The Ashes reach Adelaide this week with a record in sight. It took England 11 days to lose the urn in 2002-03 and now they are 2-0 down after only six. Mark Wood, our chief weapon, is crocked and Pat Cummins, Australia’s captain, is fit to play at a ground where they have won six of their past seven Ashes Tests. They call Adelaide “the city of churches” but do England have a prayer? Find out from Tuesday (TNT Sports 1, 11.30pm).
Upsets happen in sport: that’s why we watch. “He’s not just an underdog, he’s an underpuppy,” Sid Waddell said of Keith Deller when he beat Eric Bristow to become world darts champion in 1983. Beau Greaves will be an underdog this year, even though she beat Luke Littler in October at the World Youth Championship.
She could do it on a wet night in Wigan but can she rise to the occasion in the senior World Championship at Ally Pally? The three-times women’s world champion plays her first match against Daryl Gurney, the No 22 seed (Friday, Sky Sports Darts, 7pm). She’s already a winner in the nickname stakes: while Gurney is Superchin, Greaves is Beau ’n’ Arrow.
The bright young things of tennis don’t seem quite as bright as they once did. This week has the ATP’s Next Gen finals for the most promising players aged under 20 (Sky Sports Tennis, 11am). In 2019 it was won by Jannik Sinner, in 2021 by Carlos Alcaraz. Last year’s champion, João Fonseca, is now the world No 24 and would still be eligible but has withdrawn, leaving world No 28 Learner Tien, of the United States, and Jakub Menšík (No 19) as the only competitors in the world’s top 100.
A friend once told me he knew someone at Cambridge who was so desperate to get a Blue he volunteered to box against Oxford’s finest. The bell went, he charged out and punched his opponent below the belt. Warned he would be disqualified if he did it again, he punched him in the balls once more. He was duly disqualified.
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This might be Jake Paul’s best strategy against Anthony Joshua (Saturday, Netflix, 1am). Paul is a YouTuber with 21 million subscribers who dabbles in boxing. Last year he beat Mike Tyson, who was past his best when Paul was born in 1997, but Joshua was world champion only four years ago and is five inches taller and 45lb heavier.
This fight shouldn’t be allowed. If conducted fairly, it could be dangerous. It is hard to see what Joshua gains, save a £70m payday. Win and he’s just a mercenary beating up a novelty act; lose and his career is over. Some will feel queasy about this; others may see it as a late-night alternative to the Ashes, if a touch less one-sided.
Photograph by Sarah Reed – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images