Luke Garner: We had a line in the sand moment that has turned everything around
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News.com.au
23 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Cricket world blown away by debutant Mitch Owen as he leads Australia to victory over the West Indies
Mitch Owen has sent the cricket world into raptures after scoring a sizzling half-century on debut, lifting Australia to a win over the West Indies on Monday. Owen – who emerged as a white-ball star with a century in the Big Bash final opening the batting for the Hobart Hurricanes last summer – was given a middle-order role for Australia's first T20 against the Windies in Jamaica, and he took the opportunity with both hands. Chasing a 190-run target for victory, Australia were in a spot of bother at 4-78 in the ninth over before Owen came to the crease and took the match by the scruff of the neck. His blistering 26-ball half century made waves, as he produced several big strokes to turn the match on its head. The 23-year-old Tasmanian powerhouse swatted his first ball down the ground for a massive six off retiring veteran Andre Russell. And from there, he added five more maximums as he stormed to 50, reaching his half century with another six before being dismissed the very next ball. His bold batting effort, set the tailenders up for success as they easily chased down the West Indies' 8-189 with seven balls to spare. Owen's incredible debut, where he also took a wicket with the ball, saw him awarded man of the match honours. 'I'm firstly happy we got the win, it was nice to contribute,' Owen said during the post-match presentation. 'I was lucky enough to got a few away early and was able to settle into my innings.' Owen's half century also saw him join the game's elites. The Tasmanian joins just Ricky Ponting and David Warner as the only Aussie men to make 50 in their T20 international debuts. And his performance sent the cricket world into a spin as Aussie fans suddenly felt Australia's future is looking bright. 'Mitch Owen is the future, what a debut, what a player,' one fan wrote on X following his barnstorming debut. 'Future star. Wow,' another added. While a third wrote: 'Mitch Owen absolutely outstanding on debut for Australia. Doesn't look out of place at all.' Others added, 'he makes it look so easy' and 'Mitchell Owen, remember the name'. Jake Fraser-McGurk fails to impress Fraser-McGurk didn't deserve a national call-up, give his horror recent form, and there was no turnaround at Sabina Park, casting a cloud over the future of the one-time batting dynamo. The 23-year-old had scored just 45 runs in his past five T20 innings, playing for the San Francisco Unicorns in the Major League cricket tournament, after a shocking stint in the IPL on a seven-figure contract. By virtue of his location, being next door to the West Indies, Fraser-McGurk was called in as an injury replacement and inserted as opener after first-choice Matt Short suffered a side strain. But he never looked like making an impact. It took six balls for him to get off the mark, with a wafty swipe to the leg side, and after three plays and misses, before miscuing a drive to be caught at mid-off for two. While Short has been ruled out of the series, it would be unpalatable for every other Australian white-ball hopeful if Fraser-McGurk was given another chance. In his 15 games for Australia across T20s and ODIs, he's made just 213 runs, with just one half-century.
ABC News
24 minutes ago
- ABC News
Imalu Tigers and Muluwurri Magpies claim victory in 2025 Tiwi Islands Football League grand finals
From the first bounce, the frenetic pace of play synonymous with Tiwi Islands football was on full show. Note: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this story contains the name of a person who has died, used with the permission of their family. Scrappy contests in the opening seconds gave the Muluwurri Magpies of Milikapiti the break they needed to score the first goal over the Imalu Tigers of Pirlangimpi. Their celebration was subdued, but the Muluwurri side's quiet confidence didn't last long. In a matter of minutes, the Tigers clawed back with a goal. For the rest of the first quarter and the two that followed, they stayed mostly neck-and-neck with the fast-paced Pies. By the fourth term, the Tigers had grown their lead over the Magpies to a margin just beyond the reaches of a comeback. As the final siren sounded, the field became awash with supporters of the black-and-gold as hundreds of Tigers fans rushed to the centre square to celebrate. The legendary showdown that is the annual Tiwi Islands grand final drew thousands of people to Wurrumiyanga Oval on Sunday. It's the most significant date on the tourism calendar for the Tiwi Islands, north of Darwin, and a chance for visitors to experience the atmosphere of a weekend cherished by many locals. For many, the Tigers' win was an emotional victory and an unexpected outcome given the Magpies were unbeaten all season. Imalu Tigers coach Bradley Rioli said realising his side had won was a surreal moment. "When the players and supporters ran out on the field, I just thought, 'What is going on?' I couldn't believe it but it seemed to be true," he said. "Muluwurri, they beat us three times this year. They blew us away [in] every second half of those three games. I'm surprised the boys just hung in there. "It's been 12 years since my uncle Willie Rioli [Senior] coached the Imalu Tigers undefeated that year and I was his assistant. In the women's grand final, the Muluwurri Magpies were just too strong, claiming a decisive win over the Walama Bulldogs, 11.7.(73) to 3.5.(23). Muluwurri Magpies player Loretta Cook said her teammate Arthurina Moreen had delivered a standout performance for the black-and-white in the third year of the women's competition. "I think we needed that revenge since they took the spot for box seat," she said. She said her team would be celebrating all night. "We'll be party rockin'. I don't think anyone would be going to work tomorrow," she said. Grand final day on the Tiwi Islands is as much about cheering on local teams as it is about art, culture and the atmosphere of a code revered by many Tiwi people. While many travelled from Melville Island to the smaller Bathurst Island to support their team, tourists from more distant areas such as Darwin took ferries or chartered flights over. Art centres in Wurrumiyanga also enjoyed increased sales as art enthusiasts and casual collectors browsed works by local Tiwi artists. Standing beside an artwork based a dreamtime story from Melville Island, artist Carol Puruntatameri said she was thankful for the opportunity to share her works alongside other Munupi artists amidst the excitement of the grand final weekend. She said she hoped the hundreds of visitors on grand final weekend would learn about Tiwi culture through "the stories on the paintings". "It's good, telling the outside world about our painting, storytelling, our ancestors, our culture," she said. Like many Tiwi people, Ms Putantameri said Aussie Rules on the Tiwi islands was "a religion." "Everybody, from young and old, all love footy — our Tiwi Islands footy and AFL," she said. Australian Rules football was first introduced to the Tiwi Islands more than 80 years ago by a Catholic missionary, Brother John Pye. Established in the late 1960s, the Tiwi Islands Football League (TIFL) was historically a competition played during the Top End's wet season. That meant in past years, footballers faced gruelling heat and humidity on grand final day. Sunday's game was only the third time the Tiwi Islands grand final has been played during the dry season, a change made by the league following a pause in play during the pandemic. This year's grand final also coincided with the Tiwi Cultural Festival held on Saturday, including traditional dance, music and storytelling, drawing many tourists to the islands for a combined weekend of sport and culture. Tiwi Land Council chair Leslie Tungatalum said he hoped the combination of the two would help it become a nationally significant event.
Sydney Morning Herald
24 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Tanah missed two goals in a minute. It was the best game of his life
Boyd - who has kicked 117 goals across his career at almost 80 per cent, as well as three field goals - was almost in disbelief over his missed penalty when the Warriors were trailing 15-14. 'I was pretty disappointed in myself with that,' he said. 'I pride myself on my goalkicking. I've just got to be better in those moments. Again, it's all learning and I'll be better.' Warriors coach Andrew Webster said it was important that Boyd, who delivered a try assist, four goals and a line break against Newcastle, kept demanding the ball when the pressure was at its most intense. 'Lots of halves are going to be in that situation where you've got to have that big moment at the end,' Webster said. 'But he just wanted to keep having a crack at it, which is the best sign. He didn't hide. 'He wanted to keep going … by his standards, he still didn't feel great, to be fair. 'He's got high standards and he wanted to ice those moments. That won't define him, that's for sure.' Boyd, who played 69 top-grade games for the Titans between 2019 and last season, was released from the final 12 months of his contract to sign a two-year deal with the Warriors. After biding his time in their NSW Cup team, he became the right man in the right place at the right time when Luke Metcalf, the early-season Dally M points leader, suffered a season-ending knee injury. Metcalf's cruel setback left many querying if the Warriors would inevitably fall in a hole, but instead they have strung together back-to-back wins against Wests Tigers and Newcastle with Boyd calling the shots at first receiver. Now Boyd is on track to play in the finals for the first time, with the Warriors well placed to seal a top-four position. 'It's been a great move,' Boyd said. 'I feel like my game has gone to the next level, and I've learned so much from the coaching staff here. 'It's a great environment to be around. The boys are so connected, and it's a real happy group to be around, so it's a real good feel.' Just a few weeks earlier, however, he had been wondering if and when he would be required, given the hot form of Metcalf and his halves partner, Chanel Harris-Tavita. 'There were definitely times when I wasn't sure whether I was going to [play], but I had to be a good clubman and make sure I was turning up every day and preparing for NRL and make sure that the NSW Cup side was winning,' Boyd said. 'That's what I prided myself on, and I just made sure that when I did get my crack, I'd be ready. That's here now, and I'm going to try and take it with both hands.' Loading Webster said the Warriors were lucky to have a player of Boyd's experience to call upon after losing Metcalf. 'We're always disappointed when you lose a player, but you always celebrate a guy that comes in and is as consistent as what he [Boyd] is,' Webster said. 'I think he's just going to improve every week, Tanah. The team's going to get better because they're going to get used to him.'
