Dein erstes Forum » Smith will get a good opportunity to do

In the past 20 years, only two legspinners have worked their way onto the famous honours boards at Lords, and both of them have been on duty for Pakistan in this Test match. While Yasir Shahs exemplary blend of threat and control proved too much for Englands middle order on a gripping second day of the first Test, theres no doubting the influence that his forebear had on the strategies that have, so far, proved so fruitful.Mushtaq Ahmed, after all, was sitting on the other side of the pavilion not so long ago, passing on his wisdom to the likes of Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar during his stint as Englands spin-bowling coach. But, with Adil Rashid still a work in progress back then, and Scott Borthwick making a quiz-question of a debut in the last match of that association (at Sydney in January 2014), Mushy had all too few of his true ilk to get his teeth into during his six years with the ECB.Yasir, on the other hand, is a chip off a familiar block. Not so much in terms of technique, maybe - his action has always had more shades of Shane Warne, while his execution today brought to mind Anil Kumbles command of length and bounce. But in terms of the strategies and the wiles that Yasir brought to his days work, you could hear Mushys cogs whirring on the balcony on his behalf as, for the second day running, a first-time visitor to Lords produced a pitch-perfect performance to etch his name into the grounds history.We were focusing on what the fast bowlers would do, said Yasir at the close. But luckily, I got the five wickets - and Im glad for the team.My role, from the coaches, was very clear - to give support to the fast bowlers. I was concentrating on repeating my action again and again - and my natural variation helped me get the five wickets.That is, after all, the benefit of the preparations that Pakistan have been able and willing to put into this Test match. Yasirs grasp of English is no match for his grasp of the conditions, and so it was left to his coach to provide a running translation of his thoughts. However, thanks to that training camp in Lahore and that extra week of acclimatization down in Hampshire, nothing was lost in translation from the hot, arid conditions of the UAE in November, where Yasir picked up 15 wickets at 21.53 in the home campaign against England.He was very excited when we arrived here in the UK, said Mushtaq. There was lots of talk about how successful he had been in the UAE, but he was very focused. The camp we had for 10-15 days before the tour started really helped because the Dukes ball is not easy to hold, we really worked hard on gripping the ball and he was just concentrating on his line and length.It was a simple message, exemplarily delivered. For Mushtaqs experience of Lords isnt simply limited to his role in two famous Pakistan wins, in 1992 and 1996. With his illustrious career with Sussex adding to his knowledge, he hoovered up the grand total of 42 wickets at 19.88 from nearly 2000 deliveries at the ground, and so was perfectly placed to impart the subtleties that might have otherwise have eluded Yasir.Weve been talking about the ends, and the angles, Mushtaq said. How, in the first innings, you want to bowl from the Pavilion End because you get lots of drift [down the slope], so you can get lots of lbws and bowleds. But sometimes youve got to give credit to the bowler, because hes bowled that spell brilliantly. Of that there is no doubt. The tone of Englands innings certainly had a traditional feel where contests against Pakistan are concerned. First came a solid second-wicket stand of 110 between Alastair Cook and Joe Root that established visions of healthy leads and second-innings pressure; then came an injudicious stroke as Root sized up his fifty with a mow over the leg side, top-edged to midwicket and triggered a tumble of 6 for 114.Yasirs contribution to that calamity was the small matter 5 for 51 in his first 20.2 overs in a Test outside of Asia. I am giving all the credit to Yasir Shah, said Mushtaq. Joe Root is one of the best players, and plays spin very well, Cookie has one of the best records in Asia so he plays spin really well. Yasir got the wickets because he created better pressure than other people.All credit to him, but I think well be a little bit disappointed with a couple of the dismissals, admitted Chris Woakes, whose own maiden entry on the honours boards had been somewhat overshadowed by the close. Cooky and Rooty played very well to get us into a good position but unfortunately Rooty wouldnt have been too happy with the manner of his dismissal. We probably gave him one or two [wickets], but all in all, he bowled pretty well too.There was, however, a large dollop of naivety in Englands approach that doesnt augur well for their prospects as the contest progresses. Root can be pardoned for his aggression because England have been given licence to back their abilities - If he had hit that for six or a one-bounce four to the midwicket boundary wed have all been clapping on the balcony, said Woakes - but, as Wahab Riaz intimated in the build-up to the series, the frailties of the middle order didnt look like resolving themselves in a desperate hurry.James Vince had arguably betrayed his anxieties with his body language in the slip cordon on the first day as he once again departed without convincing, and if Moeen Ali could count himself as the victim of a bold piece of umpiring, the ease with which Yasir slid a quicker ball through a flaccid cut from Jonny Bairstow, Englands form player of the Test summer to date, was mildly troubling. After all, it was two decades ago that Alec Stewart famously encountered Warnes flipper at the WACA. Youd have thought forewarned would be forearmed by now.Hes got a couple to turn and a couple to slide, which is the tricky one, do you play for the turn or the one that goes straight on? said Woakes. Well have to go back to the drawing board. We are a very honest group, well sit down and talk about how to go forward, and obviously how to play him not only tomorrow but also the rest of the Test series too.It was very simple, added Yasir. If you can look after your basics right, and put lots of revs on the ball, sometimes those give you the variation. If one ball hits the seam, like with Gary Ballance, it will spin, so that gave me the confidence to do it again and again. I knew that lots of good overs would give me a wicket.In UAE you have to bowl quicker because off the pitch batsmen can read you and they can play a good ball on the back foot. Here in England, because the pitches have some pace, obviously I am going to vary my pace. I was just concentrating on line. And I was trying to spin the ball as much as I can.Talking of Warne - who, of course, never quite managed a five-for at Lords despite several near-misses in his four visits - there was an amusing diversion from the onfield action shortly after Yasir had claimed his place in the annals. Bashing his keys on Twitter, in a slightly cack-handed attempts to praise a fellow craftsman, Warne attempted on two occasions to claim that a mystery conversation had been the key to Yasirs success, but deleted both drafts before settling for a more prosaic: Congrats Yasir Shah on your 5 wicket haul, its great to see you bowl so well & deliver your skills!And that begged the question, if it takes even Warne three attempts to find the correct response to a successful spell of legspin, what hope do England have when it comes to the fourth innings?Woakes, however, has shown - in his top-and-tailing of the day, first with the ball and then with a doughty and vital 31 not out in partnership with Stuart Broad - that resistance is far from futile.We are still in a decent position in the Test match, we are by no means out of it, he said. Me and Broady have an important job in the morning, to get close to Pakistan and maybe past them. If we do get a lead, the pressures right back on them, and then its up to us to bowl well and try to skittle them out.Nike Air Max Tailwind 8 Kopen . -- Charlie Graham stopped 67 shots as the Belleville Bulls edged the visiting Guelph Storm 6-5 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Nike Air Max Aanbieding . Didier Drogba gave away the penalty that put Senegal one goal away from a major upset, but the veteran striker will get another chance -- probably his last -- at the World Cup after Salomon Kalous injury-time strike sealed the Ivorians place in Brazil next year. http://www.airmaxkopennederland.com/uitverkoop-air-max-97.html . -- James Young couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night. Nike Air Max 97 Heren Sale . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training. Nike Air Max 270 React Nederland . Louis Blues teammates who would also be participating in the Olympics, Alex Pietrangelo felt right at home, no different in some ways to the travel experience of any old road trip – save for the length of the journey, that is.When NFL training camps begin there are always battles being waged for playing time. Some of those battles have been more or less decided -- Michael Vick is the starting quarterback in Philadelphia, Daryl Richardson is set to start at running back for St. Louis, Blaine Gabbert is starting at quarterback for Jacksonville -- but there are other situations that are still to be sorted out over the final couple weeks. Here are some of the more intriguing position battles for fantasy owners to watch:Montee Ball vs. Ronnie Hillman, Denver RB With an offence focused on passing, the Broncos may not place high priority on which of their backs is running more often. Hillman has the early edge, working with the first team, but the second-year back only had 327 rushing yards (3.9 per carry) as a rookie, so hes not anywhere close to secure in that position. Ball was a thundering force at Wisconsin, scoring 61 touchdowns in his last two seasons. The big concern with Ball has to do with pass protection, but hell have to be more effective all around if hes going to knock Hillman from the role. If neither one of these young backs takes hold of the job, Knowshon Moreno could sneak past them into more playing time.Kevin Kolb vs. E.J. Manuel, Buffalo QB The Bills seemed set to make the rookie Manuel their starter, but then he suffered a knee injury and will miss the rest of the preseason, opening the door for Kolb, who had missed time in camp with his own knee injury, to take the starting job. Kolb has 21 career starts and figures to get the starting job for Week One, when the Bills host New England. Even if the expectation is that Manuel will take over the starting job, it will be harder to make the change if Kolb is productive in that starting role.Dallas Clark vs. Ed Dickson vs. Visanthe Shiancoe, Baltimore TEConsidering that the Ravens had big plans for Dennis Pitta in their offence this season, prior to suffering his season-ending hip injury, there is an opportunity for at least one of the Ravens tight ends to fill that void. Clark has the track record and a history with offensive co-ordinator Jim Caldwell; Dickson, who is hurt right now, had a 54-catch season with the Ravens and QB Joe Flacco in 2011, and Shiancoe is 34, but did have 18 touchdowns in the 2008 and 2009 seasons with Minnesota.DeAngelo Williams vs. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina RB Ankle problems continue to plague Stewart, which gives Williams the opportunity to not only be the Week One starter, but a chance to get significant touches in that role. Its been three years since Williams last rushed for more than 1,000 yards, but hes averaged 4.9 yards per carry throughout his career, so if he could get 200 carries, a 1,000-yard season could be achievable. Of course, if Stewart gets healthy, hes sure to get his share of carries too, effectively sabotaging the fantasy value of both backs.Demaryius Thomas vs. Wes Welker vs. Eric Decker, Denver WR There isnt really a battle for position so much as competition for targets from QB Peyton Manning. Thomas and Decker had tremendous seasons for the Broncos last year, with Thomas racking up 1,434 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, while Decker added 1,064 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. How will those numbers shake out with the addition of Welker, who has at least 100 catches and 1,000 yards in five of the last six seasons? Sure, Welker in the slot can take some touches away from the tight ends in the Broncos offence, and maybe they will pass a bit more with a suspect running game, but dont some of the targets have to get pulled away from Thomas and Decker? Thats my suspicion, but well have to see how Manning chooses to distribute the football.Nate Burleson vs. Ryan Broyles, Detroit WR Coming off injuries, the pair of Lions wideouts are competing for the job across from superstar Calvin Johnson. Burleson hasnt put up big numbers (under 50 yards per game) in three seasons with Detroit, but is a reliable complementary receiver. Broyles is the up-and-comer who had six catches for 126 yards against Houston in Week 11 last season, only to suffer a torn ACL the following week. If Broyles can become the viable second receiver for the Lions, he has a chance to be a productive part of an offence with a quarterback, Matthew Stafford, that has passed for more than 10,000 yards in the last two seasons.Eddie Lacy vs. Johnathan Franklin vs. DuJuan Harris, Green Bay RB When the Packers were bounced from the playoffs by San Francisco last season, without a potent rushing attack, it was a position to address in the offseason. Drafting Eddie Lacy, out of Alabama, in the second round and Johnathan Franklin, out of UCLA, in the fourth round was a clear effort to upgrade the running game and while Franklin hasnt impressed in camp, Lacy looks like he can be the kind of physical runner that the Packers seek.dddddddddddd If Lacy isnt up to the job, though, a trio of holdover vets are still pushing for time. DuJuan Harris is a smaller, quicker option, who could be a change-of-pace back if Franklin doesnt improve. Alex Green rushed for 464 yards last season, but only 3.4 yards per carry, while James Starks has run for 934 yards in 22 games for the Packers over the last three seasons. With this cast of characters, Lacy should emerge as the most valuable of Green Bays ball carriers.Lamar Miller vs. Daniel Thomas. Miami RB In some circles, Lamar Miller is getting pub as a breakthrough candidate, following a rookie season in which he rushed for 250 yards (4.9 per carry), but the latest reports suggest that both backs will be getting carries. Since Thomas has averaged only 3.5 yards per carry in his first two seasons, he doesnt seem like a great challenger to Miller but even if Thomas only turns out to be the short yardage and goalline back, that will negatively affect Millers value.Jerome Simpson vs. Cordarrelle Patterson, Minnesota WR Simpson struggled through an injury-marred season last year, his first with the Vikings after showing promise in Cincinnati, but hes currently ahead of the Vikings first-round pick, Patterson, for the starting spot opposite veteran Greg Jennings. There may not be much appeal for the Vikings No. 2 wide receiver, given their focus on RB Arian Peterson, a still-developing quarterback, Christian Ponder, and an improving young tight end, Kyle Rudolph, who can play a bigger role in the passing game. Nonetheless, it appears that Simpsons lead isnt by a large margin, so Patterson should be expected to challenge for the role throughout the season and its likely just a matter of time before Patterson is in the starting lineup.Darren Sproles vs. Pierre Thomas vs. Mark Ingram, New Orleans RB Having three backs consistently involved in the Saints offence effectively ruins the fantasy value for all three. Ingram has some upside, if the Saints were to ever make him their primary everydown back, but hes averaged 3.9 yards per carry through his first two seasons, so hes not exactly breaking down the door. Thomas is a steady contributor who has at least 800 yards from scrimmage in four of the last five seasons. So long as hes getting touches, that limits Ingrams appeal. Sproles is a different animal, more targeted as a receiver than a runner out of the backfield, but in two seasons with the Saints, Sproles has gained 2,224 yards and scored 17 touchdowns, so hes not going to get pushed aside and that means shared duty in the New Orleans backfield.Chris Ivory vs. Bilal Powell vs. Mike Goodson, N.Y. Jets RB Ivory comes from New Orleans, where he was struggling to find playing time with the other three backs on the roster, and he still has a chance to earn a significant role, but Powell, who has 458 rushing yards (3.7 yards per carry) in his first two seasons, appears to be the leading candidate to start. Goodson is reportedly expected to arrive in Jets camp soon, but weapons charges have derailed Goodons offseason, so now hes more of a player to watch during the season rather than an actual threat to open as the starter.Mark Sanchez vs. Geno Smith, N.Y. Jets QB Not only do the Jets have questions in the running game, there is still the possibility that rookie Geno Smith can unseat Mark Sanchez as the starting quarterback. He is Mark Sanchez, after all. At the same time, Smith actually has to do something to push Sanchez aside and Smith will get a good opportunity to do so when he starts against the Giants this week.David Wilson vs. Andre Brown, N.Y. Giants RB Second-year runner David Wilson may get more carries in the Giants backfield, thanks to higher upside, but the job appears to be a timeshare at this point, which hinders the value of both and even if Wilson gets more carries, Brown could get the short-yardage and goalline work. Jonathan Dwyer vs. Isaac Redman, Pittsburgh RB Rookie RB LeVeon Bell was likely to emerge as the starter for the Steelers, but a foot injury has sidelined him for six-to-eight weeks, leaving Dwyer, who rushed for 623 yards last season, in the lead for carries in the Pittsburgh backfield. Redman rushed for 410 yards last season, with a similarly powerful running style, while LaRod Stephens-Howling could offer a different look as a smaller and quicker option. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. ' ' '