Category: Sports

By contrast, Australian contract holders (whether Cricket Australia or state-based) are required to train and play on home soil between September (at the nominal end of the English season) and April, albeit with an exception for the Indian Premier League.

Nevertheless, the increasing number of rich Twenty20 events, plus the recent explosion in the value of the IPL broadcast rights – set to be reflected in the league’s salary cap from next year – means that not even Cricket Australia will be able to ring-fence its players for too much longer.

”We’ve tried to manage his workload, but he’s found it increasingly difficult,” New Zealand Cricket chief David White told Stuff.co.nz of Boult. “But I also think the combination of COVID and managed isolation over the last few years has had an impact as well. I know that Trent’s found that difficult.

“He’s played for New Zealand for 11 years and has been a terrific player, and we respect that, so we’ve had very positive conversations, and we’ve worked through it together. We’re incredibly respectful of him and what he’s done for the country, the way he’s played in all three formats has been quite outstanding.”

Australia’s head coach, Andrew McDonald, said the evolution of the cricket system had been continuous throughout his playing career, and expected conversations around international cricket to oscillate in tune with the staging of major events.

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“The game has accelerated in the last 10 years, and what does it look like in the next 10 years, I’m not sure,” McDonald told SEN.

“I think the heat will come onto different formats at different times. One-day cricket’s under the pump now, what does it look like in terms of a World Cup next year in India? I think it’s going to be big. Then it’ll become about T20 international cricket, is that relevant because it’s not a World Cup year.”

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2022 Commonwealth Games review: Trinidad & Tobago

AS the curtain closes on another Commonwealth Games, we take a look back at how each of the netballing nations fared in our team-by-team review series. Next up is Trinidad & Tobago, a nation that was missing its best shooter in Sam Wallace and subsequently finished bottom in Pool B, before defeating Barbados in the playoffs to secure 11th place overall for the tournament.

GAMES AT A GANDER

Without Wallace at the helm and in the shooting circle, the Trinidad & Tobago side lacked that star shooter. They had the incredible Shaquanda Greene-Noel leading the way up the other end, but they did not have enough star talent to really get the job done. A tough first-up match against home nation England saw the Calypso Girls go down by 52 goals. A 34-goal loss to Uganda followed, before also sustaining large defeats to New Zealand (56 goals) and Malawi (40). Coming into the final group match, the Caribbean nation would have circled the Northern Ireland clash as one it had home to win, but alas the Calypso Girls fell short in a low-scoring contest, 32-41. Trinidad and Tobago did manage to get a win on the board though, showing the gap in quality between even 11th and 12th, defeating Barbados by 32 goals (63-31).

STANDOUTS:

One of the easiest choices for either side, the captain Greene-Noel was simply outstanding throughout the Commonwealth Games. Having plied her trade de ella at Celtic Dragons in the Vitality Netball Superleague (VNSL) this year, Greene-Noel became very popular amongst English and Welsh fans. She showcased her personality throughout the tournament with dancing and generally enjoying every moment. She would be one of the most prolific defenders in the tournament, pulling down 24 rebounds, 12 interceptions and 28 deflections to be the clear standout Calypso Girl. Without Wallace in goal shooter, Afeisha Noel did her best to score a team-high 122 goals and the second most rebounds (15), while defending Aniecia Baptiste was next best behind Greene-Noel with 27 deflections, five intercepts and two rebounds.

FUTURE TALENTS:

Though Trinidad & Tobago did not have anyone born in the 21st Century, they rotated through a number of youngsters. Shantel Seemungal turned 24 at the start of the year and had 17 goal assists from 35 feeds playing in just the two games, while Tahirah Hollingsworth also only played four games but scored 12 goals from 18 attempts and had 10 goal assists from 13 feeds. Faith Hagley turned 23 earlier this year and worked hard in the midcourt with 18 goal assists from 31 feeds in five games.

SUMMARY

Trinidad & Tobago would have loved to have played off in the ninth placed playoff instead of the 11th placed playoff given the natural talent on its list at full strength. With Wallace in, there is little doubt the Calypso Girls would have gone much better, but are still growing a midcourt for the future. The win over Barbados was some reward for effort and well deserved, especially for the captain who would have claims as one of the best defenders across the tournament.

AS the curtain closed on another Commonwealth Games, we take a look back at how each of the netballing nations fared in our team-by-team review series. First up is Barbados, the 12th placed nation that was always up against it given it was the only nation not to have a player competing in any of the three majors netball competitions.

GAMES AT A GANDER

Barbados came into the 2022 Commonwealth Games as the lowest ranked nation competing at the event, so there were no expectations other than to be as competitive as possible for as long as possible. The Bajan Gems copped some rough defeats, particularly at the hands of Australia (78 goals) and Jamaica (79), as well as heavy defeats to both South Africa (55) and Scotland (44). The promising aspect was the final two games, with the loss to Wales – who had beaten Scotland – only being 16 goals. They scored over 40 goals for the first time in the tournament, then were competitive in patches against Trinidad & Tobago for the 11th placed playoff, but ultimately suffered a 63-31 defeat.

STANDOUTS:

The two expected players who have been there and done it before in Shonette Azore-Bruce and Latonia Blackman were impressive in their respective roles. Both are more than capable of playing up either end, but in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Azore-Bruce played in defense, and Blackman in attack. Both having turned or will turn 40 this year, there is every chance this was their last Commonwealth Games so they could hold their head high. Azore-Bruce finished with a team-high eight rebounds and 24 deflections for the tournament, while Blackman shot with the highest efficiency of 84.3 per cent, finishing second for total goals (58) and goal assists (41).

FUTURE TALENTS:

While the two veterans above will likely bow out of the international scene before too long, Barbados certainly has a high number of young players learning the ropes. A promising attacking talent is Brianna Holder who played out of wing attack but can slide up and step into goal attack too, in a similar role to the way the Roses will look to use Sophie Drakeford-Lewis in the future. She recorded the most feeds (100) and goal assists (51) comfortably, while scoring eight goals from 13 attempts. Defensively, Akeena Stoute is a name to remember for the next decade, with the almost 22-year-old recording eight interceptions (a team-high), and 15 deflections, as well as five rebounds and 19 feeds, able to play goal defense but also the potential for a wing defense role in the future.

SUMMARY

Barbados finished exactly where many would have predicted pre-tournament, with the Bajan Gems just lacking that outstanding, consistent talent that most of the other nations have. In saying that, their veterans and youth have potential, and though it might be unlikely that the Carribean nation will rise too far up the world rankings, the fact the Bajan Gems have now qualified for both the World Cup and Commonwealth Games – and even toured Scotland last year – shows the country is serious about its netball.

9:22pm, 09 August 2022

The All Blacks are down on wins with just one from their last six tests but Captain Sam Cane doesn’t believe they have reached the point to play with a “nothing to lose” mentality.

As the current Freedom Cup holders, a win at Ellis Park this weekend would see the trophy – contested between New Zealand and South Africa annually – retained for another year and extend their reign, which started back in 2010.

The last time the Springboks held the Freedom Cup was 2009, when they completed a three-game sweep over the All Blacks, but they have not touched the trophy since.

A win over the favorite Springboks would also get New Zealand’s Rugby Championship campaign back on track and put a dent in the title hopes of South Africa, who will have to travel to Australia for two games against the Wallabies.

When asked if the All Blacks are treating this game as one with nothing to lose, Cane shot down suggestions that they have nothing to play for.

“Nah, I’m not seeing it that way at all,” Cane replied.

“There is a trophy on the line, we are playing at Ellis Park and we are desperate to improve and put up better performances than we are, so there is as much on the line as there has ever been.”

With reports suggesting this might be Ian Foster’s last game as head coach regardless of the result, there is certainly a different kind of pressure building around the All Blacks, which they have not experienced in recent times.

Cane admitted he does feel the weight of a nation, but the only way to deal with it is to reframe it into a positive.

“You certainly feel it, it’s impossible not too,” he said.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. It’s always part of being an All Black, but without a doubt it’s extra pressure.

“You can see it as a burden or just try and embrace it and see it as an extra challenge. I think that is the only way you can see it, use it as a positive, as funny as that sounds.”

The All Blacks are using last week’s loss as motivation to improve in areas like the breakdown, where Malcolm Marx scuppered them numerous times with three turnovers.

Cane said the team would much rather be in South Africa with a chance to atone for the defeat and improve in those areas instead of sitting on a plane heading back home.

“I said to our team in the sheds after the game, as disappointing and as much as it hurt, there is nowhere else we would rather be as a team than to be here and have another crack at them,” he said.

“If we were to be on a plane home and have that to dwell about, it would’ve been pretty tough.

“To be able to get back on the horse straight away and focus on having another crack at them, it’s hugely exciting.

“Without a doubt some of the breakdown work is our area of ​​focus.”

The All Blacks were again plagued by a slow start in Mbombela, with back-to-back infringements at scrum time handing South Africa the chance to put pressure on early with possession in a good attacking zone.

The home side eventually scored in the eighth minute after a high ball was dropped, which extended the All Blacks’ run of not scoring the first try in a test to seven matches.

The last time they scored the first try was against Italy in Rome on last year’s end-of-year tour.

“There is no way we want to be starting a test match like that,” Cane said.

“We had the first scrum and gave away a free kick, and then they took a scrum and they won a penalty. Things like that affect the momentum, particularly early on in a test match, so we’ve just got to do our best to control those moments.

“Execute our small roles, whether that’s at a breakdown, whether that is a ball carry, all the little parts of footy.

“All it is is executing under pressure and if you can do that, we can put ourselves in the right part of the field.”

Cane said being in preparation mode helps the side focus on processes and not dwell on potential outcomes.

“When we are in camp like this, the week is so structured, everything is focused around ways to get better and improve,” he said.

“When you constantly have that mindset to look and find areas to get better at, you don’t allow yourself, or if you do find yourself thinking about things like that, you check yourself and pull yourself back to focus on what is important and what you can control.

“And just put all your energy and focus into that because we all know within the team in professional sport, if you start focusing on the outcome, it’s always the process and the little steps that go into that, that get the outcome you are after .

“No point doing it the other way round.”