starters in his first full year in the majors. He is 6-1 with | Forum
wzh123
Jun 28 '18
England Lions have been easily ignored this summer, given an enthralling Test series and the turbulence in the wider world. Michael Gallup Jersey . But those who have cared to notice were treated to a side that entered the record books by eviscerating the Pakistan and Sri Lankan A attacks, like overzealous dads dismantling childrens bowling.Four matches spread over a week were all the Lions needed to become The History Boys. By the end, they had set a litany of records: the 11th highest team score in List A history; the most individual scores of over 150 made by any team in a one-day series; the second highest partnership in List A history. Of all the towering numbers, one stands one: 220 not out, the score made by Ben Duckett against Sri Lanka A at Canterbury on Monday. It was the second highest score ever made by an Englishman in List A cricket, after Alistair Browns record 268, and the eighth highest of all time. And Duckett only arrived at the crease in the 12th over.**Its an amazing feeling. To score a double hundred in a 50-over game is very special, Duckett reflects. It was a crazy week. Everything came off.Indeed it did. Along with his double century, Duckett also scored an unbeaten 163 to help England waltz to their target in the opening game of the tri-series. The Lions won all four of their games emphatically, attesting to the talent bubbling under beneath the full ODI side.Duckett is shaping up as one of the standard-bearers of the new generation, uninhibited by convention, and liberated by the spirit of self-expression permeating all levels of Englands limited-overs sides. When Im playing my best Im fearless and not afraid to try things. If theres a gap in the field Ill try and hit that gap. I back myself to play any shot. And he means every shot: Duckett is a 360-degree player willing to pay the scoop and reverse sweep, often seen in the form of a slog sweep, at any point in his innings.It is a reflection not just of Ducketts multifarious skills, but also of something greater: how far English limited-overs cricket has come on from the stultifying, paralysing conservatism that was once wired into the side.Encountering a used pitch at Canterbury on Monday, Duckett and the team reckoned that 280 was par and 300 would have been a good score. Englands whole strategy would once have been predicated on this idea; famously, the side were delighted to reach 229 against Sri Lanka in the 2011 World Cup quarter-finals, only to lose by ten wickets.This approach has now been thrown out. When two guys are in and batting well, its fairly easy, Duckett says. Certainly it seemed that way when he and Daniel Bell-Drummond were adding an undefeated 367 for the second wicket, falling only five runs shy of the all-time partnership record in List A cricket.Yet, if there is a sense of bravado to Ducketts batting, this does not come at the expense of nous. At Canterbury, he took 45 balls over his 50 - risk-free accumulation at better than a-run-a-ball, the way of the modern age - before going berserk, scoring 170 off his next 86 balls. I just got to 50 by batting normally and ticking over, and then I played a few more shots and got to my hundred. After I got to my hundred I just said Im going to keep going. I just kept hitting the gaps. Six times he cleared them, too.Ducketts approach to batting has been likened to that of Eoin Morgan, and with good reason. The similarities are obvious: both are left-handers who find power to belie their ostensibly unremarkable frames, have a penchant for spin bowling that is seldom found in the county game, and delight in working the ball into unusual angles, often playing the ball so late it seems virtually in the wicketkeepers gloves. Talking to Duckett, it is clear that the similarity extends to their methodical, clinical approach to limited-overs batting: not merely calculating how to score runs off the next ball, but how to shift the field.If the seamers are bowling with the fine leg up, Im not afraid to scoop over fine leg. Then theyve got to drop fine leg back and maybe bring mid-off up. Its just playing around with the field, thats why I try and do.Against spin, the worth of Ducketts reverse sweep lies not only in the runs it brings him, but the scoring opportunities it opens up elsewhere. Ive been playing it for years and its a fairly low risk boundary option for me. When I can get the ball past point theyve got to stick two guys there. And then I can play a normal sweep, or hit the ball back over their heads. With the extra man in the circle its tough for spinners.Perhaps not coincidentally, these skills against spin have been honed at Wantage Road, traditionally one of the county circuits most receptive grounds for spin bowling. Ive got my spot in the Lions because of the chances Ive had at Northants, he says.But it hasnt been an easy path. At the start of last summer, Duckett was dropped from a pre-season tour to Barbados last year, then consigned to the 2nd XI for a period, because of fitness and last July was also handed a ban for drink-driving. It was not the first time Ducketts girth had been a problem: as England U-19 captain three years ago, he was dropped for failing to meet minimum fitness standards.Northamptonshires response was enlightened: they pushed Duckett, then aged only 20, up the order to open. He responded with four centuries in eight Championship matches, and became a more complete cricketer although, for now, his wicketkeeping has been put on hold.Its made me a better player against seam bowling. I was always fairly strong against spin, but Ive learned how to hit the seamers to the boundary. Ive also learned how to score hundreds and double hundreds now. Rather than getting a hundred and out, I know that I can kick on and get a big 150+ or even a double hundred.And Duckett believes that his recent run of scores, including an unbeaten 282 in the County Championship against Sussex, has shown that he is fit enough to play cricket, though he plans to focus more on conditioning work this winter.**He can already count Andy Flower, the England Lions coach, as a fervent admirer. Bens got very fast hands, Flower reflects. This might sound really obvious but he hit the ball in the middle of the bat a lot. Hes got a big array of shots but he also held his composure really well. His choice of shot and execution were outstanding. And he concentrated for long periods.Ducketts unbeaten 163 in his first ever game for the Lions showed the other players what was possible if youve got a bit of confidence and aggression, Flower says.How the rest of the top order followed. Dawid Malan, Sam Billings and Bell-Drummond all scored innings of over 150 of their own while Liam Livingstone, who Flower says hits the ball as hard as any in world cricket, also provided a glimpse of his pyrotechnics in the middle order.Of all the signs of Englands ODI renaissance, in a sense the Lions batting was the most significant: evidence of how the change in attitudes to limited-overs batting extends to the next generation.Theyve seen the senior team lead in the aggression, says Flower. I was surprised by the level of depth and power, yes. They displayed quite an amazing array of shots and some serious talent - its really exciting for English cricket to see this amount of talent. Innovation and hitting balls in areas where it previously wasnt imagined has just become normal.In his 15 year involvement with the English game, as a player for Essex and then a coach, Flower believes that England have never had such depth in power hitting. This has engendered fierce competition.This is evident not just in all the runs Englands second string scored. It is evident in how, when it looked like injury would rule him out of the squad, Bell-Drummond called up a selector to request more time to prove his fitness. And it is evident, too, in how Duckett chastises himself for giving away starts in his last two one-day games for Northants: scores of 46 and 86 are useful enough, but Duckett knows he needs even more to get his chance for the full ODI squad.You have to make sure when youre in form you really cash in. Ive been disappointed a few times in the last couple of days about getting myself out when Im in such good nick. Ive got to score as many hundreds as I can while Im in form. Dorance Armstrong Jersey . Only three players drafted by NHL clubs were included on the Czech selection camp roster on Wednesday. Those players were Dallas Stars 2012 first-rounder Radek Faksa, Winnipeg Jets 2013 fourth-rounder Jan Kostalek and Phoenix Coyotes 2012 seventh-rounder Marek Langhamer. Dalton Schultz Jersey .ca look back at each of the Top 10 stories of 2013. Today, we look back at Boston Strong - a citys recovery from tragedy. http://www.officialcowboysnflauthenticshop.com/ . Belfort (24-10) needed just 77 seconds to down Henderson in the headlining bout of Saturdays "UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson" event at Goiania Arena in Goiania, Brazil. The fight served as a rematch of the pairs 2006 meeting, which Henderson won by decision. MILWAUKEE -- Watching Dexter Fowler jog out to play center field for the first time in more than a month made Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon smile.His swing looked even better to the Cubs.Fowler led off the first with a homer and drove in three runs in his first game back from the disabled list, powering Chicago to a 5-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night.How about it? Just right out of the gate, crushes the ball to center-field, Maddon said.Fowler went 3 for 4 with a walk and scored twice after being sidelined with a strained right hamstring. His two-run double to left with the bases loaded in the second drew rousing cheers from the bevy of Cubs fans visiting Milwaukee.Jason Hammel (9-5) allowed four hits and two runs over five-plus innings for his second victory since the All-Star break for NL Central-leading Chicago. He never trailed after Fowler slugged a 3-1 pitch from Jimmy Nelson (6-8) over the center-field wall to lead off the game.I was just happy to be back around the boys, Fowler said.And they were glad to have him back, too. Fowler is just as important inside the clubhouse as he is on the field.I was watching him in center field between innings, and hes like laughing with Addison (Russell), and there goes Jason (Heyward) out to right field, and it just looked right, Maddon said. Of course hes good, what he brings to the table inside is really, really important.Hernan Perez had a run-scoring double for the Brewers, and Ryan Braun hit a solo homer.There were so many fans in Chicago shirts that their boos drowned out cheers from Brewers backers when Braun stepped to the plate in fourth. Braun went deep to center on the first pitch of the at-bat from Hammel for his 14th homer of the year.The Brewers wasted too many other opportunities, going 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position.The game every nights going to come down to hitting with runners in scoring position, certainly, and when you go 0 for 9, youre not going to put up big numbers, manager Craig Counsell said.TURNING POINTHammel departed afteer allowing a leadoff double to Scooter Gennett in the sixth with the Brewers trailing 4-2. Pink Cowboys Jerseys. Reliever Carl Edwards Jr. then retired the Brewers 3-4-5 hitters in order, capped by strikeouts of Jonathan Lucroy and Chris Carter on six pitches total.WRIGLEY NORTHBy the end of the night, Miller Park felt more like Wrigley Field North after Hector Rondon pitched a scoreless ninth for his 17th save, getting Ramon Flores to fly out to the warning track in right with a runner on second.Even pregame ceremonies had some Chicago flair when cornerback Charles Peanut Tillman, who retired earlier Friday after signing a one-day contract with the NFLs Bears, threw out a ceremonial first pitch.NELSONS NIGHTFowler finished a triple short of the cycle. He had two of the four hits allowed by Nelson, who walked three and allowed four runs -- two unearned -- in five innings.The Cubs three-run second started following a throwing error by Nelson after making a good play jumping high for a bouncer up the middle by Russell. Three batters later, Fowler hit his two-run double.It started off with me throwing the ball away, so I kind of did it myself there. That was pretty much the story, Nelson said.TRAINERS ROOMCubs: Fowler missed 27 games after going on the 15-day DL on June 19. Definitely got some rest. But, you never want to get the rest like this, he said before the game.Brewers: OF Domingo Santana was making progress from his right elbow injury, Counsell said. The starting right fielder has been sidelined since June 8. Were getting close, certainly, Counsell said.UP NEXTCubs: RHP John Lackey (7-6) is looking to overcome a tough five-start stretch, having gone 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in that span.Brewers: RHP Zach Davies (6-4) has turned into one of the teams top starters in his first full year in the majors. He is 6-1 with a 2.95 ERA over his last 13 starts.---Follow Genaro Armas at http://twitter.com/GArmasAP ;Wholesale NFL Gear Nike NFL Jerseys China Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys NFL Jerseys Outlet Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL T-shirts ' ' '
Share:
