Summary
It’s one of the pedigree fixtures of the season, and after much handwringing over the demise of Australia’s domestic football competition it’s fair to say, the A-League is back, baby.
A sold out Parramatta Stadium, a pulsating atmosphere for 90 minutes - and a derby win for the Wanderers, albeit by the finest of margins.
Sydney FC’s Steve Corica was an unhappy man after his side appeared to score a goal that wasn’t awarded. It looked for all measure like the ball had crossed the line after coming off the inside of the post and along Daniel Lopar’s line - but was it the whole ball?
The visitors dominated play - in midfield, in possession - but they couldn’t find a knock out blow. Milos Ninkovic hitting the crossbar early on, while Kosta Barbarouses spurned at least two gild-edged chances to notch the winner.
A brilliant rearguard effort from the Wanderers marshalled expertly by Matthew Jurman. And a stoinking goal to decide it - go find a look at Mitchell Duke’s headed winner - it was a thing of beauty.
A terrific exhibition of Australian football, and nearly 30,000 fans going home, if not very happy, but at least hugely entertained.
“We dominated the whole game. I’m very proud of how we played, I’m disappointed we didn’t score.”
“My opinion, it went over the line - we could have had a penalty too. They’ve got the technology to make sure they got it right, let’s hope they got it right.”
That’s the word from Sydney FC’s head coach, Steve Corica. Still a little aggrieved, but to be expected given the atmosphere.
Sydney FC with 68% possession, but just four shots on target for their 20 attempts.
“We were a little fortunate, but look - we are a young side and we have to take our luck and believe in ourselves.”
It’s a relieved Marcus Babbel post-game. But he sees his side remain the only perfect-record side in the league: three games played, three games won. Top of the table.
It’s a relieved skipper and match-winning Mitch Duke who chat’s post-game.
“These derby matches are all about one key moment and lucky enough we took it.”
His bullet header really was something special - a goal worthy of winning any game, let alone a derby.
Full-time: Western Sydney 1-0 Sydney FC
It’s been a looooong time coming - but in the return to the new-look Parramatta Stadium, it’s the Wanderers who emerge on top!
Almost 1,000 days since their last derby win. What an atmosphere - what a night. Terrific stuff.
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90 + 4 min: They’ve got about seven players in a line up front, Sydney FC - a lumped ball into the box falls to a man in a blue shirt - would you believe it’s Ninkovic, free - but he’s blocked!!
Terrific recovery from his former teammate, Jurman. Has he just saved the three points for his new club?
90 + 3 min: Sydney look to force the play, what can they come up with. The Wanderers fans start to whistle for full-time, but we’ve still got a few minutes to run.
90 + 1 min: Ach. It’s a nasty clash of heads - and it’s the two brothers McGowan, and they’re both laid out flat.
They eventually get back to their feet, Ryan a little more groggily. He’s staying forward as a makeshift striker, and looking to cause some havoc in the box.
89 min: Ninkovic tries a shot - it deflects and falls almost to Adam Le Fondre, who tries the spectacular bicycle kick! But it sails high.
18 shots to five is the official tally. It really has been all Sydney FC this second half. Four minutes is the added time.
And a fair turnout, as the official crowd figure for tonight is confirmed:
28,519 in the crowd at a packed @BankwestStadium for the #SydneyDerby. #ALeague pic.twitter.com/bkvmn9qZbn
— Hyundai A-League (@ALeague) October 26, 2019
85 min: And that’s Luke Brattan in the book for Sydney FC. It’s beginning to feel like it’s not going to be their night, the Sky Blues.
It feels a long time between drinks for derby wins for the Wanderers - could it be tonight?
And the big news from the Rugby World Cup - the defending champions, chasing a three-peat, the all-conquering All Blacks are out. What a terrific performance from Eddie Jones’ England:
81 min: And there’s the Poznan! Back at Parramatta Stadium, and what a treat to see.
The RBB raise the decibel level once again. What an evening this has been - and what a breath of fresh air, in a league that some were saying had got a little stale.
Stadiums custom-made for football, with sold out crowds, full of highly engaged fans. What more do you want?
79 min: Another talking point as Retre collapses in a heap inside the box. He was rising for a header, but Baccus burrows under the left back, and he lands heavily. No suggestion of a penalty - and Corica is again raging on the touchline!
It’s not his night, the Sydney FC coach - expect some words after full-time.
77 min: It’s one-way traffic here, but that won’t faze Marcus Babbel too much, as long as his side hold on.
Sydney are probing and testing, but they still haven’t found a way past Lopar. What a big call that was from Babbel to tear up the long-term contract of Vedran Janjetovic and bring in a visa-spot ‘keeper.
But you’d have to say it’s paid off handsomely.
74 min: They’re funnelling deep, Western Sydney, but they’ve not been unduly put under pressure, yet.
That said, Ninkovic slides a perfect ball for Barbarouses, and he’s one-on-one through with the ‘keeper - but Lopar denies him! Great save with the outstretched left leg.
That should have been the equaliser!
72 min: That’s the end of the shift for Baumjohann, who gets the jeers from his old fans. It’s Anthony Caceres who takes his place for Sydney FC.
68 min: A terrific intervention from Schwegler - he’s been everywhere tonight, the Wanderers holding midfielder, as he slides in to cut out a dangerous cross from Grant.
Le Fondre then looks to bend one, but he leans back and it flies a little high.
65 min: A fine whipped cross across the face from Duke, but there’s no Wanderers arriving to tap home. They’re finding great joy on the fast transition - imagine if they’d made it two!
63 min: Barbarouses looks to fire a fast break for Sydney FC, but it’s won back by Duke.
Baumjohann wins a corner - they’re still pushing, the Sky Blues. Can they find the goal though?
59 min: A slight lull in proceedings after the real burst of venom. Incredible that we don’t have a definitive answer on the Sydney FC goal/non-goal yet. A case for goal-line technology independent of VAR perhaps?
57 min: Grant concedes a corner, trying to chest back to his ‘keeper but it goes into touch.
Meier with a near-post flick, but it flies past the near post, and doesn’t trouble Andrew Redmayne.
54 min: This game is bubbling now - Grant gets a talking to from the referee. The crowd’s getting involved, Schwegler’s in the mix of it again.
Schwegler and Grant have a coming together - and Corica gets imbroiled in the touchline melee as well! Fiery stuff.
A yellow card to both Grant and Schwegler. Seemingly no punishment, yet for Corica.
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51 min: Post! My, oh my. What a charmed life this Wanderers’ goal is leading! It’s Barbarouses’s header that comes off the inside of the post - has that crossed the line?
The TV replays suggest it has - and yet VAR has dismissed the claims. Steve Corica is blowing up. Surely there has to be a definitive answer from the video men - from the naked eye it looked a goal!
50 min: Sydney FC look to get their passing game going in midfield, and they’ve earned a corner off Baccus. What can O’Neill make from this?
48 min: An injury concern for Sullivan, who is down with a potential groin issue. It could be an early chance for the Wanderers.
And he does make way - it’s the teenager Mohamed Adam who comes on in his place.
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Kick-off - second half: Sydney derby!
45 min: We’re back, and let’s see what this second stanza brings. Wanderers coach Babbel tells the commentary team his side needs to defend better as a collective - let’s see if there’s a little sting in Western Sydney’s first few minutes.
But! Back to our feature match - from the A-League, and a new-look Parramatta Stadium where there’s a sell-out crowd for the first Sydney derby of 2019-20.
Second half is just about to get underway.
And from the Rugby Union World Cup, an horrific error from the lineout has given the All Blacks their first foothold in the game. It’s been imperious from England so far - but have they just let the foxes into the henhouse?
And a pretty impressive result from the rugby league - Tonga putting on a masterclass against a combined Great Britain team. John Davidson is our eyes at the stadium for that one:
And a between-innings update from the WBBL - a flurry of late wickets and the scoring slows a little towards the end - they notch 8-132 (20) Sydney Thunder. Will it be enough?
Plenty of starts but no big scores to bring it home - Rachel Hayne’s 36 off 33 the pick with the bat. Maitlin Brown and Sophie Molineux with three wickets each for the Renegades.
Half-time: Western Sydney 1-0 Sydney FC
45 min: Another chance, Sydney FC! It’s a tough tackle in midfield that releases Le Fondre, but Lopar races off his line to clear! A fast finish to the half, they’ve got stronger and stronger Sydney FC, and yet they still trail.
A pulsating first forty-five, the second stanza will only be better, you’d imagine. What an atmosphere - exactly what the A-League needs.
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42 min: It’s blocked by the wall. But from the following play they’ve clattered the post, Sydney FC!
It might have been scratched off for offside anyway, but what a letoff for the Wanderers. They’re on the back foot here.
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41 min: Baccus in the book for a clumsy barge in the back against Baumjohann. And here’s a fine shooting chance from a good position just outside the box - and guess, who - it’s the German, Baumjohann who’s over it. Wouldn’t this be a storyline.
39 min: Nice feet from Bacchus as Wanderers open up the play, but they can’t find the final crossed delivery.
Sydney with some slick short-passing between their small, clever forward line. But it ends with a shot wide from Barbarouses from outside the box. Lopar won’t mind that - it didn’t look too threatening in the end.
Updated
37 min: O’Neill with a placed shot from outside the box, but it’s blocked. They’ve shuffled well, the Wanderers backline - Matt Jurman and Dylan McGowan more or less getting it down. We’ve seen little of Le Fondre so far. But he only ever needs half a sniff, the English poacher.
35 min: Brilliant ball in from Schwegler and Duke tries to glance it goalwards - but it’s too faint! It deflects behind for a corner.
And for all their huffing and puffing, Sydney FC, it’s Wanderers who have created the two best chances - both almost against the run of play.
33 min: Schwegler penalised for a foul on Ninkovic. He’ll have to watch himself, the Wanderers holder, he’s already been fortunate to avoid a booking for an earlier professional foul.
Sydney FC deliver the set piece well, and it’s Ryan McGowan arriving for the header - but it flies over the crossbar!
30 min: Kosta Barbarouses tries to pin the ears and take on the teenager Wilmering. He looks for a ball inside to Ninkovic, and finds him - it’s a first-time poked effort - saved! Great combination.
And seconds later it’s Barbarouses - but he drags the shot wide! Ninkovic is pulling the strings out there - terrific lead-up work by the former Johnny Warren medallist.
26 min: Another cross in, and again it’s a late-arriving Mitchell Duke, but that one just evades the Wanderers’ skipper. Warning signs for Steve Corica - Paulo Retre’s not a natural left back and Georgievski’s enjoying himself down the right flank.
24 min: Alexander Baumjohann tries one from a long way out - but it doesn’t bend back round. To the delight of the home fans in the “safe standing zone” behind that goal. Gee, they’re making some din, the RBB.
21 min: And a bit of a dust-up! Sullivan and McGowan come together and the referee hands them both yellow cards. The youngster will have to be careful - he’s only three games into his A-League career, they can’t afford 70 minutes with 10.
Very little in that, to be honest - the Sydney FC defender pushed the youngster so he could get a freekick taken quickly. Put that all down to this intense atmosphere - drums, chantings, clapping. It’s terrific to see in the A-League.
Goal! Western Sydney 1-0 Sydney FC (Duke)
18 min: Hello. On the transition, it’s a fast break from Wanderers after Retre gives it away cheaply - it’s a fine cross from Georgievski and what a thumping header from Duke! He’s come from deep, and that’s smacked the back of the net. He’s got a head like a traction engine! Brilliant headed goal.
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15 min: Sydney FC enjoying a good patch here, as Lopar is again forced into a save. It’s all coming down the right-hand side of Grant and Baumjohann. And it’s Le Fondre with a flicked header, but it’s kept out well by the Wanderers’ ‘keeper.
13 min: Crossbar! A terrific ball from O’Neill over the top of the defence to find Milos Ninkovic - he gets a faint touch to knock it past the outrushing Lopar, but gets too much on it, and it clatters back off the crossbar, to the relief of the Wanderers’ Swiss shot-stopper.
10 min: Ninkovic and Georgievski tussle for the ball - watch that space, if anyone’s bound to get “lively” in a derby setting it could be our Daniel. Doesn’t mind a two-footer.
Grant with a shot, but he’s sliced that badly and it loops harmlessly over Lopar’s bar.
8 min: Yeboah looks to push Retre into an early error, but the FC fullback clears well. Marcus Babbel is prowling the touchline in his now customary “Peaky Blinders” look. Terrific noise inside the stadium, but very much a “feeling each other out” phase to this one so far.
5 min: Wanderers with the early possession, passing it round the back.
Sydney FC now with it as O’Neill rakes a splendid pass out to Grant, who earns Sydney’s first corner.
3 min: Don’t forget, there’s also the subplot of Alexander Baumjohann lining up for Sydney FC - he had some parting shots about Wanderers’ lack of ambition when he left, let’s see if he comes in for any special attention. And of course, Matt Jurman - a six-season Sydney FC player - lining up in the heart of defence for the Wanderers.
A-League, Sydney Derby - kick off!
1 min: And we’re off! What a crowd, what an atmosphere, what a build up. Now to see if the football can match.
A reminder, the Rugby World Cup semi-final between England and New Zealand is currently underway. And with 25 minutes gone it’s looking pretty bright for the northern hemisphere side.
Lee Calvert is our eyes and ears there:
They’re one v two on the A-League ladder - it’s been a tough few years for the giants of Western Sydney, who have had a tough time in exile. Let’s not mention the ghoulish Spotless Stadium. But the atmosphere inside Parramatta Stadium is absolutely heaving. It’s a sold-out capacity crowd - our players are in the tunnel. The 23rd Sydney derby is just minutes away!
And a quick score check in the WBBL - Sydney Thunder are 1-52 off six, so still scoring at a fair clip, despite that slow first over. The innings is building nicely - could be a fair first tally to chase for the Renegades.
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To team news:
Just the one change for the Wanderers as Kwame Yeboah replaces Mo Adam, who drops to the bench. Don’t be fooled by the graphic, it will be a 4-3-3 from Marcus Babbel, with Schwegler the sole holder, and Sullivan and Baccus pushing on to Sydney’s two sitting midfielders. It worked a treat last week against the Victory - will it do the job in the derby?
Here's how we'll be lining up in the #SydneyDerby tonight! #WSW pic.twitter.com/RDF0d0BEj7
— WS Wanderers FC (@wswanderersfc) October 26, 2019
And for Sydney FC there’s still no Michael Zullo at left back, so Paulo Retre gets the nod to deputise there again, ahead of the youngster Joel King.
LINEUP | Here’s how we shape up for tonight’s massive clash!
— Sydney FC (@SydneyFC) October 26, 2019
Unchanged from last week’s win 👍#SydneyIsSkyBlue #WeAreChampions #SydneyDerby pic.twitter.com/s016Cd7j7c
Brothers Dylan and Ryan McGowan face off against each other. Would you believe when they moved back to Australia they bought houses next to each other. Hopefully no fence wars start up following this match.
So - let’s turn our attention to the Sydney derby. They’re always pretty special, but there just seems to be a little bit more about this fixture. So great to see the RBB marching through Parramatta earlier in the day - three years they’ve waited for that, the Wanderers fans, let’s hope their team can put a performance for them.
They're back! #SydneyDerby pic.twitter.com/cnMfeHRIT9
— Emma Kemp (@emmavkemp) October 26, 2019
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And if you missed the earlier headline from the WBBL - here’s the write up on the Marizanne Kapp show:
Meanwhile Rachel Priest has just gone BANG on Sophie Molineaux’s first over - 4,4,6 - but falls on the last delivery! 14 off the over but a wicket? I guess you’d take it if you’re the Renegades.
And we’re underway in our fourth and final WBBL fixture of the day, where the Melbourne Renegades have won the toss and put the Thunder in to bat first.
Tidy first over from Lea Tahuhu, just the one off it.
Newcastle Jets 1-2 Adelaide United
It’s a first win in the A-League for Reds coach Gertjan Verbeek - what a week the club has had, just days after it secured back-to-back FFA Cup trophies.
Three points, and they’ve earned their rest for next week’s bye. A frustrating day for the Jets, it’s never nice to lose at home, especially after dominating early on - especially to a ‘keeping error from the experienced Glen Moss.
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A-League - 90 + 3 mins: Newcastle Jets 1-2 Adelaide United
Oh my! It’s the skipper Boogaard with a stooping, diving header across the face - but there’s no teammate on hand to bundle it home! Nobody anticipated the defender’s dexterity there. A real chance for the leveller.
A-League - 90 + 1 mins: Newcastle Jets 1-2 Adelaide United
Five minutes added on is the verdict from the touchline. Petratos, Dimi, looks to fire a set piece into the box, but Boogaard is pinged for a foul on an Adelaide defender. They’re huffing and puffing, the Jets, but can they blow the door down?
A-League - 87 mins: Newcastle Jets 1-2 Adelaide United
Ooph. Maria with a clearance from under the crossbar, they are starting to besiege the Adelaide goal, the home side. Can they fashion a decisive shot though? Outside of that superb Arroyo goal it’s been the story of the match for the Jets. As Paul Keating would say - all tip, and no iceberg.
A-League - 83 mins: Newcastle Jets 1-2 Adelaide United
It’s an A-League debut for Makis Petratos - incredibly the fourth Petratos sibling on the books at the Jets. They’re like the Fowlers - Mary, Quivi, Ciari and co - what great footballing dynasties we’re enjoying.
Newcastle still struggling to break down this obdurate Reds defence, as brother Dimi tries to twist and turn inside the box.
A-League - 78 mins: Newcastle Jets 1-2 Adelaide United
What can Merrick’s men muster here - they’re running out of time, about 15 min to play up in Newcastle. The home side have a corner but it’s cleared twice by Adelaide’s central defensive duo of Marrone and Jakobsen.
Hi all! Cheers Scott, sounds like a good bex and a lie down is in order - a sterling effort as always.
We’re T-minus ONE HOUR for the Sydney derby. A first back at the refurbished Parramatta Stadium, and with the Wanderers resurgent early in the season, it also doubles as a top-of-the-table clash. Should be an absolute corker.
In the interim, we’ll try and keep an eye across Newcastle v Adelaide, and there will be some more WBBL shortly.
Like the three-headed hound of Hades, it never sleeps, Sportwatch.
Well, folks, that is all from me. You’ve worn me out, but I like it like that. Now you can mete out a dose of mental disintegration in the direction of Richard Parkin. Over to you, Parko!
A-League: GOAL! Newcastle Jets 1-2 Adelaide United (McGree, 61 mins)
That goal from McGree has seen Newcastle retreat into their shell and this second goal was most definitely coming. Moss, the Jets keeper, has a bit of a nightmare judging McGree’s corner in the blustery conditions, allowing the ball to sail over him and into the goal at the far post. It is all Adelaide in this second half.
A-League: 56 mins: Newcastle Jets 1-1 Adelaide United
Man down. Izzo is on his back receiving treatment for a heavy knock. Substitute keeper Richards springs to life like my ageing staffy Ted when I open the fridge door, but Izzo carries on. He’ll have a headache tomorrow, though.
A-League: GOAL! Newcastle Jets 1-1 Adelaide United (McGree, 49 mins)
Sloppy is one word for Newcastle’s defending here. Atrocious is another. They were just so casual at the back, allowing Troisi to put it on a plate for McGree, who stabs it past the keeper from six or so yards to restore parity.
49' | GOAL! @McgreeRiley makes it 1-1 after finishing @JamesTroisi's cut-back. #NEWvADL pic.twitter.com/FPbsdlEio6
— Adelaide United (@AdelaideUnited) October 26, 2019
A-League: 47 mins: Newcastle Jets 1-0 Adelaide United
A yellow card for D’Arrigo and a richly deserved one at that after somewhat cynically brings down Fitzgerald. Commentating for Fox Sports, Andy Harper calls for a penalty “somewhere between a yellow and a red” for such a brazen indiscretion. Not sure what that would be, but it’s interesting nonetheless.
A-League: 46 mins: Newcastle Jets 1-0 Adelaide United
Adelaide go for broke at the earliest opportunity, and address some obvious issues, by making a double change at half-time - Opseth off for Mileusnic, and Kitto off for Maria.
The lead-up to the gargantuan Rugby World Cup semi-final between New Zealand and England has begun. Too early isn’t early enough to start a liveblog when it’s a match-up like this. Go on, click on the link below.
A-League: HT: Newcastle Jets 1-0 Adelaide United
Well, it wasn’t always pretty but an isolated bit of brilliance from Arroyo separates these teams at the break. The play has mostly belonged to the Jets, with 12 shots to four telling the story. The FFA Cup winners have lots to do if they’re to salvage anything from this match.
What. A. Goal!
— Hyundai A-League (@ALeague) October 26, 2019
Abdiel Arroyo with a stunning finish for @NewcastleJetsFC.
🎥 @FOXFOOTBALL #ALeague #NEWvADL pic.twitter.com/jP70HRwdXg
A-League: GOAL! Newcastle Jets 1-0 Adelaide United (Arroyo, 37 mins)
A real striker’s goal from the Panamanian and a nice way to open his Jets account. A long, long throw from Millar finds the chest of Arroyo, who brings the ball down in the box, swivels and volleys past Izzo to make it 1-0. Pretty to watch.
A-League: 34 mins: Newcastle Jets 0-0 Adelaide United
Adelaide’s best chance of the match by far and probably a better one than McGree figured at the time, having been released by Opseth but getting very little on his shot inside the box.
A-League: 28 mins: Newcastle Jets 0-0 Adelaide United
This match, a little tepid to this point, bares its fangs with Troisi hacking down Ridenton to attract a yellow card on his Reds debut. We’re still without a goal, however, and one hasn’t really looked like coming after that Jets chance in the opening 20 seconds of the match.
A-League: 15 mins: Newcastle Jets 0-0 Adelaide United
A rather cagey opening to this match with neither side really exerting any dominance, Newcastle’s near miss in the opening seconds notwithstanding. The windy conditions don’t look to be helping. Toure showing good pace and control down the left for Adelaide to force a corner.
WBBL Results
- Adelaide Strikers (113-8) beat Hobart Hurricanes (110-7) by three runs. Player of the match: Sarah Coyte (24 runs, one catch, 1-28)
- Sydney Sixers (108-2) beat Melbourne Stars (107-9) by eight wickets with 17 balls remaining, Player of the match: Marizanne Kapp (3-16 ... and a hat-trick!)
- Perth Scorchers (147-1) beat Brisbane Heat (146-7) by nine wickets with 10 balls remaining. Player of the match: Amy Jones (60 not out off 49 balls)
Pez doing Pez things! Unreal work by the @sixerswbbl skipper 🔥 #WBBLpic.twitter.com/YwZFEqEMQu
— N (@yourstruly49_) October 26, 2019
A-League: 1 min: Newcastle Jets 0-0 Adelaide United
Barely 20 seconds in and a genuine chance for the Jets goes by the wayside, Koutroumbis producing the cross but Hoffman unable to finish the job.
Over to McDonald Jones Stadium for a taste of A-League action between winless teams Newcastle and Adelaide. It’s windy there, too. The start is not far away.
Newcastle (4-2-3-1): Moss (GK); Koutroumbis, Topor-Stanley, Boogaard, Millar; Ridenton, Ugarkovic; Fitzgerald, D Petratos, Hoffman; Arroyo. Subs: Italiano (GK), Thurgate, Langlois, Y Petratos, Kantarovski, Burns, Jackson.
Adelaide (4-3-3): Izzo (GK); Kitto, Jakobsen, Marrone, Strain; Troisi, McGree, D’Arrigo; Toure, Opseth, Halloran. Subs: Richards (GK), Maria, Mileusnic, Lia, Konstandopoulos, Brook.
Back to the BBL ...
- In Sydney, on the back of a hat-trick to Marizanne Kapp, Sydney Sixers have strolled to an easy eight-wicket win over Melbourne Stars. Having held the Stars to 107-9, the Sixers always looked likely with opener and skipper Ellyse Perry hitting an unbeaten 39.
- In Brisbane, Meg Lanning and Amy Jones put on 129 for the first wicket to put Perth Scorchers within touching distance of Brisbane Heat’s 146-7. The visitors have four overs with which to score the remaining 17 runs for victory.
Game 3 of the World Series is done and dusted. And, thankfully for the sake of the series, the Astros have found some form, beating the Nationals 4-1 to cut their deficit in the best-of-seven extravaganza to 2-1. Here’s the minutiae.
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Seriously, is there anything Sam Kerr can’t do? Please don’t respond by listing all the the things she can’t do. It’s a rhetorical question.
Don’t know where you are, but where I am it’s frightfully windy today. It’s also blowing a gale at Phillip Island, where Saturday’s qualifying sessions in the Australian MotoGP have been put off until tomorrow.
This, again, from AAP:
“Saturday’s qualifying sessions for the Australian MotoGP have been postponed until Sunday, with the windswept Phillip Island circuit deemed unsafe by riders.
Fourth practice was red-flagged soon after Miguel Oliveira suffered a scary high-speed crash on his Red Bull KTM Tech 3. As the Portuguese rider was taken to the medical centre, a safety commission meeting was convened and the 21 remaining riders voted to abandon racing for the rest of the day.”
#AustralianGP
— CANAL+ MotoGP™ (@CanalplusMotoGP) October 26, 2019
Miguel Oliveira chute à haute vitesse. Le vent souffle fort et perturbe les pilotes !
▶️ https://t.co/6vTgdTN2gP pic.twitter.com/6QEKsPkvMq
It’s time to head around the grounds in the WBBL (well, we have to justify the expense of sending our intrepid reporters to these locales somehow):
- Melbourne Stars totalled a thin-looking 107-9 in Sydney, with Mignon du Preez’s 44 off 47 balls the only thing to get remotely excited about. In response, Sydney Sixers are 16-0 after three overs with the mighty opening pair of Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy yet to be separated. And hats off to Sixers seamer Marizanne Kapp, who only went and took a late-innings HAT-TRICK to wrap up the Stars’ dig.
- In Brisbane, Beth Mooney clobbered 67 off 55 balls (putting on 70 for the third wicket with Maddy Green) as Brisbane Heat posted 146-7. In reply, Perth Scorchers are 5-0 in the second over.
📹: Marizanne Kapp’s hat-trick #WBBL05 pic.twitter.com/9cf6xmqIw3
— Women's CricZone (@WomensCricZone) October 26, 2019
The world is a large place, and our good friends in the United States are rather keen on their sport(s), too. If what’s going down on these pages isn’t enough for you, which of course it is, why don’t you mosey on over to Hunter Felt’s blow-by-blow description of game three of the World Series. And then hurry right back, okay?
An early game’s a good game, and my did the WBBL shenanigans start early in Brisbane this morning. That said, I was up and out at 7.45am to take my eldest boy to his cricket game. His team’s result first: they won their fourth straight game and my son opened the batting, hitting two fours in the first over before being run out in a hilarious display of running between the wickets that you would, well, sort of expect from 10-year-olds.
Now, the WBBL result: Adelaide Strikers have brought the Hurricanes back down to earth with a hard-fought three-run win.
This, from the kind people at Australia Associated Press:
“The Adelaide Strikers have snapped Hobart’s winning start to the WBBL season after holding on for a three-run win over the Hurricanes at Allan Border Field. After being restricted to 8-113 from their 20 overs, the Strikers were firmly on the back foot in the field, particularly while Hobart’s Nicola Carey (39) was at the crease. But some tight bowling on a challenging deck in the closing four overs stalled the Hurricanes’ charge, which ended at 7-110.
After the asking rate had dipped below a run a ball, the ‘Canes suddenly required 11 off the last over, bowled by Sophie Devine. With five needed off two balls, Carey creamed Devine powerfully to cow corner but straight down the throat of Katie Mack, centimetres inside the rope, before Maisy Gibson could only muster a single off the last delivery.
Amanda Wellington (2-18), Tahlia McGrath (1-12) and Megan Schutt (1-13) bowled superbly for the Strikers, who had looked out of the running when Schutt and Sarah Coyte dropped absolute sitters in the fifth over.
Earlier, two desperately close run-outs and a plethora of soft, spooned dismissals sabotaged the Strikers’ innings before Coyte’s lusty 24 off 13 balls from No.9 with the bat, lifted them from an inadequate total to one that proved competitive. Gibson (2-15), Tayla Vlaeminck (2-18) and Carey (2-25) were the pick of the bowlers for the Hurricanes.”
Preamble
Good afternoon, sports fans. It’s a good day to be alive, isn’t it? Season five of the WBBL continues with three games, two A-League fixtures will be decided (highlighted by this evening’s mouthwatering Sydney derby) and it’s qualifying time at the Australian MotoGP. But all of that takes a back seat to the sheer wonder of tonight’s Rugby World Cup semi-final between New Zealand and England. That really will be one for the ages. Best of all, the good folk at Guardian Towers will bring you all the updates. Right here. So don’t be going anywhere, ya hear? In fact, Uncle Scott Wants You to get involved by dropping a comment below, sending me an email or saying hello via Twitter - @scott_heinrich
