Your Daily Dose: 10 March moments in sports history

Just because the sports world has stopped doesn't mean your sports consumption has to. In this Daily Dose series, Arvinash Ravindran looks at this month in sports history.

Watford's Ismaila Sarr, coming up against Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker, scored two goals in the stunning 3-0 win over the Premier League runaway leaders at Vicarage Road on March 1. PHOTO: REUTERS
Watford's Ismaila Sarr, coming up against Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker, scored two goals in the stunning 3-0 win over the Premier League runaway leaders at Vicarage Road on March 1. PHOTO: REUTERS

WATFORD SHOCK LIVERPOOL, March 1, 2020

With 18 games under their belt, Liverpool were close to breaking the record of the longest winning streak in the English top flight. Unbelievably, Watford - second from bottom - bagged three goals against the league leaders.

Watch: bit.ly/39zxI7v


UMBC STUN NCCA TOP SEEDS VIRGINIA, March 16, 2018

Underdogs University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) scored the biggest upset in the history of the NCAA tournament, when their men's basketball team beat Virginia 74-54 to become the first 16th seeded side to overcome the top ranked team in 136 tries.

Watch: bit.ly/2UqVbTV


ROUSEY V TATE, MMA BANTAMWEIGHT, March 3, 2012

Displaying the tenacity that propelled her to superstardom, Ronda Rousey won the much-anticipated title fight against defending Strikeforce bantamweight champion Miesha Tate. The then-25-year-old Rousey forced her rival's submission 4min 27sec into the first round with an armbar and a new women's mixed martial arts (MMA) champion was crowned.

Watch: bit.ly/2ybmSav


SOUTH AFRICA SET ODI CRICKET RECORD, March 12, 2006

The crowd in Johannesburg witnessed one of the greatest one-day international as South Africa hit a then world-record 438 for 9 in chasing Australia's 434 total in the fifth ODI. The 872 total runs is still the highest in an ODI.

Watch: bit.ly/2UuW6CN


MICHAEL PHELPS, 15, BREAKS WORLD RECORD, March 30, 2001

Destined for greatness, Phelps clocked 1min 54.92sec in the 200m butterfly at the US world swimming championships trials to become the youngest world record holder at the age of 15 years and nine months.

The "Baltimore Bullet", who broke the mark seven times in his career, went on to win 23 Olympic golds and 26 world titles.

Watch: bit.ly/2UuapHR


TIGER WOODS WINS PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP, March 26, 2001

Woods was in dominant form in 2001, winning the Masters and the first of his two Players Championships, where he finished only one stroke ahead of Vijay Singh.

His Masters win saw him become the only golfer to win all four Majors, although not in one calendar year, for what is known as the "Tiger Slam".

Watch: bit.ly/2X0wqPU


SERENA WILLIAMS V STEFFI GRAF AT INDIAN WELLS, March 13, 1999

This was a final that featured the future of the sport - a then 17-year-old Williams - against one of its greatest champions.

Hard-hitting Williams served up 35 winners against Graf's 11 to defeat the German in her 143rd appearance in a singles final. Williams would go on to win her first Grand Slam at the US Open that year.

Watch: bit.ly/3dESG85


ENGLAND V SCOTLAND, FIVE NATIONS RUGBY, March 18, 1995

Touted as the one that got away for Scotland, they went to Twickenham in search of a Triple Crown, only to lose 24-12 to the English in a game dominated by the boot.

Watch: bit.ly/2QVzrgN


TYSON V SMITH, WBA & WBC HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT, March 7, 1987

A sell-out crowd of 14,600 had turned up at the Hilton in Las Vegas to catch the unbeaten Mike Tyson take on James "Bonecrusher" Smith in a World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Council (WBC) unification fight.

But the thriller turned out to be a dull affair with none of Tyson's quick punches and no knockout as the fight went the distance with Tyson winning by unanimous decision after 12 rounds.

Watch: bit.ly/2WRBpCE


VINKO BOGATAJ'S SKI JUMPING CRASH, March 7, 1970

The jump at a ski flying event in West Germany that turned Yugoslav ski jumper Vinko Bogataj into an American icon of bad luck and misfortune. The crash footage of the athlete, who suffered a concussion and broken ankle, earned fame as the video that illustrated the "agony of defeat".

Watch: bit.ly/3bFTrfn

TOMORROW: Podcasts.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 31, 2020, with the headline Your Daily Dose: 10 March moments in sports history. Subscribe