The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Australian press blast 'monumental failure'
- Malaysia fail at crucial stage as Ireland win on golden goal
- Contrasting fortunes for Nicol and Wee Wern in Hong Kong
| Australian press blast 'monumental failure' Posted: 03 Dec 2012 06:44 PM PST PERTH, Australia - Australian media on Tuesday blasted the national team's "monumental failure" in the third Test against South Africa while lamenting the end of former skipper Ricky Ponting's illustrious career. South Africa thumped the Australians by 309 runs in Perth to hold on to their number one Test ranking and ruin an emotional farewell for Ponting, who bowed out after a 17-year Test career. Set an improbable 632 runs to win, Australia were dismissed for 322 with a day to spare. Ponting, the second highest runscorer in Test history, was out for just eight after he was given an honour guard by the South Africans. "Champions contemptuously put the Australians in their place," said The Australian newspaper. "Perth was a monumental failure at a critical moment and a timely reminder that Michael Clarke's side is number three - better on a good day and worse on a bad one like this," said their cricket writer Peter Lalor. "Never was the gap between one and three writ more large than in this game." The Sydney Morning Herald said: "Proteas use momentum to absolute advantage", while bemoaning Australia's "missed opportunity" to grab the number one world ranking. The first two matches in the three-Test series ended in draws. "It was disappointing enough that Ricky Ponting's last hurrah was an unremarkable scratching together for eight runs," the newspaper added. "For the ambitious Clarke, though, the whole debacle will be viewed as a missed opportunity to crown his captaincy with a return to the top of the Test charts." While the team's failure to win the series came in for some stinging criticism, there was praise for Ponting in his 168th and final Test, finishing his career with 13,378 Test runs at 51.85, including 41 centuries. "In the blurring of an eye, and 13,378 runs, it was over," The Australian said. "Ponting might have mistimed his final shot but not his departure," the newspaper said. "Better sweet sorrow at parting than a welcome overstayed." The Herald, likewise, dedicated column inches to Ponting's farewell but also looked to the future, questioning what should now happen to the team's batting order. "One of the most pressing issues for Australia after the South Africa series is an inconsistent top order that only once in five innings reached 100 by the time the third wicket fell," it said. Sydney's Daily Telegraph also highlighted top order failures, saying: "Batting drought bad news for Ashes," referring to the series with England next year. "Had the next generation been more productive, he (Ponting) may not have lasted so long, reinforcing the most pressing problem, a lack of batting depth heading into next year's Ashes," the paper's Malcolm Conn wrote. - AFP |
| Malaysia fail at crucial stage as Ireland win on golden goal Posted: 03 Dec 2012 04:22 PM PST KUALA LUMPUR: The national hockey team could only manage to finish fourth in the Champions Challenge I tournament, which ended in Quilmes, Argentina, on Sunday. The Malaysians ended the tournament with a 4-3 defeat by Ireland in the third placing playoff. The match ended 3-3 in regulation time but the Irish scored a golden goal late in the second half of extra time to finish third. It was a bitter end for the Malaysians, who had started the tournament in grand fashion – chalking up four straight impressive wins before their first loss in the semi-finals. They began with a 4-0 win over Poland and followed it up with two more victories – 4-2 over South Korea and 4-1 over Canada. In the quarter-finals, they beat South Africa 4-1 to set up a rematch with South Korea in the last four. That's when it all went downhill for the Malaysians, who fell 6-3 to the Koreans. Then, 24 hours later, they were back on the field to face Ireland, who got the better of them. But as least the Malaysians matched their best-ever placing in the Champions Challenge I by finishing fourth. They were also fourth in Kuala Lumpur in 2001. The Malaysian scorers against Ireland were Ismail Abu, Faizal Saari and Nabil Fiqri Mohamed Nor. Peter Caruth was the hero for Ireland when he scored the winning goal in extra time. Michael Watt, Caruth and Conor Harte had earlier scored in regulation time. What made the loss to Ireland even more painful is that Malaysia were 3-2 up in the 67th minute. With just three minutes left on the clock, Malaysia looked good for a win. But the plucky Irish immediately chased down a penalty corner the very next minute and saved the match with Harte's strike. National team manager George Koshy hoped the defeat would hold them in good stead as they bid to qualify for the 2014 World Cup next year. The Asia Cup in August is a qualifier for the World Cup but before the team must also do well in the World League, slated for June-July. "We have the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup as part of our preparations and also the World League. We are also planning a tour in the middle of next year ... but this will depend on the sceduling of the World League," said George. "For now, we are looking at the Asian Champions Trophy, which will be held in Doha on Dec 20. The players will have a short break before resuming training. We'll have another round of selections." George said that coach Paul Revington would make changes to the side as they hope to try out some of the players left out of the Champions Challenge team. The team wil return to Kuala Lumpur today. |
| Contrasting fortunes for Nicol and Wee Wern in Hong Kong Posted: 03 Dec 2012 03:45 PM PST PETALING JAYA: It was a tale of contrasting fortunes for Malaysia's top women squash players Nicol David and Low Wee Wern at the Hong Kong Open, which ended on Sunday. World No. 1 Nicol extended her dominanation in Hong Kong – she is unbeaten in 40 matches – since the 2005 Women's World Open as she sealed a convincing win over France's Camille Serme in four sets. World No. 7 Wee Wern, however, was forced to retire in the second round – to Serme – after suffering a hamstring tear in her right leg. Given her current form and how the other top seeds had suffered early exits in Hong Kong, Wee Wern could well have beaten Serme and made the final herself had it not been for the injury. The 22-year-old Wee Wern is now racing against time to be fit for the Women's World Open, which starts from Dec 13-21 at Cayman Islands. "I hate to retire in matches .. I just felt that if I could have carried on against Camille, I would've won," said Wee Wern. "The injury is not too serious, but it's not too good either. Unfortunately, I still do not know whether I will be fit for the World Open." The young Penangite is seeded seventh for the World Open and is drawn to meet England's Sarah Kippax in the first round, with a potential quarter-final clash against third seed Laura Massaro, also of England. The week, however, belonged to Nicol as she stamped her authority with yet another dominating performance from start to finish. The 29-year-old Nicol, whose confidence took a huge knock back in September after consecutive losses in the Malaysian Open and Carol Weymuller Open, has rebounded well and was on fire in Hong Kong. She was fit, sharp and focused did not drop a single set en route to the final. Only a determined Serme managed to take a set off her in the final. "This is my 10th year playing in the Hong Kong Open, but I've been playing in their junior open since I was 11. This will always be a special tournament for me," said Nicol. "Hong Kong is also where I won my first world title, so I guess every time I go back there, I feel that it's the world title at stake all over again and I just have to win it!" Nicol's win also means that she will head into the World Open as the hot favourite to set another record – winning her seventh world title. The way she is playing now, it's hard to see anyone stopping her. Meanwhile, the Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) concluded their 40th annual general meeting on Sunday, with the affable Datuk Syed Mustaffa Syed Ali returned unopposed as president. Vice-president Leslie Ponnampalam, honorary treasurer Gabriel Teo also retained their posts alongside committee members Amran Ahmad, Tan Tian Huat. The only new face was Peter Lim Swee Seng, who replaced Rohaizan Rashid as committee member. |
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