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Gourmet ride to Hobart for sailors

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 27 Desember 2012 | 23.33

Luxury ... Crew members on Charlie's Dream are dubbed the 'gourmet sailors.' Source: Mark Evans / News Limited

Seasickness and a drenching isn't the lot of every Sydney to Hobart sailor.

On board Charlie's Dream, they're serving up a gourmet menu and enjoying a hot shower each morning.

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The catch? The cruising yacht has been running last for most of the race.

By Thursday afternoon, skipper Peter Lewis and his crew caught the 1932-built Maluka of Kermandie east of Batemans Bay to move up one place to 75th in the race for line honours.

Lunch had obviously served the Queenslanders well.

"We've got smoked chicken, prosciutto, we've got Stilton blue cheese, King Island double brie, some ordinary tasty cheddar, tomatoes, pickled onion, jalapenos, olives,'' Lewis told reporters by satellite phone.

"Because the conditions are reasonably calm at the moment we'll make the most of the opportunity to have a glass of chardonnay with all this.''

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That could be as wet as Lewis' crew gets, if you don't count the shower.

There were some green faces on night one, Lewis said, but the 13.7-metre Bluewater 450 built in 2008 is now doing what it did best.

"We're built for comfort rather than speed,'' Lewis said.

"I had a hot shower this morning. There's not many boats where crew can have a shower when they feel like it.

"We had bacon, egg and beans this morning.''

Lewis said the crew's main goal, an adventure with mates, had already been achieved.

But he was deadly serious about the aim now - to cut a swathe through the back end of the field.

"As you get to Tasman Island ... all of a sudden you've got sails in front of you, sails behind you,'' he said.

"Instead of feeling tired the adrenaline kicks in and you've got another race.

"We've obviously got two or three yachts that are at the tail end of the fleet ... and we've certainly got a couple of those we'd like to pip to the post.''


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Geeves on Boxing Day Test: day two

Tradition ... some big names got involved in the great Aussie past-time at the MCG. Source: Wayne Ludbey / News Limited

Former Australia and Tasmania all-rounder Brett Geeves gives his unique take on the action from the MCG, this time choosing to focus on the great Australian traditions of beer snakes, a run-scoring captain and lending a player to the other team.

There are a few traditions that must be followed, by the bogan who lingers in all males, when attending a cricket match.

It seems that over the years, these traditions have had a few additions that make me glad I no longer attend games of cricket for the sole purpose of being festive.

You see, back when I was a boy, you went to the cricket with a group of your best chums, made a beer snake out of all your empties and proudly walked it around the ground as a sign to any attending females, that you would be worthy of taking home to meet with parents.

Looking at the pictures of the day one crowd, it is apparent that you are no longer allowed to wear a shirt when putting together your snake. If you are going to wear one, you are not allowed to do the buttons up, ensuring that everyone can see how ripped you are. Because showing more skin than the amount in Buffalo Bills skin room, is cool.

Of course, there is a large element of jealousy to me saying this, as I have the body mass of a full grown panda.

What else stood out is that you can no longer attend the cricket without a touch of bravado to your demeanor. This is an angry society we live in and unless you can handle this, you would be best suited to watch from the air conditioned members area where it is expected you will not wear your pants as a hat.

A few of the AFL boys found themselves in a spot of bother on day one whilst enjoying a beer snake at the cricket.

You must forgive two of the boys; Mark of The Year winner Jeremy Howe and Ricky Petterd, for they are Tasmanians. In Tasmania, if you attend the cricket and don't partake in a snake building exercise, you have failed your duties as a man. Punishment for this is harsh; pull the cart for a week allowing the horse to take a breather and then cough up your "top" rights, swapping ends with your sister, forcing you to "tail".

Dane Anderson. Source: Supplied

Take a look at the picture of former Tasmanian Tiger, Dane Anderson - this beer snake is a lesson in longevity.

The photo was taken on day one of the Sheffield Shield Final in 05/06 - 1pm. Dane was first to arrive at the ground at 9:45am and was also first man served, 10:00am. He was refused service at 1:15pm and kicked out of the arena at 2:00pm. Sadly, this is not an assumption.


Right now you have to feel for the Sri Lankan cricket team. They lost their preferred keeper, Prasanna Jayawardene, for the match to a thumb injury. This has forced Sangakarra to don the gloves and it may have cost them a proper crack at winning this game and ultimately, the series.

Sangakarra is a terrific gloveman and is more than capable at this level. He has kept for Sri Lanka in some 50-odd games. But only yesterday I heard Ian Healy say that, right now, Jayawardene is the best gloveman in the world!

Would he have taken the chance off Watson late on day one? The stumping of Clarke on day two? Would that have had an impact on Australia's first innings total?

To make matters worse for The Lankans, Welegedera has pinged a string and will take no further part in the game.

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Losing a quick is tough. We saw what this did to Siddle and Hilfenhaus when Pattinson went down in Adelaide and again in Hobart when Hilfenhaus strained his side.

An increase in bowler workloads takes away from their effectiveness late in the day and then of course, late in the game.

A common saying you will hear from top order batsmen is - cash in when the bowlers are entering their third and fourth spells. This is easier to do when the opposition team is a bowler down - those third and fourth spells seem to come around a lot quicker.

Australia were fortunate in Hobart that Watson was able to bowl some extended spells and has the ability to be both a wicket taker and a defensive man. Sri Lanka do not have that option - in the most part because Watson plays for Australia and when asked to swap teams, he said "No".


Someone stop Michael Clarke. Seriously, stop him in the street and ask him his secrets. If he begins to tell you his personal secrets, you should stop him, unless you work for a women's magazine or have a fetish for other people's secrets.

I'm not much of a stats man, but it is fair to say that being the leader of Australian cricket has been tremendous for Michael Clarke's on-field performances. How does the saying go? Happy wife, drinks with the lads down the course? Or happy life? Or something like that.

Clarke is pushing the boundary of being the best since Bradman. He eclipsed a record set by RT Ponting, for the most runs by an Australian in a calendar year. Eclipsing any record set by RT Ponting will get you the punishment in Tasmania and also have people saying your the best since The Don. 

Of course, The Don used a fence paling, plastic gloves and faced the fastest bowler the world has ever seen in Harold Larwood. The Don also walked home in the snow, wearing plastic ... we know where this is going...


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Emerton strikes late for Sydney

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Tussle ... Trent Sainsbury and Nick Montgomery pressure Blake Powell. Source: By Dean Lewins / AAP

A resurgent Sydney FC stunned A-League leaders Central Coast with Brett Emerton grabbing a late winner to seal a 1-0 victory on Thursday.

Emerton's 89th-minute winner secured the three points to lift the Sky Blues off the bottom of the ladder into ninth place.

The Sky Blues looked a different side to the one that was thumped 7-2 by the Mariners in their last encounter in what was an end-to-end clash at Allianz Stadium.

Sydney showed a sense of urgency from the start with Yairo Yau creating a chance for stand-in skipper Emerton a minute in.

P W D L GD Pts
1 Central Coast 13 8 3 2 12 27
2 Adelaide 13 8 1 4 4 25
3 Western Sydney 13 6 2 5 5 20
4 Victory 12 6 2 4 -2 20
5 Perth 13 5 3 5 3 18
6 Wellington 13 4 4 5 0 16
7 Newcastle 12 5 1 6 -7 16
8 Brisbane 13 4 2 7 0 14
9 Sydney 13 4 1 8 -11 13
10 Heart 13 3 3 7 -4 12

But the Mariners attack soon began to create headaches for Sydney, easily getting past the Sky Blues defence with both the league's leading goal scorer Daniel McBreen and Joshua Rose forcing saves from Vedran Janjetovic.

Alessandro Del Piero showed his impressive skills to win the ball and go on a defence-busting run, with Socceroos goalkeeper Mat Ryan saving his shot.

The Juventus legend looked like putting the hosts in front just before the break, causing a goal-mouth scramble with a curling corner that Trent Sainsbury did well to clear off the line.

The Sky Blues continued to pepper the Mariners goal with shots in the second half. Both Adam Griffiths and Blake Powell got the 16,887-strong crowd on their feet with dangerous strikes.


Re-live the action in our Match Centre, plus VIDEO highlights.


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The match was briefly interrupted in the 63rd minute when a streaker took to the field.

McBreen had a golden opportunity to break the deadlock in the 74th minute when he found himself one-on-one with the the keeper, but Janjetovic saved the strike from point-blank range.

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Tomas Rogic could have stolen a win in the dying minutes when late substitute Mitchell Duke supplied him with a perfect cross into the box but the Mariners playmaker sent his shot over the bar.

Sydney's Rhyan Grant replied with a fierce strike that was only denied by the woodwork. Ali Abbas then played a perfect ball to Emerton with the Socceroo heading home the winner.

Frustration boiled over for the Mariners with John Hutchinson sent off in injury time after earning his second yellow card.

It got worse for the Mariners with Rogic getting a straight red card for a tackle on Grant.

"Of course we believed we could win that game,'' Sydney coach Frank Farina said. "You've got to believe that otherwise there's no point turning up.

"It was pleasing to get the result, but even more so the work ethic and the fighting they showed out there tonight.''

Graham Arnold was full of praise for the much-improved Sydney side.

"It wasn't one of our better displays,'' he said. "But give credit to Sydney, I thought they played very well tonight. It was probably the best they've played all year.

"So we have to get used to the fact that we're sitting at the top of the table and teams will lift against us.

"You saw tonight they were prepared for the fight and I think they were still hurting from the 7-2 loss and they wanted some revenge and they got it.''


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Hodge stars in win over Strikers

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Field day ... Hodge smashed the ball to all parts of Adelaide Oval. Source: Sarah Reed / News Limited

A top-shelf showing from vintage batsman Brad Hodge inspired Melbourne Stars to an eight-run victory against Adelaide Strikers in Thursday night's Twenty20 match in Adelaide.

T20 - Adelaide Oval

27 December 2012 - Day 1, Session 2

Strikers 1st Innings

K. Pollard 65 43 5 4 151.16
M. Johnston 8 8 0 0 100
C. Rose 3 0 32 0 10.67

Hodge cracked a sparkling 88 from 58 balls as the Stars posted 8-175, with the Strikers finishing 4-167 in reply.

The Stars, with their fourth-consecutive win, took second spot on the KFC T20 Big Bash League ladder from Adelaide.

The Strikers never seriously threatened to reel in their target despite a star turn from Kieron Pollard (65 from 43 balls) and solid contributions from Callum Ferguson (35 from 28) and Tim Ludeman (30 from 21).

Adelaide's hopes of pinching a win before a sell-out 15,344 home crowd hinged on their gun import Pollard.

But the West Indies giant couldn't engineer a big-hitting miracle despite whacking four sixes and five fours in his unbeaten knock.


Relive all the action with our Match Centre, featuring videos of every boundary and every wicket!


The Strikers needed 27 to win from the final over and Pollard smashed two sixes - the biggest of the tournament so far - and a four to add respectability to his side's score.

Melbourne's import Lasith Malinga was instrumental in restricting the home side, the Sri Lankan paceman taking 1-29 from four shrewd overs.

Fellow paceman James Faulkner also claimed an important 2-32 from four overs but his teammate Hodge was the hero with a sensational performance with the bat.

Hodge underpinned the Stars' innings with the veteran dominating scoring - when dismissed in the 15th over, Hodge had made 88 of the visitors' 129 runs.

Two days shy of his 38th birthday, Hodge was vicious on all bowlers and plundered 10 fours and three sixes.

Hodge's assault set the Stars on a path towards a massive total, but when he was dismissed they lost momentum - his wicket started a slump of 6-32.

Hodge's opening partner Rob Quiney made 22 from 12 balls but no other Stars batsman passed 17 runs, while Adelaide quick Shaun Tait (2-36 from four overs) was the only multiple wicket taker for the home side.

Hodge said his match-defining innings was pleasing.

"The thing that drives me is performance, it doesn't matter what age you are," Hodge said.

"My job is to go out there and perform every time I play."

Strikers captain Johan Botha said the Stars were likely title threats.

"It wasn't our best performance and we still only lost by eight runs against a team that will be one of the contenders," he said.


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Calf injury blow for Watson

Blow ... Shane Watson has picked up a calf injury and is out for the third Test. Source: William West / AFP

Shane Watson has suffered another calf strain and is expected to be ruled out of the third and final Test against Sri Lanka in Sydney.

The injury-plagued vice-captain suffered the latest injury while bowling in Australia's first innings on Boxing Day at the MCG, but batted with the problem on Thursday, making 83, his highest score in more than a year.

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Watson is not expected to bowl in Sri Lanka's second innings. He managed only three overs on the first day of the second Test and did not bowl after lunch.

"Shane sustained a left calf injury while bowling on day one,'' Cricket Australia physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said. "He was able to get though the batting innings today and is likely to field on day three.

"Whether he bowls in the second innings will be determined closer to the bowling innings.

"A decision on his availability for the New Year Test will be made after the completion of the current match.''

Watson's likely replacement in Sydney would be Usman Khawaja, who was on standby for Michael Clarke in Melbourne when the captain suffered a hamstring strain and was forced to retire hurt in Hobart.

While Watson, 31, is an all-rounder the selectors consider him a top-order batsman first and foremost.

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Rob Quiney replaced Watson for the first two Tests against South Africa at No.3 when a calf strain also kept him out of the team.

Terribly unlucky with ongoing injuries, Watson missed the whole of the last Test summer with hamstring and then calf problems.

He was left vulnerable to injury in this match after being forced to bowl more during the first Test in Hobart than at any stage in his first-class career after Ben Hilfenhaus broke down with a side strain.

Watson delivered 20.4 overs in the first innings and followed it up with 27 in the second innings.

He has managed just 11 of a possible 19 matches since Clarke was officially appointed captain and only 38 of a possible 88 since his debut at the SCG in January 2005.

The dual Allan Border Medallist and brilliant short-form player has underachieved at Test level, scoring 2481 runs at 37 and taking 62 wickets at 30.

Watson was the player of the tournament during the World Twenty in Sri Lanka during September.


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Glory, Wanderers share the points

Draw ... Perth Glory and Western Sydney Wanderers share the points. Source: Justin Benson-cooper / News Limited

Perth Glory substitute Nick Ward scored an 87th-minute thunderbolt to secure a 1-1 draw against a second-string Western Sydney Wanderers outfit at Patersons Stadium.

The Wanderers appeared headed for their fourth straight win after Labinot Haliti's 38th-minute strike gave them the lead against the run of play.

But just as the game looked to be petering out, Ward met Ryo Nagai's beautiful cross with a powerful volley to ensure for a share of the spoils.

"I just sort of hung out at the back post and luckily enough it came to me,'' Ward said.

P W D L GD Pts
1 Central Coast 13 8 3 2 12 27
2 Adelaide 13 8 1 4 4 25
3 Western Sydney 13 6 2 5 5 20
4 Victory 12 6 2 4 -2 20
5 Perth 13 5 3 5 3 18
6 Wellington 13 4 4 5 0 16
7 Newcastle 12 5 1 6 -7 16
8 Brisbane 13 4 2 7 0 14
9 Sydney 13 4 1 8 -11 13
10 Heart 13 3 3 7 -4 12

"It's good to get a point, but we're disappointed not to get a win.''

Glory almost secured all three points at the death, only for Shane Smeltz's goalward-bound header to cannon off teammate Nagai.

Despite rescuing a point out of the match, Perth were dealt a major blow in the 77th minute when defender Michael Thwaite suffered what appeared to be a serious calf injury.

Ward's goal was heartbreaking for the Wanderers, who put on a brave showing for most of the night despite entering the match minus a host of stars.

The Wanderers made six changes to the starting line-up that walloped Adelaide 6-1 last week, with coach Tony Popovic eager to rest key players during a period in which the club will play three games in 11 days.

Japanese star Shinji Ono and Youssouf Hersi didn't play while in-form striker Mark Bridge and Dino Kresinger started on the bench.


See both sublime goals and relive all the action in our Match Centre


The result was enough for the Wanderers to jump above Melbourne Victory into third spot on the ladder on goal difference, while Perth remain in fifth spot.

Pacy Glory duo Chris Harold and Nagai caused the Wanderers problems early on, but the visitors drew first blood when Haliti cut inside Josh Risdon and unleashed a beautiful curling strike that bounced in off the upright.

With almost all of the 8936 crowd pro-Glory, Haliti ran over to a group of 16 Wanderers supporters to celebrate the goal.

Despite dominating possession in a physical first half, Perth were unable to unlock the Wanderers' defence, with low drives from Shane Smeltz and Steven McGarry easily saved by goalkeeper Ante Covic.

With the temperature still hovering above 31 degrees at the 6.45pm kick-off, a drinks break was held midway through the opening half.


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