I Dig Sports
TORONTO -- While Toronto's Maple Leafs and Raptors gear up for next season, Scotiabank Arena is getting a multimillion-dollar face-lift.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment president and CEO Michael Friisdahl calls it a "reimagination" of the venue that opened in February 1999.
"We've got to keep getting better, we've got to keep improving the experience," Friisdahl said. "We won a championship -- we've won four championships in the last three years. That, if anything, motivates us to do even more."
Friisdahl, who took up his position at MLSE in December 2015, declined to put a price tag on the improvements other than to say it's "multi, multimillion dollars."
"Eventually when it's all said and done, you will notice that everything will have be touched in one way or another to improve the overall [fan] experience," he added.
MLSE is coming off a major high thanks to the Raptors' NBA championship in June. That followed titles by Toronto FC (MLS) and Raptors 905 (G League) in 2017 and the Marlies (American Hockey League) in 2018.
The Argos also won the Grey Cup in 2017, with MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum a part-owner. But MLSE didn't take over full ownership until just after the team won the CFL title.
Friisdahl said MLSE's investment is to ensure the arena is both a "gathering place" for fans but also a destination in the city, going hand-in-hand with the money that has gone into renovating nearby Union Station.
A pedestrian bridge is being built over Bay Street from CIBC Square, currently under construction. It will connect with a new second floor to the galleria on the north side of the arena, as well as the city's underground Path network.
The bridge should help ease the postgame flow of fans, some of whom dodge traffic to get to the other side on their way to a transit hub located to the east. Via the galleria, it also will allow daily access to the arena's Hot Stove Lounge and other special dining areas now just open during events.
The galleria improvements should be completed in the next 12 months, part of a larger plan that will take four to five years. The goal is to make the changes with the least amount of interruption to the facility.
On the west side of the arena, a new video board is going up at Jurassic Park. The new screen is 40% bigger.
Friisdahl notes proudly that the Raptors' playoff run sparked close to 60 Jurassic Parks across the country. "So it's really taken on a real life of its own with our fans," he said.
Hence the new, improved video screen. There also will be smaller video screens near the west entrance of the galleria, to help on nights with multiple games. Plus, the arena is getting new digital Scotiabank signage that can light up in different colors, replacing the temporary arena signs.
Across the street, Real Sports Bar & Grill is being gutted. Since its opening in 2010, the cavernous restaurant and bar has been a man cave on steroids. It's getting a makeover.
"We're going to step that up another notch ... There isn't a stitch that isn't being retouched in here," Friisdahl said.
Inside the arena, the Chairman's Suite -- a restaurant and premium bar/lounge area on the south side -- is being renovated. Outside, extra entrances for premium guests are being added to ease getting in.
While the arena footprint cannot be changed, Friisdahl said MLSE will spend the money needed to keep the building "best in class."
That includes using technology to further connect with fans. You can already order food and merchandise from your seat via the team apps, but Friisdahl said more in that vein is coming.
"We want to be able to communicate with our fans one-on-one as opposed to one-to-many," he said.
That will include being able to consult your app to determine concession areas and washrooms with the smallest lineups -- and to preorder food and drink to pick up en route to your seat.
"That also requires tuning up our infrastructure within the arena because that requires a different level of support. And that's part of the reimagination," said the MLSE boss.
Scotiabank Arena is one of the "top-10 busiest buildings in the world," according to Friisdahl. It staged a record number of events in 2018, with more than 110 live shows over and above NHL and NBA games.
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Morikawa (66), Wolff (65) continue rookie success at Wyndham Championship
Published in
Golf
Thursday, 01 August 2019 11:27
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The last time Matthew Wolff and Collin Morikawa drew a tee time together, they collectively stole the show at the 3M Open. While the opening round of the Wyndham Championship didn’t quite offer the same theatrics as Wolff’s 72nd-hole win in Minnesota, the theme of the two rookies torching another PGA Tour venue continued.
Both Wolff and Morikawa now have victories to their credit less than two months after turning pro, the latter snagging his maiden win Sunday at the Barracuda Championship. They were grouped together Thursday at Sedgefield Country Club, where Wolff again edged his budding rival, shooting a 5-under 65 to Morikawa’s 66.
“It’s always a lot of fun playing with Collin,” Wolff said. “There’s a level of comfort out there, and I think when we play together it kind of comes out. Obviously he’s been really hot, and we’ve both got a win now, so it’s kind of just awesome battling back and forth.”
Wolff’s 5-under total came despite a tee shot out of bounds on No. 11, as the former Oklahoma State standout circled six birdies in addition to an eagle on the par-5 15th. While he was low man of the group in the opening round, it’s actually Morikawa who occupies the better position in the points race with the playoffs on deck (46th to 72nd), thanks to a run of three top-5 finishes in his first six starts as a pro.
“I’ve said it since day one, we believe in ourselves and that’s where it’s going to start. We believe that we can do it,” Morikawa said. “We’re still learning. We’re only six, seven events in, so it’s a great experience out here.”
Not to be outdone by the more decorated members of the Class of 2019, reigning U.S. Amateur champ Viktor Hovland matched Morikawa with a 4-under 66. Hovland will likely head to Korn Ferry Tour Finals from here in an effort to earn a PGA Tour card for 2020, needing a top-2 finish this week to guarantee full status for next season.
But all three of them are looking up at 21-year-old Sungjae Im, who grabbed a share of the lead with an 8-under 62 as he looks to bolster his Rookie of the Year candidacy. Im started the week 25th in the points race and could crack the top 10 to snag a piece of the Wyndham Rewards bonus pool with a victory this week.
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Caddie details inconvenient quest for Lexi's passport
Published in
Golf
Thursday, 01 August 2019 12:40
On Wednesday at the Women's British Open, Lexi Thompson said she "can’t apologize enough" for costing several players valuable practice time at the year's final major.
But if it wasn't for her very determined caddie, Lexi may have been stranded in France.
On Sunday after the Evian Championship, the 11-time LPGA winner accidentally misplaced her passport, sending it in a bag – along with the golf bags of 37 other players – on a truck to Woburn Golf Club.
Thompson was able to convince the transport driver to stop and wait – delaying the arrival of everyone's equipment by five to six hours – while she sent her caddie, Benji Thompson (no relation), in a taxi to meet him.
In an email to The Caddie Network, Thompson (the caddie) detailed his journey to retrieve the passport, and it's safe to say Thompson is earning every penny Lexi is paying him, and then some.
My flight was at 7:20 a.m. on Monday, and the 5:15 a.m. shuttle bus was picking me and my caddie buddies up. After speaking with the front desk and a cab driver, and making sure they took American Express, I was on my way around 10:45 p.m. Sunday night. I knew I wasn’t going to get much sleep and my only thought as a caddie was, “my player needs me and I’m going to do whatever it takes to get the job done.”
I had my GPS going as well as the cab driver’s. The driver was driving fast for me to get there and return quickly. He was doing great until about 3 miles away from our destination. I told him we needed to go to the right, and he insisted we go to the left. He got aggravated with me (trying to give him directions) and in another language, he yelled at me! I figured at that time it was best to just sit back and let him do his job. I could absolutely tell we were going in the wrong direction and had to sit back and just let it happen. After 20 minutes of him going the wrong way, looking at my phone texting with my wife (her thinking I’m getting kidnapped), Lexi and Scott helping with location of driver and van, curving roads and about to puke, he decided to ask for my help! We got turned around and finally made it to the gas station where Ian, the van driver, was parked. Our 28-mile drive had turned into about an hour and a half after we left the hotel.
After sifting through all of the bags, Thompson helped re-pack the van and sent the driver on his way, a task that sounds easier than it was ... a lot easier.
Once I got about 30-40 bags out, I saw Lexi’s on the bottom, and cha-ching! I knew where the passports were and was able to dig down and get them out. I made sure I had both of them and put them in my pocket.
Now is when the fun started… Every one of those heavy bags I removed I had to put back. They had to be packed very tight and there is a certain way for all this to fit. Somehow, I got all of the bags back in the van, and I still don’t know how I did it. Looking at all of it out on the ground I was telling myself there is a way and just kept plugging. When I finished, it took the cab driver and Ian holding the bags and me sliding the door to make it close.
Finally, I’ve got the passports, all packed up and headed back with the cab driver. We made it back to my hotel in about 45 minutes and it was now 1 a.m., and I couldn’t thank him enough for taking me and waiting while I did it. The cab fare cost $300 Swiss francs, which is pretty much the same as the dollar right now. I’m not worried… Lexi is getting that bill!
There's no telling what Lexi's week could've ended up looking like, but thanks to her caddie's persistence, she opened the Women's British Open on Thursday with a 1-under 71.
Click here for more of Thompson's mad dash to help out his boss from The Caddie Network.
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Spieth (65) leans on hot putter to save first round at Wyndham
Published in
Golf
Thursday, 01 August 2019 12:01
GREENSBORO, N.C. – After closing out a more-than-respectable 65 to open the Wyndham Championship, Paul Casey flashed a wide grin while reflecting on the effort of his playing partner.
“I needed Jordan to putt for me, didn’t I?” Casey said. “He might have shot 57 or something.”
Jordan would be Jordan Spieth, who ended a six-year hiatus at Sedgefield Country Club by picking up right where he left off during a memorable playoff loss to Patrick Reed in 2013. Spieth leaned on a red-hot putter en route to a 6-under 64, an effort that left him two shots off the early lead and, surprisingly, was highlighted by a pair of impressive bogeys.
The first such score came on the par-3 12th, where Spieth flared an iron into an awkward lie above a bunker and needed to sink a 15-footer to avoid a double. Then on the par-4 18th, his tee shot sailed out of bounds down the right side, but a re-tee led to a 21-foot make from the fringe for a round-saving bogey that brought the Greensboro crowds to their feet.
“That birdie with the second ball is nice,” Spieth said. “I look at the card, and I don’t really think of it as an out-of-bounds ball. I just feel like I actually stole something coming in, so hopefully that’s momentum for tomorrow.”
Spieth needed only 23 putts to complete his round, making every single putt he faced from 19 feet and closer. It’s the sort of performance that harkens back memories of his major tear in 2015, or his 2017 campaign that saw him lift the claret jug.
But Spieth’s putting this season is actually better statistically than it was four years ago, and it’s almost up to his career best from 2016 – this amid a season that has produced only one top-5 finish. It’s been a remarkable bounce back on the greens for Spieth, who ranked 123rd last season in strokes gained: putting, and entered this week ranked sixth in the same category.
“That’s a pretty massive turnaround, and I needed it,” Spieth said. “I mean, there were times that I just went to sleep not having any idea what was going on with the putter, knowing that the next day was going to be a struggle on the greens no matter what, just that kind of stuff.”
Of course, the putter alone hasn’t been able to lift Spieth to success this season. He enters the regular season finale at 67th in the points race, undone by too many foul balls like the one he uncorked Thursday on the 18th tee. But having turned his putter around in a matter of months, Spieth remains confident that a similar surge for the other 13 clubs is within reach as he looks to win for the first time in more than two years.
“I know that as I’m climbing out of a similar type of situation on my long game right now, I know that there will be a time when I kind of look back and laugh at it,” he said. “So that helps me stay patient with it, continue the process. There’s certainly some parallels to it.”
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An, Im share first-round lead at Wyndham Championship
Published in
Golf
Thursday, 01 August 2019 12:33
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Byeong Hun An and Sungjae Im each shot 8-under 62 on Thursday to share the lead after one round at the Wyndham Championship.
Mackenzie Hughes, Rory Sabbatini, Patrick Rodgers and Johnson Wagner were a stroke back behind the South Korean leaders in the final PGA Tour event before the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Former Wyndham winners Brandt Snedeker and Webb Simpson joined Jordan Spieth among the nine players at 64.
The co-leaders shot the best rounds of their PGA Tour careers. An, a 27-year-old South Korean seeking his first career victory on tour, closed with birdies on four of his final six holes and a sand save on the par-4 18th.
An had four birdies on the front nine at Sedgefield Country Club along with those four on the back nine during his bogey-free round. He hit 15 greens in regulation.
"I've got to do a couple more of these rounds," An said. "One good round won't do it, so I need to keep it up and make a lot of birdies."
Im, one of nine players in the field with a chance at finishing in the top 10 on the points list and earning some bonus money as part of the new Wyndham Rewards Top 10 program, had three straight birdies on Nos. 14-16 and also was bogey-free. He started at No. 25 on the points list.
For a while, it looked as though Spieth would join them atop the leaderboard - teeing off on No. 18 one stroke behind the leaders, but he sent his drive out of bounds. After taking the penalty stroke, he placed his fourth stroke 21 feet from the flagstick and rolled in that putt for arguably the best bogey of the day.
"I got up there and had a putt at it, I was just trying to get the right speed," Spieth said. "And 5 feet to go, it looked really good, just like they did all day."
Spieth had just 23 putts during his round.
"You want putts for birdie. You want to be hitting greens in regulation," Spieth said. "Really, two bad swings today kept it from being my lowest round on the PGA Tour. There's a lot of good in that."
At No. 67 on the points list, Spieth - the 2015 FedEx Cup champion - is in no danger of missing the postseason.
Others at Sedgefield aren't so secure.
The top 125 qualify for The Northern Trust next week at Liberty National, and are assured of keeping their tour cards for next season, if they don't already have them.
Garnett, who started at No. 121 on the points list, and Power, who is No. 144, are among those who are squarely on the playoff bubble.
"I know if it doesn't go well where I'm going," said Josh Teater, who is No. 165. "So I kind of made that up ... in my mind a few weeks back that, hey, if I make all three cuts and finish 40th, it makes no difference, so let's go try to play great and if we end up playing terrible, it doesn't matter."
The other main subplot at Sedgefield is the chase for the top 10 and the remaining $5.3 million in bonus money that is still up for grabs. The top three spots have been locked up.
Paul Casey, who at No. 8 on the points list is the highest-ranked player in the field. Eight other players, including Simpson, began the tournament with a shot at climbing into the top 10 and claiming some of that bonus cash.
"I sound free-wheeling and I am, I'm very kind of in a position where I can only improve my position in the FedExCup and maybe grab a bigger Wyndham Rewards than I already kind of got," Casey said after his 65. "It's not locked up, there's still guys that can pass me. But yeah, I want to move up, plain and simple."
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MLS Best XI: Deserving Martinez, Gil among those snubbed in MLS fan vote
Published in
Soccer
Thursday, 01 August 2019 11:46
For the past 15 years, the MLS All-Star game has pitted the best of MLS against a major European club. This year the MLS All-Stars faced off against La Liga runner-ups Atletico Madrid in Orlando, the Spanish visitors, led by teenage phenom Joao Felix, running out as 3-0 winners.
But did Atletico really play against the most deserving or "best" of MLS? This year the fans selected a fairly star-studded starting XI to play in a 3-4-3, a formation hardly ever used in league circles.
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For the sake of offering something a bit more realistic, ESPN FC decided to pick its best MLS starting XI heading into the second half of the season, using a more traditional 4-3-3 formation. Who did the fans wrongly leave out? Which players didn't deserve to start against Los Colchoneros? Below is a look at the MLS fan vote starting XI compared to our ESPN FC starting XI.
MLS fan vote starting XI: GK Brad Guzan; DF Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, DF Walker Zimmerman, Graham Zusi; MF Jonathan dos Santos, MF Gonzalo "Pity" Martinez, MF Nani, MF Ezequiel Barco; FW Wayne Rooney, FW Carlos Vela, FW Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
ESPN FC's most-deserving starting XI: GK Stefan Frei; DF Kai Wagner, DF Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, DF Walker Zimmerman, DF Romain Metanire; MF Jonathan dos Santos, MF Maxi Moralez, MF Carles Gil; FW Josef Martinez, FW Carlos Vela, FW Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Forwards
Starting with the forwards, the MLS fans were pretty spot on with their choices, with Ibrahimovic and Vela slam-dunk choices to slot into the front line. The Los Angeles Galaxy man has 16 goals and three assists in 18 games this season, while Vela is on a record-setting pace with an astounding 22 goals in LAFC's first 21 games, plus 13 assists, which is tied for the league lead.
It is with the Wayne Rooney selection where our XI and the fan vote XI diverged. The D.C. United player started off hot but has cooled off of late with just a goal in five games, while single-season goal-scoring king Josef Martinez of Atlanta has rounded into form with seven goals in his last five games. Right now, Martinez is the more deserving among the two.
Midfield
The midfield is where a major shake-up was needed. Nani, the hometown pick, has contributed nicely since arriving to MLS, but wasn't one of the top three midfielders in the league during the first half of the season. Nor was highly-publicized summer signing Gonzalo "Pity" Martinez or fellow Argentine Five Striper Ezequiel Barco. The former has been a disappointment since arriving from River Plate, and while Barco has improved greatly from his debut season, there are other more worthy candidates.
The Galaxy's Dos Santos is a sound choice to play at the defensive midfield position, but in the more advanced role, the fans didn't get it 100 percent right. For example, at present you would be hard pressed to find a more in-form player than Gil of the New England Revolution.
The Spanish midfielder is thriving under new coach Bruce Arena, and his four goals and four assists in the past five games suddenly have the Revs looking like a dark horse in the Eastern Conference. No doubt he would relish a chance to take a starting crack at Atletico Madrid, an opponent he knows well from his La Liga days.
There are plenty of options that could fill the other midfield role, but the unsung Moralez deserves the nod over some of the other candidates, like Nani, Cristian Espinoza and Diego Valeri. Most expected a drop-off from New York City FC after David Villa left over the winter, but thanks to the diminutive Argentine and his 13 assists, NYCFC remain right in the thick of things.
Defense
Some shuffling would also be required in the back by virtue of the four-man defense rather than the fan vote three center-back approach. We had no qualms with the selections of LAFC's Zimmerman and Atlanta United's Gonzalez Pirez to pair in the middle.
By adding a pair of full-backs, Minnesota United's Metanire is a logical choice on the right-hand side. The Loons are holding steady in the Western Conference and appear destined for a first-ever playoff spot thanks in large part to the Madagascar international.
On the other side, Kemar Lawrence has held the "best left-back in MLS" mantle for a while, but Wagner has quietly helped the Philadelphia Union rise to the top of the table in the Eastern Conference, and right now his consistency wins out over Lawrence and Seattle's Brad Smith, who has also been a pleasant surprise.
Goalkeeper
Rounding out the revamped starting Xl, we would have elected for a different goalkeeper. There has really been no standout performer this year, but like always Frei has been consistently good and he gets the slight edge over Brad Guzan to man the back. In Frei's favor is that he's had to deal with some major changes in the Sounders' back line and Seattle really hasn't missed a beat.
In summary, while the MLS fan starting XI had its virtues, the ESPN FC Best XI would be the right team to have in the second half of the season. Would they have beaten Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night? Well, that is a different story altogether.
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Minnesota United will try to halt hard-charging Portland on Sunday on ESPN, and the red-hot New England Revolution host Western Conference leader LAFC, plus a crucial contest between the New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC. Here's what to watch for in MLS Week 22.
Red-hot Revs take crack at league leaders
Only in the zany world of MLS can a team be left for dead in early May yet find itself in a playoff spot just two-and-a-half months later. This year's zombie club appears to be the New England Revolution, who are reborn under new coach Bruce Arena and suddenly being talked about as dark horse contenders to reach MLS Cup.
Since former boss Brad Friedel got the pink slip on May 9, the Revs haven't lost in league play, a span of 11 matches consisting of seven wins and four losses. Attacking midfielder Carles Gil has quietly become one of the league's best players, and now he has the luxury of playing with Argentine goal machine Gustavo Bou.
The Revs have posted some impressive wins of late, but the real test comes Saturday against the league's top team, LAFC (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+). The biggest improvement in New England has come in the back -- only once have they conceded more than a goal in that 11-match span -- but 59-goal LAFC with MVP candidate Carlos Vela (22 goals) is a different challenge altogether.
There will also be an intriguing battle in the coaches' boxes. Arena knows LAFC boss Bob Bradley well, and the two make up 14 of the past 20 years on the United States national team sideline. What's more, Arena's son, Kenny, is an assistant to Bradley at LAFC, leaving father Bruce to quip: "I'm not sure I've ever coached against my son, actually. So this will be interesting. If a fight breaks out, I'm going to take him."
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Measuring stick time for Minnesota against Portland
It is a refrain that is likely to be repeated a few more times before the end of the season, but for Minnesota United, Sunday's affair with the Portland Timbers (4 p.m. ET, ESPN) will be one of several measuring sticks until the end of the season. Such is life when you are in your third season in the league, have yet to reach the playoffs and gave up 141 goals in the first two campaigns.
Things are different in 2019, however. The porous back lines of 2017 and 2018 are no more, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a better defensive right side in MLS than goalkeeper Vito Mannone, center-back Ike Opara and right-back Romain Metanire. The Madagascar international, in particular, has been a revelation.
That trio, along with the rest of the Minnesota squad, are in for a stiff test against the hard-charging Timbers. Having survived their road-heavy first half of the season, Portland is surging up the table in the Western Conference and has nine goals in its past four games after hanging four on the LA Galaxy last weekend. With Brian Fernandez, Diego Valeri and Sebastian Blanco in good form, this is a prime opportunity for Minnesota to show that its defense has the goods to shut down of the of the league's best attacks.
Big one in the Big Apple between Red Bulls and TFC
Spare a thought for fans of both the New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC, as each group of supporters has had to live through a maddeningly inconsistent season.
After a strong start, May and June were dreadfully unkind to TFC, but there are signs that they are kicking into gear. The same could have been said two weeks ago after back-to-back wins, only for TFC to fall at home against Houston. Whether last week's rebound win against FC Cincinnati was a false dawn remains to be seen, but at least TFC can hang its hat on Jozy Altidore's scorching form. The U.S. international has scored in every game since the Gold Cup final.
Altidore will be called on again in Saturday's visit to Red Bull Arena (6 p.m. ET on ESPN+), where the home team has been plagued with the one-win, one-loss disease this summer. With LAFC, New England and D.C. United all on the docket in August, the Red Bulls need to find a consistent run of results.
Brian White and Daniel Royer -- both with eight goals each -- have come through for coach Chris Armas, but for the Red Bulls to entertain thoughts of a deep run, an impact from Bradley Wright-Phillips, who has just two goals this season, is still needed.
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The new European season is almost upon us once more, a time of year that is like Christmas for football kit aficionados.
All of the continent's biggest clubs have released their new home, away and (in some cases) third strips for the 2019-20 campaign and there are plenty to admire.
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Whether it's Arsenal's wonderfully retro offerings, Inter Milan's intriguing twist on an iconic classic, unorthodox tones like "savannah" from Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain's "infrared," or whatever Manchester City are calling their multicoloured third kit, there is something for everyone.
Take a look at all of the new shirts below, and then vote on which club has the best set in our poll.
Whichever kits you like, chances are that they are a lot nicer than some of the awful prematch kits that players are forced to wear during the warm-up.
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Andrew Salter denied by AJ Tye as Gloucestershire tie thriller in Cardiff
Published in
Cricket
Thursday, 01 August 2019 15:03
Gloucestershire 172 for 7 (Salter 4-12) tied with Glamorgan 172 for 5 (Fakhar 58)
Glamorgan's Andrew Salter returned the superb figures of 4 for 12 in three overs, including a first-ball wicket and three more in the space of seven deliveries, but AJ Tye battled back for Gloucestershire to seal a thilling tie in the Vitality Blast clash at Cardiff.
Gloucestershire, set a daunting 173 for victory following a brisk half-century from Fakhar Zaman and a turbo-charged 42 from 21 balls from Chris Cooke, suffered a terrible start when Miles Hammond was deceived by Salter's offspin, knocking a simple catch back to the bowler off the first ball of the innings.
Two overs later, the visitors lost their second wicket, when James Bracey was caught off Marchant De Lange on the midwicket boundary.
Gloucestershire were 46 for 2 after six overs, but in the next over Michael Klinger edged Dan Douthwaite's fifth ball to the wicketkeeper, and with Graham Wagg conceding just three runs from his first over, Glamorgan's bowlers held the upper hand.
After ten overs Gloucestershire required a further 100 runs, but Cockbain raised their spirits by taking 14 runs from Wagg's third over before Salter burst back into the action, ending his stay for an aggressive 40.
With five overs left, the visitors required 57, but Salter struck twice more in three balls to dismiss Higgins and Jack Taylor. Billy Root held on to a low catch at mid-wicket to dismiss Higgins before Taylor drove to long-on.
Tye, however, was not done yet, and hauled Gloucestershire back into contention with a violent innings of 38 from 19 balls, including three fours and a six.
He struck De Lange's penultimate over for 19, though he was also dropped by Colin Ingram in the process, a simple chance at mid-off. With 14 needed in the final over, Benny Howell smashed Lukas Carey for six to keep his side in the hunt, only to fall the next ball, but Tye scrambled Gloucestershire to parity with a brace of twos off the final two balls of the innings, and deny Glamorgan their first win of the Blast campaign.
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Ellyse Perry the 'greatest female player we're ever going to see' - Charlotte Edwards
Published in
Cricket
Friday, 02 August 2019 01:09
Former England captain Charlotte Edwards has lauded Ellyse Perry, the Player of the 2019 Women's Ashes, as the "greatest" the women's game is "ever going to see", following Australia's emphatic run in the multi-format series where they beat the hosts 12-2, losing only the tour-ending T20I.
A record 7 for 22 - the best figures by an Australian woman in ODIs - in the third ODI, a second consecutive Ashes Test hundred - a first-innings 116 in the one-off Test at Taunton, which she followed up with an unbeaten 76 in the second dig - headlined Perry's 378 runs and 15 wickets in the series overall. She averaged 94.50 with the bat and 12.86 with the ball across all three formats.
Currently the No. 1-ranked allrounder in ODIs, Perry topped both the batting and bowling charts - across formats - rounding off her England tour with a gritty 50-ball 60, albeit in a losing cause, in the third T20I on Wednesday.
"I loved playing against her, and she's definitely improved a lot since I stopped playing," Edwards, who retired from international cricket in 2016, said of first playing against a 17-year-old Perry in 2008, when the Australian was known more for her bowling than her batting skills.
"You knew then she'd become an unbelievable batter," Edwards added. "She was mainly a bowler in my career, and now we see what an unbelievable allrounder she is, and the greatest female player we're ever going to see."
The last Ashes, hosted by Australia in 2017, saw Perry hit an Australia record 213 not out in the historic day-night Test in Sydney, her maiden international hundred. In this edition, it took her only two balls to make an impact, bowling Amy Jones on her way to a match-winning three-wicket haul in the first ODI.
"In one skill alone, in terms of bowling or batting, she'd be a great," Edwards said. "And she's getting better and better with age. She's only 28, it's quite scary, really, to think what she can achieve in the next few years."
Perry's dominance across formats in the recent past has fetched her records and rewards aplenty. In 2017, she become the inaugural recipient of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year. The Test double-hundred was the crowning glory in a year that saw her score 756 runs across formats, pick up 20 wickets at an average of 32, and bag her the Belinda Clark Award for the second time her career, after 2016. In November last year, during the World T20 in the Caribbean, Perry became the first Australian cricketer, male or female, to play in 100 T20Is.
There was another milestone during the second T20I of the Ashes this year at Hove, where her unbeaten 47 in Australia's seven-wicket win made her the first player - male or female - to accomplish the career double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets in T20I cricket.
In Edwards' assessment, much of Perry's success since her earliest days of juggling dual international careers in cricket and football, and then committing herself exclusively to the former, has been down to a standout aspect in her approach towards sport: competitiveness.
"One thing all the great players share is that competitiveness, the desire to want to be better," Edwards said. "That just strikes me every single time I watch her warm up, and she treats the last game of the series like the first game of the series.
"She wants to win, and it's something, sometimes you can't coach. That's something very special about her. She's so competitive and hates getting out and that's a good thing. She values her wicket, but, equally, she knows her game very well."
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