hard to disagree, Huddo. #AFLSaintsTigers pic.twitter.com/WPRyEgzGEQ
Preamble
Welcome back to another big afternoon of sport with our Sportwatch live blog. We’ve got some NRL and AFL to take you through to the start of the cricket tonight, where it’s a big game between England and India with the home side desperate to secure a much-needed win.
