🏏 Australia Succumb To Sri Lankan Spin Cycle

Hello there, it's Tuesday, 12 July. It's freezing, the sun is setting at 5pm and Christmas feels like an age away... so we're obviously going to start today with cricket. The Aussies got spun out in the second Test in Sri Lanka last night, but the good news is they didn't lose the series. 

⏱ 1190 words = 7 minutes

👀 Is Roger really retiring? 😢

THE MAIN GAME

🎾 Aussies spun out in Sri Lanka

If you had plans to watch day 5 of the 2nd Test tonight your evening has become suddenly free after the Aussies were skittled last night. 

The score: Australia 364 & 151 lost to Sri Lanka 554 by an innings and 39 runs

Golden points: Australia started day 4 in Galle looking to wrap up Sri Lanka's 1st innings, erase the deficit and then bat to safety. Fair to say that did not happen. 

• Dinesh Chandimal thwarted the Australian attack like no Sri Lankan batter had done before. He scored 206 not out, the highest Test score for Sri Lanka against Australia, and hit 2 huge sixes off Mitch Starc to bring up his double century.

• When Australia did bowl Sri Lanka out for 554, they were staring down the barrel of a 190-run deficit, but started great to be 0-49 after 13 overs.

• But that's when the carnage began. Australia lost all 10 wickets for 102 runs in 28 overs. Rookie spinner Prabath Jayasuriya took 6-59 to cap off a brilliant debut and bowl out the Aussies before stumps on day 4.

• It means the series is drawn 1-1 after the Aussies won the 1st Test by 10 wickets last week.

The stat: Jayasuriya's match figures of 12-177 are the 4th best ever by a Test debutant. India's Narendra Hirwani's 16-136 against the Windies tops the list, just ahead of the 16-137 by Australia swing bowler Bob Massie in 1972. 

They said it: "It's a good reality check for people touring over here that it's really hard. So many positives out of last week that we did find methods that work, and one small hiccup doesn't mean you have to change everything," Captain Pat Cummins is looking at the big picture.  

What's next: Australia head home for a bit of a break before a huge summer of cricket that includes a T20 World Cup, Tests against South Africa and the West Indies and ends with a Test tour of India. 

Watch it: If you don't like seeing Australia collapsing and getting some reviews very, very wrong this video is not for you. For everyone else, enjoy!  

QUICK SINGLES

🏉 AFL: Former Indigenous stars Leon Davis and Andrew Krackouer have returned to Collingwood. Davis and Krackouer, along with former teammate Heretia Lumumba, cut all ties with the Magpies in April when because they believed the club had not acted on the 'Do Better Report' into racism at Collingwood. But after sharing their experiences with the Pies board, Davis and Krackouer are coming back to Collingwood to help make it a culturally safe place and educate players, staff and the community. 

🏉 AFL: GWS have suffered a giant injury blow. Veteran defender Phil Davis, the club's first-ever signing and an inaugural Giants co-captain ruptured a ligament in his right hamstring in Saturday's loss to Port Adelaide and is out for the season. He'd only just come back from 3 months out with a left hamstring injury, and at 32 is out of contract at the end of this year. It's a huge blow for the Giants, who are in 13th place and 4 wins outside of the top 8. 

🚴‍♂️ Cycling: Aussie gun Ben O'Connor has withdrawn from the Tour de France. O'Connor was one of the favourites to make the podium this year after he finished 4th last year, but things went wrong early. He landed hard on his hip in a crash in stage 2 and was involved in another pile up in stage 8. He pushed on but says he felt like he was riding on one leg with a "knife in your arse". That sounds excruciating, so he's pulled out and will now focus on La Vuelta aka the Tour of Spain in August. 

🎾 Roger Federer has dropped another hint his playing days might be over. Say it ain't so, Rodge! 2022 was the first time in 24 years Federer hasn't played at Wimbledon, and he hasn't played anywhere since last year's tournament due to a crook knee. It means he's dropped out of the men's rankings for the first time in 25 years, and in an interview with a Dutch newspaper, he said this: "I am a winner lover, but if you're not competitive any more, then it's better to stop. I don't think I need the tennis. I know a professional career can't last forever and that's okay."

⛳️ Cristiano Ronaldo is not for sale. That's what Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says despite Ronaldo saying he wants out of there. Ronaldo won't be with club for their preseason tour of Thailand for personal reasons, but Ten Hag says he's had a really good conversation with Ronaldo, so maybe the 37yo will be a Red Devil next season after all. But Paul Pogba won't be. He's off to Juventus.  

LEFT OF FIELD

🎾 Tennis: Ever wondered how tennis stars unwind after playing in the pressure of a grand slam final? Well, Nick Kyrgios spent it at a night club in Mayfair (the richest Monopoly property) with people dressed in tennis costumes, sparklers coming out of champagne and really big bottles of booze after his Wimbledon men's final against Novak Djokovic. Kyrgios's sister posted videos of her bro on Instagram and he was pretty easy to spot because he still had on his favourite red hat, which he wore at the presentation ceremony and that could land him a big fine for breaking dress code rules.  

📽 Highlight reel: Now this is how you slot a penalty. Georgia Stanway scored the first of England's 8 goals against Norway in this morning's Euro 2022 match. 

📸 Photo finish: The Swans AFLW team had their first training session on the SCG last night and the men's team was there to get around them. 

THE POLLING BOOTH

Yesterday's result: 60.31% of voters said they're not a fan of Nick Kyrgios. 

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

• ⚾️ 9:00am - MLB - Braves v Mets - SunTrust Park - Foxtel, Kayo

• 🏀 6:00pm - FIBA Asia Cup - Australia v Jordan - Jakarta - Foxtel, Kayo

• 🏏 10:00pm - ODI cricket - England v India - The Oval - Foxtel, Kayo

All times AEST

THE MANAGER'S OFFICE

There's only one thing the manager hates more than a bunch of wet towels on the floor, and that's a referral that's gone missing... Tell your teammates, supporters, and physio about us. No one likes a ball hog...