Full Time
The sporting moments that deserve a special mention
F. E. Chakrabarti
THIS YEAR, my fellow Sports Editor Ryan Adams, all those who have written for the sports section, and I, have covered some of the most memorable sporting moments from the last year for the Blue Street Journal. But, there have also been so many other sporting moments that haven’t been shared with you, the esteemed readers of the Blue Street Journal. As it is the final article of my term as an Editor of the SWR, I see it fit to not award any particular moment its own article, but to mention as many as I can possibly remember.
“Let’s get it on Gilly!” These were Warnie’s last words before the 2021-2022 Ashes began, but what happened next sent the excitement into overdrive with Mitchell Starc’s 142.1 km/h thunderbolt crashing into Rory Burns’s leg stump, setting the Gabba alight before Pat Cummins lived up to expectation, taking a 5-for on his first day as a test captain. The Ashes were to be the start of a new chapter in Australian Cricket and did not disappoint. The thrilling series ended 4-0 to the home side, with the Sydney test, commonly known as the Pink Test, coming down to the wire in the final hour before play was called, ending the game in a draw. Man of the Series Travis Head ended the series as he started, with hundreds at the Gabba and the historic last test in Hobart.
The women’s Cricket World Cup, held in New Zealand for the first time, produced some great moments, including Australia going undefeated throughout the tournament and beating England in the final to win their 7th title. Alyssa Healy won player of the tournament, scoring 509 runs over nine games. This included a 129 in the semi-final and a massive 170 runs in the final.
The 12th of December 2021 will go down in history as one of the most famous, or infamous, moments in F1 history. Lewis Hamilton looked set to claim his 8th world title after an unforgettable season-long battle against Dutch young gun Max Verstappen until Canadian driver Nicholas Latifi lost tire traction, resulting in a close-up of the barrier for him and a yellow flag for the race. At first, Australian race director Micheal Masi ruled that lapped cars would be unable to unlap themselves before backflipping on his decision and allowing a final lap for the ages, with the soft compound tires of Verstappen reigning supreme as he overtook Hamilton to claim victory.
Moving on to football and one of the most exciting days in the Premier League was upon us in the final round on May 23rd, 2022. Remembered for moments like Sergio Aguero’s famous goal in 2012, this year’s final round once again looked to be a memorable one with Manchester City and Liverpool battling for the title, European qualifications still all to play for and a relegation battle. Manchester City managed to hold on against Aston Villa to secure the league while Tottenham just claimed fourth over rivals Arsenal. Manchester United recorded the worst season in their club’s history, finishing 6th, and Burnley was relegated after a defeat to Newcastle, losing their battle with Leeds who survive for another season.
Moving to basketball and the Sydney Kings were able to win their first title in 17 years. After a good season, Sydney finished in third before beating the Illawarra Hawks in the semi-final to face first-timers the Tasmanian JackJumpers in the final. The Kings ended their finals campaign playing the shortest amount of games possible, sweeping both the Hawks and the JackJumpers.
On the other side of the world, the NBA finals were also underway. The Golden State Warriors were looking to claim their 4th title in eight years against the Boston Celtics who were looking for their first title since 2008. The Warriors were playing catch up until they leveled the series going into game 5, where Steph Curry, who during the season broke the all-time 3-point record, failed to make a three-pointer. The Warriors still managed to win the game and, in game 6, Curry redeemed himself ending, with 34 points to claim series MVP and, most importantly, his 4th NBA title. Staying in the U.S.A, the Stanley Cup finals series was held between the Tampa Bay Lightning, who were hunting for their third consecutive title, and the Colorado Avalanche who, after breaking their franchise record for points earned in a season (119), were looking to earn their first cup since 2001. They swept away their Western Conference opponents to claim a spot in the Stanley Cup, where they took the first game against the Lightning in overtime before extending their series lead in the second game. Tampa Bay rallied, but it was too little too late for the defending champions as the Avalanche wrapped up the series a game early, winning the 6th game 4-2.