Our boy Maddinson tops a remarkable weekend in sport

Warilla junior Nic Maddinson may have missed out on a score in the final, but his standing among Australian cricket has been enhanced by his role in the Sydney Sixers Big Bash League triumph.Maddinson was the key to the Sixers’ semi-final win over Hobart, smashing 68 off 51 balls to successfully chase the Hurricanes total of 146.The Sixers then claimed the inaugural trophy when they passed Perth Scorchers total of 156 with seven balls to spare at the WACA on Saturday night.Having burst on to the scene in 2010 with a century on debut for NSW, Maddinson has had a comparatively lean season with the willow in the domestic competitions, aside from a blistering weekend where he scored 225 for Sutherland and then 92 in the Sheffield Shield.But after having little previous Twenty20 experience, Maddinson has shown he is a man for all cricket disciplines and a star of the future.Greatest victoryTearing off his shirt in an Incredible Hulk-style celebration, Novak Djokovic transformed into one of the all-time greats with his epic five-set Australian Open win over Rafael Nadal.The game clock had ticked over to five hours, 53 minutes when Djokovic finally claimed victory at 1.37am today.Weary eyes this morning among a captivated Australia public is testament to the absorbing contest as much as the two exhausted gladiators on court.Djokovic had looked spent during the second set of his remarkable five-set semi-final victory over Andy Murray.Nadal was the fresher man heading into the final, having disposed of Roger Federer 24 hours before Djokovic came from two sets to one down against Murray.But Djokovic is now on a pedestal with the longest grand slam final win to his name, beating the previous mark set when Mats Wilander outlasted Ivan Lendl at the 1988 US Open, by 59 minutes.The world once pondered if Roger Federer was unbeatable, now Djokovic carries a similar aura.Old guard on songAs If there was ever any doubt, but Hawks veterans Mat Campbell and Glen Saville have still got it.Wollongong showed there was still some life left in in their season with a 1-1 road trip of north Queensland, but produced something special with a 22-point demolition of Melbourne on Friday night.There was also some sweet satisfaction for Tigers discard turned Hawks recruit Ayinde ‘Chewy’ Ubaka, scoring 15 points for his new club at WIN Entertainment Centre.But it was Campbell in particular who set the tone with early three pointers which set the Hawks on course for victory, while Saville chimed in with 13 points.Taking on finals hopefuls the Blaze at the Gold Coast on Saturday, the Hawks could prove the late season danger team in the NBL, especially if Campbell and Saville continue to fire.Wade’s chanceAny pressure on Brad Haddin’s Test position will be intensified if Matt Wade makes a successful start to the Australian T20 series against India starting on Wednesday.Wade is set to take the gloves for the Aussies at the SCG and is the man next in line for a Test place while Tim Paine continues to recover from a finger injury.While Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey made statements with the bat in the 4-nil demolition of the Indians, Haddin has battled for opportunities and consistency at the crease.The Indians, however, will be desperate for some redemption after a woeful Test tour, with champion batsman Sachin Tendulkar still searching for his 100th hundred in international cricket. Return to glory daysThere is still some magic in the grand old English FA Cup.In recent years, there have been concerns the trophy does not mean as much as it used to, though Manchester City supporters will dispute that after breaking a 35-year drought when the sky blues claimed the crown in 2011.But the latest chapter in a bitter old feud between Liverpool and Manchester United and mid-table Championship club Brighton and Hove Albion’s shock 1-nil win over Newcastle, showed the competition still has its lustre.While languishing in seventh in the league, Liverpool supporters are now eyeing off a double after knocking United out of the FA Cup and City out of the Carling Cup in the space of a week.The Scousers head to Wembley in March as raging favourites in the Carling Cup final against Cardiff following their thrilling aggregate win over City in the semi-final.Suddenly their fans are romanticising about a return to the glory days under king Kenny Dalglish.