Last night Andy Murray achieved history as he became the first British male tennis player to win 500 career matches.
He reached the landmark with a hard-fought three set win over South Africa's Kevin Anderson in the fourth round of the Miami Masters, a tournament he has won twice.
In many ways, the victory was similar to many of Murray's previous 499. He played well in parts, particularly in the first and third sets, but let his opponent back into the match as Anderson won the second set. His returning was also excellent for the most part, but his slow second serve continues to cause the man from Dunblane problems.
However, Murray won in the end and 500 career victories is a terrific achievement and one that should be cause for big celebration.
Having followed Murray since he first properly burst onto the tennis scene in the summer of 2005, I have seen many fantastic Murray wins, whilst also witnessing a fair share of his losses. But this is a positive article about Murray and with that in mind here are my five favourite Andy Murray wins to date.
1. 2013 Wimbledon final- Murray beats Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 6-4
I wouldn't have forgiven myself if I had chosen any other victory from Murray's 500. Murray was simply phenomenal against the man from Serbia as he made history on the centre court at Wimbledon.
Basking in roasting hot sunshine, from the word go Murray played as if he believed this was his time to finally become the first British male player since Fred Perry in 1936 to lift the coveted trophy. Whilst the scoreline doesn't reflect the true nature of the match (Murray was down 4-1 in the second set and 4-2 down in the third), he produced a brilliant display over the course of over three hours of tennis taking the match to Djokovic with a series of incredible ground strokes.
The match displayed Murray at his dogged and determined best and once that epic twelve minute final game had finished thanks to a Djokovic back hand into the net, the waiting was over.
Murray had delivered what people had been dreaming about for generations and for him to handle the mental pressure of the occasion, particularly after his emotional defeat to Roger Federer in the final on the same court the year before, this victory is Murray's best in his 500.
2. 2012 US Open Final. Murray defeats Djokovic 7-6, 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2
Closely behind the Wimbeldon final victory in the list, is another tremendous victory over Djokovic from Murray, this time at the 2012 US Open final.
This victory of course brought Murray his long awaited first Grand Slam title, at the fifth time of asking in a slam final as he withstood an onslaught from Djokovic, who was the defending champion at Flushing Meadows.
In a truly epic match lasting four hours and 54 minutes, the pair played some of the most pulsating tennis you are ever likely to see. The first set alone took 87 minutes (including 24 minutes for the tie-break) and involved a 54 shot rally at one point. Murray edged the tie-break 12-10 and that was hugely significant for him as he'd never won a set against Djokovic in the Grand Slam finals they had played before that night in New York.
Murray's tennis early in the second set was an absolute joy to watch as he raced into a 4-0 lead against the stunned Serb, but Djokovic isn't a multiple grand slam champion by luck and he fought back to level at 5-5.
However, Murray showed fantastic courage to hold serve and then attack Djokovic's serve as he went two sets to love up without the need of a tie-break. His fans inside the stadium and those at home including me felt sure that this was his moment to break his slam duck as he was now only a set away.
Djokovic wasn't quite done yet though and he took his tennis up several gears as he won the next two sets 6-3, 6-2 and suddenly he was in with a chance of completing a remarkable comeback.
Murray went off court before the end of the fifth and final set and psyched himself up with a pep talk in the mirror telling himself that this was his moment to win and that he wasn't losing this time. His words of wisdom worked a treat as he broke Djokovic's resistance and after almost five hours of tennis, he won the fifth set 6-2 and was finally able to call himself a Grand Slam champion.
I'm not ashamed at all to admit I was in tears at the sight of Murray holding the trophy aloft. After seven years of following him, I was so delighted but also so relieved that he'd finally overcome that hurdle which could no longer be used against him by critics. A performance that will stay with me forever.
3. 2008 Wimbledon 4th Round- Murray defeats Richard Gasquet 5-7,3-6, 7-6, 6-2, 6-4
Talk about a match that put me through the ringer. 2008 was the year when people first truly started to believe on a wider scale that Murray was capable of winning a Grand Slam title.
Having just turned 21 by the time Wimbledon came around, he had shown great improvement in his maturity and in his technique as an all round player. He had performed well in his opening three matches at Wimbledon 2008, defeating experienced campaigners Fabrice Santoro, Xavier Malisse and Tommy Haas respectively in the opening three rounds which set up a second week Monday clash with Frenchman Richard Gasquet.
Murray had lost his previous two encounters with the Frenchman who was seeded four places above Murray, so he knew he'd be in for a tough test despite optimism starting to grow among the British public.
Little did they know they were about to witness a thriller which ended up finishing in near darkness at 9.30pm. Murray produced an incredible comeback from two sets to love down for the first time in his career, sending the crowd wild as he flexed his muscles on centre court.
Gasquet had grabbed the first set 7-5, by breaking Murray's serve in the 12th game of the set at the fifth time of asking as his pressure told. That seemed to deflate Murray and the crowd and on the other hand give Gasquet, who had reached the semi-finals at SW19 the year before a huge confidence boost.
He was the better player throughout the second set, taking the game to Murray and eventually winning it 6-3. There appeared to be little sign of a comeback from Murray during the third as Gasquet remained composed. That was until the crowd pressure told as Gasquet failed to serve out the match and suddenly Murray had hope.
In a third set tie-break that he had to win, Murray produced what remains one of the most extraordinary winners of his career as hit a backhand winner on a point where he was outside the tram lines. That galvanised the whole crowd into chanting his name and this time it was Gasquet who was deflated.
Despite being a naturally talented player, Gasquet's mental confidence is always in question and the momentum was now all with Murray. He raced through the fourth set in little over 20 minutes to level the match and he then broke at the beginning of the fifth set.
A clearly rattled Gasquet asked about the light after failing to break back, but there was no way the officials were going to stop the match. Eventually at 9.29pm, in near darkness Murray ensured his place in the quarter finals after an unbelievable match.
This match was so good I got up the next morning and immediately watched the highlights of it on Yesterday at Wimbledon. A match that first showcased Murray's fighting qualities on a mesmerising scale.
4. 2008 US Open Semi-final Murray defeats Rafael Nadal 6-2, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4
I'd argue, that even seven years on this remains Andy Murray's finest victory for a number of reasons. Nadal was world number one at the time and seemed unbeatable. He had won the Olympic Gold and Wimbledon titles during the summer and the French Open earlier in 2008. He had also thumped Murray in the quarter finals of Wimbledon that year and boasted a perfect record from their previous encounters.
The match was also rain-delayed with Murray leading by two sets to love so he effectively had to beat Nadal twice, in what was his first Grand Slam semi-final.
But Murray thrived on being the underdog in New York and blew Nadal away for most of the match with some truly breathtaking tennis. Murray's serving was absolutely impeccable as he took charge early on and gained the upper hand winning the first set 6-2. The second set might have taken a tie-break to have it settled, but it was Murray who ensured that he was in total command of the match by winning it as his forehand never seemed to miss.
Then came the rain delay after Nadal had got an early break in the third set. That delayed the match into a second day on the Sunday, when it was moved to an even bigger stadium, the Arthur Ashe stadium. It seemed as though Nadal had turned the match in his favour when he converted a set point to win the third set.
Murray was back to his best in the early stages of the fourth but Nadal somehow saved seven break points in game two before he immediately stunned Murray by breaking him to love. That seemed the cue for Nadal to take it into a 5th, but his opponent wasn't thinking along the same lines as he broke back to level at 3-3 and forcing mistakes from the Spaniard.
He eventually won the match with a superb backhand pass on the Nadal serve to reach his first Grand Slam final, where he was beaten by Roger Federer. The win over Nadal was the moment when I thought Murray proved he had all the attributes to truly make it at the top of the game, giving it a place in my top five.
5. Murray defeats Roger Federer, 2006 Cincinnati Masters 7-5, 6-4
A surprising choice for many people perhaps, but nine years on this match remains fresh in my memory for the way Murray brilliantly performed against Federer that day.
Only 19 at the time, Murray had come through a first round match against Tim Henman to set up the clash with a man who had only been beaten by Nadal in 2006 and this was a tournament taking place in August.
Murray wasn't to shirk the challenge though as he showed from the word go he wouldn't be intimidated by the then World No 1 who had reached 17 consecutive finals before being beaten by Murray.
Murray's ground strokes throughout the match took Federer aback time and time again as he took the game to the man from Switzerland. He seized an early break in Federer's second service game as he forced him into an error on his usually reliable backhand.
Instead it was Murray's backhand which was on form and despite allowing Federer to break back at 5-4 when he had served for the set, his backhand created another chance for him to win the first set 7-5.
It was a similar story in the second set as he pressurised Federer at every opportunity eventually forcing him to crack at 4-4, as he broke his serve for a remarkable seventh time. Murray held his nerve to secure what was then the biggest win of his career.
Federer in 2006 was arguably at his imperious best and Murray was one of only two men to beat him throughout the whole year. For that reason alone this win deserves a spot in my top five.
Other victories that came very close to my top five included his Olympic gold medal win against Federer in 2012, a five set win over Stan Wawrinka in Wimbledon's first roof covered match in 2009, a stunning victory over Andy Roddick at Wimbledon in 2006 and a 2008 Cincinnati Masters final win over Djokovic.
Murray goes for win 501 tonight against Austrian youngster Dominic Thiem and he'll be looking to keep on climbing the list after becoming only the 46th male player in the open era to win 500 matches on court.
Wednesday, 1 April 2015
Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Progress? Scotland had a dismal Six Nations
Progress is a buzzword in all walks of life, but it is particularly prevalent in the world of sport. When new managers come into a team, they are expected to give their teams a boost and fans talk of seeing progress.
The Scotland rugby team is a perfect case in point. After a disastrous Six Nations in 2014, in which a wooden spoon was only avoided by a drop goal against Italy, Scottish rugby fans couldn't wait to see what Vern Cotter could bring to the table. Cotter arrived in Scotland with an impressive CV having led French side Clermont Auvergne to the league title in 2009-10 and also to the Heineken Cup final in 2013, although they lost to Toulon.
Cotter certainly made a good initial impact on the team during the summer and autumn of 2014, winning three out of four tests in June, including a 21-19 victory away to Argentina and that fine form continued with a 41-31 win at Murrayfield in November against the Argentinians, which showcased the Scots potential for attacking flair under Cotter. A narrow 24-16 loss to New Zealand followed, before a dominant 37-12 win over Tonga was secured in Kilmarnock, to avenge a loss the Scots had suffered to the Tongans in 2012.
Confidence was high going into the Six Nations in February. Few truly believed the Scots could win the championship, but with young attacking talent and a desire to avenge the 2014 performance, it was hoped the Scots could make a significant impact on the tournament. How wrong were fans and the media to be.
After a dismal 40-10 loss at Murrayfield against Ireland on Saturday, Scottish rugby is once again at a low ebb. That defeat confirmed the Scots worst nightmare scenario; the wooden spoon as they lost five games out of five. Yet, we still here that progress was made during this Six Nations campaign.
I say, pull the other one. Sports is a results business and losing five games out of five, despite being close in many of them is not progress. Instead, Scotland have taken many steps backwards over the last couple of months, after showing genuine progress in the latter half of 2014.
Here are five things that Vern Cotter and Scotland must improve on if they are to even get out of the group stages at the World Cup later this year.
1. Start playing for 80 minutes
Scotland's second half performances in the Six Nations were absolutely diabolical right from the opening game to the last. They only trailed France 9-8 at the break in Paris, with Dougie Fyfe having crossed the try line, but in the second half they added nothing to the score board to let the game be won by France 15-8.
It was a similar story against Italy, in what was surely one of the worst 40 minutes of rugby Scotland have ever played as despite leading 16-15 at the interval, they only added three points in the second half and somehow conspired to let the Italians win 22-19.
After being railroaded by the English in the opening 20 minutes at Twickenham, the Scots produced some fine attacking rugby to lead 13-10 after 40 minutes. However, they couldn't sustain it and lost 23-10. The same was true against Ireland when they lost 23 points without reply in Saturday's second half.
That is a mindset that must be changed and it's got to be wondered what Vern Cotter is saying to his players at half time. He must ensure that they are full of positive belief when they emerge for the second half or the Scots will continue to let games slip from their grasp.
2. Install a natural leader on the pitch
For all his solid play and great kicking during the Six Nations, Greig Laidlaw doesn't come across as a natural leader on a rugby pitch. Whilst he is certainly still worthy of a pick by Cotter at scrum half (though Sam Hidalgo-Clyne is certainly pushing him hard in that regard), Scotland need someone on the pitch who can truly drive the team forward at crucial moments.
Despite only being 21, I believe the man who should get the captain's armband handed to him by Cotter is Jonny Gray. Following the injury to his brother Richie, Jonny led the Scotland line out superbly well and has a great presence on the field. Lock is a natural leadership position- you only have to think of Ireland's Paul O'Connell's and England's Martin Johnson for great examples of that and Gray has the mindset of someone who would thrive off the added responsibility.
It's time for Cotter to be bold and appointing Gray would be a great start.
3. Utilise Scotland's attacking talent better
Those who say Scotland did progress during the Six Nations this year highlight the attacking ability of youngsters such as Stuart Hogg, Mark Bennett, Tommy Seymour and Finn Russell who on occasions showed us what they are capable of.
Now Cotter needs to ensure that they attack on a more consistent basis. Scotland only managed six tries in the whole of the Six Nations and when they approached towards the try line, they still looked like Scotland teams of old who were nervous and made mistakes in handling the ball.
Cotter's system must be structured in a way which allows Hogg, Bennett, Seymour and others including David Denton and Alex Dunbar to express themselves and be confident of hurting any team in world rugby.
4. Improve the discipline
This is an area in which responsibility must be shared between Cotter and the players. The coach can only drum in so much during his time with the players in the dressing room that they should avoid giving away needless penalties during the match.
He can't be blamed for them not following out basic instructions when they cross the white line. Some of the penalties Scotland conceded were amateurish and in five matches, they conceded an astonishing 58 to the opposition. With an average of almost 12 penalties conceded in 80 minutes, Scotland are going to struggle to win any match, let alone the Six Nations.
Players need to take responsibility for giving away daft fouls and too many players (Johnny Beattie, Ben Toolis, Geoff Cross and Hamish Watson) spent unnecessary time in the sin-bin, though I stand by the fact that Finn Russell's yellow card (later upgraded to a red) against Wales was a harsh decision.
Scotland need to get their penalty against count significantly down ahead of the World Cup as that could even allow a nation like Japan a chance of winning against Cotter's side.
5. Bring some experience back into the fold
As mentioned in relation to the lack of leaders on the park, Vern Cotter could also do with bringing some experienced players back into the Scotland team.
For all of the young talent that looks more than capable of delivering in years to come, too many experienced players have been shown the door by Cotter. Former captain Kelly Brown is still playing well for Saracens and would have been a good option for coach Cotter to have at flanker. Scrum-half Chris Cusiter is another who can feel hard done by not to be included in the original squad, considering his good displays for Sale Sharks alongside England No 10 Danny Cipriani.
The addition of more experience even if just for the World Cup and next Six Nations would allow the young players to be guided more and give a better balance to the team.
Cotter came with a big reputation and started well but this Six Nations campaign has not seen Scotland progress, far from it. Big results are needed in World Cup warm up matches against Ireland, Italy and France and then at the World Cup itself, a group stage exit for the man designed to progress Scottish rugby is unthinkable.
It's time for Cotter and this Scotland team to cut out the excuses and win rugby matches.
The Scotland rugby team is a perfect case in point. After a disastrous Six Nations in 2014, in which a wooden spoon was only avoided by a drop goal against Italy, Scottish rugby fans couldn't wait to see what Vern Cotter could bring to the table. Cotter arrived in Scotland with an impressive CV having led French side Clermont Auvergne to the league title in 2009-10 and also to the Heineken Cup final in 2013, although they lost to Toulon.
Cotter certainly made a good initial impact on the team during the summer and autumn of 2014, winning three out of four tests in June, including a 21-19 victory away to Argentina and that fine form continued with a 41-31 win at Murrayfield in November against the Argentinians, which showcased the Scots potential for attacking flair under Cotter. A narrow 24-16 loss to New Zealand followed, before a dominant 37-12 win over Tonga was secured in Kilmarnock, to avenge a loss the Scots had suffered to the Tongans in 2012.
Confidence was high going into the Six Nations in February. Few truly believed the Scots could win the championship, but with young attacking talent and a desire to avenge the 2014 performance, it was hoped the Scots could make a significant impact on the tournament. How wrong were fans and the media to be.
After a dismal 40-10 loss at Murrayfield against Ireland on Saturday, Scottish rugby is once again at a low ebb. That defeat confirmed the Scots worst nightmare scenario; the wooden spoon as they lost five games out of five. Yet, we still here that progress was made during this Six Nations campaign.
I say, pull the other one. Sports is a results business and losing five games out of five, despite being close in many of them is not progress. Instead, Scotland have taken many steps backwards over the last couple of months, after showing genuine progress in the latter half of 2014.
Here are five things that Vern Cotter and Scotland must improve on if they are to even get out of the group stages at the World Cup later this year.
1. Start playing for 80 minutes
Scotland's second half performances in the Six Nations were absolutely diabolical right from the opening game to the last. They only trailed France 9-8 at the break in Paris, with Dougie Fyfe having crossed the try line, but in the second half they added nothing to the score board to let the game be won by France 15-8.
It was a similar story against Italy, in what was surely one of the worst 40 minutes of rugby Scotland have ever played as despite leading 16-15 at the interval, they only added three points in the second half and somehow conspired to let the Italians win 22-19.
After being railroaded by the English in the opening 20 minutes at Twickenham, the Scots produced some fine attacking rugby to lead 13-10 after 40 minutes. However, they couldn't sustain it and lost 23-10. The same was true against Ireland when they lost 23 points without reply in Saturday's second half.
That is a mindset that must be changed and it's got to be wondered what Vern Cotter is saying to his players at half time. He must ensure that they are full of positive belief when they emerge for the second half or the Scots will continue to let games slip from their grasp.
2. Install a natural leader on the pitch
For all his solid play and great kicking during the Six Nations, Greig Laidlaw doesn't come across as a natural leader on a rugby pitch. Whilst he is certainly still worthy of a pick by Cotter at scrum half (though Sam Hidalgo-Clyne is certainly pushing him hard in that regard), Scotland need someone on the pitch who can truly drive the team forward at crucial moments.
Despite only being 21, I believe the man who should get the captain's armband handed to him by Cotter is Jonny Gray. Following the injury to his brother Richie, Jonny led the Scotland line out superbly well and has a great presence on the field. Lock is a natural leadership position- you only have to think of Ireland's Paul O'Connell's and England's Martin Johnson for great examples of that and Gray has the mindset of someone who would thrive off the added responsibility.
It's time for Cotter to be bold and appointing Gray would be a great start.
3. Utilise Scotland's attacking talent better
Those who say Scotland did progress during the Six Nations this year highlight the attacking ability of youngsters such as Stuart Hogg, Mark Bennett, Tommy Seymour and Finn Russell who on occasions showed us what they are capable of.
Now Cotter needs to ensure that they attack on a more consistent basis. Scotland only managed six tries in the whole of the Six Nations and when they approached towards the try line, they still looked like Scotland teams of old who were nervous and made mistakes in handling the ball.
Cotter's system must be structured in a way which allows Hogg, Bennett, Seymour and others including David Denton and Alex Dunbar to express themselves and be confident of hurting any team in world rugby.
4. Improve the discipline
This is an area in which responsibility must be shared between Cotter and the players. The coach can only drum in so much during his time with the players in the dressing room that they should avoid giving away needless penalties during the match.
He can't be blamed for them not following out basic instructions when they cross the white line. Some of the penalties Scotland conceded were amateurish and in five matches, they conceded an astonishing 58 to the opposition. With an average of almost 12 penalties conceded in 80 minutes, Scotland are going to struggle to win any match, let alone the Six Nations.
Players need to take responsibility for giving away daft fouls and too many players (Johnny Beattie, Ben Toolis, Geoff Cross and Hamish Watson) spent unnecessary time in the sin-bin, though I stand by the fact that Finn Russell's yellow card (later upgraded to a red) against Wales was a harsh decision.
Scotland need to get their penalty against count significantly down ahead of the World Cup as that could even allow a nation like Japan a chance of winning against Cotter's side.
5. Bring some experience back into the fold
As mentioned in relation to the lack of leaders on the park, Vern Cotter could also do with bringing some experienced players back into the Scotland team.
For all of the young talent that looks more than capable of delivering in years to come, too many experienced players have been shown the door by Cotter. Former captain Kelly Brown is still playing well for Saracens and would have been a good option for coach Cotter to have at flanker. Scrum-half Chris Cusiter is another who can feel hard done by not to be included in the original squad, considering his good displays for Sale Sharks alongside England No 10 Danny Cipriani.
The addition of more experience even if just for the World Cup and next Six Nations would allow the young players to be guided more and give a better balance to the team.
Cotter came with a big reputation and started well but this Six Nations campaign has not seen Scotland progress, far from it. Big results are needed in World Cup warm up matches against Ireland, Italy and France and then at the World Cup itself, a group stage exit for the man designed to progress Scottish rugby is unthinkable.
It's time for Cotter and this Scotland team to cut out the excuses and win rugby matches.
Wednesday, 11 March 2015
The England Cricket team need to rip it up and start again
The title of this blog references a song by the band Orange Juice ('Rip it up'). If you were an England cricket fan watching the teams performances at the World Cup, you would probably have needed more than an orange juice to watch them.
Yet another shocking and pitiful World Cup tournament ended for England on Monday when they failed to beat Bangladesh. They will fly home after Friday's match against Afghanistan, who on current form you honestly wouldn't back England to beat.
England's 2015 World Cup to date has seen them only beat Scotland and be soundly beaten by Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Big changes need to be made in English cricket as quite frankly they are going nowhere at the moment.
So who should shoulder the blame? There is no one definitive answer to that question. All of the people at the top of English cricket are to blame for causing the team to be the laughing stock of world cricket, particularly in the one day format.
Take coach Peter Moores. His response of 'We'll need to look at the data' after the defeat to Bangladesh was astonishing. Moores seems a nice enough bloke but he is obsessed with data and burying his head in page after page of stats. Quite frankly, being that intense does not endear you to the dressing room and isn't a winning formula to try and win cricket matches. Here's some data for Moores; Ireland have won three games in the tournament and England have won one. With all due respect to Ireland, who have provided some of the greatest ever cricket world cup moments, that's a total embarrassment for England and Moores.
Quite frankly Moores should never have been appointed as coach again. His first spell was hardly a resounding success. Across all formats of the game, he won 27 games out of 68 and led England to only three test series victories out of seven. His second spell has seen him oversee defeats to Sri Lanka in all formats of the game since summer 2014. He just isn't good enough.
However, Moores can't be the sole guilty party in this charade. Managing director Paul Downton looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights most of the time and you have to question whether a man with a test batting average of under 20 is qualified to be managing English cricket. Along with Moores, the pair dithered for far too long to remove Alastair Cook as the one day captain when his confidence was shattered and he was starting to look like a player who had just broken into his local club side.
By taking so long to sack Cook, new captain Eoin Morgan had little to no time to prepare for the World Cup. Morgan has been a disappointment as captain and batsman this tournament but he was hardly given the rightful support from those above him.
Colin Graves takes over as the chairman of the England and Wales cricket board in May from Giles Clarke, who has long outstayed his welcome. Clarke of course made Kevin Pietersen the scapegoat for the Ashes whitewash in 2013-14, banishing from the team. Pietersen has his faults, significant ones to be honest but there is no doubting that he has been shoddily treated by the ECB who needed someone to take the attention off them when they were failing.
Later in 2014, Clarke told England fans to move on from Pietersen's departure. Clearly he wanted to stick to his guns, but couldn't he see that it was and still is hard for fans to accept they will never see a man who helped win them Ashes series, a T20 world cup and countless big games in an England shirt ever again if Clarke had his way.
Pietersen isn't a miracle worker, but he was recently the second highest run scorer in Australia's T20 tournament and it's hard to believe this England team are better off leaving him at home.
National selector James Whitaker should be packing his bags too. Leaving Pietersen aside, Ben Stokes would have provided all round skill for the team and surely Whitaker and Moores can see Jos Butler is batting way too low down at number seven. England are still in the mindset of thinking 300 is a good score in one day cricket.
That stems from Moores, Downtown and Whitaker who were all decent but never great cricketers. They haven't evolved as their sport has evolved and with them in charge England will never win anything.
Graves needs to bin Moores, Downtown and Whitaker upon entering in May, or sooner if he really wants to lay down a marker. Only by wiping the slate clean with new management can the England cricket team even begin to think about prospering again.
Yet another shocking and pitiful World Cup tournament ended for England on Monday when they failed to beat Bangladesh. They will fly home after Friday's match against Afghanistan, who on current form you honestly wouldn't back England to beat.
England's 2015 World Cup to date has seen them only beat Scotland and be soundly beaten by Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Big changes need to be made in English cricket as quite frankly they are going nowhere at the moment.
So who should shoulder the blame? There is no one definitive answer to that question. All of the people at the top of English cricket are to blame for causing the team to be the laughing stock of world cricket, particularly in the one day format.
Take coach Peter Moores. His response of 'We'll need to look at the data' after the defeat to Bangladesh was astonishing. Moores seems a nice enough bloke but he is obsessed with data and burying his head in page after page of stats. Quite frankly, being that intense does not endear you to the dressing room and isn't a winning formula to try and win cricket matches. Here's some data for Moores; Ireland have won three games in the tournament and England have won one. With all due respect to Ireland, who have provided some of the greatest ever cricket world cup moments, that's a total embarrassment for England and Moores.
Quite frankly Moores should never have been appointed as coach again. His first spell was hardly a resounding success. Across all formats of the game, he won 27 games out of 68 and led England to only three test series victories out of seven. His second spell has seen him oversee defeats to Sri Lanka in all formats of the game since summer 2014. He just isn't good enough.
However, Moores can't be the sole guilty party in this charade. Managing director Paul Downton looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights most of the time and you have to question whether a man with a test batting average of under 20 is qualified to be managing English cricket. Along with Moores, the pair dithered for far too long to remove Alastair Cook as the one day captain when his confidence was shattered and he was starting to look like a player who had just broken into his local club side.
By taking so long to sack Cook, new captain Eoin Morgan had little to no time to prepare for the World Cup. Morgan has been a disappointment as captain and batsman this tournament but he was hardly given the rightful support from those above him.
Colin Graves takes over as the chairman of the England and Wales cricket board in May from Giles Clarke, who has long outstayed his welcome. Clarke of course made Kevin Pietersen the scapegoat for the Ashes whitewash in 2013-14, banishing from the team. Pietersen has his faults, significant ones to be honest but there is no doubting that he has been shoddily treated by the ECB who needed someone to take the attention off them when they were failing.
Later in 2014, Clarke told England fans to move on from Pietersen's departure. Clearly he wanted to stick to his guns, but couldn't he see that it was and still is hard for fans to accept they will never see a man who helped win them Ashes series, a T20 world cup and countless big games in an England shirt ever again if Clarke had his way.
Pietersen isn't a miracle worker, but he was recently the second highest run scorer in Australia's T20 tournament and it's hard to believe this England team are better off leaving him at home.
National selector James Whitaker should be packing his bags too. Leaving Pietersen aside, Ben Stokes would have provided all round skill for the team and surely Whitaker and Moores can see Jos Butler is batting way too low down at number seven. England are still in the mindset of thinking 300 is a good score in one day cricket.
That stems from Moores, Downtown and Whitaker who were all decent but never great cricketers. They haven't evolved as their sport has evolved and with them in charge England will never win anything.
Graves needs to bin Moores, Downtown and Whitaker upon entering in May, or sooner if he really wants to lay down a marker. Only by wiping the slate clean with new management can the England cricket team even begin to think about prospering again.
Monday, 9 March 2015
It's time Britain talked up the Davis Cup
Despite being a worldwide event, the Davis Cup has consistently failed to capture the imagination of the wider public. Perhaps it is the convoluted format which involves many different "zones" in promotion and relegation groups or perhaps it is because many of the top players have shunned it over the years.
Compare it to golf's Ryder Cup. That's a tournament players will fight tooth and nail to get into a qualifying spot for and fans are glued to the action over the weekend.
Great Britain's 3-2 win over the United States in Glasgow which was completed yesterday could be a potential turning point for interest in the Davis Cup in this country. Tickets for the Emirates Arena sold out within ten minutes of going in sale last November whilst the crowds roared on their hero Andy Murray (and his teammates) to victory in a stunning atmosphere. Now this needs to be capitalised on ahead of the quarter final tie (at a venue TBC) against France in July.
Remarkably Great Britain have a one in eight chance of winning this trophy despite only having one male tennis player in the top 100 of the world rankings in the shape of Andy Murray.
Since taking over the Davis Cup captaincy in 2010, Leon Smith has performed nothing short of a miracle. His first task was to ensure Great Britain didn't plummet into the lowest depths of the Davis Cup group format, by beating Turkey, which the GB team duly did 5-0.
Since then, Smith has ensured that the country's Davis Cup team has once again become respected with two wins over the USA in the last two years confirming that.
The fact that James Ward, a player who has never been inside the top 100 in the world has managed to beat Americans Sam Querrey (career high ranking of 17) and John Isner (career high ranking of 9) is astonishing. His win over Isner on Friday in Glasgow was even more remarkable considering he came from two sets down against one of the best servers in the game. The nerve and fitness Ward showed in the final set to win 15-13 was something every British tennis fan should have been proud of.
And although they didn't win on Saturday, equally inspiring was Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot's performance against the Bryan brothers Bob and Mike coming from two sets to love down to draw level before losing the doubles tie 9-7 in the fifth.
Whilst there is clearly a massive burden on Andy Murray to win both his singles matches in any tie, captain Smith now has a reliable and hugely spirited team to call upon. Ward has now easily done enough to be considered a Davis Cup stalwart while Murray and Inglot are both in the top 40 of the doubles rankings and had infact beaten the 16 time slam champions, the Bryan brothers twice this year.
Smith's miracle work even extended to a team which didn't feature Andy Murray in it back in April 2013 when Great Britain somehow beat Russia 3-2 after being 2-0 behind after the opening day.
A doubles win on the Saturday from Jonny Marray and Colin Fleming gave the team hope, before Ward then ranked 214 in the world stunned Dmitry Tursunov, a former top 20 player in five sets before Dan Evans, then ranked at 325, beat Evegny Donskoy, who was ranked 245 places above him to complete the comeback.
Now two years on Britain stand a genuine, if still unlikely chance of winning the trophy for the first time since 1936. Andy Murray may well break another long standing record that has unfortunately stood since the heyday of Fred Perry, just like he did when he became the first British male to win Wimbledon for 77 years in 2013.
A 2015 Davis Cup win might not carry the same celebrations and it probably wouldn't even register in large parts of the country but the crowds in Glasgow were fantastic and helped to defeat the Americans. Now more people are needed to turn up the volume for the match against France, which will be tough considering they have Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet on board.
Much has been said of the country not capitalising on Murray's Wimbledon success and much of what has been said is true. If Britain were to win the Davis Cup or even reach the final, that would be a magnificent team achievement against all the odds.
It's time to spread the word about Leon Smith's British team and make them household names.
Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Darren Clarke is the right man for Europe
The European Ryder Cup team and supporters will again hope the luck of the Irish is smiling on them when they head across the pond to defend the trophy next year.
That's because the selection committee who had to choose the next captain have made the unanimous choice to pick Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke for the match at Hazeltine, following the hugely successful stint of Dubliner Paul McGinley who led Europe to a resounding success at Gleneagles last year.
Clarke was selected ahead of Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez and Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, who threw his proverbial hat into the process very late on. Clarke was always the favourite though and the announcement at lunchtime today that he had been given the nod was no surprise.
Jimenez and Bjorn certainly have their credentials and it will be a major shock if one of those two don't get the nod to lead Europe in the 2018 match in France. However, 2016 will be Clarke's time as Europe look to win the trophy for a fourth time in a row.
The selection committee have made the right call for a number of reasons.
Clarke was the players choice and the committee would have been foolish not to listen to the likes of Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Justin Rose, Ian Poulter and Martin Kaymer who had backed Clarke for the role. They are all more than likely to be lining up at Hazeltine so if Jimenez had been picked, then he would have faced an uphill battle convincing his players that he was the right choice. Poulter and another likely Hazeltine participant Sergio Garcia took to Twitter to congratulate Clarke, showing the standing he has among Ryder Cup stalwarts.
Whilst playing records of Ryder Cup captains is perhaps not such a big issue after McGinley's success at Gleneagles, Clarke's record will stand the test of time. An Open Championship victory in 2011 followed up two World Golf Championship victories, one of which was a World Matchplay win over Tiger Woods in his prime in 2000. Those wins have earned him the respect of golf fans around the world and crucially in America where he is a well-known and popular figure who won't be the subject of abuse by the partisan Hazeltine crowd.
Clarke's Ryder Cup record is also up there with the best having won 10 out of his 20 matches which he played in five straight Ryder Cups between 1997 and 2006, when he was on the winning side four times. Compare that to Jimenez who has won only four of his 15 Ryder Cup matches to date.
And who can forget Clarke's hugely emotional performance at the 2006 Ryder Cup only weeks after he lost his beloved wife Heather. For him to deliver three points out of three was extraordinary and showed his passion for the event, a passion he'll showcase a decade on from that edition at The K Club as captain.
As someone who has been a stalwart of European golf for the last two decades and someone who like McGinley before him has the support of Europe's leading lights, then it's time to pour a pint of Clarke's favourite Guinness and celebrate his appointment.
That's because the selection committee who had to choose the next captain have made the unanimous choice to pick Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke for the match at Hazeltine, following the hugely successful stint of Dubliner Paul McGinley who led Europe to a resounding success at Gleneagles last year.
Clarke was selected ahead of Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez and Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, who threw his proverbial hat into the process very late on. Clarke was always the favourite though and the announcement at lunchtime today that he had been given the nod was no surprise.
Jimenez and Bjorn certainly have their credentials and it will be a major shock if one of those two don't get the nod to lead Europe in the 2018 match in France. However, 2016 will be Clarke's time as Europe look to win the trophy for a fourth time in a row.
The selection committee have made the right call for a number of reasons.
Clarke was the players choice and the committee would have been foolish not to listen to the likes of Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Justin Rose, Ian Poulter and Martin Kaymer who had backed Clarke for the role. They are all more than likely to be lining up at Hazeltine so if Jimenez had been picked, then he would have faced an uphill battle convincing his players that he was the right choice. Poulter and another likely Hazeltine participant Sergio Garcia took to Twitter to congratulate Clarke, showing the standing he has among Ryder Cup stalwarts.
Whilst playing records of Ryder Cup captains is perhaps not such a big issue after McGinley's success at Gleneagles, Clarke's record will stand the test of time. An Open Championship victory in 2011 followed up two World Golf Championship victories, one of which was a World Matchplay win over Tiger Woods in his prime in 2000. Those wins have earned him the respect of golf fans around the world and crucially in America where he is a well-known and popular figure who won't be the subject of abuse by the partisan Hazeltine crowd.
Clarke's Ryder Cup record is also up there with the best having won 10 out of his 20 matches which he played in five straight Ryder Cups between 1997 and 2006, when he was on the winning side four times. Compare that to Jimenez who has won only four of his 15 Ryder Cup matches to date.
And who can forget Clarke's hugely emotional performance at the 2006 Ryder Cup only weeks after he lost his beloved wife Heather. For him to deliver three points out of three was extraordinary and showed his passion for the event, a passion he'll showcase a decade on from that edition at The K Club as captain.
As someone who has been a stalwart of European golf for the last two decades and someone who like McGinley before him has the support of Europe's leading lights, then it's time to pour a pint of Clarke's favourite Guinness and celebrate his appointment.
Saturday, 17 January 2015
Five men to follow at the Australian Open
The 2015 tennis season gets "properly" underway in the early hours of Monday morning as the Australian Open, the traditional first Grand Slam of the Year begins.
Four time champion Novak Djokovic is favourite for the men's title with Roger Federer who won his 1000th game recently and fit again Rafael Nadal not far behind. Defending champion Stanislas Wawrinka is sure to want a say as well.
Here are five men though that could also be making headlines in Melbourne over the next couple of weeks.
Andy Murray
It might seem an obvious choice to pick the man from Dunblane, but as Murray enters 2015 he stands at somewhat of a crossroads in his career. A difficult 2014 saw him struggle to reach his best form after returning from back surgery, though in the latter half of the season he did win three titles in the space of five weeks to ensure he reached the World Tour finals in London. A thrashing by Federer at the O2 ensured a terrible end to the year, in which he failed to reach a slam final for the first time since 2009.
Having kept faith in coach Amelie Mauresmo for now, the early signs in 2015 have been good for Murray. He might only have played in exhibition matches, but he notched up an impressive win over Nadal in Abu Dhabi as well as winning all three of his singles matches at the Hopman Cup.
In the close season, Murray made the tough decision to part ways with long time coach and hitting partner Dani Vallverdu as well as fitness coach Jez Green. Comments in recent days suggest Murray thinks he's in ideal shape to try and win a tournament at which he's reached the final at three times. He'll need to be fully fit as he's been handed a tough draw, which potentially pits him against his Wimbledon conqueror from last year Grigor Dimitrov in round four and then the trio of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic from the quarters onwards.
Murray does love the Melbourne hardcourts, but with the tough draw and the fact he is still searching for his best game, he heads into the tournament with an outside chance.
Kei Nishikori
The man from Japan made himself known to the wider public when he made it all the way to the US Open final last year before losing out to Marin Cilic. His victory over World Number one Novak Djokovic in the semi final showed all his capabilities as a top player and his form last year means he goes into this tournament as world number five and as a serious contender.
Coach Michael Chang has brought a new belief and aggression to Nishikori's game which enabled him to win four titles in 2014. His best run in Melbourne is a run to the quarter finals in 2012 but he is a much more dangerous prospect now as shown by wins over Djokovic, Federer and Murray last year.
A tricky first round tie against Spain's Nicolas Almagro awaits but Nishikori remains a great outside bet for the title.
Grigor Dimitrov
After starting to realise his potential in 2014, the big question now is can Dimitrov win a slam in 2015? He got into the world's top eight last year and is currently ranked 11th but has been tipped by John McEnroe to be the next new Grand Slam champion.
He showed his capabilities last year winning titles on three different surfaces as well as defeating defending champion Andy Murray at Wimbledon on his way to the semi finals. He also made the quarter finals in Melbourne in 2014 taking Nadal to four sets.
There are still big question marks over Dimitrov and whether he has the consistency and attitude of someone like Nishikori to go all the way in a slam as his form in the second half of 2014 tailed off badly meaning he missed out on the world tour finals in London. It seems inevitable that he will win a slam but he's been hyped up for so long, its easy to forget he's only 23.
The draw hasn't been too kind to him with a first round tie against the energetic Dustin Brown potentially giving him a few headaches. A third round tie against David Goffin is a potential banana skin, but get through that and he could face Murray who will be keen to avenge his Wimbledon loss so he faces tough ties to even make the last eight in Australia, but on form he is more than capable of going deep into the tournament.
Dimitrov is frustrating and exciting to watch in equal measure, so that's why his progress is well worth following.
Nick Kyrgios
The Australian youngster who is still only 19 stunned the tennis world when he defeated Rafael Nadal in the fourth round at Wimbledon last year which included a winning shot he played through his legs. The teenager also defeated Richard Gasquet, a top ten player and 2007 Wimbledon semi finalist in the second round, leading to him being labelled as one of the stars of the future.
He subsequently made the third round of the US Open before skipping the rest of the season, saying he was burnt out. Fresh for 2015, big things are expected of Kyrgios who is now in the top 50 in the world. Winner of the junior title in Melbourne two years ago, he'll be hoping to make a big impression in the main draw. With a potential match up against Ivo Karlovic in round two, it won't be easy but with a home crowd backing him, he could be a surprise package down under.
David Goffin
Now ranked 22nd in the world, the Belgian won the comeback player of the year award in 2014. Having burst on the scene in 2012 when he reached the fourth round of the French Open after only getting in as a 'lucky loser', Goffin's career didn't go upwards as planned as he slipped to 110th in the world rankings.
However, a first round defeat by Murray at Wimbledon last year spurred Goffin on to finally realise his potential. Between July and August he won four successive tournaments and although three of them were at Challenger level, winning 20 matches in a row took some going.
He then followed that up by winning the ATP final in Metz beating Jo Wilfried Tsonga along the way before reaching the Swiss Indoors final in October.
He'll be looking to get past the first round for the first time in Australia but with renewed confidence, he'll be feeling good about his chances.
My pick for the title remains Novak Djokovic, who excels on these courts but Nishikori is a great outside bet.
Four time champion Novak Djokovic is favourite for the men's title with Roger Federer who won his 1000th game recently and fit again Rafael Nadal not far behind. Defending champion Stanislas Wawrinka is sure to want a say as well.
Here are five men though that could also be making headlines in Melbourne over the next couple of weeks.
Andy Murray
It might seem an obvious choice to pick the man from Dunblane, but as Murray enters 2015 he stands at somewhat of a crossroads in his career. A difficult 2014 saw him struggle to reach his best form after returning from back surgery, though in the latter half of the season he did win three titles in the space of five weeks to ensure he reached the World Tour finals in London. A thrashing by Federer at the O2 ensured a terrible end to the year, in which he failed to reach a slam final for the first time since 2009.
Having kept faith in coach Amelie Mauresmo for now, the early signs in 2015 have been good for Murray. He might only have played in exhibition matches, but he notched up an impressive win over Nadal in Abu Dhabi as well as winning all three of his singles matches at the Hopman Cup.
In the close season, Murray made the tough decision to part ways with long time coach and hitting partner Dani Vallverdu as well as fitness coach Jez Green. Comments in recent days suggest Murray thinks he's in ideal shape to try and win a tournament at which he's reached the final at three times. He'll need to be fully fit as he's been handed a tough draw, which potentially pits him against his Wimbledon conqueror from last year Grigor Dimitrov in round four and then the trio of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic from the quarters onwards.
Murray does love the Melbourne hardcourts, but with the tough draw and the fact he is still searching for his best game, he heads into the tournament with an outside chance.
Kei Nishikori
The man from Japan made himself known to the wider public when he made it all the way to the US Open final last year before losing out to Marin Cilic. His victory over World Number one Novak Djokovic in the semi final showed all his capabilities as a top player and his form last year means he goes into this tournament as world number five and as a serious contender.
Coach Michael Chang has brought a new belief and aggression to Nishikori's game which enabled him to win four titles in 2014. His best run in Melbourne is a run to the quarter finals in 2012 but he is a much more dangerous prospect now as shown by wins over Djokovic, Federer and Murray last year.
A tricky first round tie against Spain's Nicolas Almagro awaits but Nishikori remains a great outside bet for the title.
Grigor Dimitrov
After starting to realise his potential in 2014, the big question now is can Dimitrov win a slam in 2015? He got into the world's top eight last year and is currently ranked 11th but has been tipped by John McEnroe to be the next new Grand Slam champion.
He showed his capabilities last year winning titles on three different surfaces as well as defeating defending champion Andy Murray at Wimbledon on his way to the semi finals. He also made the quarter finals in Melbourne in 2014 taking Nadal to four sets.
There are still big question marks over Dimitrov and whether he has the consistency and attitude of someone like Nishikori to go all the way in a slam as his form in the second half of 2014 tailed off badly meaning he missed out on the world tour finals in London. It seems inevitable that he will win a slam but he's been hyped up for so long, its easy to forget he's only 23.
The draw hasn't been too kind to him with a first round tie against the energetic Dustin Brown potentially giving him a few headaches. A third round tie against David Goffin is a potential banana skin, but get through that and he could face Murray who will be keen to avenge his Wimbledon loss so he faces tough ties to even make the last eight in Australia, but on form he is more than capable of going deep into the tournament.
Dimitrov is frustrating and exciting to watch in equal measure, so that's why his progress is well worth following.
Nick Kyrgios
The Australian youngster who is still only 19 stunned the tennis world when he defeated Rafael Nadal in the fourth round at Wimbledon last year which included a winning shot he played through his legs. The teenager also defeated Richard Gasquet, a top ten player and 2007 Wimbledon semi finalist in the second round, leading to him being labelled as one of the stars of the future.
He subsequently made the third round of the US Open before skipping the rest of the season, saying he was burnt out. Fresh for 2015, big things are expected of Kyrgios who is now in the top 50 in the world. Winner of the junior title in Melbourne two years ago, he'll be hoping to make a big impression in the main draw. With a potential match up against Ivo Karlovic in round two, it won't be easy but with a home crowd backing him, he could be a surprise package down under.
David Goffin
Now ranked 22nd in the world, the Belgian won the comeback player of the year award in 2014. Having burst on the scene in 2012 when he reached the fourth round of the French Open after only getting in as a 'lucky loser', Goffin's career didn't go upwards as planned as he slipped to 110th in the world rankings.
However, a first round defeat by Murray at Wimbledon last year spurred Goffin on to finally realise his potential. Between July and August he won four successive tournaments and although three of them were at Challenger level, winning 20 matches in a row took some going.
He then followed that up by winning the ATP final in Metz beating Jo Wilfried Tsonga along the way before reaching the Swiss Indoors final in October.
He'll be looking to get past the first round for the first time in Australia but with renewed confidence, he'll be feeling good about his chances.
My pick for the title remains Novak Djokovic, who excels on these courts but Nishikori is a great outside bet.
Wednesday, 7 January 2015
How Gary Anderson became World Champion
Scotland has a new world champion. And we should all be shouting the name of Gary Anderson from the rooftops.
The 44 year old from Eyemouth in the Scottish Borders was crowned Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) world champion after a thrilling 7-6 victory over the greatest ever darts player, Phil "The Power" Taylor at the Alexandra Palace in London on Sunday night.
The chance to lift the world championship trophy had been a long time coming for Anderson. Although he had only previously only reached one world final in 2011 when he lost to Adrian Lewis, the Scot was regularly heralded as the best player to never win a world title.
That was because of his terrific form over a number of years, including a win in the final of the 2011 Premier League as well as wins in the World Darts Trophy and the International Darts League in 2007. He also came into this year's World Championships in terrific form having won the Players Championship just before hand as well as notching up semi final appearances at the World Grand Prix and World Matchplay.
Anderson didn't have it plain sailing in London though, far from it. American Scott Kirchner with his ludicrously slow style of play unnerved Anderson in round one, making him average only 86 in a nervous match.
Round Two saw Anderson on the brink of defeat at one point against Dutchman Jelle Klaasen. He was 3-1 down in a race to four and was a leg away from an early exit before roaring back to win 4-3.
Further battles had to be overcome against Spaniard qualifier Cristo Reyes in the third round where he was a set down early on. Anderson's best performance so far came in the quarter final against Peter Wright which set up a semi final against reigning world champion Michael Van Gerwen, whom Anderson lost to into the third round of the 2014 event, despite leading 3-1.
It looked as though history was going to repeat itself, as Van Gerwen fought back to level at 3-3, after being 3-1 down. This time though, it was him that let Anderson in who ended up averaging 102 and hitting one out of two on the doubles to win 6-3 in an impressive display.
The small matter of 16 time world champion Taylor awaited in the final. Anderson came out the blocks firing and quickly led 2-0 and then 3-1. However, he lost a grip of the match and combined with some Taylor excellence, he found himself 4-3 down. Taylor allowed Anderson to draw level at 4-4 when he missed three darts for the set.
Then came a horrific run of luck for Anderson as he endured several bounce outs, the worst being when a third dart knocked the previous two out of the treble 20 and he ended up scoring zero. He was also put off by a fan whistling from the crowd which made it all the more remarkable when he won the set and the next to lead 6-4 and be on the brink of success.
Taylor wasn't done yet though and some blistering darts set up a nail biting 13th and final set. It was Anderson who found his form at the vital moments and with a double 8 sealed his place in darting history, finally.
Anderson's sheer determination and will to win have to be admired. He said last year when he let that lead slip against Van Gerwen, that the next year would be different and he has delivered big time on that statement.
Anderson has also had personal tragedies to deal with over the last few years. His brother Stewart died of a heart attack aged just 35 in September 2011 and his father Gordon died in March 2012. Naturally Anderson found darts tough after those losses, but now he is reaping the huge benefits of relaxing on stage and enjoying his job.
I had the pleasure of meeting Anderson once. I played a leg of darts against him (he took out 135 on the bull to beat me) but he said well played and did the same with everyone who took him on in Coral that day in 2013. He was happy to chat away with fans and sign autographs.
Gary Anderson is one of the good guys who has had to wait for his success, but he knew he'd have his chance some day and he wasn't going to let it slip.
I'll be a rare Scot in the crowd at Leeds in February on the opening night of the Premier League cheering him on as world champion, but the atmosphere inside Glasgow's Hydro Arena a month later will be electric to welcome back 'The Flying Scotsman'.
Gary Anderson truly deserves his spot in Scottish sporting folklore alongside his darting hero Jocky Wilson.
The 44 year old from Eyemouth in the Scottish Borders was crowned Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) world champion after a thrilling 7-6 victory over the greatest ever darts player, Phil "The Power" Taylor at the Alexandra Palace in London on Sunday night.
The chance to lift the world championship trophy had been a long time coming for Anderson. Although he had only previously only reached one world final in 2011 when he lost to Adrian Lewis, the Scot was regularly heralded as the best player to never win a world title.
That was because of his terrific form over a number of years, including a win in the final of the 2011 Premier League as well as wins in the World Darts Trophy and the International Darts League in 2007. He also came into this year's World Championships in terrific form having won the Players Championship just before hand as well as notching up semi final appearances at the World Grand Prix and World Matchplay.
Anderson didn't have it plain sailing in London though, far from it. American Scott Kirchner with his ludicrously slow style of play unnerved Anderson in round one, making him average only 86 in a nervous match.
Round Two saw Anderson on the brink of defeat at one point against Dutchman Jelle Klaasen. He was 3-1 down in a race to four and was a leg away from an early exit before roaring back to win 4-3.
Further battles had to be overcome against Spaniard qualifier Cristo Reyes in the third round where he was a set down early on. Anderson's best performance so far came in the quarter final against Peter Wright which set up a semi final against reigning world champion Michael Van Gerwen, whom Anderson lost to into the third round of the 2014 event, despite leading 3-1.
It looked as though history was going to repeat itself, as Van Gerwen fought back to level at 3-3, after being 3-1 down. This time though, it was him that let Anderson in who ended up averaging 102 and hitting one out of two on the doubles to win 6-3 in an impressive display.
The small matter of 16 time world champion Taylor awaited in the final. Anderson came out the blocks firing and quickly led 2-0 and then 3-1. However, he lost a grip of the match and combined with some Taylor excellence, he found himself 4-3 down. Taylor allowed Anderson to draw level at 4-4 when he missed three darts for the set.
Then came a horrific run of luck for Anderson as he endured several bounce outs, the worst being when a third dart knocked the previous two out of the treble 20 and he ended up scoring zero. He was also put off by a fan whistling from the crowd which made it all the more remarkable when he won the set and the next to lead 6-4 and be on the brink of success.
Taylor wasn't done yet though and some blistering darts set up a nail biting 13th and final set. It was Anderson who found his form at the vital moments and with a double 8 sealed his place in darting history, finally.
Anderson's sheer determination and will to win have to be admired. He said last year when he let that lead slip against Van Gerwen, that the next year would be different and he has delivered big time on that statement.
Anderson has also had personal tragedies to deal with over the last few years. His brother Stewart died of a heart attack aged just 35 in September 2011 and his father Gordon died in March 2012. Naturally Anderson found darts tough after those losses, but now he is reaping the huge benefits of relaxing on stage and enjoying his job.
I had the pleasure of meeting Anderson once. I played a leg of darts against him (he took out 135 on the bull to beat me) but he said well played and did the same with everyone who took him on in Coral that day in 2013. He was happy to chat away with fans and sign autographs.
Gary Anderson is one of the good guys who has had to wait for his success, but he knew he'd have his chance some day and he wasn't going to let it slip.
I'll be a rare Scot in the crowd at Leeds in February on the opening night of the Premier League cheering him on as world champion, but the atmosphere inside Glasgow's Hydro Arena a month later will be electric to welcome back 'The Flying Scotsman'.
Gary Anderson truly deserves his spot in Scottish sporting folklore alongside his darting hero Jocky Wilson.
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