Weekend of purest horror on the sidelines

OPINION: Sport is unpredictable but none of us saw the embarrassing cricket and basketball Rocky Horror Shows coming at the weekend.

When the Jets basketballers trailed the Hawks 15-0 on our home court on Saturday, we wondered where the first basket was coming from. When it got to an agonising 35-2, the damage was irreversible and the Hawks had flown, even if the Jets did rally later.

The Manawatu cricketers had teeny North Otago on the rack at 116 for nine on Saturday but the two last Oamaru batsmen added 91 and might have stolen the Hawke Cup. Manawatu keeled over for 159 yesterday, against the second-smallest district in the country.

Many will remember Paul Lewis, former Sport Manawatu chief executive.

Now he is based in Melbourne as head of the ANZ Bank branch network in Australia, a mere 813 branches with 8000 staff. "Bit different from Sport Manawatu, but still fun," he says.

He's looking forward to the Melbourne Rebels Super 14 side starting next year although he is also a 'Pies fan, as a Collingwood AFL member. "It's typical but after three years of following the Reds, they are only coming right the year I left Brisbane!"

Colin Cooper has done Manawatu first five-eighth Aaron Cruden a favour by not starting him with the increasingly grey Hurricanes.

Since they got to South Africa, the Hurricanes have looked toothless, soft up front and error-ridden all over the place, not the best viewing on a Sunday morn. The last man they could afford to lose was fullback Cory Jane, to concussion in the 37-13 loss to the Stormers.

The Stormers played a high-pace game and the defence couldn't cope, especially wing David Smith who was run over by Fijian Sireli Naqelevuki. And Willie Ripia's suicidal chip kicks should be banned.

There was a time in our national basketball league when American players were benched only when they were in foul trouble.

In the Jets' dreadful loss to Hawke's Bay on Saturday, the two Americans seemed to spend more time watching than playing, even if injuries and fouls were factors. The Hawks kept Jamil Terrell on for most of the game. If only he was still with the Jets, an all-purpose forward who does the bizzo at both ends.

The Americans are paid big bucks and they should be out there earning them.

Summer basketball in Manawatu has boomed this season.

There are 16 teams in Wednesday night's Arena Manawatu competition for the first time in more than 20 years says organiser Willie Bryant. They'll be hoping for the same increase when they take registrations for their winter leagues.

Alan Adamson and his crew at the Manawatu secondary schools athletics competition had to work without a computer on Saturday.

One of the machines let them down in the morning. It didn't stop the team though who had the results on tap all day for anyone who wanted to know how they did.

- © Fairfax NZ News