Holland strikes it rich on tour

THE wash-out of November's final one-day match between Australia and India in Mumbai denied promising spinner Jon Holland his national team debut. While the 22-year-old was the only member of the original squad not to play on the three-week tour, the snub was cushioned by an estimated tripling of his base wage.

Briton powerless to stop express as wait to end drought goes on

THE matter-of-fact caption in the English newspaper below the photograph of Andy Murray brandishing the Union Jack encapsulated the feeling of hope morphed into wild expectation: "Only Roger Federer lies between Andy Murray and a first grand slam win for a British player male in 74 years."

The rise and fall of jumps racing

The sport has had a reprieve, but is still on very shaky ground, writes Age racing editor Andrew Eddy.

Few carers abandon paid work, says study

CARING for aged or disabled relatives has less impact on participation in paid work than previously thought, controversial research has found.

Letters

Getting sceptic story straight What a strange editorial ("The Christmas call to fulfilment", December 24). After providing a measured defence of the underlying message of the factually flawed birth narratives of Matthew and Luke, it asserts that "God chose to become incarnate in human affairs", "what we see is not all there is or can be" and "there is a veil covering the unseen world which [no one] could tear apart".

Fish out of water slipped into our consciousness

Over the Christmas period, our journalists will look back at their favourite sporting memories of the Noughties. Today, Glenn Jackson relives the moment Eric the Eel made a big splash at the 2000 Olympics.

LETTERS

One-size-fits-all is a mental health failure

The great super debate

Choosing a good fund based on ratings is a sensible approach. John Collett reviews the researchers.

Men's-only Clubs May Be History: Hulls

THE reign of exclusive clubs offering only men admission to their influential ranks may soon be over.

Mo Hippa

Mo Hippa Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen (FHQ/Only Blues) 4.5/5

If Only The Batting Were As Dazzling As The Spectators

GIVEN the humiliations of Perth and Melbourne, white flags might have been more appropriate but pink - second only in meaning to green among the nation's cricket team - was the colour of the day at the Sydney Cricket Ground.