Ferguson is ,without question the most successful manager in the English game. His records are staggering; the United treble of 1999 and surpassing Liverpool’s 18 league titles are just two of his greatest achievements.

It is worth remembering the situation in which the soon-to-retire Manchester United manager took the reins at Manchester United in 1986. United were still awaiting their first Division One title since Matt Busby’s side won in the 1966-67 season, with Denis Law as their top goalscorer.

Sir Alex Ferguson. Source: Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/71392136@N00/2515269003/

He dd not immediately bring success either, finishing in 11th place in two of his first 3 seasons. Fast forward to 2013 and the clubs position in global football is incomparable. Ferguson has left Manchester United in arguably the strongest position that the club has ever been in.

So, the question arise of whether anyone can possibly match the Scot’s success. He is arguably the greatest manager in the history of football, but who can surpass him? Here are my top 3 candidates of the moment:

José Mourinho

The first name to enter the debate must be José Mourinho. Already one of the most successful managers in football, the Portuguese is a global icon of the game. He has won league titles in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain. A feat that makes him stand out as one of the greatest already, and his career still has years to come.

The question with Mourinho has always been longevity. Could he ever stay at a club like Manchester United for as long as Ferguson has and deliver success season upon season?

His inevitable move away from Real Madrid could provide the answers. Perhaps, his return to Chelsea will be a long-term appointment. Although, with the reunion of Roman Abramovich and Mourinho, longevity isn’t the word that immediately springs to mind. Maybe the managerial role at Manchester United will be his next target, we shall wait and see.

Jose Mourinho could surpass Sir Alex Ferguson’s level of success. Source: Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronmacphotos/498040051/

David Moyes

The man who is currently tipped as favourite to take over as manager at Old Trafford could follow the footsteps of Ferguson if he is given a chance at the club. He has been a loyal servant to Everton football club for over a decade and this will stand him in good stead for the future. David Moyes has similarities with Sir Alex Ferguson that go beyond their Scottish roots. He has a demanding authority over his players that enables him to get the best out of his team each season.

Moyes has also proven that he can spot talent without overspending. He has signed some key players in recent years, such as Mikel Arteta, Marouane Fellaini and Phil Neville. On top of this, he knows how to bring the best out of individuals like Tim Cahill, who contributed many important goals at his time with the club.

He has not won a trophy with Everton, however, his rhetoric always makes clear his desire to win trophies and he has continually shown a winning mentality at the Merseyside club. For Moyes to surpass Ferguson, he must leave Everton in the near future.

Could David Moyes become the next manager at Old Trafford? Source: Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/88904300@N05/8104949834/

Carlo Ancelotti

Already one of the most highly regarded managers in the game, Carlo Ancelotti has stamped his authority on European football. His triumphs in the Champions League with A.C Milan success under great pressure at Chelsea shows his strength in character.

He also has a wealth of funds in his role at Paris Saint-Germain which could bring in the quality players that he needs to build a great side. The Ligue 1 title looks set to be his this season, adding another league title to his name. However, if the rumours are to be believed, Ancelotti may not remain at this club for long.

The Italian is a proven winner and if he finds a long-term position at another European club, success will surely be guaranteed.

Carlo Ancellotti with his Milan team and the Champions League trophy. Source: Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/22161872@N08/2130511132/

The truth is that even amongst the top managers currently in the game, Ferguson stands way above them. It is hard to see another manager who will repeatedly have the same success as the Manchester United manager has done. Winning power, consistency and longevity; those are the attributes that make Sir Alex Ferguson the greatest manager in the history of football.

The scene in Monaco is set. The heavenly backdrop of the Mediterranean sea is apt as the two tennis idols get ready to show their divine powers on the tennis court. 

In a rerun of last year’s French Open final, both players will be desperate to record a victory today. Nadal’s comeback from an eight month absence has been impressive. In Indian Wells, his tournament win against Juan Martin del Potro was a sure sign of what is to come. By his impeccably high standards, Nadal had to struggle to win on the hard court but this week he is back on the surface that he dominates. Grigor Dimitrov managed to gain a set from the Spaniard in the quarter finals but he did not make the same mistake against the loveable Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga yesterday. The Nadal forehand is rampant and ready to return to the very top of the game.

Novak Djokovic has himself struggled, nursing the ankle injury he picked up on Davis Cup duty for Serbia. The Serb has had to grit his teeth from the first match, where Mikhail Youzhny looked a threat. Yet, the world number one has ground out the victories whilst producing some flashes of brilliance that will trouble Nadal in the final today.

Watch Djokovic’s superb winner against Mikhail Youzhny below:

These two stalwarts of the game have already produced one of the greatest finals in history at the Australian Open last year. That epic match will be difficult for those who witnessed to forget. Their last meeting on clay? The French Open final last year. Djokovic will want to place those memories in the back of his mind today.

Nadal will be under pressure to defend his title in Monaco but if Djokovic wins, it may set a marker for Roland Garros in a few weeks time. Although, fans should wait until Madrid and Rome to hedge their bets on the Serb rather than the undisputed “King of Clay.”

Their victory over Arsenal last weekend was a major blow for their north London rivals, whose manager seems to be under real threat from supporters. In West London, Chelsea are the club constantly in the spotlight and are surrounded by negativity following the signing of interim coach Rafa Benitez.

Liverpool and Everton are not technically out of the race, but I think that the three London clubs are the most likely to take the remaining Champions League positions. Although, both of the clubs from Merseyside may play a crucial role in deciding which London clubs will finish in the coveted fourth spot.

The teams

Tottenham

Arsenal’s north London rivals have been one of the most exciting Premier League sides to watch this season. André Villas Boas has moulded Harry Redknapp’s attacking Spur’s side into a more balanced squad. It is easy to forget that Tottenham lost several key players last summer; Luka Modric, Ledley King and Rafael van der Vaart all left White Hart Lane. However, Villas-Boas has added apt replacements with Moussa Dembélé (Fulham, £15m), Jan Vertonghen (Ajax, £9.5m) and Gylfi Sigurdsson (Hoffenheim, £8m) all adding quality to the squad.

With these new additions, the familiar faces at Tottenham have also improved their own game. Aaron Lennon seems to be finding some consistency to back up his explosive pace . Their defence has been performing well, with the resurgent Michael Dawson providing the sturdy backbone that Spurs have needed in previous seasons.

Then there’s Gareth Bale. With plaudits from across Europe comparing him with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, he has become Tottenham’s talisman. Last year, Van Persie was the obvious difference between Arsenal and the other Champions League chasing teams. This season, Bale has lead Tottenham’s charge with ease and his form is still improving.

Gareth Bale playing against Cristiano Ronaldo, who Bale has been increasingly compared to.
Source: Alejandro Ramos (2011), Flickr: Cristiano Ronaldo, via Wikimedia Commons

Chelsea

With all of the furore surrounding the appointment of Rafa Benitez, the ability of the Chelsea team, at times, gets less media attention. The Champions League winners of last season have once again been inconsistent in the Premier League. Their squad had an injection of promising youth in the summer with Eden Hazard (Lille, £32m), Oscar (Internacional, £25m), and Victor Moses (Wigan, £9m).

They have all shown elements of great skill, especially Oscar in the Champions League. However, the squad rotation of Benitez has only highlighted that the new recruits are not yet ready to replace Chelsea stalwarts like Frank Lampard, who looks to be leaving at the end of the season. Fernando Torres has not scored the goals that Didier Drogba’s departure took with him and Demba Ba’s introduction has yet to be proven successful.

Arsenal

The Emirates Stadium crowd are looking increasingly frustrated. This season’s squad is still full of talented individuals but the flair of previous seasons has arguably been lost. Although, the addition of Santi Cazorla (Real Mallorca, £16.5m) has been another key addition by Arséne Wenger, and Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott are both having their best seasons in an Arsenal shirt.

Yet, the defence of the Gunners has plagued them once more. Thomas Vermaelen has not replicated his previous good form since taking over as captain and the likes of Per Mertesacker and Carl Jenkinson have struggled in Arsenal’s defence. Olivier Giroud (Montpellier, £12m), has not been able to replace the goals that Robin Van Persie took to Manchester, but could help the Gunners if he hits a rich vein of form in the coming months.

The manager

André Villas Boas

It has been a great reversal of fortune for André Villas-Boas who was in a crisis of management at Chelsea. To take over at White Hart Lane after Harry Redknapp’s reign in north London was no easier task than his role at Chelsea. However, his methodical approach to the game has been accepted by the squad and the free role to which he has been playing Gareth Bale recently should not go unnoticed. His attempt to remove Dawson at from the Tottenham defence at the start of the season was seen as another provocative gesture, but the in retrospect, Dawson and the rest of his teammates respect the Portuguese manager and their recent performances show that they have faith in his decision-making.

Rafa Benitez

At Chelsea, the story is familiar. Since José Mourinho’s departure, each Chelsea manager has had to withstand the constant pressure to perform, with a dressing room that seems to hold the ultimate power at the club, with the exception of the owner. Rafa Benitez’s tenure has been no different, except that the fans are clearly not onside and this has not helped to improve results. The Chelsea players appear to be following the lead of Benitez, with more cautious performances helping their defence of late. Yet, the quality of the team at Stamford Bridge is yet to shine through and it would not be a shock if the Spaniard does not remain at the club until May.

Rafa Benitez is under great pressure at Chelsea.
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/57310521@N06/5277787973/

Arséne Wenger

For Arséne Wenger, the ever-increasing divide in opinion has reached boiling point this season. He is unquestionably under great pressure, as a top four finish is seriously under threat. However, Wenger’s experience should not be undermined. Wenger has eluded to his team’s lack of consistency this season but has always assured his players that they have the quality to win. This stubbornly positive attitude about the talent of his squad may be a vital factor when the pressure builds in the finals games of the season. If fans stand behind the team, Wenger should be able to install the confidence needed for his players to win.

The fixtures

Arsenal: Swansea (A), Reading (H), West Brom (A), Norwich (H), Everton (H), Fulham (A), Man Utd (H), QPR (A), Wigan (H), Newcastle (A).

Tottenham: Liverpool (A), Fulham (H), Swansea (A), Everton (H), Chelsea (A), Man City (H), Wigan (A), Southampton (H), Stoke (A), Sunderland (H).

Chelsea: West Ham (H), Southampton (A), Sunderland (H), Tottenham (H), Liverpool (A), Swansea (H), Man Utd (A), Aston Villa (A), Everton (H).

The matches highlighted in bold are all matches between the top six. Liverpool and Everton could have an important say in who takes fourth position as they both play Chelsea and Tottenham. The game between Chelsea and Tottenham in April will help Arsenal’s chances. It appears that the Gunners have the best fixture list but games at QPR and Wigan may prove difficult if they are still fighting to stay in the Premier League.

The final result?

Whatever happens on the pitch between now and May, we can be sure that the race for a top four finish will be extremely close. Tottenham, with the power of Bale, look set to qualify in their current form. However, if these winning displays do not continue, the clash between themselves and Chelsea in April should become increasingly important in determining Tottenham’s finish to the season.

For me, Chelsea are the team who should be wary. Their performance this season in the Premier League has slowly declined, in the same manner as last season. This year, with no Champions League to aim for and increasing negativity surrounding their manager, Chelsea may find that their aim to qualify may not be fulfilled.

Arsenal will struggle to qualify, but Wenger’s side has experience of the last minute struggle for qualification and this will help them. The Gunners arguably have the easiest remaining fixtures and (assuming that they lose to Bayern Munich) no cup competitions to play in. This is why I would slightly favour them above Chelsea. If their defence can prevent costly errors in the final part of the season, they may surprise their critics and take fourth spot in May.

Now, with just over two days before the 2013 Australian Open begins I’ve decided to hedge my bets once again. To start with, I’m going to predict who will win in Melbourne and then attempt to choose the other Grand Slam winners in future posts.

This year’s Australian Open is arguably less of a challenge to predict. The break between the ATP Word Tour Championship finals in November and the start of the Australian Open does not often seem to hamper the form of the top players. Therefore, my prediction is rather predictable. Andy Murray is the man in form at the moment. In 2012, he proved the critics wrong by lifting the US Open trophy and winning Olympic gold and silver.

Admittedly, the hard courts at Flushing Meadows have always favoured him. However, Murray will surely have his sights set on becoming world number one this year. His appointment of Ivan Lendl has proved to be a monumental success and that relationship seems to be for the long term. An almost routine victory in Brisbane will not have done his confidence any harm. Most importantly though, his game has changed; the Scotsman can now be the aggressor when he chooses to be and this makes him formidable when coupled with his outstanding defensive play.

Rafael Nadal is unfortunately not a contender this year and therefore, the likelihood is that only Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer will stand in his way. I believe that Federer will be the biggest challenger to Murray in this tournament. At the start of each tennis season, the Federer doubters come to the fore, citing his age as an increasingly great barrier for the Swiss player. However, Federer is still rightfully at the top of the game. Last year, in his Wimbledon final victory against Murray, he proved that when he is in top form, Federer is the one to beat.

Novak Djokovic also had a fabulous year in 2012, albeit his achievements did not reach the heights of the previous year. However, 2011 was a special year for the Serbian, one that will be hard to replicate. For many other players on the ATP tour, 2012 would have been at the pinnacle of their career achievements and this shows just how high Djokovic has set the bar. Especially, as his Australian Open double header against Murray and Nadal was arguably one of the most gruelling and impressive displays of physicality to win a major tournament. With just under 11 hours of outstanding play in 3 days, Djokovic was imperious. He is odds on favourite to complete a hat-trick of Australian Open titles this year and if he does so, few tennis fans will be surprised.

The wild card for most tennis commentators is Juan Martin del Potro. This is unsurprising as he was the last man to break the dominance of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal before Murray’s US Open victory last year. It will also come as a relief to his fans that he will start the season free from injury doubts. Del Potro is a great hard court player, his forehand is a devastating weapon. It is his mental temperament that will prove vital this year. However, as a previous Grand Slam winner, there is no doubt that he has both the ability and the will to win.

The player to watch in this tournament? Marcos Baghdatis. He is one of the most likeable players on the tour but was a deserved finalist in 2006. There is a great chance that he might not even make it through his first round in Melbourne this year.  However, the Cypriot is one of those players that is incredibly unpredictable and a great crowd-pleaser. He broke quite a few rackets in Melbourne last year, but hopefully this year his can entertain crowds by reproducing some good form, and making it into the second week.

If this year’s tournament can replicate 2012, tennis fans will be in for a treat.

Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, was poised and ready to take on his greatest challenge yet, the 23-year-old Dutch magician Michael van Gerwen.

Van Gerwen almost completed the impossible when he missed out on two consecutive nine-dart finishes in his semi-final victory over James Wade. Fresh from this immense display of accuracy, he began the final as deserved favourite.

Phil Taylor on the other hand, had just beaten one of his biggest rivals in recent years as Raymond van Barneveld crumbled under the pressure. ‘The Power’ certainly felt under threat as his emotions boiled over when his opponent tried to congratulate him in the match celebrations.

In the final, it looked as if Taylor would see his 16th world title snatched ruthlessly as the Dutch youngster rapidly went two sets up. With an average of over 106 and making the doubles that had eluded him for the entire tournament count, the Dutchman was in firm control.

Yet, Taylor was also playing a great game; consistency was key. The 52-year-old was too experienced to be defeated at his first set back. He managed to weather the ‘Magic Mike’ storm and equalled the score to 2-2.

The comeback was far from complete. The Dutch superstar broke Taylor again as he stretched his leads to two sets again at 4-2. At this point many were thinking that even the great Phil Taylor couldn’t over power his young opponent. Yet, great champions all have one vital attribute, the ability to take advantage of pivotal moments. Taylor levelled the scoring and from 4-4 there was no turning back.

Phil Taylor wins his 16th title.
Source: mirror.co.uk

Taylor didn’t lose another set to van Gerwen as his level rose to imperious heights. With several eleven-dart finishes, Taylor taught the new recruit a lesson in mental attitude. His checkout at 91 was immaculate and was received joyously by the crowd.

Taylor’s achievement of 16 world titles, is beyond anything ever seen in the world of darts and one that may never be achieved again. Although, Van Gerwen is being named as his successor, the ‘future of darts’ plays with a natural flair that resembles Ronnie O Sullivan in snooker. Consistency will be the key.

Yet, for now, the game still needs ‘The Power’ to lead from the top. There has been no darts competitor like him and van Gerwen needs plenty of time to reach those dizzy heights.

It was a remarkable show, in stark contrast to the controversial ceremony that took place last year. The whole event was completely inspirational, especially as Martine Wright, who survived the London 7/7 bombings to play sitting volleyball at the Paralympics, told of her struggle to compete as she won the Helen Rollason award.

Bradley Wiggins, the 2012 Sports Personality of the Year.
Source: alittlebitofstone.com

As a sports personality, there couldn’t have been a more perfect fit to the role than Bradley Wiggins, who was the deserved winner of the coveted trophy. His sporting achievement would have been enough alone. To win the Tour de France and Olympic gold in the time trial makes him superhuman in sporting terms. He stands above the rest of the superb cyclists this year like Sir Chris Hoy, Mark Cavendish, Laura Trott to name a few, and that is a difficult task. Last night, ‘Wiggo’ declared the bar open in his victory speech and it’s this undeniably British humour that has made him the most popular sportsman this year.

Everyone has said it; all twelve nominees were worthy of the prize. However, personally I think that Mo Farah was the unlucky man on the night. This summer, everyone was doing the Mobot. He was a part of “Super Saturday”, arguably the most spectacular night for Team GB at the games. At the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, Farah was also favourite but had to settle for silver and his journey from then up until his Olympic victory showed the mental strength and stamina of a true Olympic hero. To win both the 5,000 and 10,000 metre finals, with everyone expecting you to do so and with such confidence was worthy of any prize.

Mo Farah striking the iconic ‘Mobot’ pose.
Source: uk.eurosport.yahoo.com

The difficulty is that Bradley Wiggins, Jessica Ennis and Andy Murray were all deserved of their places. It was a personal highlight to see Murray’s transformation from the grumpy Scotsman into the nation’s sweetheart.

What can be said is that after all of the heroics that we’ve seen in the sporting world of 2012, the Sports Personality of the Year award should be the least of our worries. The ceremony recognised the great achievements made in by sportsmen and sportswomen this year and showed that British sport itself is in a special era. 2013 has much to live up to.

For the neutrals, Chelsea’s performances this season have been in stark contrast to their counter-attacking tactics last year. The flair that their owner has so eagerly anticipated seems to have finally come to fruition. In their encounter with Shakhtar, it was Chelsea’s new generation who showed once again the attacking flair of this vibrant Chelsea side. They played against a Shakhtar team brimming with confidence, even as they went behind twice. The Ukrainian side managed to reply after two strikes from their Brazilian winger Willian, who was supposedly a potential signing for the Blues last summer.

The West London side would have been pleased to see Fernando Torres show his improving form by opening the scoring, but it was Oscar who won the plaudits for his wonder strike. After the Shakhtar goalkeeper Pyatov ran outside his box and failed to head the ball into safety, Oscar composed himself and with perfect precision scored a 40 yard stunner. For those who thought that his previous strike in this competition, against Juventus, was fortunate, the quality of this goal may stand against them.

Oscar’s 40-yard strike helped the Blues to their 3-2 win.
Source: theaustralian.com.au

Yet, that spectacular finish did not prove to be the winner and as it looked like Chelsea would come away with a 2-2 draw, the talented 21-year-old Victor Moses made sure that his team stole the points with an inch perfect header in the 94th minute, and virtually the last kick of the game.

Without the Chelsea stalwarts such as Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and John Terry, of previous years, the team still managed to fight for victory with the same unbeaten mentality.  Whilst the new Chelsea boys showed off the talent that they have brought to the side.

Di Matteo would have been a relieved man, as now the current champions have a real chance to qualify from their group. It will be extremely close, yet with a team that can surely challenge for the Premier League title also this season, the Blues have every chance to do well in Europe once again.

Of course, when I say this to other sports fans they stare in some disbelief, as if I’m not aware that the new football season is well under way. This is true and, so far, both the English Premier League and Champions League have started from where they left off, with plenty of goals and unexpected comebacks already. Real Madrid’s dramatic 3-2 victory in the Bernabeu has been one of the highlights. 

Yet, in my opinion, Andy Murray’s first Grand Slam win came much closer to the task. It was a brutal encounter, one that Murray perhaps would never have recovered from had it turned out to be his fifth loss in a Grand Slam. Instead, the Scot won the hearts of the nation again as he defeated Novak Djokovic in five sets. This has to be one of the standout sporting moments of 2012. The only disappointing thing was that before the final, the Olympic gold medalist still did not have the full support of a nation, as so many had doubted him.

Which brings me onto the Ryder Cup. With any individual sport, when national pride is brought into the mix, there is no match for excitement. The memories of a home victory for Team Europe in 2010 are still fresh in the mind. Graeme McDowell’s winning putt ended what was arguably one of the best finishes in the history of the Ryder Cup.

The final day of the Ryder Cup 2010:

Fast forward to 2012 and the tournament has one of the most competitive line-ups ever seen. The USA team will be hoping that Tiger Woods can finally bring his good form into a Ryder Cup tournament, having disappointed in the past. Yet, the team no longer relies on the former world number one. They have talented newcomers such as Keegan Bradley that have been the in form players of 2012. Then there is always a wealth of experience from Ryder Cup regulars like Phil Mickelson, who has had some consistent top ten results this year.

For Europe, there is much to look forward to. With the inspirational figure of Jose Maria Olazabal as Ryder Cup Captain this year, the team will not be lacking in passion. You only had to watch the emotions of yesterday’s opening ceremony to see the sentimental qualities of the former Ryder Cup champion. And the team have a title to retain of course. Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell will begin proceedings and those two alone represent the quality of the European team.

The Americans will have the home advantage this time around. The crowds in Chicago are apparently notorious for their unconditional and wild support of their teams. Although, there has already been some surprise with the course at Medinah. With no obvious advantage for Team USA, the opportunity for Europe to win their fifth tournament in recent years should not be overlooked.

So, with the official ceremonies out of the way and little time to wait, let’s hope that the Ryder Cup can provide us with tense moments, great celebrations and plenty of chants of ‘USA’ and ‘Europe’. Time for another famous sporting chapter in 2012.

A few weeks ago, when I purchased my ticket for this session, I’ll admit that I was excited to see Oscar Pistorius win a gold medal at London 2012. It wasn’t to be. Instead, Thursday evening gave the British public a night to remember. Our three protagonists, Hannah Cockroft, David Weir and Jonnie Peacock all took gold and sent the 80 000 strong crowd into a frenzy.

First, it was the turn of Hannah Cockroft, the 20-year old from Halifax. As she was poised at the start for the T34 200m final, the crowd were expectant. She had dominated in the heats, was the outright favourite and the race did not disappoint.

Cockroft lead from the start and as the crowd stood in admiration, she stretched out way ahead of her competitors before crossing the finishing line. Her performance was both spectacular and imperious and stands on its own as one of the sporting moments of these games. Yet, this special night had only just begun.

Hannah Cockroft celebrating her T34 400m victory.
Source: www1.skysports.com

There is not much more that David Weir can do to become a national hero after these Paralympics. He secured his third Paralympic gold of London 2012 in style. Staying close behind Zhang Lixin for much of the race, the ‘Weir Wolf’ was spurred on by the wall of noise from eager spectators as he came into the home straight. At this point, the crowd had reached full voice and the British star managed to take the lead and grit his teeth up to the finish line. His image in victory will surely be one of the most iconic of London 2012.

David Weir celebrates winning T54 800m gold.
Source: guardian.co.uk

So, two GB athletes had already thrilled the British fans but there was still one race to come, the T44 men’s 100m final. With Bolt, Blake and Gay out of sight it was time for Jonnie Peacock to battle against the dominant Oscar Pistorius and the American Richard Browne.

After a false start from the 200m champion Alan Oliveira, whose win caused the now infamous outburst from Pistorius a few days ago, the whole stadium was heard chanting Peacock’s name. The starting gun fired and he burst through the field in 10.9 seconds, a new Paralympic record. Pistorius missed out on a medal as he finished in fourth and it seemed that Britain had found a worthy successor.

Jonnie Peacock and David Weir celebrate with their gold medals.
Source: morethanthegames.co.uk

For those who were in the stadium, it was unforgettable. I think that last night typified the Paralympic spirit that we have seen from spectators at London 2012. The positive atmosphere was what I had expected, as the audience clearly respected the achievement of each and every athlete that competed in that stadium.

However, these Paralympics have been special because the British public have embraced them as pure sporting entertainment. The stories are inspirational but once the competition starts all is forgotten and the contest becomes the main story. Last night, the sense of anticipation just moments before Peacock began his race was uncontainable. For me, that is the symbol of recognition that the London 2012 games has brought to light.

There are four talented teams looking to lift the trophy; Hampshire, Somerset, Sussex and Yorkshire are all vying to become champions tonight.

Yet, with all of the talent on display there must be a favourite and Sussex are the standout team.

The Sharks have one of the best attacking line-ups with the likes of Chris Nash and Matt Prior poised to score plenty of runs. They also have the star man of this year’s competition, Scott Styris.

He put on one of the best individual batting displays of 2012 in the quarter-final against Gloucestershire. For the fans that attended, it was a golden ticket, as they admired the flair of Styris who hit a century from just 37 balls.

On his way to the joint third-fastest T20 century in history, the New Zealander scored 38 runs in an over. It was nonstop entertainment.

Personally, I will admit that before this display from Scott Styris, county cricket in Britain had never appealed to me. It just hasn’t had the same impact as the big-money Indian Premier League, which fans in the UK can also follow.

However, one moment of brilliance on a July afternoon helped to capture the imagination. Hopefully, this Saturday evening the level of entertainment will reach the same heights. Who knows? Either way, I would suggest that tonight’s final is one to keep an interested eye on.