Index 2021

 

FOOTBALL
• Season 2020/21
23.04 Super League coup attempt leaves nasty scar

06.06 For the record: Tuchel guides Chelsea to European glory
• Euro 2020+1
11.06 The Guide: Better late than never
26.06 Southgate seeks to banish the ghosts of Euro 96
10.07 And Final-ly...
13.07 Not this time, maybe never
• Season 2021/22
27.08 Premier League preview: Ronaldo returns after Man City miss out on Kane
19.11 Goal glut for Kane as England qualify for World Cup

OLYMPICS
• Tokyo 2020+1
24.07 The unwanted Olympics
31.07 Proud Daley achieves his dream at last
10.08 Kennys keep their Golden Touch

FORMULA ONE
• 2021 season
28.03 Verstappen closes in on record-chasing Hamilton
19.07 Hamilton revives title challenge after dramatic day at Silverstone
23.11 Tetchy title race goes to the wire

CRICKET
• Ashes series 2021/22
07.12 Overshadowed, uncertain Ashes series steps out of the shade
29.12 Ducking hell
• Earlier series
05.02 Root seeks a jewel in the crown

OTHER SPORT
• Snooker
18.04 Trump targets second World Snooker title
03.05 Obdurate Selby grinds down doughty Murphy
• Tennis
19.09 Raducanu makes the grade in New York
• Golf
27.09 Windswept Europe battered by Americans in Wisconsin
• Ice Hockey
22.05 Free hit for Team GB in ice hockey finals

POLITICS

• Local elections
09.05 Labour holds London but loses in Hartlepool and heartlands

INDEX 2021 
• Previous years 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011

Ducking hell

➡️ SCHEDULE: AUSTRALIA LEAD THE SERIES 3-0

Date	GMT		Venue
8-11 Dec	00:00	1 Australia 425 & 20-1 beat England 147 & 297 by nine wickets	Brisbane
16-20 Dec	04:00	2 Australia 473-9d & 230-9d beat England 236 & 192 by 275 runs	Adelaide (D/N)
26-28 Dec	23:30	3 Australia 267 beat England 185 & 68 by an innings and 14 runs	Melbourne
5-9 Jan	23:30	FOURTH TEST	Sydney
14-18 Jan	02:30	FIFTH TEST	Hobart (D/N)

ENGLAND equalled their all-time annual record of 54 ducks as they collapsed to a humiliating total of 68 all out in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

In only the seventh session of the match, England officially conceded any chance of regaining the Ashes after going 3-0 down in a thoroughly embarrassing defeat.

Quite understandably, all Australian thoughts have already now turned towards completing a fourth whitewash in Ashes history.

Of course, two of those 5-0 whitewashes are within relatively recent memory, coming in the 2006-07 and 2013-14 series.

Meanwhile, the most recent series Down Under in 2017-18 finished 4-0 with England only able to stave off the whitewash on that occasion by securing a draw in the fourth Test in Melbourne thanks to Alastair Cook's unbeaten 244. 

The three defeats this time in Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne therefore make it 12 losses out of 13 for England in Australia, and four wins and 22 losses out of the 28 matches played there this century. 

Remarkably, three of those four England wins came during their spectacularly successful 2010-11 series - and each of those victories, in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, came by an innings.

Back then, England lined up with Cook, captain Andrew Strauss, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood and Matt Prior in their top seven. 

Cook, in fact, finished the series with an incredible average of 127.66 after scores of 235 not out, 148 and 189. 

Then, within a year of that momentous Ashes triumph, England were officially deemed the best team in the world after completing a 4-0 home whitewash of India.

Unfortunately, this current selection has far more similarities with the Nasser Hussain-led team of 1999 which infamously became the worst Test side in the world after a home series defeat to New Zealand.

The year before, in 1998, that record of 54 ducks in a year was set - and yet, that summer, Michael Atherton inspired England to a comeback series win against a strong South Africa side. 

As such, this feels far worse - an inescapable trap of repeated humiliating failures displayed almost unashamedly to the extent that the record books constantly need to be on hand for the pundits, commentators and cricket geeks. 

It got to the stage this year where, in all honesty, all of the above expected these England flops to reach their duck record of 54 - and Joe Root's men duly obliged. 

Resuming on 31-4, England were yet again in a fragile position - but, with their best batsman, Root, still at the crease, it did not seem like it would be a momentous task, even for these hapless tourists, to score the 51 runs required for Australia to have to bat again.

Instead, local hero Scott Boland took 6-7 on debut as England folded again and fell 14 runs short of the Aussies' modest total of 267 despite having had the benefit of two knocks. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it is the lowest Test total since 1986 to have won a match by an innings, and the eighth-lowest ever. 

Yet it is merely the latest - and worst - day in a whole slew of bad days for England in this series. 

In the first Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, Root won the toss and opted to bat on a green-top which brought about a predictably rotten outcome.

It all started to go wrong from the very start with Rory Burns bowled first ball to a Mitchell Starc delivery which landed on leg-stump. 

Burns's technique was dreadful, falling across to the off-side and exposing his wicket; it really was altogether a horrendous start. 

By the end of the first hour, England had also lost captain Root for a duck, and they were eventually rolled over for 147 on the stroke of tea before rain wiped out the last session. 

The second day - with the ball - went little better as the English attack struggled for line and length, and were guilty of bowling several no-balls. 

Many of the overstepping offences failed to be called by the umpire - but wicket-balls are always checked now and, agonisingly, Stokes reprieved Aussie opener David Warner while he was on just 17.  

Warner was also dropped by the forlorn Burns on his way to 94 - while Travis Head (152) and Marnus Labuschagne (74) helped Australia post 425. 

Elsewhere, spinner Jack Leach was carted around at almost eight-an-over and taken out of the attack - while Ollie Robinson and Stokes, on his return to cricket after an absence of more than nine months, visibly struggled for fitness. 

In the second innings, after the customary loss of two early wickets, the indefatigable Root was joined by Dawid Malan in a partnership of 162. 

But their two wickets precipitated another collapse of 8-74 as England fell away from 223-2 to 297 all out, and left Australia with a facile fourth innings target of 20 runs.

The second Test in Adelaide was a day-night encounter and, just like four years ago, it was reported to be a way back into the series for England.

Just like four years ago, though, Australia dominated under the lights, racking up 473-9 declared through the efforts of Labuschagne (103) and talented sandpaper cheat Steve Smith (93). 

The absence of Pat Cummins following his close contact with a person who had tested positive COVID-19 meant Smith was temporarily promoted back to his previous role as skipper. 

Another Aussie fast-bowler Josh Hazlewood was also absent with a side strain - but the home attack had more than enough for England's batting line-up. 

England lost both openers early again and then lost 8-86 to collapse from 150-2 to 236 all out following the wickets of Root and Malan. Rinse and repeat. 

Australia were then able to declare for the second time in the match on 230-9 as, with Leach dropped, the tourists' five-man seam attack lacked variation and even struggled against the tail.

Skipper Root eventually took the wickets of Alex Carey and Starc with his off-spin - while Robinson was reduced to bowling a three-over spell of off-breaks. 

The rotation policy of bumbling head coach Chris Silverwood was justified on the basis that a well-rested England team would be in prime condition for this Ashes series. 

Instead, though, it rather looks as if they make it up as they go along and the sight of Robinson bowling spin was simply another sign of a team in complete disarray. 

Set a nominal target of 468 runs for victory, Burns made a gritty 34 but England ended four down at the close of play on day four with Root caught behind off the final ball before stumps. 

Jos Buttler (26 off 207 balls) provided some resistance and took the match beyond the tea interval on the final day.

But, just when it looked like his efforts might be enough for England to escape from Adelaide with the most unlikely of draws, he trod on his own stumps to be out hit wicket.

It was another face-palm moment for England - and Australia soon wrapped up another huge victory to go 2-0 up.

In all, this Ashes series was lost within 12 days of playing time. England had spent longer in quarantine on entry to Australia.

For sure then, there are some mitigating factors - spending weeks in a bio-secure bubble to mitigate against COVID-19 is hardly the ideal way to deal with a campaign which has as much intensity as an Ashes series.

Indeed, there is still a chance that this series ends early due to COVID-19, although the outbreak in the England camp has been restricted so far to three coaches and three family members.

Pre-series preparation was also hampered by poor weather in Queensland which washed out the greater part of both inter-squad warm-up matches.

Nevertheless, there is simply no justification for 68 all out, or the fact that the innings was the sixth time in the last four years in which England had failed to score more than 85 in a Test match.

For the record, the other matches came against New Zealand in March 2018 (58 all out in Auckland), the West Indies in January 2019 (77 all out in Barbados), Ireland in July 2019 (85 all out at Lord's), Australia in August 2019 (67 all out at Headingley), and India in January this year (81 all out in Ahmedabad).

Remarkably, two of those matches - against Ireland and Australia - ended in England victories, but the pattern of failure with the bat has been obvious for years.

In fact, no other player introduced to the side since Root made his debut in 2012 has an average over 40.

And, this year in particular, the gap between Root and the rest has reached an embarrassing level. 

Skipper Root has compiled a total of 1,708 runs, the third-highest ever total for a calendar year behind only Mohammad Yousuf's tally of 1,788 in 2006 for Pakistan and West Indies legend Sir Vivian Richards's total of 1,710 in 1976. 

Despite that, though, England have still managed to be all out for less than 200 in 13 of their 29 innings. 

Behind Root, the only other contributions above 400 have come from Burns (530), who was dropped for the third Test, and Extras (412).

England's nine Test defeats in 2021 is a record for any team in a calendar year. 

In short, England never really stood a chance in Australia - but the disappointing aspect of the series is that, bar the efforts of Root with the bat and 39-year-old Jimmy Anderson with the ball, the tourists have simply not come close to competing.

There are inevitable questions about the position of Root as captain, and he may not even want to carry on in the role himself if this ends up being another whitewash - although there is no ready-set candidate to step into the breach.

Regardless of that, though, England should dispense of the services of head coach Silverwood with immediate effect since he has now lost the confidence of almost all of the supporters and possibly some of the team. 

Silverwood's selection and management of a struggling set of players in various series - and especially this one - has sent the team backwards. 

Of course, the problems run deeper than Silverwood - but obvious starting points are the appointment of a fully-competent head coach and the reintroduction of a selector to take the heat off the former.

The structure of the county cricket season definitely needs an overhaul: 

Scrap the current format windows so that both red-ball and white-ball cricket is played right across the summer and introduce a far more rigorous assessment of four-day county pitches 

The Hundred competition also needs to be scrapped and put down as a costly mistake by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). 

Collectively, the ECB now simply needs to accept its failure to cash in fully on the T20 format in the face of the juggernaut that is the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

It also needs to accept that there was no need for the introduction of another white-ball competition using a format played nowhere else, especially one which trashed the traditional links between supporters and county teams.

None of the above suggestions would be automatically enough for England to win the Ashes in Australia, of course - but they should help a future squad to compete a little bit better.

At the same time, there needs to be a far greater focus on the coaching of basic batting technique and the temperament required for Test cricket. 

The forward-defence will never be a sexy shot in the context of the array of strokes brought into the game by T20 and 50-over cricket. 

However, it can look just as spectacular as a ramp shot or a switch-hit when it used against the final ball of the day to save a draw from a losing position. 

Patience is a virtue which also can be taught and the expertise of the likes of battlers like Cook and Atherton should be called upon. 

Too often in this series, England players have failed to leave the ball on length, and too often they also have fished at deliveries going well wide of off-stump. It has made for agonising viewing. 

As it stands, Ashes series in Australia are currently a broken shell of a competition - 5-0, 4-0, 3-0 on the way to 5-0. It all feels like a rather pointless pursuit. 

For now, these five-Test thrashings Down Under somehow remain marketable, even in the era of COVID-19. 

But for how long will that be the case if nothing changes? And if the oldest rivalry in Test cricket - in many ways still the blue-ribbon event - cannot survive, what does that say for the format as a whole? 

In the short term, England are trying to stave off another whitewash not only for their own good but also the good of Test cricket. 

Yet it is not at all clear how on earth they can succeed.

➡️ ENGLAND 54 DUCKS OF 2021
6 Rory Burns 5 Ollie Robinson 4 Dom Sibley, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jonny Bairstow, James Anderson 3 Sam Curran, Stuart Broad 2 Zak Crawley, Jos Buttler, James Bracey, Jack Leach, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood  1 Joe Root, Dawid Malan, Dominic Bess, Moeen Ali, Olly Stone

Overshadowed, uncertain Ashes series steps out of the shade

➡️ SCHEDULE

Date	GMT		Venue
8-12 December	00:00	FIRST TEST	Brisbane
16-20 December	04:00	SECOND TEST	Adelaide (D/N)
26-30 December	23:30	THIRD TEST	Melbourne
5-9 January	23:30	FOURTH TEST	Sydney
14-18 January	TBC	FIFTH TEST	TBC

ENGLAND captain Joe Root has admitted that the Ashes series, beginning tonight at midnight in Brisbane, will define his four-year tenure in charge of the Test team.

Root will lead his side on a tour Down Under for a second time, hoping to fare rather better than four years ago when England were soundly beaten 4-0 in his first away series as skipper.

Australia currently still hold the Ashes, of course, after securing a 2-2 draw in England in a first tied series between the teams since 1972.

Incredibly though, even accounting for the coronavirus pandemic, the Aussies have only played nine Test matches in three series - and none abroad - since retaining the urn in the summer of 2019.

As such, the comments from their then-skipper Tim Paine, which seemed to cast aspersions on the tentative attitude of the England players towards the harsh Australian coronavirus restrictions, were the height of hypocrisy. 

Just this week, less than 48 hours before the first ball of the series, Perth was stripped of the hosting rights to the fifth Test due to the extreme requirements set by authoritarian Western Australia leader Mark McGowan.

Not that any of this is the concern of Paine now. The 36-year-old married father-of-two shed tears as he was forced to quit his position after sexually explicit messages between himself and a female colleague were revealed. 

Rather ludicrously, this affair had been going on at the exact same time that Paine had been appointed captain in an effort to clean up the image of Australian cricket. 

That was required because his predecessor Steve Smith - along with David Warner and Cameron Bancroft - had been exposed for ball-tampering in one of the biggest scandals in the sport in recent times. 

Paine's replacement Pat Cummins is a rookie skipper but was an obvious choice from the shortest of shortlists having led the bowling attack over the last few years. 

Nevertheless, Cummins will also be ably assisted by Smith whose unquestionable quality with the bat has largely restored his reputation Down Under, alongside that of fellow sandpaper cheat Warner. 

Understandably, most England fans view the pair rather differently. 

For, although their cheating was uncovered during a match against South Africa, it remained a mystery throughout the 4-0 drubbing four years ago why Australia were able to reverse swing the ball while England could not. 

Of course, English cricket itself is not in a particularly healthy place right now. 

The serious racism allegations from Azeem Rafiq, while referring specifically to his own treatment while he was a Yorkshire player, suggest there is a wider far deep-rooted problem in the sport. 

Rafiq may have personally lost some credibility when his own historic anti-Semitic comments were subsequently uncovered. 

However, his appearance in front of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on 16 November will have left a few members of the "old-school tie" at Lord's shuffling uncomfortably in their seats - and this is an issue which will not just conveniently go away. 

Back on the field of play, England - like Australia - will head into this series badly undercooked in terms of recent First Class cricket, with both of the inter-squad warm-up matches against England Lions severely affected by heavy rain. 

In the first match against the Lions, only 29 overs were possible across the three days - while the second game fared only a little better with the first two days of four completely washed out. 

Ben Stokes looked in fine nick with bat and ball during the play that was possible, taking 2-31 and bashing 42 not out off 56 balls, as he settles well into the squad following his late selection. 

Previously, on 30 July, Stokes had made himself unavailable, citing the need to prioritise his mental wellbeing and rest his injured left index finger as the reasons for his decision to take an indefinite break from all cricket. 

For sure then, Stokes has made a brave choice to return to the fold at this very moment, immediately before this incredibly intense series. 

Furthermore, the introduction of squad bubbles in the post-COVID-19 world has made life even more difficult for the cooped-up players with doubts at one stage over whether the players' families would be admitted by Australian immigration control. 

Then again, Stokes was clearly determined not to be absent for another Ashes series having been omitted from the tour four years ago following his infamous scrap outside of a Bristol nightclub.

Of course, Root could not hide his joy at the news that Stokes was on board. 

After all, the Durham all-rounder is the heartbeat of this team and carries the same sort of aura against the Australians as his predecessors Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff.

England may have been unable to regain the Ashes at home in the last series - but Stokes's batting heroics at Headingley, where he made 135 not out and batted for an hour with last man Jack Leach, have now been seared into the history of this contest.

The 2-2 draw also kept England unbeaten in home Ashes series since 2001, but their recent touring record against the top three sides in the world - Australia, India and New Zealand - does not make for pretty reading at all.

A surprise victory in Chennai was England's first - and, so far, only - away Test triumph against that trio of opponents under Root's captaincy. 

Even then, India roared back, winning each of the last three matches, including the third Test on a highly suspect pitch in Ahmedabad inside two days. 

The forecast in Brisbane continues to be unsettled and points possibly towards a rain-affected draw in the first Test at the notoriously tough Gabba where Australia have lost only once since 1986. 

That defeat against India was as recently as January, though - and there is now also the prospect of James Anderson being able to swing the ball under the lights in two day-night Tests. 

Nevertheless, world number one bowler Cummins relishes the fast, hard and bouncy surfaces Down Under and the English batting order remains frighteningly brittle. 

Add in England's dreadful away record against the top sides in the world - and it is extremely difficult to look past another comfortable home Ashes win for Australia.

Prediction: Australia win 3-1
📺 Live on BT Sport, highlights on BBC Sport
📻 Test Match Special, live on BBC Radio 4 (LW) and BBC 5 Live Sports Extra

➡️ SQUADS

ENGLAND	Age		Tests	100	50	HS
Joe Root (c)	30	Yorkshire	109	23	50	254
James Anderson	39	Lancashire	166	0	1	81
Jonny Bairstow (wk)	32	Yorkshire	78	6	22	167*
Dominic Bess	24	Yorkshire	14	0	1	57
Stuart Broad	35	Nottinghamshire	149	1	13	169
Rory Burns	31	Surrey	29	3	11	133
Jos Buttler (vc) (wk)	31	Lancashire	53	2	18	152
Zak Crawley	23	Kent	15	1	4	267
Haseeb Hameed	24	Nottinghamshire	6	0	4	82
Dan Lawrence	24	Essex	8	0	3	81*
Jack Leach	30	Somerset	16	0	1	92
Dawid Malan	34	Yorkshire	17	1	7	140
Craig Overton	27	Somerset	6	0	0	41*
Ollie Pope	23	Surrey	20	1	6	135*
Ollie Robinson	28	Sussex	5	0	0	42
Ben Stokes	30	Durham	71	10	24	258
Chris Woakes	32	Warwickshire	39	1	6	137*
Mark Wood	31	Durham	21	0	1	52

AUSTRALIA
Pat Cummins (c), Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Steve Smith (vc), David Warner

ENGLAND LIONS
Alex Lees (c) (Durham), Tom Abell (Somerset), Josh Bohannon (Lancashire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), James Bracey (Gloucestershire), Mason Crane (Hampshire), Matthew Fisher (Yorkshire), Ben Foakes (wk) (Surrey), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Liam Norwell (Warwickshire), Matt Parkinson (Lancashire), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Robert Yates (Warwickshire)

➡️ ENGLAND TEST TOUR WOES since the start of the 2013/14 Ashes series
• Away record versus Australia, India and New Zealand: P23 W1 D4 L18

2013-14	AUSTRALIA	lost 0-5 [5]
2016-17	INDIA	lost 0-4 [5]
2017-18	AUSTRALIA	lost 0-4 [5]
2017-18	NEW ZEALAND	lost 0-1 [2]
2019-20	NEW ZEALAND	lost 0-1 [2]
2020-21	INDIA	lost 1-3 [4]

• NOTE 38.8% of the defeats (7/18) have been by an innings

F1 2021: Tetchy title race goes to the wire

LEWIS HAMILTON moved within striking distance of Championship leader Max Verstappen with victory at the inaugural Grand Prix in Qatar as a bad-tempered title race enters its final stretch.

Seven-time champion Hamilton cut his deficit to the Dutchman down to just eight points, with a maximum of 52 available from the two remaining races in Saudi Arabia on 5 December and Abu Dhabi a week later.

Verstappen still has a points advantage for now then - but, after spending the majority of the season on the back foot, Mercedes driver Hamilton will be satisfied at just being in with a shout after back-to-back race wins. 

In fairness, rather than being completely dominated by one team, this year has seen a seesaw battle straight from the opening Grand Prix in Bahrain, with the lead in the Drivers' Championship already switching five times between the pair. 

Coincidentally, at my last write-up following the British Grand Prix in July, Hamilton had closed the gap on Verstappen to eight points then as well. 

And it actually got better for the Briton prior to the summer recess after a crazy start to the Hungarian Grand Prix on an extremely wet day in Budapest.

At the very first turn of the race at the Hungaroring, there were two major shunts caused by Valtteri Bottas and Lance Stroll who were both too late on the brakes. 

Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate Bottas crashed into the back of Lando Norris who, in turn, careered into Verstappen, causing major damage to the Red Bull. 

An out-of-control Bottas slid off Norris into the other Red Bull of Sergio Perez - while, further back, Stroll went into Ferrari's Charles Leclerc who, in turn, sent Daniel Ricciardo into a spin. 

Hamilton had avoided all of the carnage but, on the restart from the red flag, he was the only driver to start from the grid on intermediate tyres. 

The rest of the drivers still in the Grand Prix restarted from the pits having changed to slicks - and it soon became apparent that Mercedes had missed a trick as Hamilton fell through the pack after taking a belated pitstop. 

Alpine driver Esteban Ocon took full advantage and eventually sealed his maiden Grand Prix victory with Hamilton happy to scramble back up to second and the hamstrung Verstappen down in ninth. 

That gave Hamilton a lead in the Drivers' Championship of eight points at the four-week break but his advantage did not last for long into the autumn. 

At Spa-Francorchamps, another weekend of soaking wet weather ended in farce as the 20 drivers - after hours of delays - pootled around behind a safety car to record the one official lap required for a classification to be determined. 

It counted for half-points in the standings but it could not exactly be considered to have been a race. At least, there was no fastest lap point awarded. 

Next, the calendar took the paddock over the border to the Netherlands where the Dutchman retook the Championship lead in his home race with a commanding win from pole position.

Rather disgracefully, second-placed Hamilton was booed on the podium by the Dutch fans - and, in recent races, the anomisity held by the rival fans has been further fuelled by the behaviour of the teams, especially that of Red Bull. 

At the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, the two leading drivers were involved in their second massive flashpoint of the season following their earlier clash at Silverstone. 

This time, Verstappen - behind and on the outside approaching the first chicane - turned in on Hamilton, taking both drivers off the track and out of the race on lap 26. 

To add to the drama, Verstappen's Red Bull ended up flipping itself and landing on top of Hamilton's Mercedes - and, in a shocking lack of regard for his fellow competitor, the Dutchman walked off without checking if his rival was safe. 

After both drivers had gone their own way bitterly blaming each other, Verstappen was officially censured by the stewards for the incident - though he still took two points from the weekend with second place in the sprint race. 

In Russia, Hamilton regained the title lead once more, recording his 100th Grand Prix by overtaking long-time race leader Norris after the younger Briton found himself skidding all over the place in his McLaren on the wrong tyres during a late shower. 

Hamilton's advantage in the Championship was short-lived again though, as a 10-place grid penalty for an engine change and a poor early pit-stop strategy meant he finished the Turkish Grand Prix down in fifth. 

At least Verstappen did not win in Istanbul, after his own race was compromised by Carlos Sainz Jr, with victory instead going to Bottas. 

Nevertheless, the Dutchman had turned a two-point deficit into a six-point lead and he used that momentum to extend his lead further with consecutive race wins in Mexico and Brazil. 

Suddenly, Verstappen had stretched his Championship lead to 19 points - only once during the season had the lead been greater. 

In short, he looked unstoppable at this stage with even Hamilton admitting on the team radio that his rival was too quick for him. 

But the racing gods determined this engrossing battle deserved at least one more twist. 

At the famous undulating Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo, where Hamilton won his first title on the final corner of the final lap of the last Grand Prix in 2008, he reinvigorated his pursuit for an eighth crown with a drive for the ages. 

Disqualified from qualifying for a larger-than-permitted drag reduction system slot, Hamilton started from the back of the grid in the sprint race but fought his way up to finish fifth - only then to lose another five places on the starting grid for a change of engine. 

The defining moments of the race itself came on laps 48 and 59, in failed and then successful overtaking attempts by Hamilton. 

On his first attempt, Hamilton was forced off the track by Verstappen who missed the apex of the corner and left his his braking ridiculously late - and yet somehow avoided a penalty. 

The second attempt was similar but Hamilton was closer and executed the move brilliantly around the outside to cap off a magnificent all-round performance. 

Hamilton's win in Qatar was rather more straightforward lights-to-flag affair - but that, in itself, underlined the threat set to be posed by Mercedes in what is left of this season.

By contrast, Verstappen and Red Bull principal Christian Horner got into more hot water, with both called to the stewards.

First, Verstappen was penalised with a five-place grid penalty after ignoring double-waved yellow warning flags in qualifying.

Then, Horner was summoned following a controversial interview in which he accused a "rogue marshal" for the flags which led to his driver's penalty.

Red Bull are clearly riled - aghast at a Mercedes car which is finishing the season more strongly than expected based on its performances before the race in Brazil. 

Horner and Verstappen suspect something is up, specifically the legality of the rear wing on the Mercedes, with Verstappen fined €50,000 for fiddling with Hamilton's car after qualifying in Sao Paulo. 

However, Mercedes did not fall foul to any of the additional checks made by the officials in Qatar - and, instead, it feels as if it is the lack of composure shown by Red Bull which threatens to derail Verstappen's bid for a first Driver's Championship in F1.

At the same time, Hamilton will be well aware that he is still behind in this title race - and he will also know that, if Verstappen wins in Jeddah on 5 December, he will have to finish sixth to stand a mathematical chance of the title, or fifth if the Dutchman picks up another point for the fastest lap. 

Surely, though, the improved Mercedes will manage better than that. After all, this enthralling adventure of a title race deserves to go to the wire.

		HAMILTON			v			VERSTAPPEN
28-March	BAHRAIN	1st	25		(+7)		18	2nd
18-April	EMILIA ROMAGNA	2nd	19	44	(+1)	43	25	1st
02-May	PORTUGAL	1st	25	69	(+8)	61	18	2nd
09-May	SPAIN	1st	25	94	(+14)	80	19	2nd
23-May	MONACO	7th	7	101	(-4)	105	25	1st
06-June	AZERBAIJAN	15th	0	101	(-4)	105	0	18th
20-June	FRANCE	2nd	18	119	(-12)	131	26	1st
27-June	STYRIAN	2nd	19	138	(-18)	156	25	1st
04-July	AUSTRIA	4th	12	150	(-32)	182	26	1st
18-July	GREAT BRITAIN	1st	27	177	(-8)	185	3^	Retired
01-August	HUNGARY	2nd	18	195	(+8)	187	2	9th
29-August	BELGIUM*	3rd	7.5	202.5	(+3)	199.5	12.5	1st
05-September	NETHERLANDS	2nd	19	221.5	(-3)	224.5	25	1st
12-September	ITALY	Retired	0	221.5	(-5)	226.5	2^	Retired
26-September	RUSSIA	1st	25	246.5	(+2)	244.5	18	2nd
10-October	TURKEY	5th	10	256.5	(-6)	262.5	18	2nd
24-October	UNITED STATES	2nd	19	275.5	(-12)	287.5	25	1st
07-November	MEXICO	2nd	18	293.5	(-19)	312.5	25	1st
14-November	BRAZIL	1st	25	318.5	(-14)	332.5	20	2nd
21-November	QATAR	1st	25	343.5	(-8)	351.5	19	2nd

* Half-points were awarded as less than 75% of the race distance was completed
^ Verstappen retired from the Grand Prix but won points in the sprint race

REMAINING CALENDAR

(21)	05-December	5.30pm	SAUDI ARABIA	Jeddah Street Circuit, Saudi Arabia
(22)	12-December	1pm	ABU DHABI	Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi

FIA F1 DRIVERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2021

			Points
1	Max Verstappen (NED)	Red Bull-Honda	351.5	(9 wins)
2	Lewis Hamilton (GBR)	Mercedes	343.5	(7 wins)
3	Valtteri Bottas (FIN)	Mercedes	203	(1 win)
4	Sergio Pérez (MEX)	Red Bull-Honda	190	(1 win)
5	Lando Norris (GBR)	McLaren-Mercedes	153
6	Charles Leclerc (MON)	Ferrari	152
7	Carlos Sainz Jr. (ESP)	Ferrari	145.5
8	Daniel Ricciardo  (AUS)	McLaren-Mercedes	105	(1 win)
9	Pierre Gasly (FRA)	Alpha Tauri-Honda	92
10	Fernando Alonso (ESP)	Alpine-Renault	77
11	Esteban Ocon (FRA)	Alpine-Renault	60	(1 win)
12	Sebastian Vettel (GER)	Aston Martin-Mercedes	43
13	Lance Stroll (CAN)	Aston Martin-Mercedes	34
14	Yuki Tsunoda (JPN)	Alpha Tauri-Honda	20
15	George Russell (GBR)	Williams-Mercedes	16
16	Kimi Räikkönen (FIN)	Alfa Romeo-Ferrari	10
17	Nicholas Latifi (CAN)	Williams-Mercedes	7
18	Antonio Giovinazzi (ITA)	Alfa Romeo-Ferrari	1
19	Mick Schumacher (GER)	Haas-Ferrari	0
20	Robert Kubica (POL)	Alfa Romeo-Ferrari	0
21	Nikita Mazepin (RUS)	Haas-Ferrari	0

FIA F1 CONSTRUCTORS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2021

			Points
1	Mercedes (GER)	Hamilton | Bottas	546.5	(8 wins)
2	Red Bull-Honda (AUT)	Verstappen | Pérez	541.5	(10 wins)
3	Ferrari (ITA)	Leclerc | Sainz Jr	297.5
4	McLaren-Mercedes (GBR)	Norris | Ricciardo	258	(1 win)
5	Alpine-Renault (FRA)	Alonso | Ocon	137	(1 win)
6	Alpha Tauri-Honda	Gasly | Tsunoda	112
7	Aston Martin-Mercedes (GBR)	Stroll | Vettel	77
8	Williams-Mercedes (GBR)	Russell | Latifi	23
9	Alfa Romeo-Ferrari (SUI)	Räikkönen | Giovinazzi | Kubica	11
10	Haas-Ferrari (USA)	Schumacher | Mazepin	0

Goal glut for Kane as England qualify for World Cup

(Q) WORLD CUP 2022 QUALIFIERS (Q)
Qatar, Germany, Denmark, Brazil, Belgium, France, Croatia, Spain, Serbia, Switzerland, England, Netherlands, Argentina
[13/32]

ENGLAND hit double figures for the first time in 57 years to thrash San Marino on Monday and seal a place at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Fresh from a perfect hat-trick in a similarly facile 5-0 thumping of Albania on Friday, Harry Kane collected another match ball against more hapless opponents on Monday.

Kane, in fact, scored four to take him up to 48 goals for England, level with Gary Lineker, one behind Sir Bobby Charlton, and five behind record-holder Wayne Rooney.

Meanwhile, after filling his boots over the last few days, Kane now holds the national record for competitive goals in an England shirt with his total of 43. 

Not that this contest in Serravalle was particularly competitive.

Harry Maguire began the rout after just six minutes with a header from a corner before Filippo Fabri diverted the ball past his own goalkeeper.

Then, Kane took over, scoring twice from the spot and twice more in the box for four goals in succession in a 15-minute spell before half time.

Even by their own lowly standards, San Marino were in a generous mood - and, in the second half, soon added to the own goal and concession of two penalties with a sending off midway through the second half. 

By then, Arsenal youngster Emile Smith Rowe had scored his first senior England goal with a lovely first-time finish after a layoff by Tammy Abraham to make it 7-0. 

Then, straight after the dismissal of Dante Rossi, Tyrone Mings also netted his first in national colours for the senior team with a looping header. 

Abraham scored the ninth goal himself with a sharp turn-and-volley from a lofted ball by Trent Alexander-Arnold who picked up a late hat-trick of assists. 

And Bukayo Saka made it 10, nodding in from just a few yards out, as England - who had another two goals ruled out - recorded double figures for the first time since a friendly win in New York against the United States in 1964.

Altogether, it meant the Three Lions remained unbeaten throughout their Group I campaign and qualified along with the nine other group winners. 

Those group winners were Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Croatia, England, and Germany. 

Now, it would be fair to say that some teams made it through more easily than others. 

Serbia provided the most dramatic victory after Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic nodded in a last-minute winner against Portugal away in Lisbon. 

The two teams went into what was effectively a decider deadlocked on 17 points - and, at 1-1, it was the Portuguese who were set to go through on goal difference. 

Then Championship top goalscorer Mitrovic intervened, stunning the Estadio da Luz by with a header at the far post to complete a fine comeback win.

Neighbours Croatia also made it through in a decider, beating Russia who started the day two points ahead of their opponents but finished it a point behind. 

The Vatreni progressed to the finals with a 1-0 win after Fyodor Kudryashov found the wrong net just 10 minutes before full time. 

Spain held their nerve to see off Sweden in a battle of the top two in Group B - but, in Group C, Italy lost out to Switzerland after being held to a 0-0 draw against Northern Ireland in Belfast. 

That stalemate, coupled with a 4-0 win for the Swiss over Bulgaria, consigned the Azzurri to the playoffs for the second consecutive World Cup campaign. 

Memorably, in the autumn of 2017, the Italians lost to Sweden and missed out on the World Cup for the first time since 1950 - so, undoubtedly then, the requirement for a playoff again will have sent shivers down more than a few spines in the cities of Rome, Milan, Turin, and elsewhere. 

Netherlands were another shock failure in the qualifiers for 2018 - and were extremely vulnerable to going out altogether if they had lost at home to Norway following a terrible late giveaway against Montenegro. 

Heading into the last 10 minutes at 0-0 in Rotterdam against the Norwegians, there could have been another nervy ending - but, instead, the Dutch hit two late goals through Steven Bergwijn and Memphis Depay, and the Oranje could breathe a huge collective sigh of relief. 

France and Belgium, like England, were far more relaxed and went undefeated in their respective sections, remaining fully in control of their destiny throughout. 

Germany similarly qualified easily, with nine wins out of 10 - but the shock home defeat in Duisberg to North Macedonia early in the campaign no doubt hastened the departure of head coach Joachim Loew after a tenure of nearly 15 years.

Former Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick has certainly steadied the ship for the Nationalmannschaft who have a new generation of talent now emerging. 

Euro 2020+1 semi finalists Denmark also won nine matches out of 10 in Group F - but, in contrast to the Germans' early reverse, the Danes' sole defeat came in their last game against Scotland after they had already sealed their place in the finals. 

Nevertheless, the Scots can take great heart from their convincing victory over the team ranked at number 10 - and, indeed, from their performance throughout whole campaign. 

After all, this is the first time that Scotland have only lost one match in a single set of qualifiers since 2002, and the win over the Danes - through goals from John Souttar and Che Adams - is easily their best in years. 

Certainly, after many years in the doldrums, it can finally be said that supporting Scotland in a packed house at Hampden Park is fun again. That has not often been the case until the arrival of Steve Clarke as head coach in 2019. 

Following their similarly impressive 1-1 draw against Belgium, Wales will also have a home semi final as they seek to end their wait for a World Cup finals appearance, which stretches right back to 1958. 

Additionally, it means the Scottish and the Welsh will avoid a semi final tie against a big-hitter like Euro 2016 champions Portugal, Euro 2020+1 winners Italy, or Russia, following their aforementioned failure to win their groups. 

For the record, the six playoff teams with a home tie are Portugal, Sweden, Italy, Wales, Scotland, and Russia - and the six teams with to play away will be Ukraine, Turkey, Poland, surprise package North Macedonia, and the two best-ranked Nations League pair, Austria and Czech Republic. 

The draw on 26 November will determine the single-legged matches which will be played in March - though, ultimately, only three of the 12 hopefuls will make it through to Qatar. 

That is because three separate pathways will be drawn with the two semi finals in each path playing a further one-off match at a venue which will also be decided on 26 November.

Pretty brutal - and yet still not as potentially soul-crushing as the qualifying process in Africa in which 10 teams have all topped their groups without yet guaranteeing a finals place. 

Most of the big names have made it through but Ivory Coast are out following their defeat on the last day of the group stage to Cameroon. 

Meanwhile, in another dramatic tie, Ghana progressed on goals scored at the expense of South Africa after beating Bafana Bafana 1-0 in Cape Coast through an Andre Ayew penalty.

It all means that each of the five teams who have made it into pot one - Senegal, Morocco, Algeria, Nigeria, and Tunisia - will be drawn against one of the teams from pot two - Egypt, Cameroon, Ghana, Mali, and DR Congo - with two-legged ties taking place on a home-and-away basis in March. 

The five playoff winners will qualify for the finals, with Mali as the only side out of them looking to make their debut. (DR Congo appeared as Zaire in 1974). 

At the other end of the scale, Brazil are the only team to appear at every World Cup finals - and the unbeaten Selecao will retain that proud record after qualifying from the marathon all-in-one South American group with fully six games to spare. 

Tite's team beat Colombia 1-0 in Sao Paulo with a goal from Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta following neat play by Marquinhos and Neymar. 

And the Brazilians then dropped points for only the second time in 13 games in a 0-0 draw away in Argentina, a result which was enough for La Albiceleste to make it through to the finals too.

Ecuador look comfortable in third place on 23 points following wins over rock-bottom Venezuela at home (1-0) and away to Chile (2-0). 

However, the last direct qualifying position and the sole playoff place remain fully up for grabs with Colombia (17 points), Peru (17), Chile (16), Uruguay (16), Bolivia (15), and Paraguay (13) all struggling for consistency. 

In North America, there are surprise leaders with Canada - who last qualified in 1986 - currently topping a final-stage group of eight teams, known as the Octagonal. 

The best Canadian team in decades followed up their 1-0 win over Costa Rica with an astonishing, though entirely convincing, 2-1 defeat of regional powerhouse Mexico in snowy Edmonton. 

The Canucks - on 16 points from eight matches - are the only unbeaten side in the Octagonal, although United States (15), Mexico (14), and Panama (14) are not far behind. 

By contrast, Costa Rica (9), Jamaica (7), El Salvador (6), and Honduras (3) especially all have work to do with over half the games now played. 

Also, just over the halfway mark of the last group phase, Asian qualifying - which is split into two sections - has been dominated by Iran and Saudi Arabia, both of whom have won five games and drawn once in the first six. 

In Group A, Iran look set to be joined by South Korea with none of the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Iraq, or Syria providing much of a threat to established big fish. 

Nevertheless, Group B is more competitive behind the Saudis. Japan - on 12 points - leapfrogged Australia (11) this month after Socceroos could only draw in China while the Japanese won away in Oman.

At this point in the usual cycle between World Cups, all of the finalists would be known and they would be waiting to see the fate to befall them in the finals draw. 

However, the coronavirus and the delayed date of the World Cup finals due to the decision to hold the tournament in Qatar means still 19 places of the 32 are yet to be determined. 

Controversially, it means there will be qualifiers in Asia, North America and South America in late January and early February, as well as the African Cup of Nations. 

These matches will be outside of the previously established international windows which will no doubt prompt howls of anguish from managers in European club football. 

However, the calendar is already crammed beyond its capacity, and there appear to be no other realistic options available. 

UEFA (Europe)
The 10 group winners have qualified for the finals; the 10 runners-up and two non-placed teams with the best 2020-21 Nations League record are drawn into two rounds of playoffs with the three overall winners qualifying for the finals.
(Q) Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Croatia, England, Germany
(P) Home tie: Portugal, Sweden, Italy, Wales, Scotland, Russia
(P) Away tie: Ukraine, Turkey, Poland, North Macedonia, Austria, Czech Republic

Group A	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
(Q) SERBIA	6	2	0	18	9	20
(P) Portugal	5	2	1	17	6	17
Ireland	2	3	3	11	8	9
Luxembourg	3	0	5	8	18	9
Azerbaijan	0	1	7	5	18	1

Group B	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
(Q) SPAIN	6	1	1	15	5	19
(P) Sweden	5	0	3	12	6	15
Greece	2	4	2	8	8	10
Georgia	2	1	5	6	12	7
Kosovo	1	2	5	5	15	5

Group C	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
(Q) SWITZERLAND	5	3	0	15	2	18
(P) Italy	4	4	0	13	2	16
Northern Ireland	2	3	3	6	7	9
Bulgaria	2	2	4	6	14	8
Lithuania	1	0	7	4	19	3

Group D	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
(Q) FRANCE	5	3	0	18	3	18
(P) Ukraine	2	6	0	11	8	12
Finland	3	2	3	10	10	11
Bosnia-Herzegovina	1	4	3	9	12	7
Kazakhstan	0	3	5	5	20	3

Group E	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
(Q) BELGIUM	6	2	0	25	6	20
(P) Wales	4	3	1	14	9	15
(P) Czech Republic	4	2	2	14	9	14
Estonia	1	1	6	9	21	4
Belarus	1	0	7	7	24	3

Group F	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
(Q) DENMARK	9	0	1	30	3	27
(P) Scotland	7	2	1	17	7	23
Israel	5	1	4	23	21	16
(P) Austria	5	1	4	19	17	16
Faroe Islands	1	1	8	7	23	4
Moldova	0	1	9	5	30	1

Group G	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
(Q) NETHERLANDS	7	2	1	33	8	23
(P) Turkey	6	3	1	27	16	21
Norway	5	3	2	15	8	18
Montenegro	3	3	4	14	15	12
Latvia	2	3	5	11	14	9
Gibraltar	0	0	10	4	43	0

Group H	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
(Q) CROATIA	7	2	1	21	4	23
(P) Russia	7	1	2	19	6	22
Slovakia	3	5	2	17	10	14
Slovenia	4	2	4	13	12	14
Cyprus	1	2	7	4	21	5
Malta	1	2	7	9	30	5

Group I	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
(Q) ENGLAND	8	2	0	39	3	26
(P) Poland	6	2	2	30	11	20
Albania	6	0	4	12	12	18
Hungary	5	2	3	19	13	17
Andorra	2	0	8	8	24	6
San Marino	0	0	10	1	46	0

Group J	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
(Q) GERMANY	9	0	1	36	4	27
(P) North Macedonia	5	3	2	23	11	18
Romania	5	2	3	13	8	17
Armenia	3	3	4	9	20	12
Iceland	2	3	5	12	18	9
Liechtenstein	0	1	9	2	34	1

CONMEBOL (South America)
Matchday 14/18. Top four teams qualify directly for the finals; the fifth-placed team enters an inter-continental playoff.
(Q) Brazil, Argentina

Table	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
(Q) BRAZIL	11	2	0	27	4	35
(Q) ARGENTINA	8	5	0	20	6	29
Ecuador	7	2	5	23	13	23
Colombia	3	8	3	16	17	17
Peru	5	2	7	15	20	17
Chile	4	4	6	15	16	16
Uruguay	4	4	6	14	21	16
Bolivia	4	3	7	20	28	15
Paraguay	2	7	5	9	18	13
Venezuela	2	1	11	9	25	7

CONCACAF (North America)
Matchday 8/14. Top three teams qualify directly for the finals; the fourth-placed team enters an inter-continental playoff.

Octagonal	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Canada	4	4	0	13	5	16
United States	4	3	1	12	5	15
Mexico	4	2	2	11	7	14
Panama	4	2	2	11	9	14
Costa Rica	2	3	3	6	7	9
Jamaica	1	4	3	6	10	7
El Salvador	1	3	4	4	10	6
Honduras	0	3	5	5	15	3

CAF (Africa)
The 10 group stage winners (P) compete in two-legged playoffs with the five winners qualifying for the finals.
(P) Algeria, Tunisia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Mali, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Morocco, DR Congo

Group A	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
(P) Algeria	4	2	0	25	4	14
Burkina Faso	3	3	0	12	4	12
Niger	2	1	3	13	17	7
Djibouti	0	0	6	4	29	0

Group B	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
(P) Tunisia	4	1	1	11	2	13
Equatorial Guinea	3	2	1	6	5	11
Zambia	2	1	3	8	9	7
Mauritania	0	2	4	2	11	2

Group C	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
(P) Nigeria	4	1	1	9	3	13
Cape Verde Islands	3	2	1	8	6	11
Liberia	2	0	4	5	8	6
Central African Rep.	1	1	4	4	9	4

Group D	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
(P) Cameroon	5	0	1	12	3	15
Ivory Coast	4	1	1	10	3	13
Mozambique	1	1	4	2	8	4
Malawi	1	0	5	2	12	3

Group E	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
(P) Mali	5	1	0	11	0	16
Uganda	2	3	1	3	2	9
Kenya	1	3	2	4	9	6
Rwanda	0	1	5	2	9	1

Group F	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
(P) Egypt	4	2	0	10	4	14
Gabon	2	1	3	7	8	7
Libya	2	1	3	4	7	7
Angola	1	2	3	6	8	5

Group G	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
(P) Ghana	4	1	1	7	3	13
South Africa	4	1	1	6	2	13
Ethiopia	1	2	3	4	7	5
Zimbabwe	0	2	4	2	7	2

Group H	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
(P) Senegal	5	1	0	15	4	16
Togo	2	2	2	5	6	8
Namibia	1	2	3	5	10	5
Congo	0	3	3	5	10	3

Group I	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
(P) Morocco	6	0	0	20	1	18
Guinea-Bissau	1	3	2	5	11	6
Guinea	0	4	2	5	11	4
Sudan	0	3	3	5	12	3

Group J	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
(P) DR Congo	3	2	1	9	3	11
Benin	3	1	2	5	4	10
Tanzania	2	2	2	6	8	8
Madagascar	1	1	4	4	9	4

AFC (Asia)
Matchday 6/10. Top two teams in both groups qualify directly for the finals; the two third-placed teams enter a playoff with the winner entering an inter-continental playoff.

Group A	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Iran	5	1	0	11	2	16
South Korea	4	2	0	8	2	14
United Arab Emirates	1	3	2	4	5	6
Lebanon	1	2	3	4	6	5
Iraq	0	4	2	3	9	4
Syria	0	2	4	5	11	2

Group B	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Saudi Arabia	5	1	0	9	3	16
Japan	4	0	2	5	3	12
Australia	3	2	1	9	4	11
Oman	2	1	3	6	7	7
China	1	2	3	7	11	5
Vietnam	0	0	6	4	12	0

OFC (Oceania)
In September 2021, the OFC determined it was not possible to organise a qualifying event within the Oceania region. A qualifying competition is now expected to take place in Qatar in March 2022; the winners will advance to an inter-continental playoff.