England thrash India, Man United and Liverpool cruise to the title: it’s six of the best one-sided sporting contests
Having risen to the world number one spot in Test cricket by crushing India in the first three matches of the summer series, England completed the rout with a 4-0 whitewash. Considering India were the number one team when the series began, it was a surprisingly one-sided contest.
Sport is usually at its most compelling when the result is in doubt right up to the last moment, but sometimes you have to take your hat off to teams and players who demonstrate their utter superiority over the opposition…
MANCHESTER UNITED WIN THE PREMIER LEAGUE IN 1999/2000
When Man United won the treble in 1999, the Premier League title race went to the last day of the season and Fergie's team just nicked the trophy by a point from Arsenal. Fast forward 12 months and United again pipped the Gunners to the title, except this time they won the Premier League at a canter, clinching first spot with four games to spare. A 3-1 win at Southampton gave United the Premier League and they finished 18 points clear of second-placed Arsenal.
STEVE DAVIS DRIVES JOHN PARROTT POTTY IN 1989
Back in the 1980s, Steve Davis was the dominant force in snooker and he peaked with a crushing 18-3 final victory over his future TV co-host John Parrott. Davis was so dominant in the 1989 Crucible showpiece that the final session of play wasn't even needed, as the Nugget wrapped up his sixth world championship within one hour of the final day's afternoon session. It turned out to be Davis' last world title, while Parrott bounced back to lift the trophy himself in 1991.
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER TURNS F1 INTO A PROCESSION IN 2002
The 2002 F1 season was an absolute procession for Germany's Michael Schumacher, who won the driver's title with an astonishing six races to go in a 17-race season. The Ferrari driver racked up a series of impressive records during his most dominant season, including podium finishes in every single race, 11 Grand Prix wins and, alongside team-mate Rubens Barrichello, Schumacher helped Ferrari accumulate as many points as all the other constructor teams put together.
RAFAEL NADAL HUMILIATES ROGER FEDERER AT THE 2008 FRENCH OPEN
World number one and a winner of 11 Grand Slam titles up to that point, Roger Federer was already one of the all-time great tennis players going into the 2008 French Open final. The Swiss star had yet to triumph at Roland Garros, however, and was facing the three-time defending champ on the Paris clay, Rafa Nadal. The Spaniard took Federer to school, winning 6-1, 6-3, 6-0, as he extended his win-loss record at the French Open to a phenomenal 28-0.
AUSTRALIA'S RIVALS 'ROO STANDING IN THEIR WAY AT THE 2000 RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP
The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was expanded to 16 teams in the hope of sparking interest in the sport beyond its traditional heartlands of north west England and Australia. Trouble was, the tournament was something of a non-event because absolutely nobody could live with the Aussies, who cruised to victory with the following score lines: 22-2, 66-8, 110-4, 66-10, 46-22, 40-12. The quality of competition was so poor that the next World Cup didn't take place for another eight years, when thankfully New Zealand emerged as credible challengers to the Kangaroos' dominance.
LIVERPOOL'S RIVALS KOP IT IN 1987/88
Having lost their title to neighbours Everton in 1987, Liverpool wasted no time regaining the trophy the following season. The Reds went 29 games unbeaten from the start of the season and were top from November. When their unbeaten run came to an end at Goodison Park in March, Liverpool were still 14 points clear of second-placed Man United and had two games in hand. Kenny Dalglish's side comfortably wrapped the championship up with four games to spare, beating Tottenham 1-0 at Anfield with a Peter Beardsley strike.