🗞 To get you in the mood

December 07, 2021

G'day sports fans,

Classic Ashes quote: An Australian spectator toward England spinner Phil Tufnell. - “Oi, Tufnell! Can I borrow your brain? I’m building an idiot.”

🇦🇺 Aussie Sport

🏏 To get you in the mood: Alastair Cook bowled the very first ball of the England Innings at the 3rd Ashes Test, Perth, 16 Dec 2013. An absolute gem of a delivery from Ryan Harris.

Classic Ashes: “If you turn the bat over there’s instructions on the back.” – Aussie fast bowler Merv Hughes to Graeme Hick after yet another play and miss.

🎾 Eighteen of the world's top-ranked tennis players will descend on Sydney in January for the ATP Cup, including Novak Djokovic.

At Tuesday's launch, it was revealed that Djokovic had committed to the Australian Open warm-up event, however, Tennis Australia is yet to confirm whether the world No.1 will compete in the grand slam.

The 34-year-old world number one has yet to reveal whether he has been vaccinated against Covid-19.

Classic Ashes: “You’ve got to bat on this in a minute, Tuffers. Hospital food suit you?” – Craig McDermott to Phil Tufnell after the ecstatic England spinner had clean bowled the Aussie quickie.

🏏 James Anderson’s scratching from the first Test has made England’s bid to win their first Ashes series on Australian soil since 2011 all the more difficult.

England has not won a Test in Australia in over a decade and the hosts are red-hot favourites once again this summer.

Australia head into Brisbane having not played a Test match since India stunned them last summer.

Steve Smith, David Warner, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood haven’t played any red-ball cricket since February.

In contrast, England have played 12 Tests this year but they’ve only won four of them and are coming off a losing series in India.

England haven’t tasted Test victory in Australia in almost 11 years and the last time the teams met at the Gabba, the hosts won by 10 wickets.

But the Aussies are reeling in the wake of losing skipper Tim Paine following his sexting scandal.

Marnus Labuschagne has arguably been the star of the last two summers, and there is certainly a lot to like about him leading the charge again for the Aussies in the First Test. Top Aussie Runscorer: $4.0.

Pat Cummins: Hard to go past a man that has taken 52 wickets in only 10 Test matches against England. Top Aussie Wicket taker $3.25.

Classic Ashes: The 1932-33 Ashes ‘Bodyline’ series in Australia produced this absolute gem from the two rival captains.

Douglas Jardine – “Your slip just swore at me.”

Bill Woodfull – “All right, which one of you b*st*rds called this b*st*rd a b*st*rd ?”

🌍 World Sport

⚽️ Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick says it is "absolutely logical" to have an "an expert for the brain" among his coaching staff after appointing a sports psychologist.

🏎 A thrilling Formula 1 season is set for what could be the most dramatic conclusion in the sport's history at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend.

Both Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull's Max Verstappen go into the final race of an epic season locked together on 369.5 points - only the second time this has happened since F1's first season in 1950.

Whatever unfolds, history will be made - either 36-year-old Hamilton will claim his eighth world title and become the sport's most successful driver ever by surpassing Michael Schumacher.

Or, 24-year-old hotshot Verstappen will win his first title to usher in a new era, in which he leads the current crop of younger drivers.

It's pretty simple: with 25 points for a win, 18 for second, and a bonus point for the fastest lap, whoever finishes ahead takes it all.

The only thing in the back of both drivers' minds is that, if neither finish the race - or accrue any points by finishing outside the top 10 - then Verstappen would win based on victory countback across the season.

The Dutchman has nine wins, to Hamilton's eight.

🏎 THROWBACK: In similar circumstances, Schumacher deliberately turned in on Villeneuve in the European Grand Prix in Jerez which decided the 1997 World Championship.

Schumacher tried to stop him from passing on the 48th lap in the Dry-Sack corner, but hit a side pod on the car and made his car slide into the gravel trap.

Villeneuve's car had taken damage but was able to finish in 3rd place, putting him 3 points ahead of Schumacher in the World Title.

🏉 Handre Pollard: Leicester complete signing of South Africa World Cup winner for 2022-23 season.

🏃🏽 Olympic 100m champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs will return to competitive action in Berlin in February.

The 27-year-old Italian has not raced since the Tokyo Games in August, where he also won 4x100m gold.

🥊 Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte officially ordered by WBC with Gypsy King to defend heavyweight world title.

🔁 Liverpool are in prime position to sign Jude Bellingham,18. Dortmund will likely look for AU$180m transfer fee.

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📺 Live sport 👇🏼

⚽️ 06:45-English League One- Portsmouth v Sheffield Wednesday (beIN SPORTS 2)

⚽️ 07:00-UEFA Champions Lge Group Stage:

  • Porto v Atletico Madrid (Stan Sport)

  • Shakhtar Donetsk v Sheriff Tiraspol (Stan Sport)

  • Real Madrid v Inter Milan (Stan Sport)

  • Ajax Amsterdam v Sporting Clube de Portugal (Stan Sport)

  • Borussia Dortmund v Besiktas (Stan Sport)

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🏏 11:00-Test Match- Australia v England (Channel 7, Fox Cricket)

🏀 11:00-NCAA Men's Regular Season- Tennessee Volunteers v Texas Tech Red Raiders (ESPN 2)

🏀 11:30-NBA Regular Season- Dallas Mavericks v Brooklyn Nets (ESPN)

🏀 13:30-NCAA Men's Regular Season- Syracuse Orange v Villanova Wildcats (ESPN 2)

🏀 14:00-NBA Regular Season- Los Angeles Lakers v Boston Celtics (ESPN)

🏏 18:35-Big Bash League Group Game- Hobart Hurricanes v Sydney Sixers (Channel 7, Fox Cricket)

⛹🏻‍♀️ 19:00-WNBL Regular Season- Bendigo Spirit v Melbourne Boomers (Kayo Sports)

⚽️ 19:30-FFA Cup R16- Sydney FC v Macarthur FC Bulls (10 Play)

⚽️ 19:45-A-League Men Regular Season- Melbourne City v Perth Glory (Paramount+)

🏏 20:30-Lanka Premier League Group Game- Colombo Stars v Dambulla Giants (beIN SPORTS 1)

🏏 21:35-Big Bash League Group Game- Perth Scorchers v Brisbane Heat (Channel 7, Fox Cricket)

THURSDAY

⚽️ 06:45-English League One- Milton Keynes Dons v Plymouth Argyle (beIN SPORTS 2)

⚽️ 07:00-UEFA Champions Lge Group Stage:

  • Benfica v Dynamo Kyiv (Stan Sport)

  • VfL Wolfsburg v Lille OSC (Stan Sport)

  • Red Bull Salzburg v Sevilla (Stan Sport)

  • Atalanta v Villarreal (Stan Sport)

  • Manchester United v BSC Young Boys (Stan Sport)

  • Bayern Munich v Barcelona (Stan Sport)

⚽️ 07:00-Women's Champions Lge Group Stage- Chelsea Women v Juventus Women (DAZN)

🏏 11:00-Test Match- Australia v England (Channel 7, Fox Cricket)

🏀 11:00-NCAA Men's Regular Season- West Virginia Mountaineers v Connecticut Huskies (ESPN 2)

🏀 11:30-NBA Regular Season- Miami Heat v Milwaukee Bucks (ESPN)

🏒 14:00-NHL Regular Season- Vegas Golden Knights v Dallas Stars (ESPN 2)

🏀 14:00-NBA Regular Season- Golden State Warriors v Portland Trail Blazers (ESPN)

🏏 19:15-Big Bash League Group Game- Adelaide Strikers v Melbourne Renegades (Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports or Channel 7)

⛹🏻‍♀️ 19:30-NBL Regular Season- Tasmania JackJumpers v Adelaide 36ers (ESPN)

🐕 21:19-Group 1- The Megastar, 520m (Sky Racing 1)