Monty Panesar’s Flying Circus, and the other greatest sporting endings
MONTY Panesar’s Flying Circus, and the other greatest sporting endings
As Monty Panesar dived comically to slide his bat over the popping crease and set up England’s great escape against New Zealand in Auckland, he and his teammates provided a finale worthy of the ten greatest sporting climaxes of all time. And competition for places is nothing if not fierce…
Cricket first, and in 2009 Monty was of course involved at the business end of the first test match to be played at Cardiff, when England clung on to save the game, and set up their second successive home Ashes series victory. Better still, though, was…
2005: England v Australia, Edgbaston
Australia needed three runs to clinch the second test of the series, when Harmison delivered a short ball to Kasprowicz which Jones caught spectacularly on the leg side. It was a bitter blow for Australia, and made worse when replays showed that it came off the batsman’s glove when it was not in contact with the bat. The match is best remembered for Freddie Flintoff’s sporting gesture in commiserating with Australia’s other batsman Brett Lee. The “iconic” event was later commemorated in this tasteful statuette, with Steve Davis acting as the model for both figures.
1985: Snooker World Championship Final
Speaking of Steve Davis, the ginger-nutted maestro was on the receiving end of one of the game’s most famous upsets when zany-binned Irishman Dennis Taylor came back from 62-44 to leave everything resting on the black…
2010: John Isnir v Nicolas Mahut
When John Isner hit his final backhand to take the fifth set of this Wimbledon first round tie 70-68, he concluded the longest match in tennis history. It lasted more than 11 hours, spread over three days. The umpire and both players then received a special present from Tim Henman in in of the oddest prize-givings in sporting history.
1989 Tour de France
At the final stage, Greg LeMond was 50 seconds behind Laurent Fignon. LeMond is a prominent and long-standing opponent of doping, but he had technological advantages, including a special aerodynamic helmet. Fignon had no helmet and long hair. LeMond won the race by eight seconds, in what is widely considered the best finish ever finish in the competition…
1999 US Open
Colourful and eccentrically attired Payne Stewart’s finest hour came shortly before his death, when he sank the longest winning putt in US Open history.
1972: Olympic Basketball Final
A Cold War classic in which the Soviet Union stole the gold medal from under the noses of the previously all-conquering Americans. The USA believed they had won it, and celebrated at the final hooter. At which point it was discovered that there were still three seconds to play. Cue Alexander Belov…
2008: Olympic 100 Metre Butterfly Final
Of Michael Phelps’s record haul of eight gold medals at the Bejing Olympics, the seventh was the tightest. Phelps trailed Milorad Cavic until the very last stroke to win by a hundredth of a second…
1999 Champions League Final
‘That night in Barcelona’ would be memorable enough even without the ceaseless reminders that Clive Tyldesley shoehorns into every commentary. Only three minutes of ‘Fergie time’ on this occasion, but it was enough to have old Bacon Face sizzling with excitement. Here it is again. This time with German commentary…
1989 Liverpool v Arsenal
The only football match to inspire a rom com and the only one to top that night in Barcelona. Defending champions Liverpool needed to win, to draw, or to lose by no more than one goal, in order to retain their title. Arsenal needed to win by a margin of two or more to regain the crown after a gap of 18 years. Deep into injury time they led 1-0 and all seemed lost, when suddenly it was ‘up for grabs’…
Posted: 27th, March 2013 | In: Key Posts, Sports Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
