Kritik und Lob » of leather into stump, followed by howls of l

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The 10-man Vancouver Whitecaps took advantage of Colorados late own goal to tie the Rapids 3-3 on Saturday.Whitecaps striker Erik Hurtados header rebounded off the crossbar, deflected off Rapids defender Marc Burch and just over the line in the third minute of stoppage time.Shkelzen Gashi scored twice for Colorado, making it 3-2 midway through the second half. Badji also scored for Colorado (12-5-12).Pedro Morales and Kendall Waston also had goals for Vancouver (9-14-8). Watson was sent off with a red card for bringing down Badji on a breakaway in the 56th minute.Jerseys China . LOUIS -- St. NFL Store Online . 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.cheapnfljerseyswholesale.com/ . Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday that allowed the veteran right-hander to retire as a member of team with which he broke into the majors and spent the bulk of his distinguished 16-year career. Wholesale Jerseys For Sale . - NASCAR announced a 33-race schedule for the 2014 Nationwide Series with virtually no changes from this years slate. Football Jerseys Outlet . - After leading the Saints to a fourth playoff appearance in five seasons, Drew Brees expressed confidence in the direction of his team and, perhaps more importantly, showed a willingness to listen to contract proposals if the team needs his help getting under the NFLs salary cap.As a batsman, there are few things more bittersweet than accidentally middling one from the bowling of an express quick. My ungainly swipe at our opening bowlers offering had now triggered this precise predicament. It must be like the feeling of purchasing a house: at once a triumphant achievement and frightening prospect. The bank, an indifferent friend beforehand, is now your foe.Making matters worse, my limp underarm return to the paceman had arrived on the half-volley, causing him to offer a disgusted, token right hand that had no intention of stopping the ball. It thus rolled into the path of the second net, nearly causing the incoming bowler a rolled ankle. This short but eventful transaction caused an immediate cacophony of sighs, grunts and swear words from at least five people, maybe ten. I had rattled the hornet nest of net bowlers. My middled cover drive, glorious as it was, had now compromised my safety. I was now truly in cricketing debt.Fear began to take hold externally and internally. I had angered a bowler who, previous to this exchange, had never registered my existence in his life. Why am I even in this net anyway? I thought to myself.Id heard Ian Chappell once declare the importance of immediately countering negative thoughts with positive thoughts. I tried my best. That was a great shot. I do belong at this level. Maybe theyll respect me now that Ive middled one. The positive thoughts were contrived, though; the negative thoughts were true. My shot was, as they say, arsey. I knew it. They knew it.My spiralling negativity was punctuated with a relieving development - the next group had been asked to pad up. I officially had six minutes to survive.Dont get hit. Dont get out.Thankfully it was the spinner who was up next. Sweet, gentle spinner. In reality he was probably the most skilful bowler in the club. But in this context he was a sight for sore eyes, because whatever he produced, it wasnt going to hurt me. All I wanted from this cricketing trade was for nothing to happen. To calm the emotional fever that had spiked from the ball before. Maybe a tight forward defence. Maybe Id chop a ball meaninglessly to backward point. Anything to stop the building drama. To my surprise, it was full, really full. Slipped-out-of-his-hands full. Instinct took over. I waited, zeroed in, and unleashed the full force of my ageing hands, hips, weight and blade through the ball. The shot was not a controlled, lofted drive. It was a slog. It sailed over the net and through the region that would-be batsmen call wide mid-on. Others call it cow corner.Perhaps it was the subconscious release of tension that had built previously, but I had wilfully and deliberately hit the ball so as to clear the net. To do it represented a controversial play in the unwritten protocols of net batting. When a spinner gets a ball very wrong, the claassy move is to bat the ball back; almost in acknowledgment of the aberration of such a poor delivery.dddddddddddd I, on the other hand, had instinctively whacked it. There was no need for a call of heads. It was gone. Whatever you wanted to say about our club, it was big on encouragement. Praise like Great shot, mate! and Good leave were never far from the mouths of our senior players. As my slog sailed towards the playing wicket, I heard nothing.Just as this was dawning on me, I realised another thing. Our spinner, dejectedly commencing his latest hike to fetch a slog in the way that only spinners can, would miss his next turn. I had bought myself more fast bowling.My eyes turned to the trio of quicks standing atop their mark. Off their long run, they huddled together like the cool kids at the back of the bus. The club captain had wandered over there too to join the revelry, arms crossed, staring into the net. I noticed paceman No. 2 walk to paceman No. 1. He whispered something to him and caused him to laugh. I swear I heard paceman No. 1 reply, You think so? Okay. My heart sank and quickened, because this could only mean one thing: bumper.I could feel my feet shifting ever so slightly away from my stumps as I hunched over my bat awaiting my pain. The ground fell silent bar the heavy steps of our fastest bowler flying in. I swear Id never noticed how high he pumped his knees upon approaching the wicket. His face was again strained - more evidence that the effort ball was coming. He was into his delivery stride and releasing the ball. I searched for the bouncer but couldnt find it. In fact I couldnt find the ball at all. For that brief moment I was riven with fear. Those slightly shifting feet gave way to the batsmans version of a standing foetal position. I awaited an awkward blow to the body or swish of the ball into net, but heard something far worse - the crash of leather into stump, followed by howls of laughter.I had fallen for the two-card trick. I had been done by the slowest of slower balls. I had hunted for the ball in his half and caused it to escape my eyeline. In my haste to avoid a physical blow, I had failed my second priority. I had not been hit but I was out. Whats worse is that I was now compelled to endure that most humiliating of net experiences: resetting the stumps that Id allowed to be destroyed - in full view of my club.The episode formed another scar in the ceaseless epic that is net batting at dusk. Maybe next time Ill just swing. Maybe next time Ill refuse the good net. Because, like democracy, the ritual of net batting is a flawed - sometimes broken - practice. But when it comes to training, it remains the best thing we have.Read part one: How to survive the good net ' ' '