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Few cricketers have had more difficult first-class debuts than Ryan Hackney. Neglected to duck a 12-ball in the first half, the young NSW opener only better scored by one run in the second. But that return wasn’t what made that week in February so difficult. After banging on the Blues’ door of selection over the previous four seasons with 3,600 Premier Cricket and a NSW Second XI running nearly 40, places have finally opened due to a finger injury to captain Kurtis Patterson. Hackney exits Gabba after being knocked out in Sheffield Shield first round // Getty So the boy from the Blue Mountains should have enjoyed the greatest achievement of his sports career. But a week before the game against Queensland at Gabba, where he received his No.758 Baggy Blue hat, Hackney received news the 22-year-old shouldn’t have heard. His father, Peter, suffered a heart attack and died suddenly at the age of 53. For Hackney, the decision to play was a simple one. “I know that...

Australians are still spending big bucks, but surveys suggest that could change quickly as rising interest rates send consumer confidence to pandemic lows. Key points: Consumer confidence has fallen to the lows usually seen during a recession Soaring inflation and a sudden spike in interest rates to combat it weigh on households The slump in confidence has yet to feed through spending cuts, with various measures hitting record highs The latest consumer spending data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed household spending was 7.9 per cent higher in May than a year earlier. Much of the increase in spending is not because Australians have had to buy more, but reflects a spike in inflation, meaning people are paying more for most of the things they buy. Transportation spending rose nearly 15 percent, as people once again took to the skies, but also as fuel costs soared. Eating out and going out together has also seen a double-digit percentage increase in spending over the past y...

Preparing for “pure madness” in the saddle is a dream come true for Queenslander Sarah Carroll, who will take the reins in the world’s toughest and longest horse race. Carroll is one of only 40 riders selected from around the world to take part in next month’s Mongolian Derby. Riders will find their way through 1,000 kilometers of Mongolian steppes while changing horses every 40 kilometers. “The premise is probably pure madness and not for the faint of heart because only about 50 percent make it to the finish line,” Carroll said. Riders start together as they travel 1,000. ( Provided: Richard Dunwoody ) “I have a motto from Mike Tyson which is ‘everyone has a plan until they get a punch in the face’ so you can prepare as much as you want but you don’t know what will happen.” The annual adventure race follows the world’s first long-distance postal transmission route, established by Genghis Khan in 1224. “You ...