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ps3 philippines India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh, architect of economic reforms, dies at 92Published 3:26 pm Tuesday, December 24, 2024 By Data Skrive In a Wednesday NBA slate that includes plenty of exciting matchups, the Denver Nuggets versus the Phoenix Suns is a game to watch. Take a look at our odds analysis for the NBA’s upcoming games today. Sign up for NBA League Pass to get access to games, live and on-demand, and more for the entire season and offseason. Watch ESPN originals, The Last Dance and more NBA content on ESPN+. Use our link to sign up for ESPN+ or the Disney bundle. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .

NEW YORK, Dec. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces an investigation of potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of Light & Wonder, Inc. (NASDAQ: LNW) resulting from allegations that Light & Wonder may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public. SO WHAT: If you purchased Light & Wonder securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=29678 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. WHAT IS THIS ABOUT: On September 24, 2024, the Las Vegas Review-Journal published an article entitled “Slot manufacturer scores major win against Las Vegas-based rival.” It stated that “Aristocrat Technologies Inc.’s request for a preliminary injunction in its trade-secret and copyright infringement lawsuit against Light & Wonder” had been granted, and that the “order prohibits [Light & Wonder] from the ‘continued or planned sale, leasing, or other commercialization of Dragon Train,’ which Aristocrat claims uses intellectual property developed for its Dragon Link and Lightning Link games.” On this news, Light & Wonder common stock fell 19.49% on September 24, 2024. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs’ Bar. Many of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ . Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. ------------------------------- Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com

Trump threatens to try to take back the Panama Canal. Panama's president balks at the suggestionSAN SALVADOR (Reuters) -El Salvador's legislature overturned a seven-year-old ban on metals mining on Monday, a move that President Nayib Bukele had pushed for to boost economic growth, but that environmental groups had opposed. El Salvador became the first country in the world to ban all forms of metals mining in 2017. Bukele, who took office in 2019, has called the ban absurd. All 57 of Bukele's allies in the Central American country's 60-seat legislature voted for the president's legislation to overturn the ban. The legislation will grant the Salvadoran government sole authority over mining activities within the country's land and maritime territory. "By creating a law that puts the state at the center, we are guaranteeing that the population's wellbeing will be at the center of decision making," lawmaker Elisa Rosales, from Bukele's New Ideas party, said in a speech to the legislature. The legislation does prohibit the use of mercury in mining, and seeks to declare some areas incompatible with metals mining as protected nature reserves. El Salvador's economy is expected to grow 3% this year, according to the International Monetary Fund, but it has a heavy debt burden that hit a level of around 85% of gross domestic product earlier this year. Bukele, who enjoys wide popularity among voters after a gang crackdown, has touted mining's economic potential for the country of roughly 6 million people. The president shared on social media last month that studies conducted in just 4% of Salvadoran territory where mining is possible had identified gold deposits worth some $132 billion, equivalent to about 380% of El Salvador's GDP. "This wealth, given by God, can be harnessed responsibly to bring unprecedented economic and social development to our people," Bukele wrote at the time. Dozens of people protested on Monday near Congress against the reauthorization of mining, arguing that future projects could affect the communities and ecosystem of the smallest country in Central America. "We oppose metals mining because it has been technically and scientifically proven that mining is not viable in the country," environmentalist Luis Gonzalez told reporters. "The level of contamination that would be generated in the water, soil and biodiversity is unacceptable for life as we know it." (Reporting by Nelson Renteria; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Kylie Madry and Rosalba O'Brien)

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Peggy Sue Martinez has worked for almost a decade with a security workers union in Los Alamos to send Christmas presents to young children at two Española schools. Over that time, she has seen the kids' needs increase "drastically." "The needs are more basic," she said. Martinez, an Española city councilor, goes to James H. Rodriguez Elementary School and Los Niños Kindergarten Center each year before the holidays and speaks with kids who have been identified as the students most in need. In past years, she said, many children would say they need a pair of shoes or a jacket, "but now they need both shoes and a jacket," she said, "and socks and underwear ... and they have siblings who need the same." She added, "These kids aren’t afraid to say in front of their peers that they need socks, and why do you think that is? Because they’re not the only ones." Martinez said the International Guards Union of America Local 69 provided gifts — shoes, coats, socks and even some laptop computers — to 70 students this year. They plan to increase the program in hopes of providing for up to 200 children in 2025. "These aren't just toys — we are trying to affect their daily needs," Martinez said. "And the needs are there." Several local government officials, leaders of aid programs and organizers of holiday charity efforts that serve the Española Valley have noted what appears to be an increase in need in recent years amid inflation, increasing housing costs and a continuing opioid epidemic that has wracked the region. The number of kids who receive gifts through the Northern New Mexico Toy Drive has swelled to 7,200 this year from 2,500 in 2021, and an annual Christmas shopping spree organized by Española police served more children than ever. Organizers of the Empty Stocking Fund, a holiday project of The Santa Fe New Mexican and the Santa Fe Community Foundation, hope to raise a record $475,000 this year to meeting a growing demand in Santa Fe and Rio Arriba counties for funds to cover costs like car repairs, past due rent and utility bills. Española Social Services Director Michelle Fraire — who began in the position earlier this year — confirmed what others have noticed. "We are seeing a high increase in children needing necessities," Fraire said. "They need clothing for school, laptops to do schoolwork; college students we hear from need food, groceries, etc." The city launched its social services department earlier this year with funding from opioid lawsuit settlements in an effort to combat increases in homelessness and addiction. Fraire has organized several fairs that bring state agencies like the Department of Health, along with a host of providers, to help connect people with support services and, ideally, housing. The city held such a fair Dec. 16 at the Española Pathways Shelter. Fraire said more than 40 people attended. Leaders of other initiatives noted higher need this year as well. The Española Firefighters Union raised $7,000 to split among seven people who are battling breast cancer, Assistant Fire Chief John Wickersham said. The cash is meant to help offset some of the expenses of cancer treatment, which can be financially devastating for families, he added. "There is an increased need throughout the Valley that we can see," Wickersham said, noting the union has seen rising numbers of applicants for the funds in recent years. Wickersham noted the high price tags for health care and other costs often associated with cancer treatment like travel. Meanwhile, Española police officers participating in Shop with a Cop accompanied a record 134 kids on a trip to the local Walmart store, where each child was given $100 to spend. Police Chief Mizel Garcia said the department also gave out 300 stockings after the event. Children from the Española Valley are referred to the Shop with a Cop program through the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department and other agencies. Garcia aims to continue growing the program, which he said can help mend relationships with police, especially for children who are in state custody or have had negative experiences with law enforcement. Wendy Croze, a program manager for Las Cumbres Community Services' Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program, said there has been an uptick in Española in recent years of grandparents taking in grandchildren, largely because of drug addiction. With families who take in grandchildren — or even neighbors, in one case — "it's very common that there is already financial need," Croze said. "Many had to retire from their jobs early in order to take care of young children who are now older," she said. "And so the need for food is enormous." Food Depot Executive Director Jill Dixon said the Santa Fe-based regional food bank serves nine counties, and about 20% of the food it distributes goes to Rio Arriba County, where estimates in recent years have shown more than 20% of the population experiences food insecurity. The Food Depot has seen an increase in need for fresh, nutritious foods in particular. A newsletter the organization published in recent months says about 30% of people who struggle with access to nutritious food do not qualify for food benefits through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Dixon said the regional food bank often sees people using food pantries on an intermittent basis, such when they are hit with expensive emergencies like unexpected medical bills or car trouble. The organization in December 2022 opened a "no-cost grocery store" in Española called Casita de Comida that allows people to shop, free of charge, through a selection of about 60 items. The pantry, which is growing and moving to a location on La Joya Street, currently serves about 360 families per month. Dixon hopes to expand it to serve about 100 more families in the next year. High rates of food insecurity are not limited to the Española Valley, she said, noting the need has been "holding steady" across The Food Depot's service territory for several years. She pointed to inflation in 2023 amid the evaporation of support and protections that helped many families through the coronavirus pandemic. "We just saw the need explode all over again," she said. "Everything is expensive," Dixon said. "It's just gotten incredible, and we've seen housing costs just skyrocket in basically every community that we serve. When you see housing, you know, eating up 30% to 50% of your earnings, there just isn't any room for error." People who don't frequent food pantries sometimes find themselves there when they suddenly discover they need new tires or a mammogram, she said, or perhaps because of the extra expenses associated with the holidays. "And that's what we're here for," she said. "But systemically, we have some pretty big problems to address."Revolutionizing Gaming: The Philly Semiconductor Phenomenon

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By most objective measures, the US economy is in good shape. Employers added about 2 million jobs this year. Unemployment is low. In much of the country, gasoline is now selling for less than $3 a gallon. The Economist has called the United States' performance "the envy of the world." But even as the U.S. is outperforming most other countries, many Americans remain frustrated by the high cost of living. And that's fueled a lot of unhappiness, and a political comeback for President-elect Donald Trump. Trump will soon take the reins of an economy that's bounced back strongly during the four years he was out of office. For many families, though, that rebound was overshadowed by soaring prices for food, housing, and other necessities. Will his policies bring costs down? Or rekindle inflation? For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C onsider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . This episode was produced by Kathryn Fink.It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Rafael Nam.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

Police hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO's masked killer after 'brazen, targeted' attack on NYC street NEW YORK (AP) — A gunman killed UnitedHealthcare’s CEO on Wednesday in a “brazen, targeted attack” outside a Manhattan hotel where the health insurer was holding its investor conference, police said, setting off a massive search for the fleeing assailant hours before the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting nearby. Brian Thompson, 50, was shot around 6:45 a.m. as he walked alone to the New York Hilton Midtown from a nearby hotel, police said. The shooter appeared to be “lying in wait for several minutes” before approaching Thompson from behind and opening fire, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Police had not yet established a motive. “Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target,” Tisch said, adding that the shooting "does not appear to be a random act of violence.” Surveillance video reviewed by investigators shows someone emerging from behind a parked car, pointing a gun at Thompson’s back, then firing multiple times from several feet away. The gunman continues firing, interrupted by a brief gun jam, as Thompson stumbles forward and falls to the sidewalk. He then walks past Thompson and out of the frame. “From watching the video, it does seem that he’s proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. UnitedHealthcare CEO kept a low public profile. Then he was shot to death in New York NEW YORK (AP) — Brian Thompson led one of the biggest health insurers in the U.S. but was unknown to millions of people his decisions affected. Then Wednesday's targeted fatal shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk thrust the executive and his business into the national spotlight. Thompson, who was 50, had worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group Inc for 20 years and run the insurance arm since 2021 after running its Medicare and retirement business. As CEO, Thompson led a firm that provides health coverage to more than 49 million Americans — more than the population of Spain. United is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans, the privately run versions of the U.S. government’s Medicare program for people age 65 and older. The company also sells individual insurance and administers health-insurance coverage for thousands of employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programs. The business run by Thompson brought in $281 billion in revenue last year, making it the largest subsidiary of the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group. His $10.2 million annual pay package, including salary, bonus and stock options awards, made him one of the company's highest-paid executives. Hegseth fights to save Pentagon nomination as sources say Trump considers DeSantis WASHINGTON (AP) — A defiant Pete Hegseth fought to save his nomination to be Donald Trump's defense secretary Wednesday as the president-elect considered possible replacements in the face of growing questions about the former Fox News host's personal conduct and ability to win Senate confirmation. Hegseth met with legislators on Capitol Hill, conducted a radio interview and released an opinion article denying allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking. He insisted he was “not backing down one bit," that Trump was still supporting him and he planned to return Thursday for more meetings with lawmakers. But the president-elect's team was looking at alternatives including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Trump himself remained quiet about Hegseth while issuing a flurry of statements on social media Wednesday about other nominees and his news coverage. Hegeth, asked if he'd meet with Trump on Thursday, said he'd meet with him “anytime he'd like." Hegseth is the latest nominee-designate to be imperiled by personal baggage after the recent withdrawal of Trump’s initial pick for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, whose vulnerabilities were well-documented. But Hegseth’s past, including the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies, was not widely known. Supreme Court seems likely to uphold Tennessee's ban on medical treatments for transgender minors WASHINGTON (AP) — Hearing a high-profile culture-war clash, the Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed likely to uphold Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The justices’ decision, not expected for several months, could affect similar laws enacted by another 25 states and a range of other efforts to regulate the lives of transgender people, including which sports competitions they can join and which bathrooms they can use. The case is being weighed by a conservative-dominated court after a presidential election in which Donald Trump and his allies promised to roll back protections for transgender people, showcasing the uneasy intersection between law, politics and individual rights. The Biden administration's top Supreme Court lawyer warned a decision favorable to Tennessee also could be used to justify nationwide restrictions on transgender healthcare for minors. In arguments that lasted more than two hours, five of the six conservative justices voiced varying degrees of skepticism of arguments made by the administration and Chase Strangio, the ACLU lawyer for Tennessee families challenging the ban. Peter Navarro served prison time related to Jan. 6. Now Trump is bringing him back as an adviser WASHINGTON (AP) — Former White House adviser Peter Navarro, who served prison time related to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, will return to serve in Donald Trump’s second administration, the president-elect announced Wednesday. Navarro, a trade adviser during Trump’s first term, will be a senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, Trump said on Truth Social. The position, Trump wrote, “leverages Peter’s broad range of White House experience, while harnessing his extensive Policy analytic and Media skills.” The appointment was only the first in a flurry of announcements that Trump made on Wednesday as his presidential transition faced controversy over Pete Hegseth, Trump’s choice for Pentagon chief. Hegseth faces allegations of sexual misconduct, excessive drinking and financial mismanagement, and Trump has considered replacing him with another potential nominee. As he works to fill out his team, Trump said he wanted Paul Atkins, a financial industry veteran and an advocate for cryptocurrency, to serve as the next chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. He wrote on Truth Social that Atkins “recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before.” Trump also said he was changing course on his choice for White House counsel. He said his original pick, William McGinley, will work with the Department of Government Efficiency, which will be run by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy with the goal of cutting federal spending. Now David Warrington, who has worked as Trump’s personal lawyer and a lawyer for his campaign, will serve as White House counsel. Israeli strikes on a Gaza tent camp kill at least 21 people, hospital says KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli airstrikes tore through a tent camp for displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza on Wednesday, sparking fires and killing at least 21 people, according to the head of a nearby hospital, in the latest assault on a sprawling tent city that Israel designated a humanitarian safe zone but has repeatedly targeted. The Israeli military said it struck senior Hamas militants “involved in terrorist activities” in the area, without providing additional details, and said it took precautions to minimize harm to civilians. The strike on the Muwasi tent camp was one of several deadly assaults across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. An Israeli attack in central Gaza killed at least 10 more people, including four children, according to Palestinian medics. Israel’s devastating war in Gaza, launched after Hamas’ October 2023 attack, shows no signs of ending after nearly 14 months. Hamas is still holding dozens of Israeli hostages, and most of Gaza’s population has been displaced and is reliant on international food aid to survive. Israel is also pressing a major offensive in the isolated north, where experts say Palestinians might be experiencing famine. The Biden administration has pledged to make a new push for a Gaza ceasefire now that there's a truce in Lebanon between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah, ending more than a year of cross-border fighting. Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump demanded this week the release of hostages held by Hamas before he is sworn into office in January. South Korean President Yoon's martial law declaration raises questions over his political future SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — President Yoon Suk Yeol’s stunning martial law declaration lasted just hours, but experts say it raised serious questions about his ability to govern for the remaining 2 1/2 years of his term and whether he will abide by democratic principles. The opposition-controlled parliament overturned the edict, and his rivals on Wednesday took steps to impeach him. One analyst called his action “political suicide.” Yoon’s political fate may depend on whether a large number of people in coming days take to the streets to push for his ouster. Here's a look at the political firestorm caused by the martial law declaration, the first of its kind in more than 40 years. Yoon's declaration of emergency martial law on Tuesday night was accompanied by a pledge to eliminate “shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces at a single stroke.” He vowed to protect the country from “falling into the depths of national ruin.” Yoon, a conservative, cited repeated attempts by his liberal rivals in control of parliament to impeach his top officials and curtail key parts of his budget bill for next year. French lawmakers vote to oust prime minister in the first successful no-confidence vote since 1962 PARIS (AP) — France’s far-right and left-wing lawmakers joined together Wednesday in a historic no-confidence vote prompted by budget disputes that forces Prime Minister Michel Barnier and his Cabinet members to resign, a first since 1962. The National Assembly approved the motion by 331 votes. A minimum of 288 were needed. President Emmanuel Macron insisted he will serve the rest of his term until 2027. However, he will need to appoint a new prime minister for the second time after July’s legislative elections led to a deeply divided parliament. Macron will address the French on Thursday evening, his office said, without providing details. Barnier is expected to formally resign by then. A conservative appointed in September, Barnier becomes the shortest-serving prime minister in France’s modern Republic. White House says at least 8 US telecom firms, dozens of nations impacted by China hacking campaign WASHINGTON (AP) — A top White House official on Wednesday said at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations have been impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger offered new details about the breadth of the sprawling Chinese hacking campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Neuberger divulged the scope of the hack a day after the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued guidance intended to help root out the hackers and prevent similar cyberespionage in the future. White House officials cautioned that the number of telecommunication firms and countries impacted could still grow. The U.S. believes that the hackers were able to gain access to communications of senior U.S. government officials and prominent political figures through the hack, Neuberger said. “We don’t believe any classified communications has been compromised,” Neuberger added during a call with reporters. Harris found success with women who have cats, but Trump got the dog owner vote: AP VoteCast WASHINGTON (AP) — The lead-up to the 2024 election was all about cat owners. But in the end, the dogs had their day. President-elect Donald Trump won slightly more than half of voters who own either cats or dogs, with a big assist from dog owners, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. Dog owners were much more likely to support the Republican over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. Cat owners were split between the two candidates. About two-thirds of voters said they own a dog or cat, but pet owners don't usually get much attention from politicians. This year, however, past comments by Trump's running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, about “childless cat ladies” briefly became a campaign issue — and Taylor Swift signed her Instagram endorsement of Harris in September as “Taylor Swift Childless Cat Lady.” Harris did end up decisively winning support from women who owned a cat but not a dog. Still, those voters were a relatively small slice of the electorate, and pet owners as a whole did not seem to hold Vance's remarks against the GOP ticket. Childless or not, women who only owned a cat were more likely to support Harris than were dog owners, or voters who had a cat and a dog. About 6 in 10 women who owned a cat but not a dog supported Harris, according to AP VoteCast. She did similarly well among women who did not own either kind of pet.AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas won the Big 12 title in 2023 on its way out the door to the Southeastern Conference. It was still swinging open when Arizona State waltzed in and won the league title in its debut season. And now the old Big 12 champs meet the new Big 12 champs on the path toward a potential national title. The fifth-seeded Longhorns and fourth-seeded Sun Devils play News Years Day in the Peach Bowl in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff . Both had their doubters they could get here. Texas (12-2) still had to prove is was “ready” for the SEC. Arizona State (11-2) was picked to finish last in the Big 12. But the Sun Devils quickly started winning and having fun in some new road environments in college towns smaller than some of their stops in the more cosmopolitan old Pac-12. All-American running back Cam Skattebo led the barnstorming tour. “We were not used to getting tortillas thrown at us at Texas Tech. You’re not used to some of these environments,” Sun Devils coach Kenny Dillingham said Monday. “When you’re in the Pac-12, you’re playing in Seattle, you’re playing in L.A., you’re playing in Salt Lake City. We got to face a lot more small college town football with really, really great environments. ... It was definitely fun to join a new league,” Dillingham said. And Dillingham laid down some Texas roots. The Sun Devils are recruiting Texas players out of high school, and the current roster has six transfers who started their college careers in burnt orange in Austin. “The guys we’ve gotten from Texas and coach (Steve Sarkisian’s) program have been unbelievable,” Dillingham said. “We know what we’re getting when we’re getting a guy from that program, and that’s a guy who has worked really hard, competed and been pushed. Those are the things that we like to bring in.” Safety Xavion Alford was named All-Big 12 . Defensive end Prince Dorbah is another Sun Devils starter. Defensive lineman Zac Swanson, who has two sacks this season, is another former Longhorn who said he relished a chance to beat his former team. Recruited by Texas out of Phoenix, Swanson was a reserve in 2022 and 2023 behind future NFL draft picks T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy. “That’s a team who kicked me out and said I’d never I was never going to be good enough to play there,” Swanson said last week. “That’s something that has been on my agenda for a while.” Dillingham joked he’d like to get more Texas transfers this week. Sarkisian simply noted that he wished he’d signed Skattebo, a Californian who transferred from Sacramento State after the 2022 season. “I was unaware, so kudos to them. They found him, he’s a heckuva player,” said Sarkisian, who also is a California native. Sarkisian said he was impressed by the Sun Devil’s first-year success in the Big 12. “We were in that Big 12, what, for 27 years? We won four. This is their first year in and they won a Big 12 Championship. It’s a really hard thing to do,” Sarkisian said. “They’re playing with a ton of confidence right now. The last two months, I think they’re playing as good a football as anybody in the country.” Despite wining that last Big 12 title and a playoff appearance in 2023, Texas still faced skeptics that the Longhorns would take their lumps in the SEC this year. Texas was more than ready for the league and the Longhorns made it to the SEC championship game. Their only two losses have been to Georgia, the No. 2 seed in the playoff. Sarkisian still remembers his 5-7 Texas debut in 2021. The program wasn’t ready for the SEC and the playoff back then, but it certainly is now. Texas is the only one of last year’s four playoff teams to make the expanded 12-team field this year. “There’s a lot to be proud of, but mostly I’m proud of our veterans, our leaders, our seniors, because those guys went from 5-7 in year one, they went through 8-5 in year two, and they didn’t jump ship. They hung in there with us. They believed in what they were doing,” Sarkisian said. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football Read more NCAA football coverage at thestar.com

To mark the earlier mentioned 50th anniversary of the birth of the MCG Boxing Day Test, here is Part 2 – the Top 5 counting down to Number 1 – of this Roar Rookie’s great Boxing Day Tests. 5. Australia v England, 24-29 December, 1994 – Warne’s hat-trick Cricket Australia thought so much of Zimbabwe’s addition to the Tri-Nations World Series Cup competition for the 1994-95 Ashes summer, they pitchforked Australia A into the series as the only occasion four teams played in the white ball international summer. It was also the only time that Australia A played in the competition. To meet this revised four-team schedule – including the Sydney Test that followed to start on New Year’s Day itself – the Boxing Day Test commenced on Christmas Eve. This is the last time to date this MCG fixture has started on a day other than Boxing Day. Australia struggled to a laborious 7/220 on Day 1 – and needed Steve Waugh’s unbeaten 94 – supported by 16 from Number 11 Damien Fleming – to get to 279 when play resumed on Boxing Day after a Rest Day for Christmas. Mark Waugh made 71 for the hosts. More Cricket Shane Warne – now injury-free and at the height of his powers following stunning the cricket world over the previous two years – continued his dominance over the English from his 11-wicket Man Of The Match haul in the First Test with 6/64 as the Poms could only reply with 212. Only the late Graham Thorpe showed any resistance for his 51. With David Boon’s 131 leading the way with his 20th Test Century, Australia made the most of their 67-run First Innings lead to allow recently installed skipper Mark Taylor to declare on the fourth afternoon at 7/320 – giving England four sessions to score 388 and level the series. Damien Fleming made the early breakthroughs, before a fit and firing Craig McDermott made a mess of the top order to have England 4/79 by stumps, and 5/81 with the second ball of the last day when former skipper Mike Gatting fell to the Queensland quick. Keeper Steve Rhodes soon followed to give McDermott four wickets and have England ready for the kill at 6/88. With the tail now exposed, this set the stage for Warne to write more history. The moment then came with Warne’s 13th (lucky for some) over of the innings. After having Phil De Freitas in trouble, Warne trapped the English No. 8 LBW for a duck, before having Darren Gough caught behind the next ball. If Warne – or anyone of that era – could have hand-picked any batsman to bowl a hat trick ball to, it would have been, with all due respects, Devon Malcolm. A man who retired with a Test Batting Average of 6.05. Warne’s hat trick ball had Malcolm reach forward in defence. The ball burst away from the bat handle and glove in the air towards forward short leg. Bat-pad specialist Boon – one of five fielders around the bat – went full stretch to take an all-time great catch in the extended right hand, which was just inches off the ground. As the late great Tony Greig summed up in commentary at the time so succinctly: ”That’s a hat trick to Shane Warne. A great moment in his career. What a catch by David Boon!!” Phil Tufnell fell to McDermott in the next over to finish off the Match. England all out 92. Australia went 2-0 up in the series before going on to retain the Ashes by a 3-1 margin. To consider how significant Warne’s hat trick has become – taken from the southern end that carries the great grandstand that bears his name – one only has to consider history. Of the five hat tricks taken in MCG Cricket Tests to date, Warne’s is the only one taken in the Boxing Day Test – and the only one completed by any Test Match bowler at the “G” in the last 120 years. Hugh Trumble’s hat trick against England in March 1904 the last before Warne with none since. Warne’s hat trick is also the last by an Australian spinner in Tests to this day – with Glenn McGrath (2000 in Perth against the Windies) and Peter Siddle (2010 in Brisbane against England) the only Australian bowlers to complete the feat since that MCG December morning. Roar editor Christy Doran made the trip to Seattle with VisitSeattle.org, diving into the city’s electric sports vibe, outdoor adventures, and renowned food scene. Click here for his latest adventure in the Emerald City. 4. Australia v New Zealand, 26-30 December 1987 – Whitney sees off Hadlee Australian Cricket had a lean time of it, to put it mildly through the middle of the 1980s. The retirements of Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh together at the end of the 1983/84 summer, the upheaval of the tearful resignation of Kim Hughes from the Test Captaincy, and the dent in playing stocks made by the two “rebel” Tours that Hughes led to apartheid South Africa all took a heavy toll. Throw in poundings by the West Indies phalanx of pacemen, home and away dismantlings by Sir Richard Hadlee and back-to-back Ashes losses home and away – and you can see where Australian Cricket was at. It is a period that those who lived through it still try to forget – and it is a toll that still scares administrators to this day given that the current Test team will all probably leave the game almost together in a short period over the next couple of years. But under the hard-nosed leadership of the initially reluctant skipper Allan Border and of taskmaster coach Bobby Simpson, green shoots started to come through by the time the Kiwis came to Australia to defend the Trans Tasman Trophy at the end of 1987. Allan Border. (Credit: Ben Radford/Allsport via Getty Images) Border’s team surprised the cricket world (and maybe even themselves) in winning Australia’s first Cricket World Cup on the Indian Sub-Continent a few weeks before the New Zealand series started. There was the character-building tied Test in Madras with India a year before that World Cup. But the bottom line was that heading into that 1987 campaign, Australia had not won a Test Series for nearly four long years (since January 1984) against anyone. Anywhere. Can you imagine Australia not winning a Test Series for four years these days? Border’s men got off to the best possible start by winning the first Test in Brisbane to take a 1-0 series lead – thanks to 143 from David Boon in a new-found resolve to stare down their 1985/86 nemesis Hadlee. It was an advantage maintained by a high-scoring draw on a road in Adelaide – highlighted by big hundreds from Andrew Jones (150) and Martin Crowe (137), and 205 from Border himself which saw him pass Greg Chappell as Australia’s highest Test run scorer at the time. The Boxing Day Test of 1987 then had so much riding on it – given that New Zealand under Jeff Crowe could still retain the trophy with a win. The tension that sat over the match showed in the events of the five days that followed. Nearly 52,000 paying customers on Boxing Day saw NZ post a solid 5/242 which featured 99 from John Wright – the closest any Kiwi would come to an MCG Test Century until Tom Blundell broke through with the first Melbourne Test Ton by a New Zealander 32 years later. It also had its’ controversial moment when Aussie keeper Greg Dyer was shown claiming a catch from Andrew Jones off Craig McDermott that replays showed hit the ground – and which was given out by umpire Tony Crafter after checking with fellow umpire Dick French at square leg. It was a catch that certainly would have been overturned under today’s DRS system if it had been in use back then. NZ went on to 317 in their first innings – McDermott finishing with 5/97, supported by returning left-arm quick Mike Whitney with 4/92. Hadlee then came back to torment the hosts again – working through the top order to have Australia 5/121 before the home side’s tail wagged. Peter Sleep made 90 and Tony Dodemaide scored 50 on debut to push up to a total of 357 – a precious 40-run lead. Hadlee was magnificent, taking 5/109 off 44 overs. On his home ground in his debut Test, Dodemaide then took a career-best 6/58 as NZ were bowled out for 286 in their second dig on the third ball of the final day. This gave Australia just the full day – and as it turned out 92 overs – to score 247 to win that precious first series in four years. The match ebbed and flowed on that last day. First Australia got off to a solid enough 45-run opening stand before Kiwi support paceman Danny Morrison and veteran seamer Ewen Chatfield got NZ breakthroughs. As the afternoon wore on, Border and WA batsman Mike Veletta got the hosts to within a close enough sight of the finish line. But up stepped Hadlee again. Answering the final call of skipper Crowe at 5:17pm with Australia at 5/199, New Zealand’s great allrounder lifted as champions do. In an unchanged final spell from the old Southern Stand end, Hadlee capitalised on spinner John Bracewell removing Veletta – by getting rid of Sleep, Dyer and Dodemaide in quick succession to not only have Australia on the brink of another home Test loss at 9/227 with 29 balls remaining in the Test Match. Dodemaide’s wicket saw Hadlee equal Ian Botham’s then-world record of 373 Test Scalps. It was also the eighth time the great Kiwi had taken 10 wickets in a Test Match – breaking the then World Record. Enter Australian Number 11 Mike Whitney to McDermott to see out those last 29 balls. The dash for victory was eventually abandoned by the last Aussie pair in favour of survival – which included a massively close lbw appeal by Morrison against McDermott that was turned down by umpire French in those closing overs. Eventually, it came down to Whitney having to see off six deliveries from Hadlee in the last over of the Test Match to save the game and secure the Series win – with Hadlee needing to take the last wicket to win the match, retain the trophy, and break the world record. By good luck or good management – having flashed at one, let two others go and somehow getting in behind two more – Whitney defended the last ball from Hadlee at 6:49pm to save the match and win that first series for Australia in four years. The celebrations on and off the field – led by Whitney’s clenched fist of triumph as he shook Hadlee’s hand after that last over – told their own story. As Hadlee reportedly said to the NSW paceman when they shook hands after the heat of battle: “you did a great thing for Australian cricket today, Whit”. Hadlee’s 5/67 gave him 10/176 for the match and an unprecedented second Man of the Series award (following on from 1985/86) to go with his second Boxing Day Test Man of the Match prize (after 1980/81). West Indian pace bowling great Sir Curtly Ambrose is the only other visiting player to have won two Man of the Series awards for Test Cricket in Australia. Hadlee would eventually break the World Record a few weeks later in India. Hadlee stands alone at the time of writing as the only visiting player to win two Boxing Day Test Man of the Match Awards. I say at the time of writing – Jasprit Bumrah could very well join Hadlee in this year’s Boxing Day showdown if things go right for him and India. Bumrah announced himself to the cricketing world with his Man of the Match award in the historic Indian triumph of 2018. New Zealand have not won a Trans Tasman Test Cricket Trophy in a series of two or more Tests since that December 1987 evening at the “G”. As for Dyer, he would go on to play only two more Tests for his country – against England in the Bicentennial Test and Sri Lanka in Perth later that summer – before being quietly replaced by Tim Zoehrer as penance for that “catch”. He did give grand service to the game as an Administrator with the Australian Cricketers’ Association after his retirement. 3. Australia v England, 26-30 December, 1982 – So near, yet so far for Australia Five years earlier from the 1987 nailbiter, the Boxing Day MCG Test of 1982 – the fourth of that summer’s Ashes series – also had punters on the edge of their seats inside and outside the stadium on the final day. The England squad came to Australia for that 1982/83 summer holding the Ashes that Sir Ian Botham singlehandedly won in the remarkable northern summer of 1981. However, there were key personnel changes on both sides that ensured that the ‘82/83 series would not quite match the drama of that 1981 campaign – except for this Boxing Day classic. The first “Rebel” tour of South Africa by an English XI the previous summer included the likes of Graham Gooch, John Emburey, Wayne Larkins and Les Taylor who all played Test Cricket after they served their Rebel Tour penances. Australia had Greg Chappell come back as skipper in what would turn out to be his last series as Captain to try and right the wrongs of ’81 – even though he was not there. He chose not to go as was his want at the tail end of his career. David Hookes. (Photo by Getty Images) Dennis Lillee and Terry Alderman both missed the last four Tests due to injury after playing in the opening encounter in Perth – Alderman badly ‘popping’ his shoulder tackling an English supporter who invaded the pitch to ‘celebrate’ England passing the 400 mark. This allowed the likes of Rodney Hogg, David Hookes, Norman Cowans, Chris Tavare and Eddie Hemmings to play various parts in the series when they may not have been selected. Australia emerged the better from these enforced changes. After the high-scoring draw in Perth, Chappell’s side won the Brisbane and Adelaide Tests that followed. A young South African who came to Australia to play World Series Cricket for Kerry Packer – Kepler Wessels – made 162 on debut in Brisbane. This allowed the returning Jeff Thomson to take 5/73 to go with Geoff Lawson’s 11-wicket match haul and set up the home side’s seven-wicket win. Greg Chappell’s last Test Century against England (115) – which was his only Test ton in the city of his birth – laid the base for Australia to score 438 after being sent in by Willis in Adelaide. England then followed on after being rolled for 216, and despite David Gower’s second innings century (114) another 5/66 from Lawson saw Australia go 2-0 up in easily chasing down the 83-run victory target. So the Boxing Day Test saw England desperate to win to keep their hold of the Ashes alive. This desperation certainly contributed to the tight relatively low-scoring scrap that came to such a remarkable end on the final morning. Still in its’ infancy on the cricket and sporting calendar, 63,900 punters turned up on the Boxing Day Sunday to ensure that December 26 Tests at the MCG were ‘here to stay”. England lost their last seven wickets for 67 in a late batting collapse to be bowled out for 284 right on stumps thanks to four wickets each from Hogg (4/69) and Bruce Yardley (4/89) as Lawson went wicketless for the first time in the series. The Poms fought back with the ball as the match pattern was established on Day 2. The home side lost their last five wickets for 26 runs to be bowled out for 287 for a lead of just three runs. This would prove to be a significant margin in this Test. Willis (3/38) and off-spinner Geoff Miller (3/44) took the bowling honours. After being reduced to 5/129 midway through Day 3, the English tail wagged via critical lower-order runs from Derek Pringle (42) and veteran keeper Bob Taylor (37) to be bowled out for 294 on stumps. Lawson (4/66), Hogg (3/64) and Thomson (3/74) shared the wickets. This gave Australia a fourth innings target of 292 in a possible two days to win the Test, Series and Ashes. The stage was set – given the pattern of the match – for a tight run chase. No one expected the roller coaster that followed. After being reduced to 3/71, Kim Hughes and David Hookes responded with a 100-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Their departures triggered another batting collapse with rookie paceman Norman Cowans running through the Aussie middle and lower order. Indeed, when Cowans claimed his 6th wicket (on his way to a career Test best of 6/77) by trapping Hogg LBW late on the fourth evening to reduce Australia to 9/218 – still 74 short of victory – it appeared that England were keeping their Ashes defence alive. Thomson then joined a then-out-of-form Allan Border to get to stumps at least. This unlikely pairing managed to post half the 74 needed by stumps that evening. This left them to score the other half (37 runs) on the final day. Officials threw the MCG gates open for free entry on that final morning thinking play wouldn’t last too long before the last wicket fell. Border – whose place in the side was under question going into the Test – and “Thommo” had other ideas. With Border farming the strike and Thomson holding up his end, the runs required number went from 37 needed at the start of the morning to 30. Then 20. Then 10 as the crowd grew to an estimated 20,000 (no official crowd was ever given thanks to the free entry). The memory of substitute fielder Ian Gould, who was the tourist’s actual spare keeper before going on to be one of the game’s leading umpires in later years, and Allan Lamb colliding mid-pitch in trying to attack the same ball underlied the panic that had set into the English effort. A rushed couple of runs to fine leg from Border reduced the requirement down to one hit – four runs. In desperation, English skipper Willis turned to Botham to bowl after not calling on him all morning. Having not been the force in this series he was at home 18 months earlier, the great English all-rounder found his magic – inducing Thomson on 21 to edge the first ball he bowled for the day. In almost iconic footage, the nick burst through Chris Tavare’s hands at second slip – only for first slip Miller to come around behind him, snaffle the catch and continue running in triumph to the MCG dressing rooms. England won by three runs to keep their Ashes defence alive. Border was left 62 not out – but by all reports saved his Test career. Cowans won the Man of the Match award and never reached the same heights as a Test bowler again. Thomson’s last career five-wicket haul against the Poms (5/50) and a Hughes second Innings century ensured that the last Test the following week in Sydney was drawn – regaining the Ashes for Australia with a 2-1 Series win. A series always remembered by that Boxing Day Test finish. 2. Australia v England, 26-28 December, 2006 – Warne’s last hurrah After losing the Ashes for the first time in 18 years in the classic 2005 Series in England, Ricky Ponting and his Australian teammates were always going to be hyper-motivated to set the record straight going into the next series 18 months later. So it turned out, from the time Steve Harmison gave English replacement skipper Andrew Flintoff slips catching practice without using a bat with the first ball of the series in Brisbane, Australia were on the front foot. Shane Warne. (Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images) Ponting’s 196 in that First Test set up Australia’s 277-run win, before the “Adelaide Miracle” – set up by some Shane Warne last-day wizardry in his 4/49 – turned a probable high-scoring draw – where both sides scored over 500 each batting first – into a remarkable six-wicket Australian victory. Australia won the series and regained the Ashes in the third Test in Perth on the back of centuries to Mike Hussey(103), Michael Clarke (135 not out) and the remarkable hitting fest that many say was Adam Gilchrist’s greatest Test innings (102 from 59 balls faced). With the Ashes regained, Warne’s announcement after the Perth Test of his international retirement at the end of the Series made the final two Tests his valedictory lap of honour. Starting with Boxing Day at home at the MCG. To add to the fairytale, Warne had taken the last two wickets to seal the Perth win – taking him to 699 Test Scalps. The then World Record holder needed just one more victim to be the first player to reach the mindboggling figure of 700 Test Wickets. Despite it being a ‘dead rubber’, the punters that loved Warne through thick and thin in his career responded. To the point that 89,155 of them turned up on Boxing Day, 2006 to bid him farewell. If it wasn’t for a rainy start to the day, the then MCG record of 90,800 to a single day’s play would have certainly been broken. Flintoff won the toss and elected to bat to give the huge crowd their chance to watch history. Brett Lee and Stuart Clark shared the first three wickets before Warne was introduced into the attack mid-afternoon. The moment came when Warne lured English opener Andrew Strauss into a drive – and bowling him for 50. Test Wicket number 700. Warne took off in a mini victory lap, pursued by teammates. The big crowd – even the Barmy Army contingent – were on their feet. The wicket triggered an English batting collapse from 3/101 to all out 159. Warne finished with 5/39 – the 37th and last time he took five wickets in an innings in Tests. Australia were in deep trouble the next day when reduced to 5/84, but a match-turning partnership between great mates Matthew Hayden (153) and Andrew Symonds (156) lifted Australia to 419 – a match-winning lead of 260. Warne himself chipped in with 40 down the order. The tourists collapsed a second time to be bowled out for 161 just before the scheduled stumps time on the third evening to Australia an innings win and a 4-0 series lead. Warne was memorably chaired off football style from the MCG at the end of the match – fittingly by Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds of course. He was announced – almost by design – as the Man of the Match for the last time in Tests. It was his second Boxing Day Man of the Match award. The ultimate last hurrah. Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer followed Warne with international retirement announcements to make the last Test in Sydney the next week an emotional occasion that propelled Ponting’s men to a 5-0 series whitewash. 1. Australia v West Indies, 26-30 December, 1981 – An all-time classic (and this rookie’s best) Boxing Day 1981 at the MCG was the opening Test of a series between Australia and the West Indies that had both teams almost passing each other in their respective trajectories of their status in World Cricket. Australia were still reeling from the trauma of losing the Ashes Series in England a few months earlier the previous – and showed by an innings loss to Pakistan a fortnight before the Boxing Day Test that the wounds were still fresh, even though Australia had won that series 2-1. The Trevor Chappell/Greg Chappell underarm One Day Final against the Kiwis at the same MCG 10 months earlier, and the Dennis Lillee/Javed Miandad kicking incident in Perth during that Pakistan series was still fresh in the memories of all cricket fans – and no doubt the inner sanctum of the game – as well. Lillee himself was going into the Boxing Day Test on a downer. After serving a suspension from one-dayers for the Javed incident, Lillee went into that Pakistan Test needing five wickets to break the then-World Test wicket-taking record held by West Indian spinner Lance Gibbs. Cricket Australia – and then TV Partners Channel 9 – even went to the trouble of flying Gibbs out from his home in the United States to Melbourne for the match. The ceremonial congratulations on camera were set. Lillee – for one of the few times in his great career – failed to deliver. He finished with 0/104 as Pakistan racked up 500 on a slow pitch on their way to their innings win. Skipper Greg Chappell also had his problems. He was going through his ‘summer of ducks’ – six straight international scores of naught across all formats – going into that Test. That sequence is eloquently described by fellow Roar Rookie Jason Hughes in 2016 . Chappell – probably as a distraction from his loss of form – was also vocal to the point of almost paranoia about the deterioration of the MCG wicket square into the low bouncing and inconsistent block that led to the whole square dug up and re-laid at the end of the 1982 winter season for the following summer. On the other hand, the West Indies under Clive Lloyd not only held the Frank Worrell Trophy after their first-ever series win in Australia two years earlier – but were just about at their peak as the best International Cricket Team on the planet. The Windies had not lost a Test Series to anyone for close to two years (15 Tests without defeat going back to February 1980), and were the current One Day International World Cup Champions having won the first two Cricket World Cup Finals. They had the world’s best opening pair in Desmond Haynes and Gordon Greenidge – although Greenidge did not tour in 81/82 due to injury. They had arguably the world’s best batsman at the time in all-time great Vivian Richards. Then they had their fast bowlers. For modern-day millennials to comprehend – just think of Jasprit Bumrah – then multiply by four. Four of him or his type – in the same attack. No chance of ‘seeing off’ a bowler. No dropping off the intensity when a bowler needed a spell. A young Malcolm Marshall on the bench leading another four or five waiting to come in for their chance to knock some heads off. It was the stuff that put the fear of God – in the style of the four Horseman of the Apocalypse – into any opposing batting lineup of their era. Gibbs had gone back to the States by the time the MCG Boxing Day Test of 1981 rolled around. Lillee would have to break the World Record ‘on his own’ against the background of misgivings surrounding him and the Australian Team against the then World Champs. Chappell won the toss and decided to bat on a pitch he didn’t trust – thinking any runs to be scored would be done upfront. He was proved wrong. Michael Holding and Andy Roberts got the early breakthroughs – including Chappell’s first ball for his seventh straight international duck – to have the Aussies on their knees early. In stepped Kim Hughes to complete arguably his finest day as an Australian Test Cricketer. Hughes came to the wicket at 3/8 inside the first half-hour of play. On an unpredictable wicket against the most fearsome pace attack ever unleashed on Australian soil – Roberts, Holding, Joel Garner, Colin Croft. Roar editor Christy Doran made the trip to Seattle with VisitSeattle.org, diving into the city’s electric sports vibe, outdoor adventures, and renowned food scene. Click here for his latest adventure in the Emerald City. Hughes responded with a mix of strong defence, brilliant counter-attacking shots and dollops of luck as the wicket settled to as good as it would be for batting for the next five days. He also took more than his share of blows to the body during his knock. He got some support from youngster Dirk Wellham and Rod Marsh – but eventually found himself with just Terry Alderman at Number 11 for support at 9/155. Clever farming of strike saw Hughes eventually reach 96 before his 11th boundary – a blazing square cut off Garner brought up what many believe to be his best ever Test Ton. The great Richie Benaud summed it up brilliantly as he often did behind the microphone: “A great hundred, that. You’ll see a lot of hundreds in Test Cricket. But you won’t see too many gutsier ones than that”. Alderman was dismissed in the next over after Hughes got his ton to have Australia bowled out for 198. Hughes an even 100 not out. There was enough time for Lillee to fire up in the few overs before the close that Boxing Day. After Alderman dismissed replacement opener Faoud Bacchus, Lillee went to work from the old Southern Stand End. First, he had Haynes caught at slip, then he trapped nightwatchman Croft lbw to have the Windies three down. Viv Richards then strode to the crease to try and help his captain Clive Lloyd see it out to stumps. After being pegged back in the final over of the session, one of the most iconic Boxing Day moments followed with the last ball of the day. Lillee sent down the wider delivery. Richards went for the drive. Inside edge onto stumps and 39,982 fans roared. West Indies 4/10 at the close as Lillee keeps running at the end of his follow-through – and off the ground in triumph. He was now only two wickets breaking Gibbs’ world record. Lloyd, Jeff Dujon and Larry Gomes countered on Day 2 to get the Windies back on level terms – but not before Lillee had his great career moment. After having Dujon caught on the boundary by Hughes hooking to equal Gibbs’ 309 Test Wickets mark, he found the edge of Gomes’ bat flashing at an attempted cover drive at 2:55pm. Greg Chappell took the catch to dismiss Gomes for 55. Lillee finally got the World Record with his 310th Test victim, and his fifth for the innings. Amidst the release of pent-up emotion of the previous few weeks and even months that followed, it was the only time that Waltzing Matilda was played over the P.A. system at a Test in Australia to honour a player. Lillee himself got caught up in it all that he went to the wrong position – going to third man instead of Fine Leg. Lillee finished with his best-ever official Test Figures of 7/83 (his 8/29 in 1971 at the WACA against the World XI does not count in his Test Records) as the Windies managed to get a three-run lead before being bowled out for 201. After getting to 3/184 in a seemingly sound position – the low bounce of the worsening pitch saw Australia collapse in their second innings to be bowled out for 222. This gave the West Indies a victory target of 220. Holding completed a superb match with the ball with his 6/62 to go with his 5/45 in the first innings. Holding’s 11/107 for the match was becoming a losing cause after Faoud Bacchus and Richards were out for ducks to have the Windies 2/4, before Gomes and Dujon again tried to start a rearguard action. Bruce Yardley – in the middle of his best-ever summer as an international cricketer – then took four key wickets to set the Windies on the road to defeat in his 4/38. Dujon was the last of Yardley’s four wickets for 43 – and the last of the Windies resistance. Dennis Lillee. (Photo by S&G/PA Images via Getty Images) Lillee then chimed in with the last three wickets of the match – all LBW – to complete a 10-wicket match haul. The last of them Holding just a few minutes into the final morning to wrap up a 58-run win as the visitors were bowled out for 161. Australia took a 1-0 series lead – but that was as close as Australia would get to winning the Frank Worrell Trophy for the next 11 years. Following a draw in Sydney, the West Indies managed to keep the Trophy with a thrilling last-day run chase in Adelaide in the third Test to square the series. A decade of batterings from a production line of West Indian fast bowlers ensured that The Frank Worrell Trophy was entrenched in Caribbean hands for the next 13-plus years until Mark Taylor’s men won it back for Australia in 1995. As earlier mentioned, it took Australia 11 long years before winning a live Test match against the West Indies again in the corresponding Boxing Day Test of 1992. One could say it was Lillee’s last great hurrah as a Test Bowler – he was serviceable in New Zealand at the end of the summer, only played one Test of the Ashes series the next season, and retired from International cricket the following season in 1983/84. The late Tony Greig summed up the match best when making the official presentation: “I don’t think there’s any doubt who the player of this match was, because, in my opinion, he set it all up and made it what it was...Kim Hughes”. Sadly, Hughes is not remembered for Man of the Match innings like this – but for resigning the Australian captaincy in tears under the weight of on and off-field pressure just three years later. After much deliberation, this Roar Rookie settled on the Boxing Day Test of 1981 between Australia and the West Indies as the greatest Boxing Day Test of them all to date. Sports opinion delivered daily It was a match that had nearly everything a great Test match should have – a battle between bat and ball, great moments of individual brilliance, great team showings, and lashings of drama. Hopefully, the 50th anniversary Boxing Day Test this time around between Australia and India produces something similar. If it does, cricket fans will be grateful.India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh, architect of economic reforms, dies at 92

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