This week Gary Lemke has look at how the two Manchester clubs are expected to star as FA Cup action returns, while the carnage of runs is expected to continue in the IPL and more!
MANCHESTER TO BE PAINTED RED (AND BLUE)
It’s English FA Cup semi-final weekend and the two Manchester clubs, City and United, are firm favourites to win and reach the final in a month’s time. City, who were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid on penalties, will still fancy themselves to bounce back against Chelsea on Saturday, while United have an altogether easier-looking fixture, against Coventry on Sunday.
Both Arsenal (away to Wolves) and Liverpool (at Fulham), have a chance to leapfrog City at the top of the table as six League matches take place.
Wembley is calling 📞#MUFC || #FACup pic.twitter.com/qcbxnQLNsH
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 17, 2024
THE LATEST STOP ON MAX’S WORLD TOUR
Max Verstappen already has three wins out of the first four rounds of the 2024 Formula One season and he’s again strongly fancied to continue his domination when the Chinese Grand Prix takes place this weekend. Verstappen’s only setback was when his Red Bull suffered a rare malfunction in Australia, but wins in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Japan suggest that it was a rare blip.
The world champion had qualified in pole position in the first four races, and you’re not going to get any back slaps for predicting that he will continue his merry ways in Shanghai on Sunday (9am SA time).
F1 Sprint weekends have had a re-shuffle for 2024 🔀
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 15, 2024
Keep the timings for this weekend's action in China handy, as we prepare for the first #F1Sprint of the season!#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/o8QtF3lVLj
MORE RUNS AS IPL CARNAGE CONTINUES
This weekend the Indian Premier League hits the halfway stage, and for many neutrals, the eyes have already started to glaze over. It remains a tournament for the batters, with the Gujarat Titans inexplicably bowled out for 89 against Delhi Capitals, with the latter knocking off the runs inside nine overs.
That game was followed by two more, with a lowest total of 223 and a highest of 287 runs. A par score for the event remains at over 180, and the Sunrisers hit 22 sixes in their innings against the Challengers during the week. Unlike the SA20, there are no incentives for taking one-handed catches in the crowd. The record number of sixes in a 74-game season is 1124. Nearing halfway, there had been over 550 “maximums” this year, which suggests the record is under threat.
The Punch.ev Electric Striker of the Match between Punjab Kings & Mumbai Indians goes to Ashutosh Sharma. #TATAIPL | @Tataev | #PunchevElectricStriker | #BeyondEveryday | #PBKSvMI pic.twitter.com/TaK51gQh7p
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 18, 2024
HOME COMFORTS FOR SIDES IN THE URC
Rugby’s northern/southern hemisphere action switches back to the United Rugby Championship this weekend. That’s the 16-team competition where the Bulls are currently 3rd), with the Stormers 5th, the Lions 11th and the Sharks 13th. What we have seen as a pattern is how tough it is for overseas sides to win in South Africa, which doesn’t spell good news for Munster (against the Bulls), Ospreys (vs Stormers) and Leinster (visiting the Lions). The home and away bias, however, also works the other way round, which is a warning to the Sharks who travel to Glasgow.
🏉🔥 Get ready for an electrifying showdown in Round 14 of the #BKTURC 🏆
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) April 17, 2024
With play-offs looming, every clash is a battleground for supremacy 💥
Who will rise to the challenge and secure their play-off spot? 👀#URC | #RaceToTheEight pic.twitter.com/o547V8417l
GOLF VIEWERS SWITCHING OFF
For the golf fans, which this is all about, there’s the ongoing PGA Tour coverage this weekend, where the action is in the RBC Heritage. Many of those who were involved in last week’s Masters are there, but here’s the thing: many of the same TV viewers aren’t. Golf now seems to be entering that “TV turnoff phase”. Fewer than 10 million watched the Masters on TV (this figure is a tipping point number), which was some 2.5 million down on who watched Jon Rahm in 2023.
Only two Masters have ever had lower TV ratings, ironically when everyone was at home during the Covid years of 2020 and 2021. Still, it will be something worth monitoring going forward, but for now, you have the PGA’s RBC Heritage.
Round 1 leaderboard @RBC_Heritage ⛳️
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 18, 2024
1. @JT_ThePostman (-8)
T2. Seamus Power (-6)
T2. @Collin_Morikawa
T4. Austin Eckroat (-5)
T4. @MacHughesGolf
T4. @SRTheegala
T4. @PRodgersGolf
T4. @SeppStraka
T4. Ludvig Åberg
