Headingley Becoming England Curse

Whether it’s the inconsistent wicket, the swirling Yorkshire winds, or the raucous west stand, no one quite knows, but, for some reason, Headingley is fast becoming a cursed cricket ground for England.

Their most recent Test match – against South Africa, last week – ended in a draw and stretched England’s winless streak at the Yorkshire stadium to four matches. They have not won on the ground since May 2007 against a lowly West Indies, when England were at the peak of their game.

England defied the Betfair Cricket Odds to humiliatingly lose the Headingley Test during the 2009 Ashes, a match that they otherwise dominated, going down by an innings against the worst Australia team to tour in decades.

The second Test against South Africa really did hit home just how cursed Headingley is becoming. Having been completely outplayed in their first Test at the Oval, England had a fortnight to figure out what went wrong and prepare for a trip to Leeds.

They gambled in leaving out spinner, Graeme Swann, for another paceman, Steven Finn: it didn’t pay off.

Their inability to restrict South Africa in the opening innings meant a tricky 419 score had to be overturned. England’s reliance on Kevin Pietersen to bring in the runs was unnerving to watch, with none of the top six getting anywhere near a half-century, let alone KP’s 149.

South Africa were dominant in the second innings too, and again it was only Pietersen’s spin that gave England an inkling of hope: KP providing what Swann would have done, taking South Africa’s top three batsmen.

England betting fans were lucky that bad weather prevented the Proteas taking a 2-0 lead in the series, yet they were nevertheless left to scratch their heads and wonder why this ground continues to offer nothing in the way of success.

2012 Rogers Cup Preview - Women

The Rogers Cup is a good form guide ahead of the US Open. The last six finalists have all reached the final at Flushing Meadows at some time in their career and, as one of the two big events that precede the final Major of the season, it can be a good barometer of preparations for New York.

With holder and 2011 US Open runner-up, Serena Williams, absent, there is an ideal opportunity for her rivals to make a statement of intent, ahead of Flushing Meadows. The likely challengers to Williams at New York are under pressure to deliver at Montreal, none more so than Maria Sharapova.

Sharapova is 7/1 to win in the States on the Betfair Tennis webpage, behind Williams and Azarenka. 

         

The Russian overtook Agnieszka Radwanska as world number two after the Olympics, but she will not look back on her time in London with much fondness. A 6-0 6-1 hammering by Williams in the final, a few weeks after flattering to deceive at Wimbledon, is a major test of Sharapova’s notorious resilience. A maiden Rogers Cup triumph would restore confidence.

In contrast, Victoria Azarenka thrived at the All England club, reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals and picking up a gold and a bronze medal at the Olympics. A three-time semi-finalist at the Rogers Cup, the world number one thrives in the North American hard court season, but has never got past the fourth round at the US Open.

Sam Stosur was runner-up last year, a hint she was in good enough form to win at New York, but aside from a customary strong showing at Roland Garros, 2012 has been a struggle. She needs to rapidly regain form to be in with a chance of defending her US Open title.

US Open series leader, Dominika Cibulkova, is a spritely outsider in the US Open 2012 odds, whilst Angelique Kerber and Radwanska can build on strong Wimbledon showings to become genuine US Open title challengers.

NHL: Is Nash worth the cash?

The saga and it was a saga has finally ended and Rick Nash is on his way to the New York Rangers and the Columbus Blue Jackets can start to look forward to their future in the NHL without the team revolving around one individual and there are plenty of reasons why the Columbus Blue Jackets benefited from moving Rick Nash to the New York Rangers.

Nash, still rated by many as one of the NHL picks, deserves to play for a contender and with him having gone to a team that can provide that it leaves the Blue Jackets to build a legitimate hockey team before placating the desires of a superstar.

The Nash era didn’t bring the success the Blue Jackets thought it would and they had terrible trouble in trying to find complementary talent. Whether through the draft, free agency or trade, nothing seemed to go right for them. Now at least they don’t have to deal with the demands that Nash imposed upon them, although they are a weaker team for it – but the move needed making.

The Rangers was also the right destination for the ex-captain as it means that Blue Jackets fans won’t see that much of him for the rest of his career - he is now the problem of the Northeast Division, which is arguably the best division in the NHL.

The departure of Nash has also allowed the Blue Jackets to upgrade and they will be a very different team from the abysmal team that took to the ice last season and they now look to have some strength in depth and it will be a team that is about more than one person.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have had a terrible history thus far in the NHL. With the movement of Rick Nash, the last bit of the old era is finally gone. Now, the team can actually concentrate on building a young and talented squad, instead of trying to cut corners for a playoff berth to appease Rick Nash.

Last season is gone and should be forgotten and it’s time for the Blue Jackets to move forward without Nash and to a brighter future, where they can harbour hope of defying NHL betting tips.