Inside Sport May 2015

LET’S NOT START COMPLAINING WHEN THERE’S TOO MUCH MEANINGFUL CRICKET! IS THERE ANY other sport that is so, well, time-consuming to follow as cricket? To start with, we have a five-day game that sometimes ends with no side winning, which some people seem to think is a bit too drawn-out and esoteric. So they come up with a shorter version to keep them happy, the one-day game, except this form now lasts for seven weeks! And still we can’t get enough. The ICC World Cup, which began sometime last decade and finally resolved itself on March 29, was a joy. I know lots of people complained about the length of the tournament, but not around here. I can agree that there’s too much meaningless one-day cricket these days,…

HUNTING THE HUNTERS I’d heard on the grapevine that your magazine was publishing a story about the PNG Hunters in their first season (2014) playing in the Queensland Rugby League (April issue, “Pride Of PNG”). I looked forward to reading a positive article, because there’s lots to like about this development – we all know how passionate about rugby league they are up there. I’d love to see a team from PNG get into the NRL. I reckon it would do wonders for the game. However, your article failed to report a major development: the club’s CEO, Brad Tassell, whom you quote in the article, has resigned. In the article, you touched on some of the negative forces working against him. Well, here’s what he wrote in his departing statement:…

WINNER One great thing about sports: when things happen that would be too sentimental for a Disney movie. But it’s hard not to be moved by the story of Peter Hooley, an Adelaide basketballer playing US college hoops for the University of Albany. With three other compatriots on the team, Hooley has turned the school in the New York state capital into an Aussie enclave, a mini-east coast version of St Mary’s. Hooley’s mother, Sue, was diagnosed with colon cancer four years ago. When her condition worsened earlier this year, Hooley left the team at midseason, and was with her when she passed in late January. Albany’s season had been teetering, but it won 18 of its last 19 games to make it to the championship final of their conference.…

WIN Think you can write a funnier caption for this pic than our humour-challenged Inside Sport staffer? Check out page 88 for your chance to prove your wit and win stuff.…

“Masters races were said to have middle-aged businessmen winning on EPO, with some of them training as hard as professional riders and putting in comparable performances.” – From a UCI independent report, which found widespread doping occurring even in amateur cycling ... “You’ve got to go right back to the Olympic Games when they actually filled a stadium anywhere in New South Wales.” – Victorian premier Daniel Andrews, scoffing at suggestions that the city of Sydney would make a bid to steal the Australian F1 Grand Prix. “So you can’t say anything nice about them. You can’t say anything positive about them. You can’t say anything about the Voldemorts and you just can’t comment.” – Canterbury coach Des Hasler, on the refs that can’t be named. “It was a little…

AUSTRALIA’S LATEST WORLDBEATERS Australia are the ICC World One-Day Cricket champions after defeating co-hosts New Zealand by seven wickets in a one-sided final at the MCG. In an immaculate bowling and fielding display, Australia knocked the Kiwis over for 183. James Faulkner was Man of the Match for his 3-36 from nine overs, but he rode on the coat-tails of a blistering bowling attack: Mitchell Starc (2-20 from eight), Mitchell Johnson (3-30 from nine), and Josh Hazlewood (0-30 from eight). Australian captain Michael Clarke had before the game announced that it would be his last one-day international and he went out a winner with 74 runs from 72 balls. The team’s next captain, Steve Smith, hit the winning runs in just the 33rd over, scoring 56 from 71. “I think…