Snooker: Australian Open Preview

Courtesy of my main Snooker Blog Cue Action Blog here is my preview of the Australian Open snooker starting tomorrow in Bendigo:




Such a short time after the Wuxi Classic in China and Neil Robertson's triumph, the snooker tour goes down under to Bendigo for the Australian Open's 4th staging with 32 players in the running for another big title, and with 2 Australian wildcards playing in addition could we be seeing some future Australian snooker stars. However, as always there are a number of top players missing including World No.1 and World Champion Mark Selby, defending champion Marco Fu, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Ding Junhui.




What this means then is that this title is well and truly up for grabs this week and as we've seen in previous years someone could very easily come out of the blue to win their first ever ranking title. Here's who I think will be the big players this week in Australia:

Quarter 1

Last 32 Draw: (Picks in bold)
Neil Robertson Vs  Andrew Higginson/ Matthew Bolton
Stephen Maguire Vs Jamie Jones
Robert Milkins Vs Liang Wenbo
John Higgins Vs Tom Ford


The top quarter of the draw here features plenty of top players like last years runner-up (though the winner and current World No.1 haven't entered) and home man in Neil Robertson, whilst we also have more big names in Stephen Maguire, Liang Wenbo, John Higgins and Robert Milkins who are all capable of winning this quarter. Liang Wenbo really impressed me last week at the Wuxi Classic where he got to the Last 16 making 4 centuries and beating Mark Selby in the Last 32. If he can hit that form again in this event I certainly think he can beat Robert Milkins in the first round and then beat John Higgins who has been very inconsistent in the last year to make the quarter-finals. However, I don't know if he quite has enough to go on and completely win the quarter as I think it'll depend on performances of certain others.


One of those others is Neil Robertson who won the Wuxi Classic just today which may give him a slight disadvantage ahead of his home event, because in my view it's now a very short turnaround for him flying out on Monday to Australia and then having to play on Wednesday and then every day after that until Sunday to win the title it's a big ask after playing so much the week before to win in Wuxi. It may be the start of the season but I don't think Robertson will be able to quite ease through the draw again and he did look vulnerable in Wuxi and there are certainly players here who can stop them.


One of those players is Stephen Maguire. Stephen himself had a very good run in Wuxi showing some really good early season form and for him a good run is certainly possible this week. Stephen made the quarter-finals in Wuxi just losing out in a decider to Martin Gould and it'll be tough for Maguire to work out how he lost that one. I think though he'll be able to use that as inspiration in Australia this week and take the positives after a disappointing season last season to kick on and challenge for the title this week. He's certainly capable of beating Neil Robertson and getting through a tricky draw to give himself a great chance of a spot in the last 4 and a shot at a win next Sunday.


Quarter Winner: Stephen Maguire

Quarter 2

Last 32 Draw: (Picks in bold)
Stuart Bingham Vs Scott Donaldson
Ryan Day Vs Mark Joyce
Mark Davis Vs Dominic Dale/ Johl Younger
Shaun Murphy Vs Jack Lisowski


Here in the 2nd quarter we also have some top players like Shaun Murphy, former winner in Australia Stuart Bingham, Ryan Day, Mark Davis and Dominic Dale. We haven't seen any of Mark Davis yet this season and based on his form of the back half of last season it's difficult to say that he will be challenging for the title this week though. It's also difficult to say that with Dominic Dale given this event is first full one of the season so for a surprise package in this quarter we'll be looking at Ryan Day who had a very good end to the season last time around and certainly looks to be getting back to his best form as he showed again in Wuxi making the Last 16, and the one thing he needs to do now is keep up a consistent level of performance and if he could challenge for this quarter he'd be doing that.


Stuart Bingham is a man that has good Bendigo memories having won his first ranking event title out at the Australian Open and he showed signs that he is getting back to the form he showed in the first half of last season at the Wuxi Classic where he made the Last 16 and he only lost out there in a decider to Marco Fu so who knows how far he could've gone if he could've got over the line in that one. He was one of the best player of the first half of last season before falling away in the second half but I think he can get over that and go well again this week and I'd be very surprised if he didn't go on and reach at least the quarter-finals and for me he is one of the main contenders for the title this week.


Another of the main contenders for the title this week is Shaun Murphy who had a good start to the season making the quarter-finals at the Wuxi Classic and he knows that he should've made the semi-finals missing an easy red in the decider close to victory against Neil Robertson. However, having only got past the Last 16 twice last season to make it to the quarter-finals of the first event of the season is a huge positive for him and he struck the ball well in Wuxi which all bodes well for Australia. In my opinion in the back half of last season Shaun Murphy almost made a second breakthrough re-discovering his form and what it is that works for him with his attacking snooker. Now that he's back on the attack he's gained in confidence and is bound to win regular titles again like he did at the start of his career.


Quarter Winner: Shaun Murphy

Quarter 3

Last 32 Draw: (Picks in bold)
Judd Trump Vs Rory McLeod
Joe Perry Vs Alan McManus
Michael Holt Vs Martin Gould
Ricky Walden Vs Marcus Campbell


As we head into the bottom half of the draw, I feel that this quarter if all about Judd Trump, Joe Perry, Martin Gould and Ricky Walden as I can't see too many people coming from an outside position to win the quarter. The bottom little section looks like it'll be all about Ricky Walden and Martin Gould in my opinion. Ricky Walden I felt would have a slow start to the season and he showed that with an early exit in Wuxi at the Last 32 stage and he has a tough little draw here if he's to get any further than the Last 16. Martin Gould however is in good form having made the semi-finals in Wuxi and that will be a huge confidence boost for him as he heads into this event and the rest of the season. I think he'll have enough in the tank after a short turnaround to make it into the quarter-finals here but not to get much further than that.


I feel like the quarter winner will come from the top section of quarter 3 and one of the 2 main contenders from there is Joe Perry. Joe Perry has been in great form within the last year with his best ranking performance in the last year and for a very long while coming in Wuxi where he was runner-up in a deciding frame to Neil Robertson. Even though overall it's been a positive week for Perry I think that he may be feeling a little bit down about missing his chance to win his first ever ranking event. That paired up with a short turnaround from the Wuxi final to his Bendigo campaign points out to me that the possibility of a repeat performance this week is slightly lower if someone can really test him this week I think they'll come out on top.


Someone that can really test Joe Perry of course is Judd Trump. Judd overall would have been very disappointed with his performances in Wuxi simply not showing any form in his Last 16 loss to Stephen Maguire and I think the signs were there that he may have just been a little rusty in his first full event of the new campaign. However, his draw in Australia is not quite as tough if he can pick up a good win against Joe Perry and shake off those early signs of rustiness and get into some good form at the start of the campaign. Judd doesn't usually make the trip to Australia so he'll want to do well this week to get something out of it and make it worth his while so that could be the inspiration he needs to get back into form.


Quarter Winner: Judd Trump

Quarter 4

Last 32 Draw: (Picks in bold)
Mark Allen Vs Fergal O'Brien
Matthew Stevens Vs Luca Brecel
Xiao Guodong Vs Liam Highfield
Barry Hawkins Vs Peter Ebdon


The final quarter of the draw also has plenty of stars including former winner Barry Hawkins, Mark Allen, Xiao Guodong, Matthew Stevens and young Luca Brecel who could always make a surprise run. Firstly, after not making Wuxi this really is the first full event for both Matthew Stevens and Luca Brecel though Brecel had to play 3 matches to qualify so has more momentum than Stevens who's game has been on the decline in the last year so I think Brecel can record an outside win. Xiao Guodong though could definetly go on and outside run with the confidence he would've gained from his rise in the rankings and Shanghai Masters final last year but he's not started this season too well and appears to be coming in a little rusty and out of form as he showed in his loss to Hull. I could see him making the Last 16 but it would take him to raise his game a lot since Wuxi if he's to go any further.


Another man that may be a little rusty as this is his first event of the season and his game against O'Brien will be his first since his World Championship exit competitively. Basically, the form that he'll show and how far he gets in this event will depend on the work he's put in during the off season. He didn't have a great start to the season and his peak was around October-December once he'd warmed up and went on to win 2 European tour events and make the UK quarter-finals during this period. Also, he's not a Bendigo regular so we're lucky to be seeing him this week and I think he'll be coming in a little undercooked which could be the difference between him winning the event and exiting at the quarter-final stages.


One man that certainly isn't under cooked coming into this event is Barry Hawkins. Barry is always working hard so he came into the Wuxi Classic in fairly good shape and after getting rid of a few cobwebs on the way to the Last 16 he got a lot stronger beating Marco Fu in a decider to make the semi-finals where he was at 3-3 with Neil Robertson before the eventual champion pulled away. But with Barry in good form and with good memories of Bendigo which bought him his first ranking title he'll be full of confidence and in with a great chance of winning this whole event never mind the quarter. In my view it would be a great achievement for him to win his 2nd Australian Open title


Quarter Winner: Barry Hawkins


Tournament Runner-Up: Barry Hawkins


Tournament Winner: Shaun Murphy






Whatever the outcome is of this event I hope it is a successful one with some really exciting snooker matches and some big crowds because the Australian Open hasn't been well supported in the past and there is obviously a threat that if it isn't well supported in the future it will be taken off of the calendar which would be a real shame. I hope to be back with some updates throughout the event, and luckily this year we will also get to watch one session a day on Eurosport and hopefully they will have highlights from the earlier sessions that take place at "unsociable" times in the UK so you can all enjoy the event as much as I hope to.

Football: World Cup Last 16 Preview

It really has been a thrilling world cup so far with the group stages providing plenty of goals, excitement, surprises while the odd team has had a hammering and plenty of big names have exited the tournament before the knock-out stages including holders Spain, 2006 winners Italy, Portugal while England finished up bottom of their group with only a point to their name. The entertainment will continue by the bag full as we head towards the knock-out stages with 8 thrilling last 16 ties and the stakes couldn't be higher with 90 minutes being the difference between a flight home or a place in the quarter-finals as the action continues thick and fast for the best players and nations in world football.


As I say then, on we go to the Last 16 then and it's time for me to preview the 8 upcoming ties, whilst also re-capping how the nations have got this far within that:


Last 16 Draw:


Brazil Vs Chile - This is going to be a very intriguing encounter between 2 South-American sides that are pretty evenly matched. Brazil finished top of Group A but only on goal difference ahead of Mexico. They actually didn't convince me and many other people with their performances in the group stages looking quite flat against Mexico while they were pretty unconvincing in a win against Croatia before warming up nicely to thrash a very weak Cameroon side. They may well be feeling the pressure of being both big favourites as well as home nation with people wherever they go expecting them to play sparkling football and record easy wins.  Chile meanwhile will be feeling a lot less pressure as the underdogs in this knock-out tie, despite their very good Group B performances to beat Australia and then knock out the holders Spain and overall they are a very strong side with no pressure on them or not at least to the extent that Brazil have. This one will go right down to the wire but I fancy an upset.
Prediction: Chile


Colombia Vs Uruguay - Another all South-American last 16 tie here has the makings of another brilliant match, but with a lot of stuff that's been happening within the Uruguay camp this week, it may well be difficult for them to come back from that to the extent that the winner of this match has already been decided or they will come out fighting and even stronger because of it. Of course what I'm referring to is the Luis Suarez biting incident that occurred against Italy and the ban that has since been handed out by FIFA, and without Suarez Uruguay lost their first game 3-1 to Costa Rica before then beating England and Italy with his goals and his presence. Meanwhile, Colombia have gone very quietly about their business, winning all 3 of their games with comfortable victories over Japan and Greece and they look like a very threatening side in this world cup and whoever was going to play them in the Last 16 was going to be in for a tough match, but even more so in the case of Uruguay who will struggle with out Suarez and may have found it quite hard to concentrate on this game with all of the controversy of the last few days.
Prediction: Colombia


France Vs Nigeria - While the World Cup has been very unpredictable thus far and I'd be a little uncomfortable saying that any team would be a certainty to beat another in this case I can't see any way past a France win. Nigeria played well to finish 2nd in their group especially in their win against Bosnia, but a draw against Iran was the not the start they would've hoped for but they looked a lot more threatening by the end of the group stages in a 3-2 loss to Argentina who are one of the strongest teams in this world cup in my opinion. Nigeria have done well as a unit but they will have to do even better to beat a France side that finished top of their group with very comfortable wins against Honduras and Switzerland where they showed off plenty of fire power whilst also looking very solid, before finishing the groups off with a draw against a strong Ecuador team. France look even stronger as a unit and really seem to be firing as I expected. A very strong run for the French is not beyond the realms of possibility.
Prediction: France


Germany Vs Algeria - Even though Algeria did look like a very good strong team in the group stages, I expected Germany to be powerhouses in this World Cup and their performance in the groups suggests that they may still have quite a bit left in the tank to go far in the knock-out stages and breeze past anyone not up to the same standards as them, and you may put Algeria in that bracket. Algeria did start off very strong though playing incredibly well in a 2-1 loss to Belgium which may have seen them get a point on another day, before they beat a rather sorry South Korean side 4-2 and finally the Algerians got a 1-1 draw with Russia which was enough to see them through and was really pretty impressive. As a unit they look ok and there is no doubt they can cause Germany problems, but the Germans do look incredibly strong. Germany started off their campaign with an impressive 4-0 win against Portugal before drawing 2-2 with Ghana who finished bottom of the group but a win in the last game against the USA guaranteed their top spot and puts them in a very strong position to advance as far as possible in this world cup.
Prediction: Germany


Netherlands Vs Mexico - For me the Netherlands were one of the strongest teams in the group stages for me, thrashing the holders Spain, before battling back to beat Australia and then picking up a very nice win against a strong Chile side to pick up top spot in the group and avoid Brazil. However, Mexico are just as strong and look like a very good unit overall after holding Brazil to a goalless draw and thrashing Croatia after they got over their early nerves in a narrow win against Cameroon. As I say Mexico are strong but they've not quite got the same amount of strength of the Netherlands who were runners-up in 2010 and have every chance of making it that far again this time around.
Prediction: Netherlands


Costa Rica Vs Greece - Of all of the teams in the Last 16 of the world cup, I'd actually say that Greece are one of the weakest remaining sides. After getting thrashed by Colombia and only managing a draw against a Japan side that only picked up that one point, they somehow managed a 2-1 win against the Ivory Coast to get into the knock-out stages but as you can see it was hardly plain sailing for them but they came good when they really had to. Costa Rica meanwhile looked really good in their important group wins against Uruguay and then Italy who are 2 very strong sides with those wins and a draw in the final game with England getting them to the top spot in the group and deservedly so as they have a good squad and are playing very well as a unit. In my view it's going to be another South-American side going into the quarter-finals here as I'm not sure that Greece have enough to stop the Costa Ricans
Prediction: Costa Rica


Argentina Vs Switzerland - Argentina were pretty strong in the group stages winning all of their games despite the fact that they could only win each one against Bosnia, Iran and Nigeria by a single goal it was a very tough group and one that Argentina didn't have a problem getting out of as I expected. They have a very strong team and have let their football do the talking so far in this World Cup and I'm sure they'll continue to do that for the remainder of it. Switzerland meanwhile won the key game against Ecuador in their first group game which they followed up by getting thrashed by France and then thrashing Honduras as you would have expected. The Swiss have a decent squad and are playing ok, but ok isn't going to be good enough to beat Argentina or most of the sides that have made it into the knock-out stages.
Prediction: Argentina


Belgium Vs USA - Finally, we have one surprise package in the knock-out stages in the USA who I didn't expect for one moment to get into the last 16 against a side that I and many people believed would be the underdogs of this world cup and could go very far, and they'll certainly be strong favourites here. The USA were able to get an early group win against Ghana which was the catalyst allowing them to sneak the 2nd place in Group G on goal difference ahead of 3rd placed Portugal who were let down by the early 4-0 loss to Germany. From their they were able to draw 2-2 with Portugal meaning that so long as they didn't get beaten too heavily by Germany and Portugal didn't beat Ghana too heavily they would be through, and a 1-0 loss to Germany in the final game was the best they could hope for as they secured their Last 16 spot. Things were nowhere near as nervy for Belgium in the end as they secured their knock-out spot with a game to spare coming back to beat Algeria and then leaving it late to get a 1-0 win over Russia before beating South Korea in their final group game which was by then really a dead rubber. Belgium squad looks impressive and they've gone ok as a unit so far and I think they can continue to that throughout the knock-out stages now in Brazil.
Prediction: Belgium




Not only is it a strong line-up for the last 16 of the world cup, with plenty of exciting football entertainment sure to come with that, but it's also a very South American heavy line-up as 7 South American nations look for World Cup victory on their home continent. But can any of them do it? I'll be back to preview the quarter-finals in a few days time and take a look at which 8 nations still have high hopes of World Cup glory.

Cricket: T20 Blast Preview

It's another very important week of cricket in the English T20 blast as there are still a lot of teams in both the North and South groups that are in with a shout of making it to the quarter-finals with most teams already halfway through their group games and the groups looking incredibly tight.


With lots of games on TV this weekend we should be in for some more very exciting cricket so it's time for me have a look ahead to all of those games:


Friday 27th June:


Essex Vs Somerset - To start off this weeks preview we have an absolutely cracking game to look ahead to at Chelmsford as 2 big hitting sides take each-other on in a crucial game. The hosts, from their 7 games so far, have won 6 of them only losing the once to top side in the South group Hampshire. Essex have a very strong squad with very few weaknesses and even when they struggle as they did last week against Middlesex, they still find a way to win such is the strength and depth in the squad. Somerset however, have only won 3 of their 7 games this season losing out last time around to Middlesex, which makes this game crucial for them. They still seem to have a very strong squad though even after they lost Jos Buttler to Lancashire but their is a little weakness in their bowling which I think Essex can take advantage of.
Prediction: Essex


Worcestershire Vs Nottinghamshire - Over in the North group this is also a very crucial game for both sides who are very evenly matched with the first game between the 2 just going the way of Worcestershire who are top of the North Group. Worcestershire as a unit have played very well this year even though they don't have as many stand-out players as a side like Notts or even Warwickshire who they beat convincingly last time out to take them onto 6 wins from 8 games. As I mentioned there Notts do have a strong side, but they haven't always been able to connect well as unit like they did last year, so far this with 4 wins from 7 games including one in their most recent game against Derbyshire. Notts though will be driven this week by their need to pick up vital wins sitting in 4th place, the fact that Worcestershire beat them earlier in the season on their patch and I think they certainly have an advantage with the bat when all of their guys are on form. It'll be tight again as always but Notts might just have the strength to sneak over the line.
Prediction: Nottinghamshire


Surrey Vs Hampshire - This has the making of another very tight game with Hampshire looking good with 6 wins from 8 in the South group but not looking as strong as previous Hampshire sides in recent seasons, with certainly vulnerabilities within their bowling unit. Surrey meanwhile are slightly the opposite with vulnerabilities in their batting line-up and having a very strong bowling line-up which is what makes this such a close call to make. Both teams beat Glamorgan in their most recent games and Surrey have won 4 of their 6 games and sit in 3rd place looking for a home win to consolidate things. However, the Hampshire batsmen are in pretty good form and might be in good enough shape to handle Surrey's bowling, while their death bowling with Chris Wood is superb and that may be a deciding factor against Surrey's weaker batting. Think it would be more of a Hampshire certainty at the Rose Bowl but they should be able to sneak the win at The Oval all the same.
Prediction: Hampshire


Yorkshire Vs Lancashire - The 2nd Roses match of the season this time on Yorkshire turf will hopefully be as close as the first with Yorkshire winning a very tight game there. However, Lancashire have still been very strong in this years T20 Blast with that loss being only one of two that they've had so far in their 8 games with their match last week seeing them thrash a very poor Northamptonshire side. Lancashire look a very strong unit overall, but so do Yorkshire who have only played 5 games so far in the competition with 3 wins and a no result in there. Their last T20 game was 2 weeks ago when they just edged out Northamptonshire and Yorkshire really do have a very strong squad in all formats of the game with very few weaknesses. The second Roses T20 of the season may be a repeat dose for Lancashire here.
Prediction: Yorkshire


Northamptonshire Vs Durham - This match is crucial for any thoughts these 2 have of making the quarter-finals, because even though there is a long way to go, the losing side here will very much have an uphill battle to stay in the competition. Durham so far have really struggled and only won 2 of their 6 games though Northamptonshire have been even worse with only 2 wins from 7 games with a no result though those 2 wins came within their first couple of games and their form in the T20 competition has closely mirrored their abysmal championship form with a T20 Blast lowlight being last weeks huge defeat to Lancashire. Durham were not helped by a loss in their last game to Leicestershire who they really needed to beat as a side that are around them, making this weeks game even more crucial after they've already lost lot's of tight one's. Neither side will have much confidence, but morale in the Northamptonshire camp will be very low which could give Durham who have a slightly stronger team as well on paper, a sight edge in this clash.
Prediction: Durham


Gloucestershire Vs Kent - Gloucestershire have been a very sorry team this year with injury problems and a pretty weak squad before they even started and they've been a pretty weak side in all formats for the last 2 or 3 seasons. They were saved by rain this evening against Middlesex after only posting 105 in 20 overs on a reasonably tough pitch and they have only had 2 wins from their 8 games so far with little chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals. Kent though do have a chance of qualifying for the quarters. They may have lost last time out against Sussex and it may ultimately be a side heavy on youth that let's them down but they do have a good leader in their side with the experienced Rob Key and the likes of Darren Stevens and James Tredwell do steady things for them in the field which is why they've been able to get 3 wins and a tie from 7 games leaving them 5th in the South group. With Gloucestershire having little ambition left or fight within them that could be a telling factor in this match.
Prediction: Kent


Derbyshire Vs Warwickshire - This game is certainly a tale of 2 teams with 2 differing fortunes so far in the T20 Blast. Despite a loss last time out to top side Worcestershire, Warwickshire have been strong and boosted by a brilliant bowling line-up on their way to 4 wins and a no result from 7 games and they have very strong hopes of making the quarter-finals but they need to carry on winning and especially winning games like this against poor sides. There's no beating around the fact here that Derbyshire are the worst side of all 18 over both the North and South groups this season as another miserable loss in their last game against Nottinghamshire leaves them bottom of the pile winless with half of their games gone, and no hope of making the quarter-finals barring the best turnaround ever to take place in sport. Only a no result has spared Derbyshire from a pointless start as well as a winless start and with the weak squad that they have I can't see things getting any better for them.
Prediction: Warwickshire


Sussex Vs Middlesex - Middlesex's no result against Gloucestershire tonight pretty much ends their qualification hopes as they sit rock bottom of the South group with only a single win from 9 games, and you have a pretty good sign that a side knows a T20 campaign is over when they bring in the youngsters and rest their better bowlers for the County Championship, which is just what Middlesex have done. It doesn't mean they can't compete in games, though playing youth will always give a mixed lot of results. Sussex on the other hand, were able to beat Kent last week and still have hope if they can have a strong last 6 games with 3 wins from their first 8. It will be tough for them but if they can start with a home win against Middlesex here they are usually a strong one-day side and this could give them some momentum.
Prediction: Sussex


Saturday 28th June:


Nottinghamshire Vs Yorkshire - Both of these teams suffered Friday night wash-outs which means it's as you were with both teams in strong positions with strong squads at their disposal to do the best that they can. Notts have 4 wins from 8 games now with 1 no result, while Yorkshire have 3 wins from 6 games with only one loss. This is a massive game in the context of things although I think both of these sides may qualify anyway. If their isn't any weather around we're going to be in for a very tight match. Notts lose very few games at Trent Bridge though and that may well be a deciding factor in this match.
Prediction: Nottinghamshire.


Sunday 29th June:


Durham Vs Derbyshire - Durham were saved by the rain on Friday against Northamptonshire after making a very poor start to that game, while Derbyshire actually got their first win and a very impressive win against Warwickshire who are actually a very strong side. That may give them some confidence coming into this game which will be very good for them and with Durham struggling for one reason or another and lacking in confidence I think they are certainly there for the taking as well. It should be a very close game this, but there is the possibility that Derbyshire may be able to add something to there first win of the campaign against Warwickshire.
Prediction: Derbyshire.




Whatever the outcome of this weekends games you can be sure that we'll have plenty more tight, tense and thrilling T20 action with 10 very good games, and i'll be back again next week to preview another great week of T20 blast games.

Snooker: Wuxi Classic Preview

As published in my first ever blog, Cue Action Snooker Blog. Here is my look ahead to the first full ranking event of the season, the Wuxi Classic:


It's time then for the first full ranking event of the season starting on Monday with the Wuxi Classic out in China. Of course with this being the first proper event of the season after the Asian Tour 1 event has just been completed there's not going to be much form to go on so you might see me make a few more punts than usual here. The big news before the event starts is that Ding Junhui lost out to Oliver Brown in qualifying so he won't be at the event that came after his breakthrough and is located in his local area.




However, there are plenty of other big name players that will be battling it out for the first ranking title of the season, so it's time for me to take a look at who I think will go far in the next week:

Quarter 1:

Last 64 Draw: (Picks in bold)


Neil Robertson W/O Alexander Ursenbacher
Michael Georgiou Vs Marcus Campbell
Michael Holt Vs Rory McLeod
Fraser Patrick Vs Sam Baird
Chris Melling Vs Andrew Norman/Zhao Xintong
Jack Lisowski Vs Lu Chenwei
Chris Wakelin Vs Joe O'Connor
Shaun Murphy Vs Rod Lawler




This quarter for me is all going to be about Neil Robertson, who has a bye into the Last 32 due to Ursenbacher's visa problems, and Shaun Murphy who will also be looking for a very good start to the season. Michael Holt made a good start to the season by making it to the final of the first Asian Tour event where he lost out to Ding Junhui and he's certainly the front runner from his section of 4 for a place in the Last 16 and he has the capabilities to go even further. Young Jack Lisowski also has a good chance of making the Last 16 here, expecting him to beat one of the new Chinamen to the tour in Lu Chenwei and from their he'll also be fancied to beat Chris Melling, Zhao Xintong or Andrew Norman in the Last 32 and he again has what it takes to even go on and win this quarter if he can keep his head down.




Shaun Murphy though is one of the hot favourites and he will be full of confidence after his brilliant second half of last season and you wouldn't be surprised if he walked away with the title this week as well and if it is to be a quarter-final between him and Neil Robertson you know he'll push him all the way.


Neil Robertson though will be the favourite for this quarter and as defending champion he'll certainly want to defend his title this week and win even more titles than the two titles he managed this season and it will be even more interesting to see how close he can get to his enormous tally of last season and in my opinion in terms of what he achieved last season and his overall quality he has the edge on everyone else in this quarter




Quarter Winner: Neil Robertson

Quarter 2:

Last 64 Draw: (Picks in bold)


Marco Fu Vs Craig Steadman
Jamie Jones Vs Ken Doherty
Kurt Maflin Vs Anthony Hamilton
Stuart Bingham Vs Tony Drago
John Higgins Vs Anthony McGill
Alan McManus Vs Gary Wilson
Barry Pinches Vs Yu DeLu/ Yan Bingtao
Barry Hawkins Vs Lee Page




This little quarter seems to be filled with much more talent with guys like Marco Fu, Barry Hawkins, Stuart Bingham and John Higgins fighting for a place in the semi-finals while guys like Kurt Maflin who has been climbing up the rankings at a superb rate over the last couple of years and Jamie Jones who looks to be getting back close to the snooker he played on his way to the 2012 World quarter-final.




One man that is far from his best is John Higgins and after the poor season he had last time out I doubt he'll be full of confidence for the start of this, especially after losing to a Chinese amateur in the early rounds of the first Asian tour event. Stuart Bingham will be aiming for a good start to the season after a poorer end to the 2013/2014 season after a very good start, but I think Stuart will have been working hard over the close season and will be back to his very best very soon and it may even be in this tournament.




Barry Hawkins after the form he's shown in the last 2 seasons will be one of the favourites for every tournament he enters and he'll be wanting to have a better start to the season than he did a year ago where it took him until the UK Championships to really start firing again. It'll take some fine displays to beat him if he's at his best, but I think Barry would've taken more of a break in the close season and it may take him a couple of tournaments to really get back into his stride.


Marco Fu though is contender for every tournament he plays in just like Hawkins, though he may not be the most consistent player he certainly gives every tournament his all, all season through. Fu has certainly been working hard on his game in the last couple of seasons and I think he's at the stage of his career now where the hard work should be paying off into regular titles.




Quarter Winner: Marco Fu

Quarter 3:

Last 64 Draw: (Picks in bold)


Oliver Lines Vs Oliver Brown
Martin Gould Vs Michael Tomlinson
Ryan Day Vs Matt Selt
Mark Williams Vs Mark Joyce
Stephen Maguire Vs David Gilbert
Michael White Vs Jamie Cope
Fergal O'Brien Vs Ben Woollaston
Judd Trump Vs David Grace




This quarter maybe lacking on a host of top quality names, but there are still so many players in here that could easily walk away with the quarter and go far in the tournament. The likes of Judd Trump, Stephen Maguire, Ryan Day and Mark Williams will be the favourites for the quarter, but guys like David Gilbert and Michael White are well capable of causing a few upsets and going on deep runs in this event.




The Welsh duo of Ryan Day and Mark Williams will be battling away for a quarter-final place in my opinion as they are clearly the 2 best players in that top little section and I was impressed with the way that Ryan Day got back into some form last season and I hope that he gets back to where he belongs in the top 16 before too long. Martin Gould can also be a threat in that section and I expect him to come back into form this season because he's been working very hard on his game and he's too good not to see the results of that hard work very soon.




The main contenders for this quarter though will be Stephen Maguire and Judd Trump who will probably meet in the Last 16 if things go as I expect them to. From there though it will be an incredibly close game I'd have thought with both players failing to win a title last season with Maguire's last coming in February 2013 and Trump's last in November 2012 which really is too long for players of their class. Maguire though really has been struggling for some time and things really seemed to be picking up for Trump towards the back end of last season and surely a title is not too far away for Trump with his talent and I'm sure he'd have been working hard on his game to get back to his best.




Quarter Winner: Judd Trump

Quarter 4:

Last 64 Draw: (Picks in bold)


Ricky Walden Vs Peter Lines
Mark King Vs Cao Yupeng
Xiao Guodong Vs Robin Hull
Graeme Dott Vs Zhou Yuelong
Joe Perry Vs Scott Donaldson/Chen Zifan
Robert Milkins Vs David Morris
Liang Wenbo Vs Jamie Burnett
Mark Selby Vs Robbie Williams/ Niu Zhuang




The lead man in this quarter is of course the new World No.1 and World Champion Mark Selby, though of course the likes of Joe Perry, Ricky Walden, Graeme Dott, Robert Milkins, Xiao Guodong and Liang Wenbo are all capable of going on runs that would see them into the semi-finals.


Wenbo, Dott, Guodong and Milkins are all clear outsiders for this section but I think they can all go far. It wouldn't be surprising to me though if Xiao Guodong made it into the quarter-finals as I think it may take Ricky Walden a couple of tournaments to get into his season after the close season that he's had, while I think Graeme Dott is at the stage now where he is the kind of player that uses the close season for a break more than to practice perhaps.




In the bottom section of this quarter though I think we will have our semi-finalist. Robert Milkins went on a very nice run to the semi-finals of the Yixing Open AT1 last week and he started last season very well before tailing off quite badly and he'll be hoping for another good start to this season and this time to carry it on for a more consistent season. Liang Wenbo may have fell at the first hurdle in the first Asian tour event but he was back close to his best last season and it would be good to see him get back to where he belongs as well as he is a very classy player.


Mark Selby would be an obvious favourite for this quarter given his triumph at the back end of last season, but after winning the world title it will always be tough to follow that up so soon afterwards and I think more than anything the close season for him would've been an opportunity for him to let things sink in and the first couple of events of the season will be a chance for him to get back into his stride.


However, in all of this I think that after the consistent season Joe Perry had last season he will sense an opportunity for another good run here and possibly a chance to win his first ever ranking title, after the hard work he's been putting in over the last couple of years, and right now he's playing some of the best snooker of his life.




Quarter Winner: Joe Perry


Tournament Runner-Up: Marco Fu


Tournament Winner: Judd Trump


It'll be good to see the return of live snooker at the start of the 2014/2015 season with the Wuxi Classic live all week on Eurosport and I'm sure we are in for another week of brilliant snooker to start the season with things coming along thick and fast from this point on with a lot of titles to be won between now and next May.

Tennis: Wimbledon Men's Preview

It's time for arguably the biggest Tennis grand slam tournament on the planet starting on Monday as the tennis tour heads to grass and to SW19 for 2 weeks of brilliant tennis action at Wimbledon, as the players put on their whites and head out to thrill the London crowds.


The big question on every tennis fans lips, especially British fans, is can Andy Murray defend his title and if he doesn't who will walk away with the Wimbledon crown? These are all of the things that will be up for debate in my preview as I take a look at the draw and who the main men will be to watch.

Quarter 1

Last 128 Draw (Selected Matches):


Novak Djokovic Vs Andrey Golubev
Gilles Simon Vs Konstantin Kravchuk
Robin Haase Vs Vasek Pospisil
Mikhall Youzhny Vs  James Ward
Jurgen Melzer Vs Jo-Wilfred Tsonga
Ernests Gulbis Vs Jurgen Zopp
Jeremy Chardy Vs Daniel Cox
Marinko Matosevic Vs Fernando Verdasco
Marin Cilic Vs  Paul-Henri Mathieu
Victor Hanescu Vs Tomas Berdych


This quarter of the Wimbledon draw is packed with top quality players that could all gone on to win this quarter as well as making a push for the title itself. The likes of Novak Djokovic, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, Ernests Gulbis, Fernando Verdasco and Tomas Berdych are all brilliant players that have what it takes to go far in this event.


Just a year ago Verdasco looked certain to beat eventual champion Andy Murray when he was 2 sets up in the quarter-finals. It seems like Verdasco is slowly starting to get his game back and play the way he was a few years ago. Meanwhile Jo-Wilfred Tsonga and Tomas Berdych both have great ability and the game to go far in this event, although Tsonga has lost a bit of form in recent times and I can't see him going any further than the Last 16 unless Djokovic were to fall early which I really can't see happening. Ernests Gulbis managed a trip to the French Open semi-finals last month, but for me whether he challenges in this event and in the future is all about whether he can produce on a consistent basis or not.


One man though that has been producing on a consistent basis is Novak Djokovic who barely seems to lose nowadays such is his consistency and overall brilliance on any surface. After making the final of this tournament last year Novak will want to go one better this time around and there's every chance of that happening. Can anyone beat him in this section? There are plenty of players that could do it, but it would take Novak to have real off day for it to happen, and these days his poor days are few and far between.


Quarter Winner: Novak Djokovic

Quarter 2

Last 128 Draw (Selected Matches):


Andy Murray Vs David Goffin
Steve Johnson Vs Roberto Agut Bautista
Kevin Anderson Vs Aljaz Bedene
Alex Kuznetsov Vs Fabio Foginni
Grigor Dimitrov Vs Ryan Harrison
Donald Young Vs Benjamin Becker
Samuel Groth Vs Alexander Dolgopolov
Andreas Seppi Vs Leonardo Mayer
Dustin Brown Vs Marcos Baghdatis
David Ferrer Vs Pablo Busta Carreno


This quarter in my opinion is not completely filled with quality, while there are a lot of decent players like Kevin Anderson, Grigor Dimitrov and Fabio Foginni but the real only brilliance in this section comes in the shape of David Ferrer and defending champion Andy Murray.


Grigor Dimitrov comes into Wimbledon in some really good form though having won 3 titles on 3 different surfaces in 2014 including the grass court event at Queen's just a week ago. However, I'm not sure that Dimitrov quite has the game to go far in the major grand slam events as he doesn't quite have the experience.


One man that has plenty of experience of Wimbledon, but also plenty of pressure on him which he will need to deal with just as he did last year on the way to victory is Andy Murray. Andy has of course had a large lay-off since winning Wimbledon last year and he is only just now getting back into his groove. He made the semi-finals of the French Open but on the way looked far from convincing along the way and had to survive a lot of stern tests and did look a little shaky when put under pressure. Of course any pressure he's put under in the next 2 weeks will of course be doubled by the fact that he is playing in front of his home crowd.


One man that will definetly put him under pressure if the 2 were to meet in the quarter-finals would be David Ferrer. David is an incredibly classy player and certainly has what it takes to go far in this event with the experience he has now in these grand slam events with a French Open final under his belt and he'll definetly be looking to go one better than his 2012 and 2013 Wimbledon performances of the quarter-finals.


Quarter Winner: David Ferrer

Quarter 3

Last 128 Draw(Selected Matches) :


Stan Wawrinka Vs Joao Souza
Denis Istomin Vs Dimity Tursonov
Daniel Smethurst Vs John Isner
Jercy Janowicz Vs Somdev Devvarman
Lukas Lacko Vs Tommy Rebredo
Marcel Grannolers Vs Nicolas Mahut
Gilles Muller Vs Julian Bennateau
Pablo Lorenzi Vs Roger Federer


This quarter is again a little lacking in proper talent with a lot of decent players but not many players of pure quality and brilliance.


One of those decent players that certainly has the potential to go far in this event is Jercy Janowicz who doesn't have a bad draw to start things off with. Jercy is a very powerful player who used his strength to his advantage on the way to the semi-finals of last years Wimbledon, but sadly for Jercy he has been unable to produce that form again in the last year and I something seems to be lacking for him to have such a run again this year, especially with the quality players he would have to get past to make the semi-finals.


One of those quality players is of course one of the best Tennis players ever to have existed in Roger Federer. He has such a wealth of experience on any surface and the grass seems to have been his favourite of all of them so you can never rule him out of winning the Wimbledon title one more time. However, over the last couple of years as Roger has past his peak his game has started to decline as he reaches the sort of twilight stages of his career. I'm not saying that he won't be able to produce his best again in the grand slams, but instead he won't be able to produce it as consistently as we were used to seeing him do so when he was in the prime of his career.


However, someone who is reaching the prime of his career is fellow Swiss player Stan Wawrinka. Stan's major breakthrough came this year on the hard court in Australia as he won the Australian Open, showing that not only can he compete in the majors but he can win them as well. With his best at Wimbledon only being the 4th round he may not quite yet feel at home on the grass court but that can soon change, and he does come into Wimbledon this year from a semi-final appearance at Queen's which was a timely boost for Stan after his first round exit at Roland Garros. He's showed he's got what it takes on most surfaces and in most majors, and this could be the tournament where he changes those most's into all's.


Quarter Winner: Stan Wawrinka

Quarter 4

Last 128 Draw (Selected Matches):


Milos Raonic Vs Matthew Ebden
Dusan Lajovic Vs Gullermo Garcia-Lopez
Phillip Kohlschreiber Vs Igor Sijsling
Kenny De Schepper Vs Kel Nishikori
Richard Gasquet Vs Richard Duckworth
Malek Jaziri Vs Gael Monfils
Ivo Karlovic Vs Frank Dencevic
Martin Klizan Vs Rafael Nadal


This quarter also has a lot of very decent players and a fair amount of quality, but only one real stand-out player in Rafael Nadal. However, as I said, there are a lot of decent players that could of course beat him if things went their way and they would be players like Richard Gasquet, Gael Monfils, Milos Raonic and Phillip Kohlschreiber, but it seems most of these players seem to be lacking in something if they are to have a chance at challenging Nadal. Monfils of course has the game but doesn't always seem to have the temperament and the consistency to finish games off against the top players while Raonic and Kohlschreiber just don't seem to have the experience yet of appearing in the latter stages of grand slams. Richard Gasquet probably comes into this event in the better shape of the other challengers in to Nadal in this quarter, though he has suffered lately with back problems his performances this week at Eastbourne making the final there just a couple of days before Wimbledon puts him in good shape and means he will be coming into this event in decent form. However, he will have to be on top form to challenge Nadal.


Rafael Nadal of course comes into this event fresh off of yet another French Open title, and having won 2 Wimbledon titles as well in his career he clearly has the most quality of anyone in this quarter. However, if he is to be vulnerable in this event it will be in the early rounds after early exits in his last couple of Wimbledon tournaments. Although, with his fitness and form both looking better ahead of this event if he can stay fit, fresh and focussed he will surely go far in this event and could walk away with his 3rd SW19 crown.


Quarter Winner: Rafael Nadal


Tournament Runner-Up: Rafael Nadal


Tournament Winner: Novak Djokovic






Whoever the winners are at Wimbledon over the next 2 weeks you can guarantee it will be 2 weeks of brilliant Tennis with plenty of stunning displays and close dramatic matches with plenty of upsets to add as well. I hope you enjoyed reading my preview and that you will enjoy watching the event just as much.

Cricket: England Vs Sri Lanka 2nd Test Match Preview

After the first test match between England and the Sri Lankans and the first of an English test match summer was a thrilling draw that went right down to the final ball on day 5 at Lord's with England narrowly missing out on a perfect start to the 2 match series, England will want to go and get the job done in the second test which starts on Friday at Headingley. After playing on what was a really flat pitch at Lord's, with the ball doing very little until the final hours of the final day things will be a lot better for the bowlers in Leeds. The match should be played on a pretty green pitch on what is usually a very good ground for seam bowlers, one which will suit England to stick with the same 11 that played the first test rather than bringing in Chris Woakes, especially as this is Plunkett's home ground nowadays.


It should be another exciting and fascinating test match this week so it's time for me to have a look at what we can expect:


England:


As I said earlier England are very likely to go in with the same 11 that played the first test match and I think the bowlers will have a very good time in this one, and it think we're certain to have a result if there aren't any interruptions for weather, though the only thing that cost England the first match were the slow over rates over the first 4 days.


Sam Robson and Alastair Cook at the top of the order will certainly be looking for some runs after both failed in the first test and Cook really hasn't scored big runs for a very long time in an England test match shirt, while fellow opener Robson will be looking to make a big score and make a big impression early on in his England test career. Opening the innings at Headingley is very tough though and it'll probably be even tougher if it has to be on the opening day, so I wouldn't expect either to make stacks of runs in this match. The middle order will be important here and they showed a decent amount of form in the Lord's opener. Gary Balance at No.3 had a century in the 2nd innings battling on when England were in a little trouble at one stage, while Joe Root made a 1st innings double-ton while Ian Bell coming in at No.4 has looked very solid for England for a very long time now in my opinion and I expect him to go well again this summer. Matt Prior at No.7 proved his doubters wrong with a very nice half-century in the 1st innings, with many people thinking Jos Buttler should've played ahead of him, but I think that for now the selectors have made the correct choice.


As I said though it is the bowling that will be key here though and the spin option of Moeen Ali should hardly be needed at all in this match which isn't a bad thing because I'm not really sure that right now Ali is anything more than a part-timer. Liam Plunkett (as well as Joe Root and Gary Balance) is playing on his home ground here and I think he did sort of what was asked for in the first test with a lot of short pitched bowling on a very flat and towards the end a very slow pitch. He should be given more of a chance to shine in this test match and hopefully pick up a few wickets. Chris Jordan had a decent first test match as well and he is certainly one who could take a lot of wickets this week on a pitch that will suit him a lot more than the Lord's one and hopefully there won't be quite the same amount of pressure on him either. James Anderson and Stuart Broad are the big players for me in this match, as they both looked to be in fine form at the back end of the first game with James Anderson putting in a couple of sublime spells swinging the ball and bowling superbly, but also bowling at a very good pace and he looks a lot fitter this year and really up for a great summer. Stuart Broad also got really stuck in at the back end of day 5, thriving in those pressured circumstances once again. Taking 1 and nearly taking both of the 2 wickets he needed to win the Test match in the final over. Broad bowled some brilliant spells on that final day and his record at Headingley is incredibly good so I expect that he'll pick up a lot of wickets in this match to continue that record.


Key Player: With the pitch that has been prepared to supposedly offer a lot more for the bowlers in this match, James Anderson will be the man you'd expect to step up and really take control and get the most out of the pitch here, especially as he seems to be fit as well as match sharp and really bowling at a good pace as he was in the one-day series.


Sri Lanka


Sri Lanka will have to make 1 change to their line-up for this test match with wicket-keeper Prassana Jayawardena having to go home with a finger injury and his likely replacement is Dinesh Chandimal, but I can't see Sri Lanka making any more changes, even after only narrowly avoiding defeat in the first game. For them though the bowling is certainly the area that will need some improvement but I think they will have slightly better conditions from Lord's in which to do it.


As I said in the preview of the first test match it was always going to be about Sri Lanka's middle order with Mahela Jayawardena, Kumar Sangakarra, and Angelo Mathews all in there and I think the addition of Dinesh Chandimal will certainly strengthen things for the tourists. Let's not forget that Chandimal is a man that has an ODI century to his name against England on English soil. Sangakarra finally got his Lord's century in the first innings of the first test and it wasn't until he was out in the 2nd innings that Sri Lanka looked like they may lose the match, so he has really showed himself to be the key man in their order, especially as he no longer has any keeping or captaincy to worry about. However, captaincy has had a really big effect on Mathews game as his batting average in games as captain is huge and he made a century himself in the 1st innings so I don't think this is a Sri Lankan batting line-up that the England bowlers will be able to rip through like it's not even there.


Meanwhile, for me it is Sri Lankan's bowling that needs to improve here with Newan Kulasekara not really causing any problems for the England batsmen while Rangana Herath the spinner can only really have any kind of influence in the 2nd innings and that will be the same again here in this game. Eranga though was quite impressive on a pitch that didn't offer up too much and I think he will have a very big part to play in this test match if Sri Lanka are to have any chance of victory. Kulasekara though should do a lot better on this Headingley pitch as I think the conditions in Leeds will be a lot more suited to his style of bowling if he can improve slightly than they were at Lord's, and I think he will be man that causes England's top order a lot more problems than he has done so far. Pradeep also had an average first test match, taking 4 first innings wickets but failing to take one in the 2nd innings, but he will again have an important role to play here as could the medium pace of captain Angelo Mathews though he may want to focus more on his captaincy and batting than his bowling as he did at Lord's where he only bowled a total of 11 overs in 200 that Sri Lanka bowled over the course of the game.


Key Man: For me it has to be the pure experience and the rock of the middle order for Sri Lanka in Kumar Sangakarra who really showed his brilliance and class in the first test match scoring a total of 208 runs with a 147 in the first innings and a 61 in the second innings from 168 balls as Sri Lanka needed to save the test match, showing how Kumar has the experience to adapt to every situation that Sri Lanka could come across and prosper both for his sake and the teams.




Hopefully it should be another exciting test match this week as both sides will be going all out for the victory in this deciding test match and the conditions should be a bit better for an a more even contest between bat and ball that should provide a result over the five days if the weather up in Leeds isn't too bad. For me both sides look to be in a good place and it is a very tough match to call, so let's just sit back, enjoy and see how it plays out.

Cricket: T20 Blast Preview

It's another big and exciting week of action this week in the English Twenty20 Blast competition with the teams in the North and South groups battling away for the points that will become valuable with the top 4 from each group reaching the quarter-finals with the group stages ending in late July and matches taking place on a weekly basis, as always with the majority of games on a Friday (8 this week) while another 2 games are played on Thursday as we have a slightly earlier start to the round.


Right then it's time for me to look ahead to the action in this round of the T20 Blast:


Thursday 19th June:


Warwickshire Vs Northamptonshire - This should be a tight game, and is also an important one with only 2 points separating the 2 teams but in all forms of Cricket Northamptonshire have been on a downward spiral in the last month having won their first 2 T20 games, while Warwickshire have won 3 of their 4 games since an early no result. On paper Warwickshire also have a better team and certainly a stunning bowling attack for T20 which with a Northamptonshire batting line-up which has been shaky in the championship and a little of the T20. Form and momentum is certainly with Warwickshire who all things considered shape up as a very good T20 side.
Prediction: Warwickshire


Leicestershire Vs Nottinghamshire - This one should really be a very one-sided contest between one side that is very good in one-day Cricket and one side that is incredibly poor in all formats. Results don't necessarily reflect how good Notts are so far with 2 wins from 5, but Leicestershire have only had 1 win from 5 and look right now to be one of the weakest of the 18 counties in the overall competition. Notts have been building some batting momentum in the Championship so should be making a better effort of their T20 games based on that and they really need to start building some wins if they are to make the quarter-finals where they belong, while Leicestershire will be battling for the North Group wooden spoon.
Prediction: Nottinghamshire


Friday 20th July:


Glamorgan Vs Surrey - This should be a very entertaining game between 2 pretty even sides with Surrey having 3 wins from 5 games and Glamorgan having 3 from 6 with a no result and a tie. In their last games Surrey thrashed Sussex by 10 wickets while Glamorgan played out a dramatic tie with Kent where there was a run out with Kent needing 1 to win the game from the last ball. Surrey have the team that is better suited to T20 Cricket than Glamorgan and with no side having greater form or momentum than the other then that will probably be what it comes down to on the day.
Prediction: Surrey


Kent Vs Sussex - Sussex have been on the wrong end of some absolute hidings this year in the T20 Cricket, namely in their last match against Surrey while Kent have had the mixed bag you'd expect from a team that has a large mixture of experience and young stars. Sussex have only won a staggering 2 of their 7 games so far, which is very poor from a side you'd usually describe as a good one-day side. Kent have managed 3 wins and a tie from their 6 games and currently sit inside the top 4 of the South group and having had a larger break since their last T20 game, home advantage and a great deal more momentum than Sussex, Kent have to be good favourites to win this game. The only question is how will they recover having clutched a tie out of the jaws of victory against Glamorgan last week?
Prediction: Kent.


Essex Vs Middlesex - In this clash it's top against bottom in the South Group as Essex have had 5 very good wins this season from their 6 matches, only losing to 2nd placed Hampshire and they've already beaten Middlesex this season at Lord's. Meanwhile, Middlesex grabbed their first win of the competition tonight against Somerset which comes off the back of 6 straight T20 defeats, and that win should give them a little bit of confidence but not quite the confidence that Essex have. Not only do they have an incredibly solid line-up from top to bottom, Essex have always had a very good record in T20 games at Chelmsford and they will be looking to make their home a fortress again this year. Can't see all that much chance of a Middlesex win but T20 is always a bit of a lottery.
Prediction: Essex


Hampshire Vs Gloucestershire - The couldn't be a much bigger difference between these 2 sides coming into this contest with Hampshire sitting very pretty in this competition while Gloucestershire are in a very poor position. So far Hampshire have all of the momentum having only lost one of their 5 games since their opening match loss to Glamorgan and that was last week against Somerset by a single run. Meanwhile Gloucestershire only have 2 wins from 6 and really have no momentum to speak of having been thumped by Essex last week. Gloucestershire also have a much much poorer side than Hampshire who have looked a quality one-day outfit for a number of years and at the Ageas Bowl they are even harder to beat and Gloucestershire's hard task is made infinitely tougher.
Prediction: Hampshire


Durham Vs Leicestershire - Things went from bad to worse on Thursday against Nottinghamshire for Leicestershire as they succumbed to yet another defeat which means they only have one win from 6 games and continue to look very poor with a bowling line-up that can't fire or even restrict with a batting line-up that really only has 3 big players. Durham at home should be massive favourites then to win this game though they have struggled slightly only seeing 2 victories from 5 games but they certainly look to have a better side than Leicestershire and a win in this match could really get them back on track after a couple of recent defeats.
Prediction: Durham


Worcestershire Vs Warwickshire - Worcestershire have looked incredibly good this season only losing 2 of their first 7 games finding themselves top of the North Group and with the wind in their sails in all formats of the game. However, the absence of Moeen Ali again could make things interesting while Saeed Ajmal is certainly their key man. Warwickshire though are now up to 3rd in the table after beating Northamptonshire by 8 wickets after a fantastic bowling display once again and that could well be the deciding factor in this game as Worcestershire look decent all-round while Warwickshire have a very good bowling attack that could definetly restrict Worcestershire and restrict them to a very makeable score for their decent batting line-up. They should be able to take the momentum from a win the day before to give the group leaders a really good go.
Prediction: Warwickshire


Nottinghamshire Vs Derbyshire - Having beaten a very poor Leicestershire side on Thursday night, Nottinghamshire are back up to 5th in the North group with a much needed confidence boost there taking them onto 3 wins from 6 matches. Meanwhile, Derbyshire lost to Nottinghamshire at home a couple of weeks ago, and have lost 5 of their 6 matches with the other being a no result as they sit rock bottom of the North Group. As always Trent Bridge is a very tough place to go, especially against a Notts side as strong as this when you have very little confidence yourselves. I can only see one winner here.
Prediction: Nottinghamshire


Lancashire Vs Northamptonshire - Northamptonshire suffered a heavy loss on Thursday night by 8 wickets with 4 overs to spare against Warwickshire while Lancashire are only 2nd in the North Group on net run rate with 5 wins from 7 games putting them level on points with Worcestershire. After winning their opening 2 games Northamptonshire have not won since and have really struggled for form and I think they will continue to struggle simply because they have no momentum in any form of Cricket and the club must be incredibly downbeat and really lacking in confidence privately ahead of games like these. This game may also see the return of Andrew Flintoff which will be a huge boost for the home crowd if it happens and it could be a factor that will push Lancashire on to victory in this match.
Prediction: Lancashire




So, it should be another great week of T20 Blast action with another couple of matches on Sky Sports for Cricket fans to enjoy alongside the England Test match and I'm sure all of the fans heading to a county ground near them will be treated to some more exciting cricket. I'll be back at the same time next week for another T20 Blast Preview and I hope you've enjoyed this weeks offering.

Cricket: County Championship Round Preview

It's another big week of Cricket in the County Championship in both divisions 1 and 2 as both titles in both divisions are wide open with teams battling for promotion to division 1, plenty of division 1 teams looking over their shoulders at relegation while there are also plenty of teams chasing the hardest title in English Domestic Cricket to win with the Division 1 title well and truly up for grabs and with the majority of teams in both divisions in action it will be another week of big moves.


Let's take a look then at all of the matches starting both on Saturday, Sunday and Monday in divisions 1 and 2 and how they are likely to go:


Division 1:


Saturday 14th June:


Nottinghamshire Vs Middlesex- These 2 teams both look in very good shape in the championship and both look pretty evenly matched this season. Last time out Middlesex and Nottinghamshire both drew their games and even though there is only 8 points between them, Middlesex have won 2 more games than Notts. Both have very good squads and will be tough teams to beat especially at home, but there are so many draws in the championship it is silly, with Notts drawing half of their games. Because of how strong they both look with the only obvious weakness either team has being Middlesex's batting I think this looks very much like a draw.


Sunday 15th June:


Durham Vs Lancashire - This is an enormous game at the bottom of the county championship with only 2 points separating these 2 sides in 8th and 7th with Durham having a game in hand. Last time out both sides once again had draws which seems to be the flavour of the championship. While Durham look more consistent with batting and bowling it is simply the 6 draws they've had and no wins keeping them where they are while Lancashire look to be in some trouble with their batting and they've only won once themselves. Because of all of this I'd make Durham a decent favourite on their home turf and if they can finally convert a good position they could put Lancashire in a lot of trouble.


Northamptonshire Vs Warwickshire - Northamptonshire have had a nightmare season in the championship this season and really need something big to happen as with 5 losses from 6 games they are already in massive trouble with every aspect of their game looking quite poor. Meanwhile, Warwickshire struggled a little with their batting and with 2 wins, 2 losses and 3 draws they've been very inconsistent but the way Northamptonshire have been going there should be a winner this week with 2 poor batting line-ups but Warwickshire just have a bit of extra bowling quality which could win them this contest.


Monday 16th June:


Sussex Vs Yorkshire - Yorkshire have been brilliant in the championship so far this season with such a good squad and 3 wins, 4 draws and only 1 defeat from the first half of their games and they really are in a great position to challenge for the title. Sussex haven't been that much worse than them though with 2 wins 4 draws and 2 defeats and they look reasonably consistent with batting and bowling. Sussex had a poor defeat to Somerset in the last game while Yorkshire drew last time out and they just appear to have a slight edge in this match up. However, if I had to swing for 1 result it would be a draw, but if you asked me to pick a winner it would be Yorkshire, but these 2 should really be quite evenly matched.


Division 2:


Sunday 15th June:


Derbyshire Vs Surrey - Onto Division 2 now and last time out Surrey had a massive scoring draw with Gloucestershire while Derbyshire had a good win against serial wooden spoon winners Leicestershire. Derbyshire though are still 2nd from bottom while Surrey are in 5th simply because of the amount of draws they've had, most of which would be at home and they look pretty strong all around you'd say while Derbyshire just look weaker overall and I think that this time around that Surrey should be getting the win here as they are clearly a stronger side.


Hampshire Vs Essex - This should be a very interesting game with Essex sitting in 3rd place while Hampshire are in second, even if there is some distance between them. If Essex are to have any promotion chances they really need to win but cannot afford to lose while Hampshire haven't lost any of their 8 games so far and both of these 2 sides are very strong which always leads you to point to a draw as the likely result with the amount of draws you see in the county championship.


Glamorgan Vs Kent - Both of these teams last games were against Essex and both sides drew the games with Glamorgan's batting looking slightly weaker while Kent's bowling looked slightly weaker. That's been the story of their seasons so far with Kent being slightly more consistent while Glamorgan have really struggled for batting points. The only difference between the 2 in their opening games is that Kent have one extra loss while Glamorgan have drawn 5 matches and once again the likely result here is probably a draw with the most likely winners perhaps being Kent but it will be tough away from home.


Leicestershire Vs Worcestershire - In this one it's top against bottom in division 2 with Worcestershire having a lot of momentum behind them, while Leicestershire have none. Leicestershire have failed to win any of their matches so far while Worcestershire haven't lost a game and with Worcestershire having an overall stronger side than what is an essentially poor Leicester team there is only one winner here you'd say.




These really are some big matches this week that could shape how teams seasons do, whether they continue to go hard in the county championship or settle for mid-table, whether they are set to struggle for survival or whether they should be safe or whether they can still manage promotion or can start to focus on the one-day competitions. Whatever happens it will be an intriguing few days and I hope you all enjoyed my preview.

Cricket: T20 Blast Preview

Another week of English domestic T20 Blast begins tomorrow night and with it's aim of the season to have most of the games on Friday nights we have 9 games over the weekend with 8 games being played on the Friday while Sussex take on Somerset on Sunday afternoon.


Things are certainly hotting up in both the North and South groups and all of the sides in action will be looking to boost their group standings with the top 4 in each making the quarter-finals, so let's have a look at how I think things will go this weekend.


Friday 13th June:


Somerset Vs Hampshire - This should be a close little match looking at the two teams on paper, although if you look at the results they've had this season and where they sit in the table you might actually say that this could be quite one sided. Somerset may be top of the county championship but they have lost 3 of their 4 opening games in this competition losing a couple of matches that you would have expected them to win every day of the week. Somerset will be missing Jos Buttler who moved to Lancashire for the start of the season and when you don't have much momentum then it's always tough to turn things around. However, even with a slightly new look T20 side Hampshire are playing brilliantly having won their last 4 in a row after losing the first. Hampshire are such a good T20 side anyway and they always seem to have that little edge on Somerset but I think they have a slightly bigger edge here.
Prediction: Hampshire


Nottinghamshire Vs Warwickshire - In the North group there is only a couple of places and a single point separating these 2 sides ahead of what is quite an important match here at Trent Bridge. Notts are back to full strength in there fantastic T20 side, while Warwickshire are also incredibly strong looking this year though they don't have the all-round strength of Notts. Both sides have won a couple of games so far this season and there isn't too much between them really with Notts losing a tight one to Durham and to a good Worcestershire side, but when at home they always get great support and seem to play really well. With a squad like there's Notts should be making it into the quarter-finals for sure.
Prediction: Nottinghamshire


Glamorgan Vs Kent - Glamorgan and Kent, somewhat surprisingly, have both had some very good starts this season in the T20 games with both achieving 3 wins from there first 5 games. Kent have a decent squad to play with, with some experience mixed with some young players with that strategy coming off against some of the poorer T20 sides while they won't have as much joy against the stronger teams which will probably stop them making the quarter's. Glamorgan though seem to have come together as a unit and they've beaten a lot of the top T20 teams and with a number of home games to come you'd expect Glamorgan to really make a push for the quarter's and gather some real momentum.
Prediction: Glamorgan


Lancashire Vs Leicestershire - Looking at the table and the general difference between Lancashire and Leicestershire everything points to a one sided contest. Not only do Lancashire have the key home advantage here but they general have a much more quality squad and a lot more momentum with 4 wins out of their first 6 games. Leicestershire meanwhile are struggling once again in all formats of the game, with only 1 win from 4 games and no real quality to speak of. Leicestershire could well be going for the North group's wooden spoon while Lancashire should certainly be aiming for the quarter-finals and a home draw.
Prediction: Lancashire


Surrey Vs Sussex - Both of these guys are level pegging in the South group table with 2 wins, with Sussex struggling a little bit more than usual having lost 3 out of 5 while Surrey have been average winning half of their 4 games so far. Both sides have very good teams, Surrey probably having the slight edge with the same very good team that got them to the final of this event last year while Sussex's bowling just doesn't really seem to quite match their batting and that could be the difference as they go forward in this event. With home advantage as well like Surrey have The Oval is always a tough place to go and win in any form of Cricket especially if you don't quite have a complete unit.
Prediction: Surrey


Northamptonshire Vs Yorkshire - There is absolutely nothing to choose between Yorkshire and Northamptonshire in this years T20 Blast with both teams having 5 points from 4 games with 2 wins, 1 loss and a no result to their names. Northamptonshire of course were winners last year and still have that same good side together and they did beat Yorkshire earlier in the season. Yorkshire meanwhile have had some improvements since then and there win last week in the Roses match was a very impressive all round performance and I really like the way Yorkshire's T20 side is shaping up for this season in the long run and they will certainly want to draw their games with the holders 1-1 after their opening match defeat, having not lost since.  A big hitting side with plenty of bowling, Yorkshire should go far this season.
Prediction: Yorkshire


Essex Vs Gloucestershire - Quite a lot separates Essex and Gloucestershire so far this season in the T20 Blast. Gloucestershire have won 2 games out of 5 and while playing well and having a no result so far this season their general side just doesn't look as impressive as Essex's. Essex have started off with 4 wins from 5 matches including a great win against Kent this week and another at Surrey last Friday. Essex have a brilliant batting and bowling line-up all together this year and with Ravi Bopara in the form of his life as well things look very rosy for the Essex boys. Things look even better for them as they've only had one home game so far this season and Chelmsford for them always seems to be a fortress in T20 as Essex know every inch of the ground and how to utilise perfectly for their strengths. I'll be astonished if Essex don't reach the quarter-finals this season once again.
Prediction: Essex


Derbyshire Vs Worcestershire - To say that their is quite a bit of distance between Worcestershire and Derbyshire this season in the T20 Blast is an understatement. Derbyshire with a squad lacking any real quality are yet to win a game of their opening 5 so far and their only point has been through a no result which all leaves them bottom of the North Group with no real chance of qualifying already, at such an early stage. However, Worcestershire couldn't be any more different. They really are riding on a high in championship cricket as well as in the T20 Blast where they are top of the North Group with 4 wins from 6 games and they do really have a very good team to try and make a charge for the knock-out stages which really is a realistic target for them, and one thing they will have to do to get there is win games like this with the momentum and the superior squad.
Prediction: Worcestershire


Sunday 15th June:


Sussex Vs Somerset - This match is very intriguing with Somerset beating a very good Hampshire side by 1 run on Friday night while Sussex were thrashed by 10 wickets against Surrey and now Sussex only have 2 wins from 6 games and Somerset have 2 wins from 5 games and that brilliant win against Hampshire could really spur them on for the rest of the season. For me Somerset have a slightly stronger side as well and they're probably just slight favourites for this match.
Prediction: Somerset




It should be another good weekend of T20 action then in a tournament that has already some surprise results and some fantastic games, although it is a slight shame that with the Test Cricket on during the day, sky won't be showing any of the T20 games on the Friday evening. Still it should be an enjoyable weekend of Cricket if you're following the scores or at any of the games and I hope you enjoyed my preview.

Cricket: England Vs Sri Lanka First Test Preview

Tomorrow welcomes the start of England's test match cricket summer as the test series between England and Sri Lanka gets underway at Lord's culminating on Monday assuming the full 5 days are needed. It's the start of England's rebuilding process in the Test arena after they were demolished 5-0 on Australian summer from November through to January in a series that saw Graeme Swann retire, Jonathon Trott take leave due to ill health, which he is still on and since then England have also sacked Kevin Pietersen which sparked much debate as to the rights and wrongs of the decision but at the end of the day they need to move on. England's squad of 12 for the first test boasts a lot of new faces including opener Sam Robson who will take the place that Michael Carberry held in Australia and England will also hand a debut to Chris Jordan as they play 4 front line seam bowlers relying on fellow debutant Moeen Ali as a spin option with Joe Root also being able to bowl part time spin.


Sri Lanka's 15 man squad boasts a great deal of talent with a lot of new faces coming into their side from the 50 over side that has just beaten England 3-2 in a tight One Day International series that went down to the final game. If the results in that format are anything to go by (which they aren't most of the time to be honest) Sri Lanka probably have the edge, but in English conditions you have to slightly favour England to get the result, but all eyes will be on the England batsmen this week in particular after their winter collapses.




England


As I said the hosts come into the series with a fairly new team at their disposal with a lot of players coming in for possible debuts while others have only played a handful of matches themselves or could be coming back into the side after international breaks. The top 7 of the side looks to be guaranteed with the squad of 12 England have picked meaning that Sam Robson should open with captain Alastair Cook, while the middle order will contain Joe Root, Gary Balance, Ian Bell, Moeen Ali and Matt Prior will resume the keeping duties. As for the bowlers things are less clear cut but it looks like James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Jordan will start with either Liam Plunkett who has a magnificent start to the season with Durham or Chris Woakes who made his test match debut at the end of the last English test summer. In that department I'd slightly favour Liam Plunkett who has certainly worked on the his bowling since his early test match appearances which came some 8 years ago.


The performances of England's top order will be vital to their chances of victory in this game. Debutant Sam Robson will need to repay the faith the selectors have given him in handing him his debut rather than sticking with Michael Carberry, and his performances for Middlesex suggest that he is really up to the job. Alastair Cook as captain and opening batsman will really want to lead by example and end a poor run of form with the bat that he has really been on for around the last year, possibly even longer. England's middle order looks a little flimsy which is good enough reason to pack plenty of batting into that lower order as possible with Stuart Broad, Chris Jordan and Liam Plunkett all being able to bat to a reasonable standard. However, if Sri Lanka can get some early inroads it may well be up to Ian Bell to score big as Joe Root still doesn't really look at home in the test arena while Moeen Ali is on debut, Gary Balance with very little test experience and Matt Prior on a terrible run of form in the last year or more with the bat. So, there could really be some nervy times in the England dressing room if a couple of early wickets go down.


The emphasis may well be on England's bowling here and as a unit of fast bowlers they actually look quite strong. Stuart Broad's return from injury will be crucial as to how match sharp he will be for this early test while James Anderson looked very impressive in the one-day internationals bowling at a very good pace and Chris Jordan looks like a brilliant young talent who also bowled fantastically in those one-day games as well. The overs bowled by either Liam Plunkett and Chris Woakes will be crucial as England will want them to not give too many runs away as both have been known to be expensive in England colours. I don't think overall that Ali's spin will be all that important as his job may be to take up an end so England can keep their 4 fast bowlers fresh later in the day at the other end to take wickets.


Key Man: As I mentioned earlier Chris Jordan bowled brilliantly in the one-day series and if he can start his test match career off well he could not only inspire England to victory but it could also be the start of a long England career for Jordan at the start of a big rebuilding process for the England test match team


Sri Lanka


As I mentioned at the start of the preview Sri Lanka will have a few changes to their team that played in the one-day internationals, most notably the fact that man of the series Lasith Malinga doesn't play in the test match side and neither does spinner Senanyake which is where Rangana Herath should come in. Under captain and key all-rounder Angelo Matthews Sri Lanka should have a bowling line-up fronted by Nuwan Kulasekara and also featuring Rangana Herath, Dhammika Prasad and Shaminda Eranga. Sri Lanka's wicket-keeper of course will be Prassana Jayawardena and Mahela Jayawardena along with Kumar Sangakkara will be the key Sri Lankan batsmen.


As I mentioned there, with an opening partnership not necessarily used to English conditions not playing test cricket here before or playing in the one-day series coming in at 3 and 4 Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara have been key players for Sri Lanka for many years and they will need to be on top form again here or the England fast men could soon tear through the batting line-up, though the latter influence of Angelo Matthews and the keeping Jayawardena should prevent any possible collapses really though they are not the strongest batsmen and they don't necessarily bat as deep as England.


In terms of the bowling Rangana Herath is a top class spin bowler who could have the more inexperienced top order of England's in a lot of trouble if he gets on a roll.  Meanwhile Nuwan Kulasekara has an important role as the leader of the Sri Lankan seam attack, even though test cricket hasn't always been his favourite form preferring the one day formats a lot more.


Key Player: For me the experienced head of Mahela Jayawardena needs to show the rest of the batting line-up how it's done really by taking charge and making some big runs in this series as the Sri Lankans look for a good start to the series.  Jayawardena will certainly be one of the batsmen England will target and try to get out early if they are to run through the batting order.




It should be a fascinating test match played in pretty good weather on a pretty good Lord's pitch and in my opinion it should be a pretty even contest. England will want to get off to a good start though as they aim to start their test match rebuild with a series win.

Golf: The US Open Preview

On Thursday we have the second Golf major of the year starting at the Pinehurst course in North Carolina with the 114th US Open Championship. From the 12th-15th June we are going to be treated to some top quality major golf action, with Justin Rose the defending champion and the whole thing culminating on Fathers Day, but which golfer will be able to win a major championship and give their father the best Fathers Day gift they could have imagined?


First up then, let's have a look at how the groupings shape up for the first couple of days before the cut, and i'll be giving you a couple of predictions as to who will be the best player in each grouping.


Thursday and Friday US Open Major Groupings:


Sergio Garcia, Jason Day and Brandt Snedeker: Jason Day did have a good time in the majors last season and it doesn't seem like he's far away from one, but injury hampered him at The Masters and he seems to still be searching for a bit of form. Meanwhile Sergio has been in good form of late and always seems to play fairly consistently in the majors making him a good pick here.


Henrik Stenson, Matt Kuchar and Lee Westwood: All 3 of these players have been playing well lately, although Lee Westwood always seems to be around at majors he never quite seems to be good enough. Henrik Stenson has been playing well on the European Tour as well but for him it's all about how he can transfer this form to the US scene. Meanwhile Matt Kuchar has had a very strong season so far on the PGA Tour and he played pretty well in the last couple of days at the Masters whilst being consistently good over the season.


Webb Simpson, Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell: All 3 of these guys have won the US Open in the past but since then it seems like McDowell and Simpson really haven't pushed on and been able to find the same form. Meanwhile McIlroy hadn't been having a great time up until this season where he's seemed to rediscover his form and splitting from girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki has allowed him to really focus on his Golf in the last month. Both a good bet to win this grouping and to go far this week.


Ian Poulter, Miguel Angel Jiminez and Thongchai Jaidee: All of these players have had some good results over the last few months with Jimenez and Jaidee both having wins on the European Tour since the Masters where Jimenez was also playing well. But for me Poulter really has a lot of experience now both in Golf and the major tournaments and it's really time for him to use that to greater effect in these major events because he certainly has the attitude and the potential.


Nick Watney, Jonas Blixt and Joost Luiten: In this grouping for me it is between Jonas Blixt and Joost Luiten who have both been playing some decent Golf recently while Watney doesn't seem to have done too much. However, for me Blixt comes across as a brilliant talent and he certainly showed at the Masters that he has the game to go far in a major, just as he did at Augusta and hopefully he can bring that form here as well. Certainly seems to have bags of potential.


Patrick Reed, Ryan Moore and Kevin Na: Out of these 3 I think it's probably Ryan Moore and Patrick Reed that seem to have the biggest potential to do well this week. Reed has had a lot to say about how good a Golfer he is, but as he matures as a Golf player he may live to regret some of the statements he's made as really he is putting extra pressure on himself. Moore meanwhile is a very decent golfer with a decent world ranking and a decent overall game. All he really needs to add are some more consistent displays in the major tournaments and I think he has that in him.


Boo Weekly, D.A Points and Stephen Gallacher: Stephen Gallacher really is the stand out player in this grouping while Weekly and Points are both decent golfers, Gallacher just seems to have had a spark in his game in the last year or so as he has really risen as a golfer and started to challenge for bigger events. His display at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth last month just showed he can compete with the best, and his form may just be too good for Weekly and Points if he can reproduce it this week.


Zach Johnson, Angel Cabrera and David Toms: For me this grouping is all about Johnson and Cabrera as they have both been around a while within golf and they both have what it takes to win Golf tournaments. However, for me it's Zach who jumped out at me here as he has really started to build up a fair amount of major experience and with the talent he has it's time he started to produce top quality golf more frequently in the best events.


Justin Rose, Phil Mickelson and amateur Matthew Fitzpatrick: This group of course is all about Justin Rose the defending champion and one of the biggest names in the game of golf in Phil Mickelson. Rose may be defending champion but with that comes a lot of extra pressure that won't be on Phil and many of the golfers in the field. Rose doesn't seem to have reproduced too much either in too many events since winning the US last year, while Phil Mickelson has more experience in how to handle big pressure and his record in the US Open and every major on the calendar is simply brilliant.


Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama and Rickie Fowler: This group in my opinion is all about the young man Jordan Spieth. Jordan showed both at the Masters and then again so soon afterwards at the Players Championship what he's made of on 2 very tough courses. He's also had a lot of success on the PGA Tour and is certainly one young golfer who could go on and dominate the game for years to come.


John Senden, Nicolas Colsaerts and Brooks Koepka: For me I think this pairing is all about Nicolas Colsaerts and how he goes. Last seen he seemed to burst onto the scene with some very good results and he seemed to have quite a lot of talent. Things haven't quite happened for him yet this season but now wouldn't be a bad time to start.


Dustin Johnson, Jimmy Walker and Victor Dubuisson: This grouping is packed full of talent with the large experience of Dustin Johnson, though he has really been struggling with his game in recent times. For me Victor Dubuisson is a man that has burst onto the scene with plenty of potential and he certainly seems to have what it takes to have a good performance in a major, and once he has his first great major display then he will be able to kick on. Hopefully that breakthrough is this week.


Bubba Watson, Adam Scott, Charl Schwartzel: Three real quality players lining up here in this grouping with this years Masters champion Bubba Watson but also the 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott. Adam has been in impeccable form of late on his rise to world no.1 while Bubba Watson doesn't seem to be someone who can produce on as regular a basis as Scott seems to be. That's why Scott is my pick here.


Ernie Els, Darren Clarke and Louis Oosthuizen: This grouping is full of experienced players who have played in a lot of major championships in the past. For his age and how long he's been around Ernie Els still seems to be able to produce good golf at the highest level and he has more experience than some players could dream of having. Ernie also has a brilliant record in the US Open unlike Darren Clarke while Oosthuizen seems to have fallen away in recent years making Els my pick of this group.


Jason Dufner, Keegan Bradley and Martin Kaymer: After Keegan Bradley's good runs of 2 or 3 years ago his game really seems to have gone downhill and at the moment he doesn't seem to have had very many high finishes at any tournaments at all. Meanwhile, Jason Dufner doesn't seem to have much consistency to his game, on some days playing really well and on others he can fall apart. On form Martin Kaymer is probably the best player of these 3 but his form had also gone missing in the last couple of years before he won the Players Championship recently and since then he seems to have really got back close to the level he was playing at when he won his first major.


Hunter Mahan, Jamie Donaldson and Francesco Molinari: In this grouping we have 2 golfers that always seemed to have been consistently average in Molinari, whose form is really plummeting and Hunter Mahan. However, Jamie Donaldson has been on the rise for some time and has started to play some good golf at some of the bigger events on the calendar as well as the small ones and I expect him to impress again this week.


Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker and Bill Haas:  All of the guys in this grouping are very experienced golfers who all know there way around the US courses in particular and you expect them all to go ok in the US majors. However, Jim Furyk just seems to have that extra bit of quality that can sometimes be the difference between missing a few cuts and finishing in the middle of the leaderboard to having more stronger finishes and getting nearer to the top of the field as he did at the Masters this year without any real fuss.


Brendon De Jonge, Kevin Stradler and Shane Lowry: All of these players in this grouping generally look average and Shane Lowry has often been looked upon by some as a player that is alright but not a good or a great player. For me though some of the form he can show at events, just as he showed at the BMW PGA at Wentworth is worthy of making him a good player and it only takes one good week at a major for more and more people to think that and this could well be his week to do that.


Luke Donald, Harris English and Paul Casey: The clear stand out player in this section is of course former world no.1 Luke Donald who simply has that extra bit of quality compared to Casey and English and his return to form in some of the latest events including that BMW PGA Championship could make him a real force to be reckoned with this week right at the top of the leaderboard.




Now I'm going to look at who the 10 Players to Watch for this weeks US Open title are going to be and who my tips are for the tournament and why.


9 Players to Watch at the US Open:


Jason Day: I though Jason Day would've been a big player to watch for The Masters and perhaps without that injury he had shortly beforehand he might have been able to get inside the Top 10. He hasn't quite yet hit his straps after that injury but he would've been preparing well for this tournament, he has a good record from previous US Open championships and he is a player that does seem to play his best golf at the major championships. Due to the injury he had though and his slow return to form since I don't think he can win the tournament outright but I certainly think that with a strong start he'll make it into the top 10 and who knows how high he can finish from there.


Phil Mickelson: Phil Mickelson is pretty much one of the players to watch at every major on the golf calendar simply because of his sheer brilliance and the experience that he has from winning so many tournaments in the past. He wasn't necessarily playing his best golf prior to his Open Championship win last year, and he hasn't been playing stunning golf in the lead up to this, missing the cut at the years first major at Augusta. However, he does have a very good record at the US Open and if anyone can turn up and play well without necessarily having much form behind him it's Phil Mickelson. I wouldn't rule him out for the title but once again a top 10 finish is slightly more likely.


Matt Kuchar: Matt Kuchar has been one of the leading players on the golf circuit this season with a silly amount of top 10 finishes so far in 2014 including a win at the RBC Heritage and a strong finish earlier in the year at the Masters. All of these events of course have been on US soil, and with that RBC win under his belt, Kuchar really will believe that he can go on and win this one after a series of good weeks golf that haven't always produced the desired result but he has consistently played well.


Jordan Spieth: Jordan Spieth is a brilliant young player who has burst onto the scene in the last year already with one PGA Tour victory under his belt giving him plenty of confidence to know that not only can he compete but he can win. That helped him a lot at his first Masters where he finished tied for 2nd and he also had a strong event at the Players Championships and all of these strong tour performances and major performances can only be leading up to one thing and that is Spieth's first major championship and I think that it will certainly come sooner rather than later in his career.


Adam Scott: Adam Scott has been so brilliant and so consistent since his first major win at the 2013 Masters that he is now one of the top forces in world golf. He has climbed the rankings at a sharp rate to reach the world no.1 spot recently and he is definetly a player that will win multiple major championships in his career now and having done the hard work it's about time he was cashing in now and he really should be winning a major or a big event every season knowing what he's capable of. There is a very strong case for him winning at Pinehurst this week.


Bubba Watson: Big hitting Bubba Watson's 2nd Masters win at Augusta in April just confirmed to everyone how good a player he really is in the game right now, right up there with the best in the world. There is certainly no arguing with Watson's form at the moment and his game is one that can get him a win anywhere in the world. If he's on form with his putting as well as his longer game then he has to be a force at any major championship and it could be time either this year or next that he started adding some different major titles to his collection to go with his 2 Masters. A top 5 finish this week would really be a strong foundation for some of the big upcoming events to come in the rest of the golf season and could tee him up for further major wins before the end of 2014.


Stephen Gallacher: Stephen Gallacher has really been one of the most improved players on the golf tour in the last couple of years. Stephen has won the Dubai Desert Classic 2 seasons running picking up 2 of his 3 European Tour wins in the last 2 years, losing out in another 2 events in the last 2 years in play-offs including the very recent Nordea Masters which has been part of a real spike in form for Stephen that has also seen him finish in the top 5 at the BMW PGA at Wentworth. I'm not sure if he has the game to ever win a major championship, but he certainly has the game to start producing some bigger results and continue to climb up the rankings.


Henrik Stenson: Henrik Stenson seems as though he has reached the peak years of his career at this stage with some fantastic results he has been having in the last couple of years. Henrik won two tournaments in September 2013, another in November 2013 he finished 2nd to Mickelson at last years Open Championship and 3rd at last years PGA Championships. He finished tied for 14th earlier this season at the Masters and his rise in form has really showed that he can continue to find these top 20 and top 10 finishes in major championships which I expect him to play his way to again this week.


Rory McIlroy: Rory McIlroy had had a tough couple of years since his win at the US Open and things for him had not been straight forward with a change of clubs for him not working out last year and people saying that his relationship with Caroline Wozniacki was distracting him from his golf amongst other things. However, since the turn of the year things have started to settle down for him with his golf and ending his relationship with Caroline has really allowed him to focus on his Golf, rediscover his form and it led to a huge win for him at the BMW PGA Championship which would also have given him plenty of confidence to go on and perform better at the majors. I Expect at least a top 10, maybe even a top 5 or a win for Rory this week.




My 3 Tournament Tips:

Jordan Spieth
Matt Kuchar
Adam Scott


Whatever happens this week and whoever gets the win at this weeks US Open in North Carolina there will be some brilliant golf on display and I'm sure we will have a winner worthy of winning such a huge event on the golfing calendar.


I hope you've all enjoyed my preview and that you will all enjoy watching the event as much as I will over the next 4 days.