Australian Masters Triumph For Price Over Littler
Rhodri Evans
Gerwyn Price stormed to his second World Series of Darts title of 2024 with a stunning 8-1 victory against Luke Littler in Saturday’s Australian Darts Masters final.
Price – also a winner in June’s Nordic Darts Masters – delivered a stellar display in Wollongong to pocket the £20,000 top prize and deny Littler an eighth title in as many months.
The Welshman produced a blistering barrage to seize control of Saturday’s showpiece, storming 4-0 ahead with a 112 average.
Littler had no answer to Price’s sustained brilliance, and although the Warrington wonderkid opened his account in leg six, Price won the next three legs to cap off a darting demolition Down Under.
“Luke is playing fantastic darts at the moment, and that probably kicked me into gear,” concedes the 2021 World Champion, who averaged 99.42 and converted 53% of his attempts at double.
“I know I need to play well against every player, but especially against this young talent, so I was right up for this game.
“I haven’t been playing well over the last couple of months, but I really wanted to win this one.
“We can all hit nine, ten, 11, 12-darters, but the game is all about confidence, and this will give me the big confidence boost that I needed.”
Price brushed aside Brenton Lloyd in Friday’s first round, before overcoming Australian number one Damon Heta and a resurgent Peter Wright to advance to his third World Series final in as many months.
The 39-year-old recovered from 4-3 adrift to sink birthday boy Heta, and he overturned a 3-0 deficit against Wright, conjuring up a clinical 106 checkout to triumph in a last-leg shoot-out.
Price built on that momentum in the opening exchanges against Littler, reeling off four consecutive legs in 15, 14, 11 and 14 darts to establish control of the contest.
Littler overcame his woes on the outer ring with a 12-darter in leg six, but this failed to spark a stirring fightback, as Price responded with another three-leg burst to take the title.
“Fair play to Gezzy. I couldn’t keep up with him there,” admits the 17-year-old.
“He didn’t miss much [in the final] and he deserved the win.
“There’s no excuses. I was poor in that final, but hopefully I can carry my form from my first two games into New Zealand.”
Littler was bidding to join Phil Taylor and Gary Anderson in claiming a hat-trick of World Series titles in the same calendar year, winning through high-quality ties against Michael Smith and Dimitri Van den Bergh.
The Premier League champion fired in successive 104 averages in the process, following up a 6-4 success against Smith with an epic 7-6 victory against Van den Bergh.
The pair registered 14 maximums between them in a contest littered with quality, but the Belgian paid the price for squandering two match darts in a dramatic decider, succumbing with a 103 average.
Earlier in the day, Van den Bergh also averaged 103 in his quarter-final win over Luke Humphries, defying a brace of ton-plus finishes from the World Champion to run out an emphatic 6-2 winner.
Wright, meanwhile, dumped out last year’s winner Rob Cross to advance to his first big stage semi-final in ten months, landing five 180s on his way to a 6-4 win.
Following Price’s triumph in Wollongong, the sport’s stars will cross the Tasman Sea to New Zealand for the second leg of the World Series’ Oceanic double-header next weekend.
The 2024 New Zealand Darts Masters will take place at Hamilton’s GLOBOX Arena on August 16-17, as a star-studded 16-player line-up compete for the coveted title across two days of action.
Words and Images by PDC
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Conquering The Obstacles With GB Obstacle Races Competitor Stuart Canning
Rhodri Evans
When most people think of obstacle courses, they think of team building exercises, ninja warrior or even the TV show Total Wipeout.
Outside of the glitz and glamour or the humour of the ‘big red balls’, obstacle course racing is a sport that is both vibrant and exciting.
Competitors from all across the globe compete in everything from rope climbing and memory tests to army-style bear crawls, although they may not be as bronzed and manicured as Zac Efron in Baywatch or feature the danger of the training scene in the film Jarhead.
Stuart Canning is one of Britain’s best competitors. Originally from Bridgend, Canning was a long-distance runner during school but took some time out as he was “never into 10k road running” before happening across an obstacle competition, taking part a year later.
“The common thread between everyone is they try it and then never stop,” says Canning.
“I’m 38 now and in the 35-39 age group, apparently that’s the most competitive. The age groups go right up to 60+ and there’s something for everyone.
“There are different obstacles, strength tests such as lifting stones and running 40 metres, carrying a heavy chain. There are also balance obstacles, climbing a 10-foot wall, as well as technical obstacles where you require really good grip strength.”
The sport is growing in popularity across the globe, but Canning still feels it has space to grow in Wales.
“Obstacle course racing (OCR) is getting bigger and bigger in the UK,” says Canning.
“I’d like to get more Welsh kids and racers involved as at the moment I always feel like the only Welsh person there.
“The sport is about to be thrust into the limelight as it will be included in the 2028 Olympics replacing dressage as one of the disciplines in the modern pentathlon.”
In November, Canning finished second at the British championships over the 3-kilometre distance, providing him with an opportunity to compete for GB at the European Championships in Italy.
“Italy was amazing. There was an opening ceremony, walking through the streets of Trentino,” says Canning.
“The plan was to qualify for an international tournament before turning 40 and I’ve achieved that now.”
This summer, Canning finished third at the British OCR Championships, in doing so he qualified for the next European Championships in Portugal along with this year’s World Championships in Costa Rica.
While Canning isn’t competing in Costa Rica because of “affordability,” he is aiming for the 2026 World Championships in Sweden.
With his background in running, Canning prefers courses which favour his style rather than those that emphasise the strength and lifting exercises.
His training regime is varied however, reflecting the range of obstacles he may face.
“I do a lot of trail running, uphill sprints, monkey bars, tyre flips and lots of callisthenics as I haven’t done weights in a year” says Canning.
“Anyone who does any kind of training can throw their hand to OCR and have strengths in certain areas. If you’re good at weights you’ll be strong at the carries, if you enjoy running then you’ll be better in those areas.
“I did the Bear Grylls survival run in 2013. That included obstacle courses, memory tests, all sorts. At one point you had to make a fire and shoot a gun as well as the rope climbs, hoists and carries.
“With most events there are different penalties in case you fall off an obstacle or are unable to complete it, that can range from a penalty loop to having bands around your wrist which act as ‘lives’ which you must cut after each error.
“It’s a gruelling sport, but I love it.”
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South Wales Derby Time! Welsh Football Weekend Preview
Rhodri Evans
It is the South Wales Derby this weekend as Cardiff City travel down the M4 to the Swansea.com Stadium for the first landmark fixture of the new season.
Swansea will be full of confidence going to Sunday’s match, having beaten Preston North End 3-0 in their first home game of the season last weekend.
Goals from Matt Grimes, Azeem Abdullai, and Zan Vipotnik have given manager Luke Williams a selection headache ahead of this game.
While he may opt for a midfield three of Grime, Jay Fulton, and Gonçalo Franco for added solidity, that would leave Williams with only three forwards to choose from.
Ronald was excellent against Preston after being handed a start, while Eom Ji-Sung won the penalty to open the scoring. Ollie Cooper and Liam Cullen are the incumbents in central areas, but with Vipotnik’s form in this fixture, he may start.
That is not to mention Abdullai, who has been lively this season.
Cardiff, on the other hand, are suddenly in the position of badly needing a win. Their 5-0 trashing by Burnley last Saturday leaves them bottom of the Championship.
Manager Erol Bulut may need to rethink his midfield, as Joe Ralls, Aaron Ramsey, and Manolis Siopis were too easy to play through at Turf Moor.
The derby offers Cardiff a chance to get their season going and knock Swansea off their perch. What better motivation is there.
The Starter To The Main Course
Before the derby on Sunday, Wrexham welcome Reading to Cae Ras looking to continue their unbeaten start to the early League One season.
Wrexham have not beaten Reading for 26 years but this statistic is somewhat misleading: their last meeting came in December 2001.
On that day, Alan Pardew managed a Reading side captained by current Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson to a 2-0 win over the North Wales side.
As far as the team is concerned, with Paul Mullin still injured, an unchanged line-up is to be expected. Ollie Palmer and Jack Marriott’s partnership is growing, while Seb Revan has slotted into the right wing-back role well since signing from Aston Villa.
Newport’s Chance To Build
After their much-needed 3-1 victory over Doncaster Rovers last Saturday, new boss Nelson Jardim has the chance to put a run of wins together with a home game against Accrington Stanley this weekend.
Accrington are winless this season, having been beaten 4-1 by Doncaster on the first weekend before being dumped out of the League Cup in a 3-0 loss to Tranmere.
The Lancashire outfit threw away a potential first win of the season against Harrogate Town, coming back from 2-1 down to 3-2 up, only to draw 3-3 tanks to a 93rd minute winner from Sam Folarin.
With home fans hoping to celebrate a second win in as many games, the club will also be celebrating some faces from the past with several members of the club’s players and staff from their instrumental return to life in 1989.
Cymru Premier Action
Haverfordwest County have the chance to go six points clear of favourites The New Saints (TNS) if they overcome Penybont this Friday evening.
Penybont will be no pushovers, however. The south coast side have a win and a draw from their first two games.
Elsewhere, Flint Town face a tough trip to Bala Town as they look for a first win back in the Prem. Briton Ferry face the same predicament: a confident Cardiff Met travelling west looking for points.
Caernarfon are also on the hunt for a first win of the season and will be travelling to Newtown on Friday night.
And finally, Aberystwyth host Barry Town with both sides yet to win this season.
Fixtures:
Friday 23rd
19:45
Bala Town vs Flint Town United
Briton Ferry vs Cardiff Met
Haverfordwest County vs Penybont
Newtown vs Caernarfon Town
20:00
Aberystwyth Town vs Barry Town United
Saturday 24th
15:00
Wrexham vs Reading
Newport County vs Accrington Stanley
Sunday 25th
15:00
Swansea City vs Cardiff City
Monday 26th
14:30
Barry Town vs Newtown
Caernarfon Town vs Bala Town
Cardiff Met vs Haverfordwest County
Flint Town vs Connah’s Quay
Penybont vs Aberystwyth
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Agony and Ecstasy Over The Welsh Cricketing Weekend
Rhodri Evans
Glamorgan continued their fine one-day season with a 39-run victory over Warwickshire in the One-Day Cup semi-final at Sophia Gardens on Sunday.
The home side, who qualified directly for the semi-finals by virtue of topping Group B, fell to 44-4 from 14.3 overs thanks to a brilliant opening spell of 4-34 from all-rounder Ed Barnard.
Colin Ingram and Billy Root rallied, scoring 47 and 46 respectively, but where both dismissed before stamping their authority on the match. When Root was caught by Oliver Hannon-Dalby off the bowling of Michael Rae, Glamorgan were wobbling at 167-7.
Enter Dan Douthwaite and his six-hitting ability. The hard-hitting all-rounder struck four maximums in his 35-ball knock of 55 not out. He was joined ably by Timm van der Gugten (26) and Andy Gorvin (11) who held up one end ably to help their side reach a serviceable 247-9 from their 50 overs.
Warwickshire’s batting innings went the same way as Glamorgan’s, with Glammy’s opening duo of van der Gugten and Jamie McIlroy destroying the visiting top order, leaving them 57-5 from 16.5 overs.
When Douthwaite took the wicket of Kai Smith five runs later, the result looked beyond doubt. However, wicketkeeper Michael Burgess was still at the crease and, thanks to three sixes off Ingram’s part-time leggies, helped his side recover to within 100 runs of the target.
McIlroy returned for his second spell and took the key wicket, with Burgess finding the decisive Douthwaite in the outfield.
From there, wickets from Ben Kellaway’s wily spin and Gorvin’s military medium sealed the deal for Glamorgan, who will meet Somerset in the final at Trent Bridge on September 22nd.
Glamorgan 247-9 (50) beat Warwickshire 208 (46.1) by 37 runs.
Welsh Fire Fall At Final Hurdle
The standout side in the competition, Welsh Fire went into The Hundred finals day as slight favourites over their opponents London Spirit.
Tammy Beaumont’s side had beaten Heather Knight’s charge comfortably in the league stage of the competition, with West Indian overseas Hayley Matthews the star, scoring 76.
Indeed, much of the build up was about Welsh Fire’s trio of overseas stars, with Shabnim Ismail and Jess Jonassen also playing key roles in getting the Fire to a top of the table position and a place in the final.
Spirit won the toss, put Fire into bat and promptly removed Sophia Dunkley. Beaumont was joined by Matthews and steadied things somewhat. England international Sarah Glenn then broke the game Spirit’s way, removing Beaumont and her replacement, Sarah Bryce, in the space of three balls to leave the score at 32-3.
Jonassen was next in and put on a much-needed 52-run partnership with Matthews, before the West Indian captain was well caught by Georgia Redmayne and had to depart.
Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals, but Jonassen persisted, ending on 54 from 41 balls to drag her side to a below-par score of 115-8.
Welsh Fire needed an early breakthrough, and they got it. Ismail ripped one through Meg Lanning’s flick to start things off, before Freya Davies had Cordelia Griffith caught behind.
Redmayne and Knight scored well, though, and Ismail was required again to break the partnership, again bowling Knight through the gate.
That brought Dani Gibson to the crease, who only lasted nine balls. Usually that means her contribution was small, but her score of 22 was enough to put Spirit firmly in the box seat before Ismail again broke the stumps.
Deepti Sharma was next in, and while there was still time for some late shenanigans with Redmayne and Freeborn dismissed, the Indian all-rounder’s six to win the title was a spectacular moment to end the tournament.
Welsh Fire have been much improved over the last two seasons, and with this year’s tournament not ending the way they would have liked, they will look back on this year as a successful one.
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Sportin Wales Weekend Football Recap
Rhodri Evans
Welcome back readers to another weekend round-up after a positive set of results for the four Welsh sides in the English pyramid and an intriguing round of Cymru Premier action!
Don’t worry if the season has started poorly for your team, there’s only 44 weeks to go in the EFL…
Contrasting Fortunes for Cardiff and Swansea
Ahead of this weekend, Sportin Wales wrote about Cardiff and Swansea’s need for a first league win of the season. What’s the saying? ‘One defeat is unlucky, two is careless?’
Anyway, Luke Williams’ side do not have to worry about accusations of carelessness after their 3-0 home victory over Preston North End on Saturday.
After dominating the opening stages without much penetration, Swansea were gifted a penalty after Eom Ji-sung’s cross was handled by Preston defender Liam Lindsay.
Skipper Matt Grimes, who missed a penalty in the last match at the Swansea.com Stadium, on the last day of last season, tucked the ball home with aplomb and sent the Swans into halftime with a lead.
Preston rallied after halftime but Swansea put the game beyond doubt on the hour mark when Ollie Cooper’s strike deflected kindly off Azeem Abdullai to double the lead. New signing Zan Vipontik put the cherry on the cake late on as he converted Ronald’s low cross from close range after some good work from the Brazilian.
In contrast to the excellent display from Swansea, Cardiff were lacklustre as they fell to a 5-0 defeat to Burnley at Turf Moor.
The game started in disastrous fashion for the Bluebirds when Ethan Horvath mis-controlled Dmitri Goutas’ back pass into his own net. Burnley would score again before the break, this time through one of their own players: Luca Koleosho.
Josh Brownhill put the result beyond doubt after 51 minutes before Zeki Amdouni and Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s stunning late goals really dug the knife in.
This result leaves Cardiff bottom of the Championship after two games and they are yet to score a goal in the league this season. A 2-0 EFL Cup win over Bristol Rovers in midweek will be of some consolation, but results need to change soon in the Championship.
Wrexham’s Draw Points To Positive Season
It’s not often a 0-0 draw will have people saying things like ‘this has confirmed that Wrexham are going to be one of the contenders to get promotion’ but that is what former Wrexham player Waynne Phillips said on BBC Radio Wales in reaction to the goalless draw with Bolton on Sunday.
While Bolton, who finished 3rd in League One last season, had most of the ball and the chances, Arthur Okonkwo was excellent in goal. The League Two back three of Eoghan O’Connell, Tom O’Connor, and Max Cleworth were solid and look ready for this step up in level, while new signing Seb Revan looked composed.
Elliott Lee went closest for Wrexham and they will have to rely on him a little until talisman Paul Mullin returns from injury. Overall, a solid second game of the season for Wrexham, back at Phil Parkinson’s old stomping ground.
Newport Arrest The Slide
Can there be a slide after just two games? Not for me to say, but Newport certainly corrected a few issues and allayed some fears with a 3-1 victory over Doncaster Rovers at Rodney Parade.
It was not all rosy as County went into halftime a goal down thanks to an excellent half-volley from Owen Bailey. Nelson Jardim’s side rallied, though, and equalised two minutes into the second half thanks to Courtney Baker-Richardson improvised flick from a Bobby Kamwa cross-shot.
Two goals in three minutes from Kai Whitmore and Matt Baker (not that one) gave Newport the win and eased some pressure off the shoulders of new manager Jardim.
Cymru Premier 2: Electric Boogaloo
While there was not a lot of breakdancing in the Cymru Premier this weekend, fans were treated to no shortage of excitement on Friday and Saturday.
The New Saints got their delayed campaign off to a good start, with a 4-1 victory over Flint Town, while fellow late-starters Caernarfon Town lost their opening match of the season at home to Haverfordwest County.
That result puts County top of the table, the only side with two wins from two, while Newtown, Bala Town, Penybont, and Cardiff Met sit two points back on four.
The two promoted teams, Flint Town and Briton Ferry, are yet to put a point on the board as Briton feel to a 2-0 defeat at Bala.
Aberystwyth and Connah’s Quay handed each other their first points of the season with a 1-1 draw on Friday night.
Results:
Friday 16th
Bala Town 2-0 Briton Ferry
Cardiff MU 1-1 Barry
Flint 1-4 The New Saints
Penybont 0-0 Newtown
Aberystwyth 1-1 Connah’s Quay
Saturday 17th
Swansea 3-0 Preston North End
Burnley 5-0 Swansea
Newport County 3-1 Doncaster Rovers
Caernarfon Town 1-2 Haverfordwest County
Sunday 18th
Bolton 0-0 Wrexham
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Squash Prepares For Its ‘Strongest Era’ And LA Olympic Dream
Rhodri Evans
By Joel Makin, World No. 9 Ranked Squash Player
The summer break has arrived and in some ways it’s a bad time because I feel I was in good form, winning the Manchester Open and reaching the semi-finals of the British Open.
The Manchester Open is a mid-size tournament for us but the British Open is our Wimbledon, so to go there and perform, beating current World Champion Diego Elias in the quarterfinals, was great.
To perform well there under that level of pressure and in that atmosphere at a home championship for me in Birmingham where I live, it means a lot.
Having had the beginning of the season I had with the chronic injuries it was frustrating, but I always felt I was training well and ready to hit form when I came back.
Every athlete wants to be playing in front of big crowds and at big events and when you perform well on a big stage in front of home support, it really does mean more.
Looking at the Olympics coming up in France I’m excited at the prospect of possibly being there in four years’ time in Los Angeles.
We’ve finally secured our place on the biggest stage at the Olympics having come so close on numerous occasions.
In 2012, squash lost out narrowly to golf and again to wrestling more recently.
With golf, especially it was frustrating as for them it isn’t the pinnacle of their sport and lots of the top guys opted not to compete.
Now that squash is set to be in the games it’s a real boost for us and is a huge goal for the next four years.
It’s great that it’ll be in the United States too. They’ve become one of the biggest investors in the sport and there are more and more events there all the time so it should be a great atmosphere when we get there.
Whilst qualification for the games is a long way off, with only two places likely to be up for grabs it means there’ll be huge competition for places particularly between the home nations.
The Elshorbagy brothers, Mohamed and Marwan recently changed their registered nationality to English from Egyptian on residency having been here since they were teenagers.
That means there are now three players from Great Britain inside the current top 10 world rankings with Mohamed at seven, me ninth and Marwan tenth.
Mohamed spent five years at world number one, beating his brother in the final of the World Championships in 2017 and there will be lots of competition for those two places, which I’m sure will spur us on further.
Once I’m back from my break in August, I’ll be into the British Championships where we’ll be fighting against each other and hopefully I can regain the title I won in 2021.
Team selection is four years away though which gives some of the young 19-year-olds time to develop.
There are some really big talents. England’s Jonah Bryant has been particularly impressive and after another four years of developing he could be a top-level player and challenge the best.
There are no certainties that squash will become a permanent player in the Games going forward and this may be the only time it features so everyone will be desperate to make the most of this opportunity.
For me, I’ll be 33 by then and at my peak, hopefully injury free and ready to compete in what I expect will be the strongest ever era in squash history, with players pushing each other for Olympic qualification.
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Beaumont: 'Outstanding' Fire Ready For First Final
Rhodri Evans
Tammy Beaumont does not want to go back to the ‘dungeon’.
Rewind to this time last season, and Beaumont’s Welsh Fire were sheltering in the dungeon’-like indoor school below The Oval, as rain prevented them of having a proper shot at the Eliminator against Northern Superchargers.
“We were all quite grumpy last year having to be down there,” Beaumont reflected.
“It’s been a bit of a joke around the team this season. Let’s keep qualification for the final in our hands and avoid the dungeon and coming third again.”
The Fire have certainly done that, winning five of their eight matches and going straight into Sunday’s final at Lord’s thanks to a first place finish.
Not having to play in the eliminator has had its benefits. The previous two winners – Oval Invincibles and Southern Brave – both won the ‘league’ stage of the competition before triumphing in the showpiece final.
“We are just really excited to see what a Lord’s Hundred final encompasses,” said Beaumont.
“I’m very proud of the girls to have got to this point. I’d have snapped your hand off at the start of the season if you’d said we’d be in a Lord’s final.
“Last year was frustrating but to back up those efforts, that’s outstanding.”
Consistency is Key
After a vast improvement from back-to-back eighth place finishes with third last season, the message from Beaumont and head coach Gareth Breese was one of consistency.
Of the regulars in the team, only Australian international Jess Jonassen and Georgia Davis have been new additions. In a competition whose draft system promotes signings rather than continuity, the Fire have been rewarded for their bravery.
“We’ve had different people contribute at different times throughout the competition and I think that is because of that consistency,” Beaumont explained.
“I think of Georgia Davis and Sarah Bryce in particular against the Trent Rockets.
“Teams can often rely on overseas players or England internationals in this competition but the fact that we’ve had so many contributors and kept that real core from last season was the key.”
Hayley Matthews: Best in the World
Even with contributions across the board, Hayley Matthews and Jonassen stand out among the Fire squad. Both seasoned internationals, West Indies captain Matthews has been arguably the player of the tournament, while Jonassen is second in the wicket taking charts with 12 in seven games.
They have formed a formidable spin attack with Georgia Davis, in a competition where spin has been going the distance, Welsh Fire have stood out amongst the pack.
“Hayley [Matthews] is going from strength to strength as the competition has gone on, particularly with the ball,” Beaumont added.
“She is absolutely world class with bat and ball. She’s is one of the ‘OGs’ that have been with Welsh Fire for all four seasons of The Hundred and played pretty much every game in the team’s history.
“For me, as well, with her being an international captain, I can really bounce ideas off her in the field. We’ve got to the point now where if she wants to change something or bring herself on to ball, she just comes and does it.
“To be able to add someone with the class of Jess Jonassen to the squad too has been amazing.”
London Calling
With the too London sides – Spirit and Invincibles – battling it out in the Eliminator on Saturday, Beaumont is not concerned about who the Fire will face in the final.
“We’ll take on anybody,” Beaumont said.
“Both teams are really strong, but we’ve beaten strong teams to get where we are.
“With it played at Lord’s, at Spirit’s home ground, they will have a small advantage there and Oval Invincibles have won the competition twice themselves so they’ve got favourable memories of the ground too.
“I don’t mind who we face at the end of the day. Whoever wins the game will have to play the best cricket on the day.
“We’re happy to take anyone on.”
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Welsh Football Weekend Preview: Cardiff and Swansea Look For First League Wins
Rhodri Evans
The football season is like Cardiff buses. You wait all summer for a game and then two come within the space of a week.
After all four Welsh EFL clubs enjoyed, or endured, differing fortunes in the League Cup in midweek we are back to league action.
Sportin Wales takes a look at the four sides in the EFL as well as the Cymru Premier ahead of this weekend.
Championship Challenge
Following opening day home 0-2 defeat to Sunderland, Cardiff bounced back with a 2-0 win of their own against League One’s Bristol Rovers.
Defender Mark McGuinness, who is rumoured to be leaving the club scored the first, before Welsh international Rubin Colwill tapped home his side’s second in stoppage time.
On Saturday, they face one of the toughest tasks in the Championship as they take on Scott Parker’s Burnley side.
Burnley were very impressive in the first day of the season, winning 1-4 at fellow relegated side Luton.
Wales international Connor Roberts started the game having returned from his loan spell at Leeds, providing an assist for The Claret’s second.
In terms of changes, Cardiff manager Erol Bulut may be tempted with a more conservative approach, bringing in an extra defender in the form of McGuinness to adopt a back five, with Aaron Ramsey and Chris Willock forming an attacking trio with Callum Robinson.
Back in Wales, Swansea welcome Preston North End to the Swansea.com Stadium for their first home league match of the season. Like rivals Cardiff, the Swans bounced back from opening day defeat to Middlesborough with a 3-1 Carabao Cup victory over Gillingham.
Brazilian winger Ronald took his chance on Tuesday evening, opening the scoring before Liam Cullen and Azeem Abdulai also opened their accounts for the season.
With new striker Zan Vipotnik also vying for minutes, Luke Williams has plenty of decisions to make in the Swansea attack ahead of Saturday’s match.
Wrexham’s First Big Test
After such a positive start to the season, with a dramatic 3-2 win over Wycombe Wanderers on the first weekend of the campaign, Wrexham were comprehensively beaten 4-2 in the Carabao Cup by new rivals Sheffield United.
While the first half performance will have been encouraging for manager Phil Parkinson, the manner of the goals conceded while be a worry.
League Two stalwarts Max Cleworth, Eogan O’Connell, and Tom O’Connor all started the victory over Wycombe, but with minutes in the legs of new signings Lewis Brunt and Dan Scarr, they may come into contention for the trip to Bolton.
At the top of the pitch, talisman Paul Mullin is still missing through injury, with Jack Marriott and Ollie Palmer set to continue their strike partnership. Parkinson is not short on options in attack, with Steven Fletcher and Sam Dalby also able deputies.
This Bolton fixture represents the first test of Wrexham’s promotion credentials this season, with a potential victory over last season’s third placed side pushing Wrexham firmly into the conversation for the upper echelons of the league.
Newport Need a Win
After defeats in both of their opening matches of the season, newly-appointed head coach Nelson Jardim badly needs a win against Doncaster Rovers on Saturday to kick start his reign.
County were unlucky to fall to a late, Liam Dulson strike against Cheltenham Town last weekend after battled back from 2-0 down to level the game.
Tuesday’s 4-1 defeat to Leyton Orient was disappointing from a defensive perspective, with seven goals now conceded in two games.
A first goal for Newport for new signing Oliver Greaves against Cheltenham is a big positive, though, as the club look to move on from last season’s top scorer Will Evans.
Cymru Premier Continues At Pace
The Cymru Premier welcomes back The New Saints and Caernarfon Town to league action after their European travails. Reigning champs TNS travel to newly-promoted Flint Town on Friday night, while Caernarfon welcome Haverfordwest to The Oval.
Early leaders Newtown and Penybont face each other in the most eye-catching tie of the round, as Briton Ferry look to get off the mark against Bala Town, and Aberystwyth host Connah’s Quay.
Cardiff Met and Barry Town round off the slate of fixtures for the second round of the season.
Wales (sort of) Away
Elsewhere in the EFL, Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, and Dan James look to end their poor start to the season with Leeds on a high tone, as they travel to the Hawthorns for a Saturday lunchtime match with West Brom.
After a 3-0 drubbing by Middleborough in the Carabao Cup, Daniel Farke will need the best from his Welsh charges to arrest the slide at Leeds.
Jay Dasilva, newly capped for Wales over the summer will be looking to lock down the left back position at Coventry after starting their 1-0 victory over Bristol in midweek, while Charlie Savage will be doing similar, having scored in the cup for Reading on Tuesday evening.
Josh Sheenan will be part of the Bolton side aiming to dampen Wrexham spirits on Sunday, while Lewis Koumas will be hoping that his excellent start at Stoke City can continue as they travel to Watford.
This Weekend’s Fixtures:
Friday
Bala Town – Briton Ferry 19:45
Cardiff MU – Barry 19:45
Flint – The New Saints 19:45
Penybont – Newtown 19:45
Aberystwyth – Connah’s Quay 20:00
Saturday
Burnley – Cardiff City 15:00
Swansea – Preston 15:00
Newport County – Doncaster 15:00
Sunday
Bolton Wanderers – Wrexham 15:00
Caernarfon – Haverfordwest 17:15
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How Glamorgan Dominated The One-Day Cup Group Stage
Rhodri Evans
With a 62-run victory over Yorkshire on Wednesday, Glamorgan secured a coveted place in the semi-finals of the 2024 One-Day Cup, having topped Group B.
With six wins and a no result in eight games, Glammy topped Group B, which has earnt them a home semi-final at Sophia Gardens on Sunday against the winners of Worcestershire v Warwickshire in the quarter-finals.
After their successful 2021 campaign, which brought a first piece of silverware to the Welsh county since 2004, Glamorgan will be targeting yet another white ball trophy in head coach Grant Bradburn’s first season in charge.
How did they do it though? And can this success bring more consistency to Glamorgan in other formats?
Miserly Opening Attack
With the poor weather at the start of the season, the traditional run-fest months of July and August have become distinctly trickier for batting in this tournament.
This has played into the hands of Glamorgan’s two opening bowlers in this season’s One-Day Cup: Timm van der Gugten and Jamie McIlroy. Both are adept at swinging the new, white ball and have brought an excellent level of control to Glamorgan’s bowling efforts this campaign.
Both have taken wickets while keeping the runs down – van der Gugten with 12 wickets @ an economy rate of 3.36 and McIlroy with 11 @ 3.97.
The most obvious illustration of their skill this season was the final One-Day Cup group stage game against Yorkshire. The early wickets of Harry Duke, Noah Kelly, and William Luxton had left the Vikings reeling at 11-3 from 6.2 overs.
Having scored a slightly below-par 230-9 in the first innings, a good start was required to set Glammy on their way to victory, something that captain Kiran Carlson has come to expect from his opening bowlers.
The best One-Day batter in the country
It’s a bold statement, but the numbers back it up: Colin Ingram is the best One-Day Cup batter in the country right now.
With nine hundreds in 44 games at an average of 65.91 before this season, remarkably Ingram has improved on that record. In five matches, the South African overseas is averaging 79.66 with his unbeaten 103 against a strong Nottinghamshire side proving to be a clear signal of Glamorgan’s strength.
The 39-year-old will be key in the knockout stages of the One-Day Cup, as experience comes to the fore in pressure situations.
Read More:
- Ben Kellaway: Glamorgan’s Ambidextrous Prodigy
- Mason Crane: Welsh Fire’s Wildcard
- Extraordinary Tie More Important Than Any Win For Glammy
A Not-So-Secret Weapon
Ben Kellaway is a unique bowler in English cricket.
His ability to bowl with both his stronger right and weaker left arm has brought him firmly into the spotlight this past week.
In a sport now dominated by ‘match-ups’ and data-driven selections, Kellaway’s ambidextrous ability is a potent weapon for his club Glamorgan, as was seen in their recent win over Surrey.
With Glamorgan firmly on top, reducing Surrey to 106-8, captain Kiran Carlson brought Kellaway on to bowl. The 20-year-old all-rounder then took the final two wickets.
The first was with his left arm, his low action skidding through the defences of Conor McKerr and hitting leg stump. The second and final wicket of the innings was performed with his right arm, a classic delivery round the wicket to the left-handed Matt Dunn, thumping his front pad in front the of stumps.
In five games this campaign, Kellaway has taken 7 wickets – five with his right arm and two with his left – while also showing his batting ability with a key 65* in the victory over Gloucestershire.
Support Cast Taking the Headlines
Part of Glamorgan’s success has been their clarity in team selections. While other teams have had to deal with late call-ups to The Hundred, or the arrival of overseas players, Glammy have kept it consistent, and no pair of players have benefitted more than Andy Gorvin and Dan Douthwaite.
Often on the fringes of the red-ball and T20 sides, Gorvin and Douthwaite have both appeared in every One-Day Cup game so far this season, and are thriving from the run of games.
With 16 wickets apiece, they are joint-second in the top wicket-taking charts and are taking their wickets at a lower strike rate than any of those ahead of them.
Gorvin’s best performance came against Notts, taking 5-56, including the key wickets of Haseeb Hameed, Tom Moores, and Liam Patterson-White. With bat in hand, the 27-year-old also took his side over the line against Sussex in a one wicket win at Neath.
Douthwaite, more of an all-rounder, has an important role at eight in the batting order for Glammy, scoring an eye-catching 61 from 40 balls against Leicestershire, followed by 3-41 and 34 at Chelmsford against Essex, and 4-44 to skittle Sussex.
Cardiff and potentially Trent Bridge Await
Glamorgan’s semi-final on Sunday looks to be a mouth-watering affair to rival The Hundred final. If they triumph in that game, a second final in four years at Trent Bridge awaits on September 22nd.
The winner of the quarter-final fixture between Worcestershire and Warwickshire await, so be sure to get down to Sophia Gardens for Glammy’s biggest match of the season so far!
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The Importance of In-Season Fitness Training for Golfers
Rhodri Evans
By Zach Gould Golf Fitness Coach
Golf is a game of skill, strategy, and physical power. While many golfers focus on building strength and power during the off-season, it is equally essential to continue training during the in-season. Maintaining the physical qualities developed in the off-season is crucial for maximising performance on the course. Let’s explore why in-season training is vital, what it should look like, and other considerations to keep in mind during the golfing season.
Why In-Season Training for Golf is Essential
In-season training ensures that golfers maintain the strength and power they have built during the off-season. High levels of strength and power are most important when we are competing. Consistently training throughout the season helps golfers stay in peak physical condition, reducing the risk of injury and fatigue. It also ensures that the performance gains made during the off-season are not lost, allowing golfers to compete at their best throughout the entire season.
What In-Season Training for Golf Looks Like
In-season training should be tailored to maintain fitness without causing excessive fatigue or muscle soreness. Here’s a breakdown of an effective in-season training regimen:
- Frequency: 1-2 Training Sessions Per Week and Training Volume
One to two training sessions per week with reps in the range of 3-5, especially for heavy loads, are sufficient. This low volume approach helps maintain strength and power without causing excessive fatigue.
- Full-Body Training Routines
Full-body training routines are crucial during the in-season to ensure that no particular body part is overworked. For example, 2-3 Lower body exercises, 2-3 Upper body exercises and core is a nice breakdown of exercises. This approach helps prevent fatigue and muscle soreness, which can negatively impact performance.
- High Training Intensity
Maintaining high training intensity is essential. To sustain strength and power, golfers need to lift heavy weights. Contrary to popular belief, lifting heavy weights will not cause excessive soreness if the volume or number of reps is kept low. Aim for 90% of your one-rep max with low reps and sets to maintain intensity without overloading the muscles.
- Include Explosive Exercises
In addition to heavy lifting, incorporating explosive exercises such as jumps, medicine ball throws, and band exercises is essential. These exercises help maintain explosive strength and power, which are crucial for generating speed and force in your golf swing.
Other Considerations for In-Season Training for Golf
In-season training involves more than just maintaining physical fitness. Here are some additional considerations to keep in mind:
Recovery Focus
Recovery is paramount during the in-season. Prioritise sleep, stay hydrated, and engage in some form of soft tissue work after training or playing, such as massage or foam rolling. Staying well-fuelled with proper nutrition is also crucial for recovery and performance.
Tournament Schedule
Managing your tournament schedule is especially demanding for amateur golfers, as the summer season is often tightly packed. It is essential to learn to take breaks during the season to avoid burnout and ensure optimal performance in each competition.
Practice Hours
In-season, you will spend a lot of time on the course competing. As a result, you may need more rest. Plan your practice sessions carefully to ensure you are not overtraining. Balancing practice and rest will help you stay sharp and perform at your best during tournaments.
Conclusion
In-season training is vital for maintaining the strength, power, and overall fitness developed during the off-season. By incorporating 1-2 training sessions per week, focusing on full-body routines, maintaining high intensity with low volume, and including explosive exercises, golfers can ensure they remain in peak physical condition throughout the season. Additionally, prioritizing recovery, managing your tournament schedule, and planning your practice hours are essential for avoiding burnout and maximizing performance.
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