Matt’s Memorable Moments

1) Cricket – The Ashes 2010/11

“Oooo well bowled, it’s close… HE’S GIVEN HIM! HE’S GIVEN HIM! PETER SIDDLE’S GOT A HAT-TRICK ON HIS BIRTHDAY!”

On Day 1 of the 1st Ashes Test of the 2010/11 series, England was cruising on 4/197 not long after tea. Alastair Cook and Ian Bell had put on 72 runs and were looking untroubled until Peter Siddle was brought back into the attack. First, he removed Cook caught at first slip [0:00]. Then he knocked over Matt Prior’s off stump with a superb delivery that was far too quick for the batsman [1:08]. To finish off, he trapped Stuart Broad LBW with a searing yorker [3:57], completing a five-wicket haul, and becoming the first Australian to take a hat-trick since Glenn McGrath in 2000/01, all on his 26th birthday.

 

2) Cricket – The Ashes 2006/07

“GOT HIM! THERE IT IS! WICKET NUMBER 700!”

At the Boxing Day Test Match at the MCG, in front of a home crowd of nearly 90,000 people, Shane Warne bowled England captain Andrew Strauss with a magical leg-break to become the first man in history to claim 700 Test wickets.

 

3) Cricket – The Ashes 2006/07

“GOT HIM! It’s all over! The urn returns to Australia!”

After having held the Ashes for eight straight series dating back to 1989, Australia lost the 2005 edition 2-1 to England in England in one of the greatest series ever played. Fifteen months later, the Aussies regained the urn in grand style at the WACA in Perth.

 

4) Soccer – 2006 FIFA World Cup Playoffs: Australia vs Uruguay

“Here’s Aloisi for a place in the World Cup… HE SCORES! AUSTRALIA HAVE GOT IT!”

In front of a capacity crowd of more than 80,000 at Telstra Stadium, the Socceroos secured a 1-0 victory against Uruguay in the second leg of their World Cup playoff. With the tie level 1-1 on aggregate after Uruguay had won the first leg 1-0 in Montevideo, 30 minutes of extra time was played to try to produce a winner. Neither team managed to score in that period, so a penalty shootout was required to determine who would qualify for the World Cup. After three attempts each, Australia led 3-2 and Mark Viduka had a chance to seal victory. Unfortunately, he pushed his shot wide, but after Mark Schwarzer saved Uruguay’s next attempt, John Aloisi stepped up to convert his penalty and send the Socceroos to the World Cup for the first time since 1974.

 

5) AFL – Grand Final 2005: Sydney Swans vs West Coast Eagles

“Cox throws it onto the left. One last roll of the dice for the Eagles. LEO BARRY, YOU STAR!”

Up by just four points with less than 5 seconds remaining, Leo Barry took one of the marks of his career to secure the Sydney Swans their first premiership in 72 years, ending the longest premiership drought in VFL/AFL history.

 

6) Speed Skating – Salt Lake City Winter Olympics 2002: Men’s Short Track 1000m

At his fourth and final Winter Olympics, Steven Bradbury was on the receiving end of some good fortune in the men’s short track 1000m event. Needing a top-two finish in his quarter-final to progress, he finished third but moved through after one of the skaters who finished ahead of him was disqualified for obstructing another racer. In his semi-final, three of the four other skaters crashed out, including two on the final bend, to allow him to finish second and advance through to the final. Then in the final, he trailed the four other competitors by 20m with two turns to go, but a crash on the final corner wiped out all the other racers. He glided past them all, crossed the finish line with arms raised, and became Australia’s first ever Winter Olympic gold medallist.

 

7) Swimming – Sydney Olympics 2000: Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay

“Hall and Thorpe. Thorpe’s in front. Thorpe and Hall. Thorpe goes in. AUSTRALIA WIN!”

After American swimmer Gary Hall Jr. famously wrote that the American relay team would “smash them [Australia’s relay team] like guitars”, the Australian foursome of Michael Klim, Chris Fydler, Ashley Callus and Ian Thorpe turned in one of the greatest team performances in swimming history. In an enthralling battle, the Aussies set a new world record, finishing just 0.19 seconds in front of the Americans. It was the first time the USA had tasted defeat in the Men’s 4×100 Freestyle Relay at an Olympic Games, having won each of the previous 7 gold medals dating back to 1964.