WGC Accenture Match Play Two Balls: Can forgotten Rose bloom again?

Three Ball Bets / Dan Geraghty / 22 February 2012 / Leave a Comment

Dan's backing Justin to win his round one two ball...

"Rickie Fowler has a tough first round match up with David Toms but youth can win the day."

Dan Geraghty makes his selections for the first round two balls at the WGC Accenture Matchplay...

Last week was a case of one step forward, one step back.

On to this week and the WGC Accenture Matchplay is the pinnacle of the two ball bet. Whereas most weeks, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter who wins the daily two/three balls (I'm sure a few players have a few quid on the side), this week, winning your two ball is all important and the only way to progress.

Webb Simpson [1.56] makes his debut in this event, which is remarkable because it feels like he's been around forever. His opponent Matteo Manassero turned a few heads on his own debut here last year but has unexpectedly struggled in recent times. Clearly a year is a long time in golf, I expect Simpson to comfortably come out on top in their first round encounter.

Justin Rose [1.78] is currently something of a forgotten man. He won twice in 2010 (nearly three in a row!) and once last year and somehow managed to avoid the most recent Ryder Cup. He's not garnered many column inches this year yet but has been quietly impressive in his two appearances so far (most recently 13th at last week's Northern Trust Open). He should be more acclimatised this week than Paul Lawrie, who is used to plying his trade in Europe (and outside the World's top 64).

Geoff Ogilvy [2.1] is a standing dish round here. Young Keegan Bradley is certainly in fine form but I can't have him favourite over two time champion Ogilvy on his Accenture Matchplay debut. No, no, no.

Rickie Fowler [1.9] caught many an eye at the last Ryder Cup and he made a good matchplay impression here last year, beating Peter Hanson and Phil Mickelson before giving best to Matt Kuchar. Rickie has a tough first round match up with David Toms but youth can win the day.

I just can't get Anders Hansen's horrible putting against Matt Kuchar last year out of my head. At one point Kuchar had taken off his hat ready to shake hands but another missed Hansen 2 footer meant the match rolled on. This year the Dane faces Kyung Tae Kim [2.1] in the final match of the first round. The Korean's stock rose after some impressive display's last year, not least in Australia, at the Presidents Cup and Australian PGA. Kim can take down Hansen on this, his second visit to the WGC Accenture Matchplay.

Steve Stricker is clearly beatable round here, he was shocked by Manassero in the first round last year and Kevin Na [2.6] is a tougher draw than he appears at first glance. Na struggled a little last week but prior to that he was in the top five two weeks in a row. Now that he has the tour win he so craved, Na may well be a different proposition and he can sink putts when the pressure is on.

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First round matches

16:05 Webb Simpson [1.56] - 2 points win

14:55 Justin Rose [1.78] - 2 points win

18:15 Geoff Ogilvy [2.1] - 2 points win

18:35 Rickie Fowler [1.9] - 1 point win

19:35 Kyung Tae Kim [2.1] - 1 point win

15:45 Kevin Na [2.6] - 1 point win

Season Profit/Loss: -3.02 points

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England Cricket: Win World Cup and Aussie ODIs will be forgotten

Cricket World Cup / Editor / 31 January 2011 / Leave a Comment

What would maverick Mike Brearley's advice to Andrew Strauss be?

"During the 1979 tour Down Under, Brearley put the entire field (including the wicket- keeper) on the boundary ropes when three runs were required off the last ball."

Down in the dumps as England crash to defeat in Australia, Frank Gregan remembers three colourful, controversial and occasionally brilliant cricketers who Andrew Strauss' men could gain inspiration from in the subcontinent.

You can put as brave a face on it as you like but the fact is this has been a bitterly disappointing One Day series for England. Trailing 4-1, with a couple of dead rubbers to play, it's time to move on and look at the next big challenge.

A month ago, England were expected to win the Ashes, batter the Aussies in the One Day series, solve the global financial dilemma, win the World Cup, come up with a solution to the Middle East crisis, improve their Test ranking and find a cure for cancer. Andy Flower and Andy Strauss were all things to all Englishmen, nothing was impossible under their leadership.

Welcome to international cricket, four weeks later the dream is shattered, and now a World Cup win looks about as likely as Sepp Blatter getting an invite to Prince William's wedding! England need inspiration and, as there seems to be very little waiting in the wings, it's necessary to delve back into the past to come up with three names that could make a real difference to the team and lead England to their first 50 over World Cup win...

Mike Brearley
A cricketing enigma if ever there was one. Brearley played 39 Tests for England and skippered the side during 31 of those matches. He was a captain who could apparently get inside the heads of of his players and inspire them to great performances. He was also one of the old school 'win at all costs' types. During the 1979 tour Down Under he put the entire field (including the wicket- keeper) on the boundary ropes when three runs were required off the last ball. Shades of the Chappell brothers!

He had an exceptional record as a Test skipper, during the 31 Tests that he led his country they were only beaten four times. There was one teeny weeny flaw in Brearley's make up however, he wasn't a very good cricketer! He didn't bowl and he didn't bat too well either, his Test average was a meagre 22.88!

Douglas Jardine
Good old Dougie! A true English gentleman (born in Bombay, of course) who displayed the sportsmanship and sense of fair play of a Roman Emperor in the Colosseum! Who needs stumps to bowl at? Ribs and armpits are a much smaller target and require a greater level of skill to hit! Sadly, he died 13 years before the first ODI was played so he wouldn't have a clue how to win a World Cup!

Mike Gatting
Mr Diplomacy himself, the man who stood up for the Land of Hope and Glory by wagging his finger at Shakoor Rana. Rana was devastated and refused to take the field until Gatting apologised. He duly did (after having been ordered to do so by the ECB) and the series continued with as much bonhomie as a murder trial! It did raise questions about home country umpiring, particularly the old chestnut about Javed Miandad never been given out LBW in Pakistan despite being hugely prone to that method of dismissal when touring. Gatting went on to lead England to an Ashes win Down Under in 1987, a feat that was not repeated until... this year!

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England are currently [7.2] to win the ICC World Cup that gets underway on February 19. The three captains listed above have all made a memorable contribution to English cricket but seriously, most English fans are more than happy with what they've got. Andy Strauss (undoubtedly aided by Andy Flower) is doing a superb job and has put a smile back on the face of English cricket. They can be forgiven this latest series. Winning the World Cup would more than make up for it!

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