Gary Lemke looks back at a jam-packed sporting weekend as Erling Haaland returned to the top of the scoring charts for Manchester City as Lando Norris wins the Dutch Grand Prix.
NORRIS AGAIN LEAVES MAX IN REARVIEW MIRROR
Surely not? Surely Lando Norris is not going to do the unthinkable and dethrone Max Verstappen as Formula One champion? Probably not, although the Englishman’s win in the Dutch F1 GP cut the points gap to 70 – to apply context that’s three wins to Norris without Verstappen scoring any points – but what we have seen is a McLaren that is proving a proper rival for the once-dominant Red Bull.
Norris had earned pole but that advantage was wiped away at the start before he fought back and ultimately surged across the line 22 seconds clear. It was not quite the perfect race, not quite “Verstappenesque” but for Norris it was another shot across the Dutchman’s bows.
KO ADDS OPEN TO OLYMPIC GOLD
Former world No1 Lydia Ko added the Women’s British Open to the Paris Olympic gold medal she recently won when she produced four rounds of sheer consistency to outstay the field at the Old Course in St Andrews. Ko closed with a round of 69 after earlier rounds of 71, 70 and 71 to win by two strokes over a pack of four that included current No1 Nelly Korda.
Cassandra Alexander fared best of the South Africans, finishing tied seventh, which earned her a pay check of over R5-million. Ashleigh Buha was T22nd, Paula Reto T29th and Lee-Ann Pace tied 55th.
As if she couldn't get any better.
— LPGA (@LPGA) August 25, 2024
Lydia Ko is the 2024 AIG Women's Open Champion 💪 pic.twitter.com/3Wihk88q4P
PROTEAS WILT AS WEST INDIES WIN T20 SERIES
South Africa’s men’s Proteas lost twice in three days as West Indies took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the T20 series in Tarouba. On Friday it was a seven-wicket win for the hosts and on Sunday they won by 30 runs after putting up 179-6 and then bowling out the South Africans for 149.
It was a case of the Proteas playing Calypso cricket as they slumped from 129-3 in the 14th over and lost their last seven wickets for 20 runs. The final match of the T20 series – the Proteas won the Tests 1-0 – is on Tuesday. Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubbs are the only two SA batters to have reached double figures in both T20’s so far.
🟢🟡 | Match Result
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) August 25, 2024
🏝️West Indies win by 30 runs
They take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the 3-match T20 series.#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt#SAvWI pic.twitter.com/uJg2HllvRL
BANGLADESH PUT PAKISTAN INTO TAILSPIN
In Rawalpindi the first Test did reach the fifth day but after Pakistan had declared their first innings at 448-6 and Bangladesh had replied with 565, the odds of a draw were short. After four days the hosts closed on 23-1 and were 94 runs behind with nine wickets in hand, with just one day remaining on what seemed a placid pitch. However, step forward spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
He took 4-21 in 11.5 overs of conventional off-break bowling, with Pakistan collapsing to 146 all out and Bangladesh needed 30 to secure the most unlikely of Test wins and their first-ever on Pakistani soil. They duly polished off things with all 10 wickets intact in 39 balls.
Jubilation in the Bangladesh dressing room after their historic victory in the 1st Test against Pakistan at Rawalpindi. 👏🇧🇩#BCB #Cricket #BDCricket #Bangladesh #PAKvBAN #WTC2 pic.twitter.com/p4msPsAdZt
— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) August 25, 2024
NOT QUITE ‘BAZBALL’ BUT GOOD ENOUGH
England got the job done in their Test against Sri Lanka at Manchester, winning by five wickets. Their ‘Bazball’ approach is such that there isn’t a rush to sign up for day five tickets ahead of a Test match, and they are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
This opening Test was over in the final session of day four so the players were free to take up their golf tee-off times on Sunday. However, the fact that England chased down the target of 205 and got there with a run rate of 3.57 shows how tough batting was at Old Trafford.
🦁 Victory in Manchester! 🏴
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 24, 2024
A winning start to the series 💪
Match Centre: https://t.co/WlpxJWmDmV
🏴 #ENGvSL 🇱🇰 | #EnglandCricket pic.twitter.com/h3fGFuCyM1
HAALAND SHOWS THAT HE MEANS (MORE) BUSINESS
Saturday lunchtime kickoffs in the English Premier League have the reputation for the upset result and with Brighton beating Manchester United 2-1 many might feel this was the case. However, Seagulls fans won’t agree. After two matches of the season, Brighton are sitting pretty with maximum points. Most of the headlines though were stolen by Erling Haaland who now has four goals in two games.
His hat-trick against Ipswich was his seventh in the EPL and 10th for Man City in 101 games. His EPL hat-tricks have come from 68 matches and he now joins Wayne Rooney on that number. City manager Pep Guardiola has warned of more, saying that because the Norwegian hitman sat out the Euros he’s fresh and hungry for goals.
BULLS STAY UNBEATEN IN ANOTHER POINTS-FEST
The Currie Cup has become watered down over the years and the quality isn’t what it was but there are always plenty of points scored, and conceded. The Lions upset the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein 38-21, the Sharks beat WP 31-23 and the Bulls stayed unbeaten with a 47-24 win over Griquas.
We suggested it could be 41-29 based on their average results so far this season and weren’t far wrong, with 71 points in total and we’d suggested there would be 70! We’ve got two more rounds of activity.
