New Zealand v India ODI Cricket XI

With the 5-match ODI series between New Zealand and India nearly over - to the home side delightfully :-), who makes the series XI?

Here's mine -

Martin Guptill
Rohit Sharma
Kane Williamson
Virat Kohli
Ross Taylor
Corey Anderson
Mahendra Dhoni
Ravinda Jadeja
Tim Southee
Mitchell McClenaghan
Mohammed Shami

Is Manchester City the Best Team in the World?

There is no doubt that Manchester City's recent form has been grabbing headlines. In a season where they've comfortably surpassed the century mark in all competitions, Manchester City have more than underlined and made bold their credentials as the best team not just in England but even as a real contender in Europe.

Yes their start to the season was slow and as a result their Champions League form was patchy even if they did make history and finally make the 2nd round, but they did show improvement as the season progressed, with an impressive 3-2 win at Bayern Munich in their last game.

Since that game, Manchester City have been running hot and redder than their red neighbours - the highlight must be their 11-1 aggregate win over Tottenham, with Wednesday's 5-1 drubbing at White Hart Lane a real headline maker.




There is no doubt that City are playing some incredible football right now - their one touch quick passing game at home has absolutely annihilated opponents at home. The worrying thing now for the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea is that City are now able to play that brand of football away from home, after struggling to find their best form for a while outside the Etihad.

They've always had the squad depth and this season has been no different with Edin Dzeko, Sergio Aguero, Alvaro Negredo and now a fit Stevan Jovetic to lead the line up front backed by the creative invention of David Silva, Jesus Navas and powerhouse midfielders, Yaya Toure and Fernandinho. No wonder they've scored so many goals this season.

February beckons now and they have home games against Chelsea, Sunderland and Norwich, and Barcelona in Europe and Chelsea in the FA Cup. And there's even a trophy at stake when they play Sunderland for the League Cup.

These are fantastic times to be a fan of the blue side of Manchester - and it's not about the trophies.

Perhaps, the Sheikh has finally got his own Barcelona in the heart of the Northwest of England.

Goals! Best Goals of January!

It's back! After a brief hiatus while this blogger tried to find a new source of goal highlights.

Here are all the best goals of January so far.

New Zealand Win First ODI Series Against India in 12 Years!

Being a Blackcaps fan is a tough ask and the last couple of years have been tough even for the most faithful and avid of followers - and Sonny Shaw.

But tonight on February the 28th, 2014, Blackcaps fans got a moment that they will savour for a while, as they clinched their 5-match ODI series against India with victory at Seddon Park in Hamilton. The series is now 3-0 with a match to go in Wellington and New Zealand cricket fans can savour a first ODI series win against India in 12 years.

Indeed, it's been a while since the Blackcaps won a ODI series at home against a side of some prominence, i.e. not counting Bangladesh and Zimbabwe - the last time they achieved that against a top 8 side was back in 2008 when they beat England.

Alas, thanks to the experienced heads of Ross Taylor and Kyle Mills, the Blackcaps finished off the job they should have completed on Saturday at Eden Park when they scored 317.

The young guns, Corey Anderson, Hamish Bennett and Mitchell McClenaghan may have stumbled there but the potential for them to be tremendous for New Zealand cricket in years to come is great and fans can now really look forward to the 2015 World Cup here with great excitement that they might have a highly competitive squad.

The next step now - a test series win against India to cap off a summer at home that may have been dogged by rain but has seen this young Blackcaps side make huge strides.

Juan Mata Becomes Manchester United's Most Expensive Player - Win or Flop?

It was one of the most protracted and elongated transfer sagas in English Premier League history but after weeks of speculation, Juan Mata will now don the red of Manchester United after Old Trafford agreed to pay 37.1 million pounds for Spain's goalscoring hero in the EURO 2012 Final.

The former Chelsea fan favourite and club player of the year has struggled to get into Jose Mourinho's side with Willian and Oscar preferred to Mata and Mata failing in his few chances to impress this season. After saying he'd fight to keep for his place in the Chelsea lineup, the former Valencia man has decided that he'd have more chance of regular football at a Manchester United side set to undergo major change.

Manchester United's midfield has been a massive disappointment this season and the main reason why the champions will not be so come May. Shinji Kagawa, Anderson, Ashley Young and Tom Cleverley haven't quite developed as well as Moyes would have liked and Michael Carrick, Phil Jones and Ryan Giggs cannot be expected to be the creative outlet for Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie - Carrick prefers to sit deep in midfield, Jones is a converted defender and Giggs really is past it.

The signing of Marouane Fellaini - another member of the top ten list of Man Utd's most expensive signings - could still work out but we probably won't really see the best of Fellaini in a red shirt this season due to injury meaning that Man Utd are desperately short of a dynamic individual to manage midfield.

Juan Mata in blue no more

Juan Mata has obviously been brought in to solve that problem but the reason why Mata wasn't starting at Chelsea was the fact that he's not a very good player tracking back and forth, needing the likes of Ramires, David Luiz or Lampard to track back and pass the ball to him to work.

Nevertheless, it does ease some pressure on Cleverley and Carrick as an attacking outlet for Man Utd and no doubt Mata should help to ignite the attack and maybe finally get Robin van Persie's season of scoring underway.

Manchester United don't have a particularly good record when it comes to expensive signings. Here's a look at the top ten of United's most expensive signings.

10. David de Gea - slow start, but now definitely one of the best, if not the best keepers in the Premier League.

9. Ruud van Nistelrooy - seems a bargain now at 19 million, but definitely a big win for United.

8. Anderson - hasn't really quite lived up to his big price tag

7. Robin van Persie - another relative bargain at 24 million, definitely a big win for United and will be key for some time.

6. Wayne Rooney - nuff said

5. Marouane Fellaini - as mentioned above - could still come right, but needs to soon.

4. Juan Sebastian Veron - definitely a flop, just never got the hang of the English game whether in red or blue

3. Rio Ferdinand - United legend, worth every penny of that 29.3 million

2. Dimitar Berbatov - a bit of a flop, very talented player but just plain lazy.

1. Juan Mata - win or flop? United fans will be hoping a very big win right now.

Bad British Sports Commentary!

Who said that all Brits made the best sports commentators?

Ok it's not exactly for real - firstly, these are college sides not NFL sides. But still this is pretty hilarious.

Is this the Greatest Liga Season Ever?

Spain's La Liga has reached its halfway point and it has seen quite possibly the closest title race in many years. As of last weekend, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are tied on 51 points with Real Madrid 1 point behind on 50 points.

It is perhaps a fair reflection of the current form in Spain - Barca and Atletico Madrid are probably not quite at their best at the moment having stuttered to two draws from three matches while Real Madrid have closed down a significant 6 point gap to just 1 after their defeats to Barcelona and Atletico Madrid earlier seemed to have stymied the title chances of Carlo Ancelotti's men.

Perhaps it is also indicative of the pressure of a very tight title race where it appears there is not much between the two Madrid clubs and the Catalans - the main surprise is probably the fact that previously unheralded Atletico Madrid have hung on in the title race for so long when in previous seasons they would have fallen off the pace and settled for Champions League football next season.

Indeed, not since the days of Valencia, Real Sociedad and Deportivo la Coruna in the last decade, has La Liga seen a credible title challenger to Real Madrid and Barcelona's supremacy which has been almost stifling at times in the last 7 seasons - some have even called Spain's La Liga a glamorous and glorified Scottish Premier League.

So why has La Liga suddenly become so competitive at the top end of the table?

There are several reasons and factors.

Neymar's absence has affected Barcelona's form in recent weeks

Barcelona are certainly not the side they can be in previous seasons. While up front they are as great as ever with the signing of Neymar along with the early season form of Alexis Sanchez, the midfield doesn't appear to be as dynamic and exciting as it has been - the rumours over Xavi's departure to the MLS might be an unwelcome distraction for the Catalans. Defensively, they have also been found wanting at times and have missed Carlos Puyol's influence at times.

However, you wouldn't liken Barcelona's decline to that of Manchester United's this season - not by a long margin.

Credit must go to Atletico Madrid who have somehow gone from strength to strength even with the departure of last season's top scorer, Radamel Falcao to Monaco. They used the money from Falcao's sale well with the signing of David Villa - Diego Costa's step up to the plate as lead striker has also meant that the red half of Madrid could build on their success of last season. The next step is having the mental fortitude to capitalize on the slip ups of Barca and Real Madrid and take control of the league - something that Atletico have failed to do so far this season, including that recent 1-1 home draw with Sevilla, and one that could ultimately cost them their first title since 1996.

As for Real Madrid, they started slowly as their big signings took time to gel but on the back of current FIFA Ballon D'Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo, they have ground out wins away from home while being dazzling at home and climbed right back into contention for the title. Right now, they are the form team in Spain and their strength in depth means they will be title contenders right to the end. After all the pressure on Carlo Ancelotti at the start of the season, it might very well be the Italian who has the last laugh.

Should all three stay in the chase for the title right until May - and it's quite likely given the form of the trio this season so far - the destiny of the title could very well come down to a "playoff" game when Barcelona hosts Atletico Madrid on the final day of the season. Real Madrid is at home against Espanyol could very capitalize.

But that at the moment is all too far in the future. Right now, just savour one of the most exhilirating La Liga seasons in a long time.

Elsewhere, the battle between the rest of the best is as tight as ever. Athletic Bilbao appear to be the clear 4th best team in Spain although Villarreal and Real Sociedad are very much in the mix for Champions League football. The relegation battle should be pretty tight too - while Real Betis and Rayo Vallecano appear doomed, there are a host of other clubs including newly promoted Elche and Almeria who could find themselves back in Liga Adelante after just one season.

So raise your Sangria to the best football league in the world that isn't the Premier League!

Greatest Tackles in Rugby League Ever!

The NRL is still months away from kick off but that's just too long for those who miss their big hits and miss seeing a big guy smash an even bigger guy.

So here they are, the greatest tackles in rugby league ever.

Richard Sherman Goes Nuts with Erin Andrews!!

On Sunday night, the Seattle Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers in a thriller of a game to reach only their 2nd Super Bowl final next month in New York where they will face the Denver Broncos who triumphed over Tom Brady's New England Patriots.

But the Hawks v 49ers game will probably be best remembered for this brilliant post-match interview with Seahawks cornerback, Richard Sherman - Sherman made the key play on 49ers' wide receiver, Michael Crabtree in the dying moments of the game to help the Hawks win the game.

Poor Erin Andrews - how can you do that to such a hot chick.

Road to the Super Bowl: Championship Finals Time!!!

This is possibly the second biggest Sunday of the pro football season in the USA.

By 10 pm eastern time, we should know who will be playing in the Super Bowl next month in New York after the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers have fought each other for the right to represent their respective conferences in the biggest sports event of the year.

There is quite a bit of intrigue in this year's Finals and definitely a lot of West Coast influence - the Patriots are the only team not to play in a division named West. It is a sign of how far the AFC and NFC West divisions have come when only 4 seasons ago they were the laughing stock of the NFL - remember when the Seahawks made the playoffs despite a losing record?

Speaking of the Seahawks, they, along with the Broncos must be considered the best team in the NFL - they did finish the season with the number 1 seed, earning the right to host their great rivals, the San Francisco 49ers at home, in their loud stadium in Seattle.

The Hawks and 49ers would probably be considered the best sides in the NFC conference by many punters, making this a very worthy Final to decide who will represent the NFC. They're very similar in many ways - rugged defence and exciting offence with a powerful running game at heart. The key to victory in the battle of the West could be the battle in the yardage between Frank Gore and Marshawn Lynch, along with the expect battle royal between young quarterbacks, Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson.

Wilson struggled in the 2nd half against a tenacious and determined Saints last week while Kaepernick did shine at times in the 2nd half against the Panthers. Expect them to play at their very best on Sunday night in what is now becoming "the" QB rivalry of the NFL right now.

Speaking of great QB rivalries of the NFL, another great one is revived earlier on Sunday afternoon when Peyton Manning takes on Tom Brady for yet another AFC Championship. In fact, the last time, Brady and Manning took on each other for the right to reach the Super Bowl was back in 2006 - that time, Manning's Colts won en route to their Super Bowl win in Miami over the Chicago Bears.

Now in dark blue and orange, Peyton Manning would dearly love to repeat that memorable performance against the Patriots in what must surely be his last shot at winning a Super Bowl. Manning has had an Indian summer this season and that serious injury he sustained in his last contract year with the Colts seems to be in another life.

However, the Patriots do have experience in the big championship game and one reckons that they are still yet to show their best - the Colts game last weekend was close to their best but they were still missing key weapons in the offence, e.g. Aaron Dobson, James Thompkins.

While Brady hasn't really shown in the numbers this season like previous seasons, he has led on the field even with the persistent injuries and resultant loss of personnel, including Rob Gronkowski - and making the Super Bowl this time could possibly be the greatest ever achievement in Brady's illustrious career.

Metlife Stadium - who will be playing here next month?

Tips?
Seahawks v Broncos Super Bowl. But it'll be a roller coaster of a ride before we get there.

Au Revoir Zac Guildford!

Former All Black winger Zac Guildford is set to bid farewell to New Zealand rugby at the end of the Super Rugby season.

The Crusaders and Hawkes Bay winger is set to join French powerhouse club, Clermont Auvergne after the Super Rugby season after signing a 2 year playing contract with the option of a 3rd. Guildford has been billed as fellow All Black winger, Sitiveni Sivivatu's replacement.

24-year-old Zac Guildford last played for the All Blacks against Ireland in Christchurch in 2012 - high profile off-field issues involving his alcoholic addiction have stymied the young winger's career and in recent times, the likes of Charles Piutau, Frank Halai, Julian Savea and Ben Smith have definitely passed him in the pecking order at the ABs.

Guildford's AB career started with a bang at first as he shot his way into the 2011 Rugby World Cup squad. He sporadically featured with his highlight game being against Canada in Wellington. However, off-field disciplinary issues and a long-standing alcoholic addiction meant that he had to stand down from the game at certain times.

Au revoir Zac!

Road to the Super Bowl - NFL Divisional Round Preview!!

This weekend sees the big guns return from their brief break and take on the triumphant teams from last weekend's really wild Wildcard Round.

The winning teams now must take on the big guns on their own turf if they are to make their Super Bowl dreams in 2014 reality.

Here is a look at the big match-ups on Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday -
New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks - 4:30pm

The New Orleans Saints showed that they could win outdoors in the cold winter with a superb win over the Eagles in Philadelphia built on solid defence as well as their tremendous passing game orchestrated by MVP QB Drew Brees.

However, the Saints should expect a tougher time at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, the loudest stadium in the NFL against undoubtedly the best team in the NFC all season. The Seahawks have only lost once at home this season, albeit against the Cardinals but that was pretty much after the Hawks had wrapped up the division and a playoff spot.

Sean Payton's Saints were thrashed in the regular season here but Hawks fans will be expecting a much sturdier team and one that will be high in confidence after their tight win last weekend on the road. However, Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch and the defence should be fresh after their bye week with Pete Carroll having had time to work on the flaws that dogged their finish of the regular season to get the Hawks machine back and running to perfection.

Hawks to win by 7 

Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots - 8:15pm

In seasons gone by, this was the decider for the AFC Championship with Peyton Manning's Colts taking on Tom Brady's Patriots. Now the Colts are back albeit without Manning to take on the effervescent Brady, after probably his worst season as Patriots QB. Instead of Manning, they have Andrew Luck who recovered from those turnovers to lead the Colts from 28 points behind to beat the Chiefs at home.

The Colts must keep the turnovers to a minimum if they are to have any chance to beat the Patriots who specialise in those. On the other hand, you feel that the Pats haven't quite their best form yet this season having been hampered by injuries to key personnel in the offence, i.e. Rob Gronkowski. On the Pats' side could be the weather and - Boston would have been just recovering from the latest cold vortex - and the fact that they will be used to playing outdoors compared to their opponents.

Patriots to win by 3

Sunday -
San Francisco 49ers at Carolina Panthers - 1:00pm

Who would have thought the 49ers would be forced to make their Super Bowl dreams true for the 2nd year running by playing their entire playoff series on the road? Not that that is putting off Jim Harbaugh's 49ers who defied the predictions of many to win at a freezing Lambeau Field.

They now travel to take on the Panthers, back in the playoffs for the first time in a long time, and a QB who is making his debut in the big time. However, if this season is anything to go by, nothing will faze Cam Newton and this defence who can claim an edge on the 49ers - they beat them at Candlestick Park in the regular season albeit by not a lot of points.

The 49ers might very well have the edge on paper with their experience but they are missing key personnel who stood out in the defence, e.g. Aldous Smith. But Colin Kaepernick is running better than he has been all season and that could make the difference as the 9ers rely on their powerful running game.

49ers to win by 3

San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos - 4:40pm 

Back in 2010 when the Seattle Seahawks and St Louis Rams were battling to make the playoffs despite a losing record, you'd have been sent in a straight jacket if you said that the NFL playoffs would be dominated by the West Coast. You'd be put in isolation too if you said that 3 AFC West teams would be playing in the new year.

But alas this is the case, with the Chargers now taking on the Broncos after being given a free pass to the next round by a generous Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals.

The odds are pretty much against the Chargers who just crept into the playoffs, up against an opponent widely tipped as favourites for the Super Bowl and who have been consistently better than the rest - and more importantly, have had the edge over their big AFC West rivals.

The Broncs may not have Von Miller to guide them to New York but they still have Peyton Manning and a whole array of weapons in the attack to ensure that opponents will need to win a shootout to cause an upset.

Broncos to win by 7

Schumi in Critical Condition Following Skiing Accident

UPDATE, 11:30pm, 1/1/14, Sabine Kehm, Michael Schumacher's long-time manager, has said that he is in a 'stable' condition in hospital. Kehm also said that Schumacher was being looked after very carefully and would not comment on rumours about his condition. Kehm also said that Schumacher was skiing "not too fast" and was with a group of friends when the accident occurred that cracked his helmet. 

UPDATE, 1:04pm, 1/1/14: Schumacher's condition has "slightly improved", doctors say following a second operation to relieve pressure on his brain. Schumacher remains in an induced coma with his wife, Corrine and family by his bed side. Doctors say that it is still impossible to give a prognosis in the coming days and even months.

UPDATE, 11:30pm, 30/12/13: A press conference with Michael Schumacher's treating specialists was held this morning. Chief anesthesiologist, Prof Jean-Francois Payen advised that his situation is being monitored on an hourly basis and cannot provide a comprehensive update on Schumacher's condition. Professor Payen did state that "we think his helmet did help, without a helmet he wouldn't be here now." Payen's statements were echoed by colleague Stephane Charbade. Schumacher has had an operation to reduce the swelling in his brain, and it does not appear at this stage that he requires further surgery. However, he will remain in an induced coma for several days as they monitor him. 

UPDATE, 11:30am 30/12/13: Grenoble Hospital have confirmed Michael Schumacher "was suffering a serious brain trauma with coma on his arrival". Schumacher's management have also confirmed his critical condition. Meribel ski resort, where Schumacher was skiing say that the German was conscious when he was attended to by ski patrollers who requested helicopter evacuation to the nearby town of Moutiers. Professor Gerrard Saillant and Jean Todt are believed to be at Schumacher's side.

Seven-time Formula 1 world champion - and personal hero of mine - Michael Schumacher is reportedly in a critical condition after suffering a serious head injury in a skiing accident.

The German who raced for Benetton, Ferrari and Mercedes during his highly successful F1 career was reportedly getting off a chairlift in the French Alps when he tripped on a rock and hit his head. He was wearing a helmet at the time.

There have been many conflicting reports on Schumacher's status with some reports saying that he is in a coma and others saying that his injury isn't life threatening.

More updates to come as this story develops.

Corey Anderson Smashes Record Breaking Century!

Emerging Blackcaps allrounder, Corey Anderson, has broken the long time record held by Pakistani great Shahid Afridi, for the fastest century ever scored in one day cricket.

In the Blackcaps' rain-interrupted one day international against the West Indies in picturesque - but cold - Queenstown, the Cantabrian hit 131 not out from 47 balls as they scored an incredulous 283 for 4 from just 21 overs.

Teammate Jesse Ryder hit a 46-ball ton along the way as the Blackcaps naturally won the game to tie the one day series 1-1 as they head to Nelson this Saturday - let's pray the weather can behave as Nelson makes it bow in international cricket. 

But for now, it is a moment to savour for Anderson who has really taken the opportunities handed to him this summer by the selectors. He had a very respectable test series last month and has carried his big hitting and fast-medium bowling into the shorter forms of the game which really suit his style. 

Indeed, the 23 year old already has an unofficial facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/CoreyAndersonCricket. I think after today's performance, it is very much deserved.

Caro and Rory are Engaged!!

2014 has gotten off to quite a bang!

Within the last minutes, former tennis world number one, Caroline Wozniacki, announced on Facebook that she was engaged to former golf world number one, Rory McIlroy.

Earlier in 2013, there were rumours that Rory and Caro had split up, possibly fueled by the poor form of both in 2013 on the course and court respectively.

However, this latest announcement appears to have put those rumours to bed.

Congratulations to Caro and Rory! One wonders if Caro will now be McIlroy or McIlroy-Wozniacki or Wozniacki-McIlroy.. And one wonders what sport their kids will be good at.

Post by Caroline Wozniacki.

Happy New Year everyone! I have a feeling it's going to be a great year!! My first victory of 2014 #shesaidyes!! pic.twitter.com/gxO7rDDyPY
— Rory Mcilroy (@McIlroyRory) December 31, 2013