Five major sporting events to look forward to watching

Tampa Bay Rays players celebrate after defeating the Boston Red Sox 3-1 in Game 7 to win the American League baseball championship series in St. Petersburg, Fla., Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008. AP Photo/Mike Carlson

Half of 2009 has already passed us by and in that time we’ve witnessed some fantastic sporting events. In chronological order, these are the five sporting events I’m most looking forward to in the second half of 2009.

Ashes, 8 July – 24 August
After all of the Twenty20 fluff, I am keen to see some real cricket. I am also interested to see how Australia does. They had a rough couple of months last year in India, followed by the home loss to South Africa. They managed to stop the rot with a win in South Africa, so who really knows where they’re at.

This tour will set the tone of Australian cricket for the next few years and Ricky Ponting’s place in history rests on it. He is the first captain since Allan Border in 1989 not to have the use of Shane Warne in England.

AFL Grand Final, 26 September
Always a highlight of the sporting year, could anyone else except St Kilda and Geelong be there on the last day in September? Geelong will be looking for redemption after last year’s fiasco while St Kilda will be hoping to snap a 43 year drought.

The two have never met in a premiership decider and it will be just the Saint’s sixth Grand Final since 1897. If they win, try to steer clear of Molly Meldrum and Shane Warne.

Baseball Playoffs, October
After the culmination of a 162 game marathon season, the MLB season ends with a frenetic sprint to the title. You need to win eleven games out of a possible 19. I love the consistent ability of the baseball playoffs to produce drama and tension on a daily basis.

The stakes couldn’t be higher and every night someone is going to be a hero and someone a villain. More often than not, it is the unlikeliest of people who become the heroes.

There is no way in the world I would want to be a relief pitcher.

Bledisloe Cup in Tokyo, 31 October
Except for referee Alan Lewis, everything about last year’s Bledisloe Cup match in Hong Kong was a pleasure. Tokyo will be hosting a match this year and it should be another wonderful occasion. It is great for such a showpiece of rugby to be given such a prominent platform in Japan.

On the eve of Halloween, which team is going to experience the horrors?

Conclusion to World Cup qualifying, October and November and World Cup Draw, 25 November
For once, we can watch the conclusion to World Cup qualifying from the safe vantage point of Australia’s secure place. The final night of the European group qualifiers is October 14 and that should be riveting viewing.

There are then going to be play-offs in November with the final five places to be decided on November 18.

A week later the draw will be done, which is always exciting.

Is Australia yet respected enough that it could be part of a ‘Group of Death’?