ttle bit. But when shes on a roll and making shots, that could definitely make a difference. Im going to look for Alana to have a really good series. | Forum

In a week in which there has been mild consternation in Australia about the state of the Galle surface, Angelo Mathews has made no apologies about what the visitors can expect at the SSC: It will turn again, he said - get used to it. Antonio Gates Jersey .With the islands ground curators directly employed by the board, Sri Lanka has long catered pitches to the teams needs. Against India last year, surfaces at the P Sara Oval and the SSC had seam and bounce, as it was hoped those qualities would enhance Sri Lankas chances of winning (as it happened, India won both matches).Against teams from further afield, and particularly Australia, tracks are made to spin, spin, spin.Australias cricketers have focused almost solely on their own performances. But it is clear that reports in the Australian press about pitch doctoring in Galle, have prompted indignation within the Sri Lankan team.We had to work really hard to win those two games, Mathews said. We played better cricket than them. Im hearing that the Aussies have not played good cricket, and the wickets were poor - I mean, come on, youve got to grow up. We play on the same wicket. Theyve got spinners and weve got spinners. Theyve fought really hard, but its just that our spinners have bowled extremely well. Our spinners have exploited the conditions and bowled better than them. Credit should go to the whole team, the way theyve worked extremely hard.Home-team advantage appears to be increasingly sought in Test cricket. Over the past two years, Sri Lanka has played on pitches in Christchurch and Hamilton that were so thickly layered in grass, they were almost indistinguishable from the remainder of the square. The pitch at Headingley, in May, had been another green top. And often forced to tour temperate climates in their early summer (thanks largely to economic considerations), Sri Lanka have also been made to play in the colder foreign venues, like Dunedin, Leeds and Chester-le-Street, to cite three examples from the past eight months.The SSC surface has lately ceased to be the wellspring of runs it has been in the past, and on the eve of the Test, appears at least as dry as the pitch at Galle. Sri Lanka have already confirmed their triple-spin attack - with allrounder Dhananjaya de Silvas offspin in support - will be set loose in the third Test as well.Its going to be a turner once again, Mathews said. SSC has traditionally been a very good, batting-friendly wicket. But in the last few games against South Africa and Pakistan, it did take a lot of turn. We hope that it will take a lot of turn again from day one, and we hope that it will be a spinners paradise.On the batting front, the series win - and possibly some good catching - has bought openers Kaushal Silva and Dimuth Karunaratne another opportunity. Sri Lanka has recently become the most difficult country in the world to score runs as an opener, but Sri Lankas incumbent pair has nevertheless fallen short of the teams expectations. So far in this series, neither Silva nor Karunaratne has scored more than seven, in four innings apiece. Still, given their history of better performances overseas, Mathews said he and the selectors would grant them another chance.What the management and selectors think is that we can give opportunities to players who we believe can deliver, Mathews said. When it was tough in England, Kaushal fought really hard and showed his character. After two games, we dont want to throw a character like him away.Dimuth didnt score runs in England, but he had got a big hundred in New Zealand and he showed his character there as well. Hopefully, he can deliver and everyone will get through that rough patch.Dhananjaya de Silva had been one of the standout openers in first-class cricket this year, but as he is already settling in at No. 7, no other obvious opening candidates have presented themselves either. Mathews said the decision to retain Silva and Karunaratne had been made with a view to forthcoming foreign tours as well.If we have guys who have scored heavily outside the team, we can consider replacing the openers - but that has not happened, Mathews said. We have got to keep in mind that the South African series is coming in a few months time. We believe that this set of players can go to South Africa and do well. They are talented, and if they are given opportunities, they can come good.Mathews now has the opportunity to effect perhaps the most high-profile 3-0 whitewash for any Sri Lanka captain. They have three other 3-0 results, but those came against weaker Zimbabwe and Bangladesh teams, and a modest West Indies outfit propped up by mountains of Brian Lara runs. A whitewash against the worlds top-ranked team will likely be remembered fondly for years to come.We are extremely excited at the prospect, Mathews said. Weve trained harder than we had over the past two weeks, because we want to win it 3-0. Everyone is all geared up, and we havent taken the foot off the gas. Kellen Winslow Jersey . Clarke was injured while practicing on the Doha Golf Club range after the pro-am on Tuesday. The Northern Irishman arrived at the course on Wednesday hoping to start, but after hitting a few balls on the practice putting green Clarke advised officials he was not fit to play. Lance Alworth Jersey . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury. http://www.cheapchargersjerseysauthentic.com/ . -- The goal posts lying flat on the field, Arizonas fans lingered on the field, congregating around the locker room entrance nearly 30 minutes after rushing out of the stands. MINNEAPOLIS -- The WNBA announced its top 20 players in the leagues first 20 seasons earlier this season, and several of them were on hand for Game 1 of the WNBA Finals at Target Center on Sunday.If anybody knows what it takes to win a WNBA championship, its this group. Here are some of their thoughts on the Minnesota vs. Los Angeles series.Sue Bird: I dont think its as simple as saying, This team is better inside, or This team has a better bench. At the end of the day, that stuff wont matter. Its who comes to play, and even more, who makes plays when things break down. It sounds so cliché, but its who makes the hustle plays, who goes out there and wants it more.The thing about Minnesota: They scout the crap out of you. They try to blow up your plays. If they know the ball is supposed to go from X to Y to Z, they try to take out Y, make you do something different. So if youre L.A., they can do something different ... almost like a pickup game. I think you can have success against Minnesota that way.The flip side is Minnesota is extremely deep. They have an amazing starting five, and when they sub, theres no drop-off. Not every team can say that. L.A. hasnt gone as deep in the bench lately as they were early, and that could add up, especially if its a five-game series.Tamika Catchings: For L.A., you know Nneka [Ogwumike] is going to do her thing. KT [Kristi Toliver] needs to hit shots, Candace [Parker] needs to do what she does. Then everybody else needs to follow in behind.And, of course, Minny (laughs) ... they always come at you. Even if one or two players are down, others will rise to the occasion. Like this year, I kind of felt like Natasha Howard has done a great job for them coming off the bench. Its going to be a tough matchup, but a great series.Cynthia Cooper-Dyke: Sometimes the Sparks have had issues with lulls in their offensive game -- like when a team has gone to a zone. Los Angeles is going to have to be consistent, because Minnesota can score. I love the fact that both teams play great defense. I think each game will be very close, and its going to end up being about possessions.Becky Hammon: The thing with Minnesota is just the experience; theyve been there before, they know each other so well. You need to be playing your best basketball at the right time. I know L.A. was a terror at the beginning of the season, and then they kind of hit a wall. And its really hard to beat a team here in Minnesota. I think Minnesota will win, but it would be rreally great for the league, too, if L. Dan Fouts Jersey. A. wins. The fact that theyre back in the Finals is huge.Lisa Leslie: This is great for the franchise and what L.A. stands for. I think theyve always had the desire, but its about returning to a culture thats about winning. This is where we belong. Now the chips can fall where they may. To get here is also a major milestone.I think for L.A., its important to not just settle for the outside game, but attack inside. L.A. cant afford to be streaky from the outside. And recognize that Rebekkah Brunson is the X factor inside for Minnesota. Shes one of the last old-school players; her box scores will never tell all that she does out there. She is able to defend and keep other players off the boards.The Lynx are going to do what they do; they have so many weapons. Maya [Moore] will do what she does. Seimone [Augustus] could get hot. Its going to be interesting to see if foul trouble is key, because of how tough the inside play will be.Ticha Penicheiro: The Sparks are trying to bring a championship back to L.A., which hasnt happened in a long time, and Minnesota is trying to create a dynasty. You have two well-coached teams and players who are hungry on both sides; Minnesota has managed to stay hungry despite winning three championships. While L.A. feels like they have something to prove. Candace [Parker] -- shes been chasing this championship for a while.I think its going to be great; I hope it goes to five games. This is what we wanted, this is why the league changed the [playoff] format. They were the best teams during the regular season, and I really hope its going to be competitive and well-played.Tina Thompson: I think defensively, the Sparks are going to have to come to play. Minnesota, no matter who theyre facing, theyre very, very hard to stop. Its like a firestorm that gets bigger and bigger.There are some key players for L.A. that everyone knows. But Alana Beard is kind of an X factor in this series, in the sense that shes so great defensively. She has a history of offensive success, too, but because there are so many offensive weapons on the Sparks, her game as a whole has been hidden a little bit. But when shes on a roll and making shots, that could definitely make a difference. Im going to look for Alana to have a really good series. And if she does, they have a good chance. Wholeslae Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NBA Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys Cheap Football Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Cheap Baseball Jerseys ' ' '