Five Most Powerful Boxing Films
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14 Saturday 11th December, 2010 tributions from Steve Finn and Hussey just when he looked like the toss and batted - on the first day. BY DEREK PRINGLE James Anderson, most notably making another pest of himself. It might have been a different here is a new talent show Anderson’s double strike to leave With Broad unable to bowl after match had Jonathan Trott missed coming to Melbourne this him on a hat-trick. his second spell on Monday, with the throw that ran out Simon Tweek and the winner will get The second of those wickets, England essentially won with three Katich or Anderson not wobbled the to play alongside 10 of England’s Ryan Harris, created a bit of histo- bowlers, though Pietersen did chip new ball around to such deadly victorious cricketers in the next ry when given out lbw by umpire in with the vital wicket of Michael effect in the immediate aftermath. Ashes Test. Marais Erasmus. Apart from the Clarke. On a true pitch rather than Bowlers win Tests, though A prize with immortality ignominy of a ‘king pair’ (two one offering lavish turn, they might England’s were certainly helped by stamped all over it beckons for one noughts off his first ball faced) on have struggled to dismiss Australia the huge scoreboard pressure bear- of Tim Bresnan, Ajmal Shahzad his Ashes debut, he is the 12th Test before afternoon thunderstorms, ing down upon Australia. Cook’s and Chris Tremlett, following player to suffer such fate and the always forecast, doused the city second monolithic effort with the Stuart Broad’s return home with a first to do so after referring both with enough rain for the river bat in the series prepared the way torn stomach muscle. It will be a dismissals. Torrens to burst its banks. for Pietersen’s most dynamic good trial on several levels: individ- Finn, the tall man of the attack Thankfully the dusty surface innings for two years, a career-best ually for each bowler and collective- and its enforcer now that Broad has placed Swann in his element and he 227 that knocked Australia’s self- ly for the England squad, whose gone, was off beam in the first made light work of Australia’s late esteem sideways. seamless preparation for this series innings but he possesses the happy order, who looked as if they might It also boosted his own in time has suffered its first glitch. knack of getting wickets just when have been more comfortable in a pit for the Waca, a venue England’s There are high stakes following his team needs them, always handy of brown snakes than against the batsmen traditionally struggle at, the triumph of Andrew Strauss’ for a captain. Shane Watson was turning ball. though that may be because it has A heart-breaking scene from the epic film, ‘The Champ’ team in the second Test in Adelaide looking good on Monday when Finn England had the conditions fall tended to coincide with a nadir in by an innings and 71 runs, their found the edge of his bat and on in their favour, but only because their morale. Having already beaten biggest win on Australian soil for 40 Tuesday he got rid of Michael they skittled Australia - who won Western Australia there a month years since Ray Illingworth’s side ago, confidence will be booming won in Sydney by 299 runs. England when they return and it will be Five most powerful teams do not often win series, or interesting to see how that trans- even Tests, in Australia and victory lates on the fast, bouncy pitch there. has given them their best chance of Now they are one down in the achieving the feat since 1986-87, and series and looking more rabble-like boxing films what self-respecting cricketer would than any Australian team since the want to miss being a part of that? one Allan Border took over in 1984, BY CHRISTY LEMERIE pionship. As full of cheesy The three likely lads have played the hosts could take drastic meas- uplift as the ending is, it together before on this tour, against ures. One might be for them to emu- LOS ANGELES (AP) - still sends chills. Australia A in Hobart. On that occa- England’s spare late the New Zealand sides of the Boxing movies always have -”Million Dollar Baby” 1980s and 90s who would prepare sion Tremlett took seven wickets, plenty of champions: They (2004): Director and co-star grassy pitches whenever they went Bresnan six and Shahzad three, but inspire us to fight harder Clint Eastwood has said there was not much to play for 1-0 down. It is a risk, but a sporty this appealed to him pitch can bring sides closer togeth- ourselves, overcome obsta- except pride. This time, in a three- because it was about a er, something Australia need to do cles in our own lives, day match against Victoria, the search for family, and after the yawning chasm evident acquire killer biceps and stakes will be much higher, which indeed, the scenes he shares will ratchet up the pressure of per- between them at Adelaide. abs. seamers vie for Mark Wahlberg has with Hilary Swank, who formance. functions as a daughter fig- A high bar has been set, for (C) The Telegraph Group, always been known for England were ruthlessly efficient in London, 2010 those parts of his body, and ure in his life, provide the despatching Australia in Adelaide. they’re on full display in film’s heart. But as Maggie It sounds simple but Strauss’ men “The Fighter,” a movie he Fitzgerald, a young woman won because they played like a has been training for and who comes from nothing, proper team, a concept that can fighting to get made for four trains hard and turns her- be frustratingly elusive, as the vacant spot years. He stars as Micky self into an unlikely cham- Australians are discovering. Ward, a real-life boxer who pion, Swank also inspires Well led, except when the was one of Wahlberg’s all on her own. The ending skipper kept Graeme Swann favorites growing up in is just devastating, even if whirring away too long on Massachusetts. you know it is coming. The Monday, they are playing an With “The Fighter” film earned Academy aggressive brand of cricket opening this weekend, here Awards for best picture, that never loses sight of its are five more boxing movies director, actress and sup- goals. So often, aggression that pack an emotional porting actor: Morgan results in loss of control, punch: Freeman as Eastwood’s but apart from the odd spat longtime friend and verbal (it is the Aussies after all), -”Raging Bull” (1980): sparring partner outside there is a steely focus that Well, of course we have to the ring. runs through everyone, start here. Greatest boxing from the planners to the movie ever? That’s not too -”The Champ” (1979): I players. much of a stretch. What dare you to try even think- After Brisbane, many spec- more can we say that hasn’t ing about this movie with- ulated if the series might end already been said? It’s all so out getting choked up; up in a wretched limboland of obvious. Robert De Niro that’s how powerful its con- stalemates, as a result of neither famously transformed him- clusion is. Yes, it is a side being able to take 20 wick- self inside and out, packing remake, and yes, it is ets. But while Australia’s on the muscle to play the shamelessly tear-jerky, but bowlers did little to allay those volatile former mid- man, is it effective. Jon fears after Kevin Pietersen and dleweight champion Jake Voight stars as an ex-boxer Alastair Cook made hay in searing La Motta. In gorgeous, inti- now working as a horse heat, the England attack dovetailed mate black-and-white with trainer while raising his beautifully to dismiss the home its haunting title sequence, worshipful young son (the side twice. this may just go down as artist formerly known as Unsurprisingly, on a pitch desic- Martin Scorsese’s brutal Ricky Schroder). He decides cated by the heat on the opening masterpiece. It earned to try in earnest for a come- two days, Swann hogged the wick- Talent show: Tim Bresnan back (don’t they all?) when ets as the hosts’ second innings Academy Awards for De and Chris Tremlett will be his socialite ex-wife (Faye unravelled on the fifth morning. It Niro (best actor) and for fighting to get a bowl Dunaway) shows up and was by no means a solo effort, Thelma Schoonmaker’s against Victoria with a Test though, and there were timely con- editing, but was criminally threatens to tear father and place at stake. robbed of the best-picture son apart. Schroder dis- prize, which went to played depth and instincts “Ordinary People.” beyond his years at the -”Rocky” (1976): Again, film’s wrenching climax. PHILADELPHIA (AP) - from the what-more-can-we- -”Girlfight” (2000): Klitschko out Kevin Garnett banked in a say? department. We went Before Swank in “Million shot off an alley-oop pass with the first “Rocky” here, Dollar Baby,” Michelle with 1.4 seconds left to give Garnett’s tempting as it was to dredge Rodriguez blazed a trail of title fight due the Boston Celtics their ninth up later installments featur- here as a determined teen straight victory, 102-101 over ing Mr. T and Dolph from the Brooklyn projects the Philadelphia 76ers on basket gives Celtics Lundgren, because it set the who rebels against her to back injury Thursday.