Unsavoury Ending Denies Durham Fight Back

Durham Ladies 1^st XV 0 – 10 Cardiff Ladies 1^st XV

A premature ending to a spirited second half performance put paid to Durham’s hopes of advancing to the second round of the BUCS Knock-out Cup.

Both teams decided to shake hands after Cardiff’s full back, Lela Hughes suffered a broken ankle in the 57^th minute.

Players were visibly shocked after Hughes failed to get up from an inauspicious tackle with her ankle hanging at an awkward angle. One eye witness 15 metres away described the noise as “harrowing.”

The injury will have made the long return trip south a sombre one for Cardiff.

“It’s very demoralizing to see our friend and team mate like this. We can’t celebrate this win,” said Cardiff skipper, Jen Hawkins.

With the ambulance some time away and the score at 10-0 to Southern Premiership side Cardiff, Durham coach, Cameron Henderson offered Cardiff a route into the second round with 13 minutes remaining where they will face Loughborough.

But Durham skipper, Carolyn WIlson, was able to remain positive.

“I thought we adjusted well to the initial shock of coming up against opposition a league above us,” she told The Palatinate. “We could have scored in the second half. Nonetheless, it leaves us with the opportunity to concentrate on our main priority, winning the league.”

Despite entering the tie unbeaten and on the back of a 120-0 demolition of Manchester Met, Durham knew they were the underdogs and spent much of the first half trying to settle.

Cardiff’s superior physicality at the breakdown resulted in regular turnovers, faltering the momentum put in place by some fluid moves by the Durham backs, centring on fly half, Kate Langham.

And it was these turnovers that allowed Cardiff to capitalise on Durham’s temporarily ragged defensive line.

The speed at which Cardiff were able to counter attack and offload in the tackle was impressive, epitomised by their opening try.

Cardiff’s powerful flanker, Claire Molloy was able to break a tackle across the half way line and suck in two more defenders before offloading to the grateful winger. Her speed was enough to evade the scrambling defence and score in the corner on 13 minutes.

If Cardiff’s first try was due to a moment of individual brilliance, there can be no excuses for the second.

A ruck inside Durham’s 22 resulted in an all too familiar turnover for Cardiff, who built up two more solid phases of play. With Durham’s defence at full stretch, Cardiff captain Jen Hawkins picked the ball off the back of the ruck and ignored the three women overlap to bundle across the line herself and double their lead.

As Durham struggled to impose them selves on the opposition’s try line, Cardiff could have made the game safe by half time but for a brilliant last ditch tackle by Durham’s number 10, Langham.

 A moment of magic by Meg Tudor saw her collect her own chip on the half way line and break through the last line of defence. She looked a certainty to score if it wasn’t for Langham’s fantastic desire to pull her down just inches short of the line.

If Durham’s first half was characterised by glimpses of promising play by the backs that could not be sustained by the forwards, the opposite could be said of the second. The forwards were able to create a firm platform, but a series of handling errors meant the backs were unable to capitalise.

Durham’s imaginative moves were being increasingly well read by Cardiff’s centres, who delivered some big hits on Durham’s offensive line. This meant that Durham were not able to exploit full back Ruth Matta’s blistering pace and Cardiff’s pressure resulted in sloppy errors.

On the other hand, Matta executed her required defensive duties admirably. When Cardiff’s considerably sized centre, Sally Tuson performed one of her numerous line breaks and found herself with only the petite Matta standing between her and the try line the crowd feared the worst.

However, Matta brought down Tuson with ferocity that few could have predicted. “Have you ever seen a cheetah taking down a wilder beast on the Serengeti…?” one bystander turned to ask me.

With Durham’s forwards beginning to exert authority on the match, the premature end came as a disappointment. Whether they would have been able to stage a dramatic comeback will remain unseen, but their second half revival will be reassuring as they continue to aim for promotion.

Surfing Community Shocked by Untimely Death of Iconic Champion

Three times World Champion, Andy Irons was found dead in his Dallas hotel room on 2^nd November. He is reported to have died of Dengue Fever whilst on a stop over during his journey home from Puerto Rico to Hawaii.

Irons, 32, was at the forefront of the surfing community for the past decade and the loss will be a devastating blow for the Association of Surfing Professionals, of whose flagship event, The World Championship Tour (WCT), he was three times winner.

Growing up in Hawaii, Irons learnt his art on the shallow and treacherous reefs of the North Shore. He was known for his bravery, which, combined with powerful turns and gravity defying aerial manoeuvres, made him a formidable opponent in competition and, as the leading personality of Australian surfing manufacturer Billabong, influential to fans and peers alike.

But it will be for his intense rivalry with 9 times World Champion, Kelly Slater, that he will be best remembered. Having already won the WCT an unprecedented 6 times in seven years, Slater was provoked by the cocky young Irons to abandon retirement in 2003. Slater was eager to exert his dominance over Irons, who had blown away the field to win the 2002 WCT tour. However, Slater lost.

Irons was able to match and surpass the legendary Slater for his competitive instinct and aggressive surfing style, taking the next two titles to secure a hat trick of wins from 2002-2004.

Their rivalry was defined by incidents of infamous “trash talk” during competitions, which often boiled over and led to Irons admitting he would “go to bed literally thinking about how I could punch him in the face.”

Recent years have seen a mutual respect develop, with both men combining to create a film in 2009, A Fly in the Champagne, documenting the rivalry that defined surfing for the much of the last decade.

His iconic status led the Governor of Hawaii to announce February 13^th as “Andy Irons Day”. Irons leaves a wife who is seven months pregnant. Wider shock waves will be felt across the globe.

Roberts Strikes Gold at Commonwealth Games

Palatinate fencer, Kira Roberts has entered her final year at Durham University as a Commonwealth Games gold medallist. Roberts (21) played a pivotal role in the England women’s fencing team that swept aside a strong Australian contingent 45/21 in the final of the sabre division.

Australia were never allowed to get a footing in the match as all three English players in the team comprehensively defeated their counterparts to take home the prize that was so highly expected of them.

The medal will sit pride of place next to the Junior Commonwealth Games gold medal, British Universities gold medal and Palatinate she won in her first year, earning her Durham’s Sports Women of the Year award.

Last year Roberts further repaid the faith shown in her after receiving the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship for Sport by representing Durham at the extremely prestigious World University Games, ranking a respectable 36^th.

Unfortunately for Roberts this time, the individual event didn’t go according to plan, losing to eventual winner and British number two, Joanna Hutchison, 15/11 in the quarterfinals. Roberts admitted it was a disappointing result considering her recent record against the 24 year old. “Over the last three or four months I have been consistently beating her, but nothing seemed to go right for me on the day,” explains Roberts.

Despite the frustration, Roberts is still ranked 8^th in Britain for her division and has her sights set on an Olympic appearance in 2016. “Unfortunately I had to choose between London 2012 and University, and as there’s not much money in fencing the decision was almost made for me. However, I believe I will have a chance of medalling at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro,” she told The Palatinate.

Closer to home, Roberts is still putting as much pride into her domestic fixtures as her international ones. The women’s 1^st team got off to an impressive start in the BUCS Northern Premier League by avenging last years defeat at the hands of Edinburgh.

Player profile: Tom Westley

Whilst my juvenile dreams of becoming the next Beckham or Freddie Flintoff have long lain shattered in the gutter, there are those at Durham who are still relentlessly pursuing theirs of being our countries’ next sporting superstar. Tom Westley is one of them.

Durham’s 1^st XI cricket captain shot to local fame as the youngest ever player to score a century for Cambridgeshire at the age of nine, but at 14 Essex County Cricket Club ignited the proverbial rocket strapped to his back and so his career took off. After dominating youth cricket, he made his 2^nd XI debut at 15 (scoring a century that summer) and was elevated to Essex 1^st team a year later, appearing against Sri Lanka on debut. He went on to Captain England Under 19’s at the world cup in Malaysia and now is aiming for nothing short of following Andrew Strauss and Nasser Hussein in becoming the third Durham Alumni to captain England.

Embarking on his final year studying BA Sports, Westley has made 35 First Class appearances and already has two First Class centuries to his name. He describes himself as a batting all-rounder, occupying the top order with the bat as well as boasting respectable figures as an off-spin bowler (average of under 30). I met up with Westley to ask him about writing essays on tour in Barbados and, after a fascicle summer, whether cricket can ever recover.

TC: You are quite a big fish in Durham’s pond, have you ever Googled yourself?

TW: No, but my housemates have created a Wikipedia page for me and Greg Smith (fellow Durham University 1^st XI and Leicestershire C.C.C.), which is quite funny.

What is the best memory in your career so far?

Captaining England Under 19’s was obviously a massive honour for me, but playing a pivotal role in winning promotion for Essex in the last game of the season just beats it (he scored 132 in the first innings and 40 in the second).

Who is the best player you’ve played with and against?

With is Andy Flower (ex Zimbabwe international) or Alistair Cook (current England opening batsman and vice-captain). Against would be Mark Ramprakash (ex England international), though Tino Best (West Indies fast bowler) almost took my head off this summer!

You are already contracted to Essex, why did you bother with University?

Around the time I had to make the decision I had experienced a couple of injuries, which forced me to see that there is more to life than cricket. It’s a safety net in case cricket doesn’t work out.

So, if you can’t be a professional cricket player, what would you be?

Probably homeless! Cricket is all I’ve wanted to do since I was 9 and now that I have the chance to do it I realise I am very privileged. It continues to be my priority through Uni (to the detriment of my grades).

How do you juggle your degree with playing cricket?

Not very well! Touring makes things difficult; last year I had to write an essay in Barbados. I know how this will sound, but I wish I could just sit in the library sometimes; it just doesn’t get done on the road.

Pizza or Pasta?

Oddly it would be pasta in the off-season and pizza during the summer. I eat really well during the winter when I train 4 or 5 times a week. By March I will be one of the fittest guys in the team. But then the grind of the long season wears me down and I need food to pick me up.

Hot chocolate or a pint in the evening?

Pint. I should probably be going out less – let’s put it that way, but I am immersing myself in the Uni lifestyle. Thankfully, as I say, I am very fit so I can hide it from my coaches.

Cricket was rocked by another betting scandal this summer. Can we trust the integrity of the game?

I think so because I still believe the best team will always win. I am in no way condoning it, but the events that are being mentioned are trivial.

Can you give us a little signal so we can bet on your next no-ball?

I’ll give my ear a little rub.

Should we be betting on your future?

Ha, ha. Well, obviously I’m not a million miles away but I would hate you to lose any money on my account. In five years time I hope to have established myself in the Essex 1^st team and England is the goal. I think when I stop pushing to play for England I will give up cricket. I don’t see the point in becoming stagnant and settling for less.

An Unforgettable Summer To Forget

As Durham thawed and the population of the library soared there was a sense of anticipation about the summer that was enough to deliver us through the month long hibernation we call exams. On the other side was a comprehensive schedule of sporting events that could not fail to capture the attention of the nation and restore some patriotic pride. At least the former statement was to prove true.

After the customary comprehensive media build up the result seemed conclusive: we were going to win the first World Cup to be held in Africa, though where our confidence came from was mysterious. Our talisman, John Terry was hunted down in a case of not so friendly fire by the tabloids and our second choice, Rio Ferdinand joined David at the biennial English summer injury convention. Add that to a manager who uses the English language about as gracefully as a Teletubby and we are still kicking ourselves that we were foolish enough to believe the hype.

Back in London the sun shone, relentlessly… disappointingly. The Wimbledon roof is quickly becoming the largest waste of money since the Millennium Dome.

Perhaps feeling sorry for the match schedulers’ boredom, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut conspired to delay proceedings all by themselves in an epic dual that saw the deciding set won by Isner 70-68. As hours turned into days and tennis closer resembled cricket, I am surprised the umpire didn’t announce that most British of sentences: “let’s just shake hands and call it a draw.”

For British fans it was a familiar story. I only need to utter the words “semi-final” and that cocktail of emotions consisting of hope, expectancy and ultimately disappointment will be as potent to you as that taste of Quaddy-Vody stuck at the back of your throat…after regurgitating it. And so Rafael Nadal dispatched of Thomas Berdych in three simple sets and sunk his lion teeth into the trophy for the second time. Good luck to anyone trying to wrestle that from him for the next ten years or so.

Like the tennis, the cricket proved to be predictable, though for all the wrong reasons. The score became irrelevant, whether cricket can recover is yet to be seen. After the farce of the Test matches the last thing anyone wanted was to endure seven more matches in the cold and misery of September. Every time a Pakistani player twitched the betting odds would go up and down like the Stock Exchange.

And as the “summer” rolled on into October, it must be assumed that the organisers of the Ryder Cup had never even Googled Wales before awarding them an outdoor event that takes place in fields. Regardless, the passion and perseverance of the British fans was never in doubt. I’m sure the Welsh will be proud of being responsible for the first Ryder Cup to spill over into a fourth day, which will be a comfort to them as I doubt it will be returning any time soon.

I was fortunate enough to be a part of a lot of it this summer, albeit from behind a bar (- somewhat compromising my view, but I would suggest not my experience). Never-the-less, sneaking in to watch Murray-Nadal after work, witnessing Swann tweak one to delicately dislodge a Pakistani bail during my lunch break and even just listening to the roars and chanting of the European fans at Celtic Manor are memories I will cherish for a long time.

However, slipping over in the temporary tributary to the River Usk down the 18^th fairway, constantly questioning every move made by a man in green and the humiliation of being an England football fan are memories I fear may haunt me for longer. Never mind, ever the optimist, there is still the Commonwealth Games to look forward to. Oh, wait…

Mildert Make Steady Start to the Season as Castle Crumble

Van Mildert (135-4) beat Castle (133-9) by 6 wickets

Bowling first, Van Mildert made the most of a difficult wicket to restrict Castle to 133 for 9. The score looked 20 or so short, and so it proved with Mildert’s top order guiding their team home with 2 overs and 6 wickets remaining.

On a green and lively wicket, the Van Mildert captain was delighted to win the toss and elect to field. However, Mildert bowlers got off to a poor start, conceding 9 extras in the first two overs.

The umpire provided the early drama, bizarrely giving Pearce out LBW off a free hit before correcting his error.

But it was not long before Mildert were celebrating genuinely, with Jones making the break through. Pearce was trapped LBW for a fourth over duck, bringing James Sharpe to the crease.

The University 2^nd XI partnership of Sharpe and Paddy Jeynes set about laying the foundations of the innings in efficient style, guiding the score to 61-1 from 8 overs, though the Mildert bowlers continued to ask questions.

Saud Ahmed (4 overs, 2-21) looked particularly dangerous, consistently finding the right areas to make scoring difficult for the batsmen

And he got his just rewards, first trapping Jeynes LBW for 28, before getting a perfectly judged length ball to nip away from Sharpe (22) and rattle the top of his off stump.

The depth of Castle’s batting was not able to match the strength of Mildert’s bowling attack. Only John Wilson troubled the scoreboard in the latter stages, contributing a useful 22. This is in contrast to Mildert, who were able to call on solid performances from George and notably, Sam Tennant (2-25) to close out the innings. In the end Castle’s top scorer was the extras column, adding a very welcome 36 runs to the total.

Despite the low score, Castle knew the deviant pitch meant the Mildert batsmen would not be allowed to play their shots freely.

A tight start from Rhys Davenport (4 overs, 0-14), supported by spells from Matt Harraghy (1-26) and Jamie Davies (1-30) meant the game was never a full gone conclusion.

Though in reality, captain Richard Scargill and the impressive Tennant made a measured start, knowing that nothing drastic was needed to secure victory.

With wickets in hand, the two openers started to play more aggressively, resulting in chances for Castle. But they could not be taken; dropping regulation catches from both of them in one over.

Castle’s fielding, at times, left a lot to be desired. It ranged from the clumsy to the comical when two of their players collided to let the ball bobble between them both.

However, there were some good moments. Harraghy plucked a sharp chance off his toes from his own bowling, dismissing Scargill for a well-crafted 37.

His replacement, Ahmed (37 NO) backed up a fine bowling display with a devastating batting performance, using his wrists to whip away anything short for runs.

The top order steered Van Mildert home comfortably with 2 overs remaining. Mildert will regard this as a successful start to the season, though they will need to improve with the ball to be challenging for the title at the end.

For Castle, 2 loses from their opening 2 games places an even greater emphasis on next week’s crunch match with rivals Hatfield, though they will need to improve in all departments to make the transition from challengers to victors.