From The Sidelines, 1st Edition.

We are excited to launch From The Sidelines, our e-newsletter. Aimed to keep you across the sports banter that is likely to be talked about in the office and at the pub, we will release a new edition every six to eight weeks. To give you a taste, below is an excerpt from the first edition of From The Sidelines.

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AN OLYMPIC YEAR FOR SPORT
The year has already provided some amazing sporting moments.... Investec Loyal took line honours in the Sydney to Hobart beating Wild Oats XI by a mere 3 minutes 8 seconds and Aussie Cricket Captain, Michael Clarke, silenced his critics with a superb performance in the 2nd Test at the SCG against India. The summer of tennis is heating up with Sam Stosur, Lleyton Hewitt and Bernard Tomic all preparing for their Australian Open campaign. The footy season isn't far away and on 27 July 2012 we will look to London as the Olympic Games get underway - it will be the 30th Olympiad showcasing 26 sports across 39 disciplines. With so much sport on the horizon, it is the perfect time to build your knowledge so you are able to make a meaningful contribution to the sports banter around the watercooler, across the boardroom table or at the pub. So, lets get underway...

CRICKET: I was thrilled to be at the SCG to see Michael Clarke reach his triple ton and show the true nature of Captaincy by putting his team before his personal achievements when he declared (and brought the Australian batting to an end) as soon as his batting partner, Mike Hussey, scored 150 runs while he was just 5 runs short himself of securing the highest Test score by an Australian Captain. This record is still held by Mark Taylor with 334 runs. The following day, Clarke went on to take the prized wicket of Sachin Tendulkar, The Little Master, who was targeting a major milestone of his own - to be the first player ever to score 100 centuries. With 80 runs to his name, Sachin made a defensive shot when Clarke bowled. The ball caught the edge of the bat and deflected to Mike Hussey who was standing in the slips to take the catch. Hussey and Clarke had again partnered to achieve a wonderful outcome for the Australian team. It was the turning point for the Indian team who, until that point, had the capability and capacity to threaten the result going Australia's way despite the massive run target of 659. As the undoubted Man of the Match, rarely have we seen such domination by a single player in a Test match with Clarke showing batting brilliance at the crease, significant impact with his bowling and good judgement, strategy and selflessness as a Captain. For a Test billed in the lead up as Tendulkar's Test, it very much became the Michael Clarke Test and one in which many will be proud to say "I was there and saw it live".

TENNIS: The summer of tennis is well and truly here. The Hopman Cup and Brisbane International have come to a close, the Sydney International and Hobart International are underway and later this month the first 2012 Grand Slam tournament, the Australian Open, will be the centre of attention in Melbourne. All eyes will no doubt be on Sam Stosur, the Queenslander who took out her first Grand Slam singles title last year at the U.S. Open. After an earlier than expected exit from the Brisbane International, the doubters have started to raise their collective voice. Yet it would be a tough call to say at this point of the year that momentum won't build for her. The Brisbane International is the first tournament of the year for many. It saw injuries for Serena Williams (ankle) and Kim Clijsters (hip). Having coming through uninjured shows Stosur has done the fitness work in the 'off season' over Christmas. She seems relaxed on court and unguarded with the media which hopefully places her well for a good performance as her tournament schedule progresses. Here's hoping she is Centre Court on Saturday 28 January 2012 when the Ladies Final is underway. Also, keep an ear or an eye out for 16 year old Australian, Ashleigh Barty who won the Junior Wimbeldon Girl's Singles & Doubles titles last year and 17 year old, Luke Saville, who won the 2011 Boy's Singles crown at Wimbeldon. Australian, Bernard Tomic will also be likely to receive plenty of scrutiny from players, fans and media alike as we continue to watch his progression from outstanding junior player to the prolifically cited 'one-to-watch' on the Men's Circuit.