The greatest spinner

Shane Warne has just been inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.

Currently known for:

 Has been known for:

Best known for:

Match that Murali!

Form is temporary. Class is permanent.

The Russian pole vaulter, Yelena Isinbayeva has been struggling for form since returning from her 2010 sabbatical. A new rival, Britain's Holly Bleasdale has made great improvements - her 4.87m vault in Lyon indoors made her third on the all-time world list.

But last night in Stockholm Isinbayeva showed her class by breaking the world indoor record with a vault of 5.01m. She also holds the outdoor record at 5.06m. Bleasdale came second with 4.72m and if she continues her progress could be a real shout for an Olympic medal.

But, as they say, and Isinbayeva has proved, form is temporary and class is permanent.

Which reminds me of what David Coleman said about Alberto Juantorena at the 1976 Montreal Olympics: 'The big Cuban opened his legs and showed his class'.

For some more Colemanballs: http://www.btinternet.com/~homepage/ballsa.htm

Target 5,000

The World Indoor Athletics Championships begin on 9th March in Instanbul and one of the stand out events is the women's pentathlon. The 60m hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump then 800m will all be completed on the same day.

 Chernova

 Dobrynska

 Ennis

  
The likley competitors have all been in fine form. Jess Ennis running the fastest 60m hurdles this year in Birmingham in a personal best time of 7.87 while World Champion Tatyana Chernova ran 8.02 in the Russian championships. Ennis got a PB of 6.47 in the long jump with Chernova jumping 6.61.

The invitees will be confirmed tomorrow but may well inlcude the Russian Yekaterina Bolshova who recently scored 4896 points and the Olympic champion Natalya Dobrynska who scored 4880 points at the Ukranian indoor championships. Ennis's PB is 4937 points. The world record is held by another Russian - Irina Belova with 4991 points scored 20 years ago.

We could well see a new world record and 5,000 points breached. I think Jess will prevail. Can't wait.

Representing yourself and your country

Boys:

Men:

Nuff said.

Doctor, you cannot be serious!

Happy birthday to the gifted and entertaining John Patrick McEnroe Jnr, 53 today. His career can be remembered for seven Grand Slam singles titles, his superb record in 1984 of winning 82 matches and losing just three and of course his tantrums:

Birthday congratulations also go to #46, The Doctor Valentino Rossi, 33 today. The greatest motorbike rider of his generation, if not ever.

Extremely large wings

Watching the huge rampaging Alex Cuthbert ( 6' 6" and 16 st 5 lb) and George North (6' 4" and 16 st 5 lb) in the Six Nations reminds me of when the even huger Jonah Lomu burst onto the international scene, scoring four tries against England in the 1995 World Cup semi-final.

6 feet 5 and 19 stone 10. Poor Mike Catt didn't stand a chance!

Things aren't so great for Lomu now, as he needs a second kidney transplant after the first  one he had in 2004 failed. Good luck with your search for a donor, big boy.

Skeleton Champ

Well done to Shelley Rudman for becoming the Skelton World Cup Champion 2012 after her third place at Calgary in the last of the eight events. Britain is in a strong position in this sport with Lizzy Yarnold winning in Canada and Amy Williams being the reigning Olympic gold medalist.

The Skeleton bob sleigh event is not for the faint-hearted - face down, head first on a slim sled with no brakes or mechanical steering and minimal protection, at speeds of up to 135 kmh for between 1 and 1.5 km, pulling G forces of plus 5, steered by shift in body weight and aerodynamic profile in union with the track physics.

Good luck to the GB team at the World Championships starting on 30th March at Lake Placid.

The case for the defence

Which football team has the best defence in the country? Man City? No, it's Charlton Athletic, currently leading League 1 by seven points with a game in hand over second-placed Sheffield Wednesday. Man City has conceded 19 goals in 24 league games at an average of 0.79 goals conceded per match. Charlton has conceded 20 in 28 league matches - an average of 0.71.

George Graham turned Arsenal around by the theory of having a stable and solid back four as the foundation of a winning side. Build from the back. For Dixon, Adams, Bould and Winterburn read Solly, Taylor, Morrison and Wiggins. While the goals have dried up from Bradley Wright-Phillips the miserly defence has provided the platform to edge out narrow wins. That wasn't an issue for Chelsea in 2004/05 when just 15 goals were conceded all season in the league. 72 were scored as they romped to the title under the stewardship of Jose Mourinho and the captaincy of the man who is rarely out of the news - John Terry. Barcelona has conceded just 13 league goals this season proving that a mean defence does not infer mean football.

Charlton has the reputation for being a team that stops playing in March, usually when safety from relegation was ensured though this has continued in recent seasons. It may be different this time, as the manager Chris Powell commented after the late equaliser against Bury:

“It only takes a second to score and we always tell the players it is 90-plus minutes in a game. They have got that in their head and know they have got to keep going - so it is part of our psyche and make-up. My players showed from minute one right to the very end that they won’t give it up. It is great to have that spirit and character in our armoury."

It's great to hear an up and coming manager draw inspiration from the legendary Brian Clough.

Laureus World Sport Awards 2012

The Laureus awards are the sporting equivalent of the Oscars in that they are annual awards, voted for by academy members with votes counted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Not quite the same heritage as the first Laureus awards were in 2000, compared to 1929 for the Oscars. 

They decide on the previous year's best sportsman/woman/team and have categories for breakthrough, comeback, disability, action, lifetime achievment and sport for good.

The unstoppable Novak Jokavic won the best sportsman, meaning that a tennis player has won this gong six times out of thirteen. Female tennis players have won the equivalent award four times, making tennis the most decorated sport, followed by athletics, then golf.

Just one Breakthrough winner has claimed the best sportsperson award - Rafael Nadal. Will Rory McIlroy, this years winner make it in years to come?

Will any make it to the Lifetime Acheivement award? Previous winners include true Great Sporting Stars - Sergey Bubka, Pele, Sir Steve Redgrave.

My tips for nominees who missed out this year but should feauture next year include Usain Bolt, Petra Kvitova and Mo Farah. Go Mo!

There for the taking

There for the taking

Every team has something to prove in this year's Six Nations. New managers. New players. Revenge in mind.


France, with three home games, a saner coach and the experience of being the best team in the World Cup Final justfy their favourites tag. 

After some great World Cup performances the Welsh will on a high. 

The Irish must be confident based on the performance of Ulster, Leinster and Munster in the Heineken Cup. 

The Scots will be difficult to beat but must make the most of their home games. 

The Italians are maturing and may well pull off another surprise.


The English are in transition but will grow in confidence if they make a good start.

Players to make a name for themselves/enhance their reputation? George North, Owen Farrell,Wesley Fofana, Richie Gray, Robert Barbieri and Conor Murray.


Winners? France.

Great Sport

"Sport is human life in microcosm" Howard Cosell

Sport inspires and demoralises, excites and depresses, binds and polarises, gives pleasure and pain. 

It moulds our identity. It influences society, media and economy. Playing, watching, reading or listening. 

Everybody has a chance, with hard work, discipline, sacrifice and focus, to make a difference.

Sport matters. Great sport matters.