Dein erstes Forum » hitter for a few minutes -- to test his strained

Theres no other way to say this. Australias cricketers are presently in the grip of the kind of slide that has historically ended careers.A fourth consecutive defeat, sealed with more than a session to spare by a South Africa side minus AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn, is Australias worst run of losses since six in a row in 2013. The coach Mickey Arthur was sacked by Cricket Australia between the fourth and the fifth.To find another instance of four or more consecutive losses the clock must be wound back all the way to 1984, when the Australian Cricket Board (in its infinite wisdom) scheduled 10 consecutive Tests against West Indies at their mightiest. Kim Hughes led Australia through five straight defeats before resigning in tears at the Gabba. Allan Borders first Test as captain was a sixth loss in a row.Venture further still into the past, to the divisive days of the World Series Cricket split, and another loss of five Tests in a row - four to Mike Brearleys England and one to a Sarfraz Nawaz-inspired Pakistan in 1978-79. Graham Yallop - having predicted a six-nil Ashes victory - was relieved of his command after a 5-1 series defeat. Hughes was duly in command for the Pakistan loss at the MCG, during which time Kerry Packer and the board chairman Bob Parish met to discuss a much-needed truce in the cricket war.What does all this say? That the system can only take so much strain before it breaks. Another recent example of course is the summer of 2010-11. Three innings defeats in the one Ashes series, while not consecutive, humiliated Australian cricket at home. those results ushered the end of Ricky Pontings captaincy, Tim Nielsens coaching tenure and the breaking up of the selection panel chaired by the part-timer Andrew Hilditch. Those changes were wrought by the Argus review, a major undertaking that enshrined numerous alterations to how the national team was run.Five years on, and that document still takes pride of place in the personal collection of the team performance manager Pat Howard, among others. But as already discussed, the mixed priorities illustrated by the move of the first Test of the summer from the Gabba to the WACA, and the scheduling of a solitary Sheffield Shield match - under lights with a pink ball at that - place fresh scrutiny on decision-making in the halls of CAs Jolimont headquarters.Intriguingly, the CA board recently hosted a presentation by the New South Wales chairman John Warn and chief executive Andrew Jones on how they turned around the fortunes of the games most populous state. Independent governance at director level should ensure CAs CEO, James Sutherland, is kept on his toes. So too should a mood for change at senior executive level - Kate Banozic and Mike McKenna have gone, while the former board director Kevin Roberts has come in, alongside a newly promoted head of finance in Todd Shand. Pressure, too, must fall on the coach Darren Lehmann, despite his recent signing of a renewed deal to see him through to 2019. Earlier in this match, he offered up familiar homilies to ABC Radio about the quality of the individuals currently in the dressing room, how hard they were working and how great their attitudes were. This extended not just to the players but also to support staff including David Saker, Graeme Hick and Lehmanns old state team-mate Greg Blewett - nominally the fielding coach.They do all the prep, theyre great young men, theyre trying to do as well as they can for Australia each and every time, its just a case of making little mental lapses at times, Lehmann had said. Collectively were always pretty positive, but stats will show we havent batted as well as we would have liked the last few Test matches. Theres no hiding the fact weve got to bat better.Theres always pressure when youre coaching your country or playing for the country, thats why the guys have got to where theyve got to. Theyve been brilliant doing all the work behind the scenes and playing at the level below, now theyve got to do it at this level.True as this all is, the fact is that the Australian team is not a club side defined by how well everyone gets along with each other. It is a representative team brought together to win matches. As one former captain said recently: If you ask me to choose between a happy team and a winning one, Ill take the winning one every time.Australia have passed the point where they can keep whistling merrily towards defeat. There should be consequences, and soon.Basketball Shoes Online Store . Irving scored 23 points, Tristan Thompson had 20 points and 10 rebounds and the Cavaliers beat the Denver Nuggets 117-109 on Friday night. Basketball Shoes Online Store . Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda. https://www.cheapbasketballshoesstore.com/ . 8 Kansas to a 64-63 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night. The freshman from Vaughan, Ont. Basketball Shoes 2020 . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. Cheap Basketball Shoes Free Shipping . Jane Virtanen scored two, and Alex Roach and Elliott Peterson rounded out the offence for the Hitmen (40-15-6). Brady Brassart chipped in with three assists. Colton McCarthy scored twice, Brayden Point had a goal and two assists, and Jack Rodewald also scored for the Warriors (15-35-9), who were 2 for 5 on the power play.SAN FRANCISCO -- Buster Poseys 1,000th hit came on a home run that bounced off the top of the wall and over. The fan who grabbed the souvenir ball gladly returned it, and Posey offered a bat in trade.That kind of good fortune is exactly what the San Francisco Giants need this final week as they make a playoff push -- and more of the same kind of offensive production from up and down the lineup.Hunter Pence went deep one batter after Posey in the fifth inning during a 19-hit night for San Francisco, and the Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 12-3 on Tuesday.Its a cool accomplishment, Posey said. I think back of being a kid and thinking about, the opportunity to play in the major leagues was a dream come true, so to have 1,000 hits is kind of hard to believe.Brandon Crawford tripled twice for San Francisco, which remained a half-game behind the Mets for the top NL wild card and one game up on the Cardinals for the second spot.Matt Moore (12-12) matched his career high with 11 strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings, rebounding from his worst start this season.Posey and Pence hit consecutive solo shots, the fifth time the Giants have had back-to-back homers this year. Each player drove in two runs on the night. Conor Gillaspie added a two-run homer in the eighth.Crawford had two triples in a game for the first time -- one driving in two runs in the eighth -- among his four hits. Brandon Belt tripled, doubled, hit an RBI single and scored two runs for the Giants after manager Bruce Bochy called on his team to get going offensively for this crucial, final week.Not so much different than the Giants challenges down the stretch in their World Series-winning years of 2010, 12 and 14.Its fun, Bochy said. It really is. We wish we were in better position.Joe Panik had a triple, an RBI double and a single. Angel Pagan added two hits, including a run-scoring single, and an RBI groundout.All three NL wild-card contenders won by scoring 12 runs. In fact, Bochy told hitting coach Hensley Meulens hed better have his hitters ready.Hopefully, this gets this offense clicking a little bit, Bochy said. Were going to have to score runs. Were playing good teams and they swing the bat. It will be important we get this offense going a little bit. Thats gotten away from us. Thats my hope, it is something they can build on.Moore was knocked out after only an inning -- the second-shortest start of the leftys career -- in a 9-3 loss at the Dodgers last Wednesday, allowing six runs on seven hits. He gavee up six hits and one run Tuesday and didnt walk a batter.ddddddddddddThe ball jumps on you, Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. He commanded his stuff well.The Giants acquired infielder Gordon Beckham from Atlanta earlier Tuesday and he showed up in San Franciscos dugout making introductions early in the game. Partially blocking Poseys spot postgame in a neighboring locker, Beckham joked to the catcher he was doing an important interview.Colorado got Charlie Blackmons RBI groundout in the third but lost its eighth straight road game.Rockies rookie right-hander German Marquez (1-1) allowed 12 hits and six runs over 4 1/3 innings in his second career start after beating St. Louis in his first one.REMEMBERING FERNANDEZA moment of silence was held for Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, who died early Sunday in a boating accident. A No. 16 Fernandez Giants jersey hung in the dugout.TRAINERS ROOMRockies: Mark Reynolds is not on the clubs final three-game trip to the Bay Area. He broke his left hand after being hit by a pitch against San Diego on Sept. 18, ending his season.Giants: INF Eduardo Nunez had an MRI that showed a mild right hamstring pull that is expected to keep him out a few days, the reason Beckham was added. Nunez could be ready by the weekend series against the Dodgers. ... RHP Johnny Cueto threw a bullpen -- Bochy even stood in as the hitter for a few minutes -- to test his strained left groin and did fine. Cueto is slated to start Thursday as planned without restrictions. He will go through some fielding work Wednesday to make sure the groin is fine. ... OF Mac Williamson was placed on the 60-day disabled list with a quadriceps strain that was unknown to the team until he could barely walk after landing from San Diego on Sunday night.ROSTER MOVESSan Francisco sent Class-A infielder Rich Rodriguez to Atlanta. ... The Giants added C Tony Sanchez to the roster for insurance behind Posey and Trevor Brown. ... LHP Matt Reynolds was designated for assignment.UP NEXTRockies: RHP Tyler Chatwood (11-9, 4.08 ERA) is 7-1 with a 1.88 ERA in 12 road starts this season. Hes 2-1 with a 2.77 ERA in five career outings at AT&T Park.Giants: RHP Jeff Samardzija (12-10, 3.83) is 1-1 with a 2.38 ERA in three starts this season against the Rockies, going at least seven innings in each one and striking out nine Colorado batters in the past two. ' ' '