Bangladesh Seal Series With 40-Run Win

Bangladesh players celebrate the wicket of Grant Elliott on their way to a 40-run win in the second ODI

Bangladesh 247 (Tamim Iqbal 58) beat
New Zealand 207 (Taylor 45) by 40 runs
Second One-Day International, Dhaka

Bangladesh clinched victory in their One-Day International series against New Zealand with a game to spare after a 40-run win in the second match in Dhaka.

They applied the same formula that served them well in the opening match, again dismissed inside 50 overs but fighting back to bowl their opponents out to go 2-0 up in the series.

Tamim Iqbal's 58 was the highest score of both Bangladesh's innings of 247 and the game, which ended when New Zealand were all out for 207 in the 47th over of their run chase.

Iqbal struck five fours and a six during his 86-ball innings that included a 63-run opening partnership with debutant Shamsur Rahman (25).

Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim both hit 31 to keep Bangladesh on course for a good score but they were pegged back through Jimmy Neesham and Corey Anderson, who both took four wickets.

Nevertheless, the battling home side are beginning to make a habit of getting out of potentially tricky situations and from 173 for six they were able to counter attack thanks to Mahmudullah (21), Sohag Gazi (26) and Mashrafe Mortaza (14).

While not the sort of contributions that would raise much of an eyebrow in Nagpur or Jaipur in recent weeks, in tight contests on slow wickets such as these, they were invaluable in giving Bangladesh enough runs to work with.

Neesham finished with four for 53 and Anderson four for 40 - the latter a career-best for the all-rounder.

With the exception of Anderson, who struck 37 in 40 balls, New Zealand collectively struggled to keep up with the required run-rate.

Hamish Rutherford was first to go having faced just three balls for one run before he was bowled by Mortaza but opening partner Anton Devcich used up 44 in making 19.

One of Grant Elliott's 14 runs was his 1,000th in ODI cricket and Ross Taylor made 45 but having got that far, his side were left to rue his inability to go on and make the half-century that might have kept them in the game.

Nevertheless, with Anderson, Brendon McCullum (14) and Tom Latham (0) already out, Taylor was swiftly running out of partners and he was next to go, caught by Mahmudullah off Gazi (3-34) in the 40th over.

At that point, they needed 91 to win, and although Nathan McCullum hit 25 in 23 balls and Kyle Mills 27 not out in 25, their efforts proved in vain, Mortaza (3-43) continuing to enjoy his comeback to international cricket by bowling Tim Southee for a golden duck to hand Bangladesh a convincing win.

The final match will be played in Fatullah on Sunday 3rd November.

© Cricket World 2013

View the original article here

Batsmen Prosper, England Struggle In Perth

England's bowlers, including Chris Tremlett, struggled as the Ashes tour got underway in Perth

Western Australia XI 369-4 (Lynn 104) v
England XI
Tour game, WACA, Perth, day one

The opening day of England's 2013-14 Ashes tour of Australia saw a Western Australia XI rack up 369 for four as bat dominated ball at the WACA.

The top four Australian batsmen all scored half-centuries with Chris Lynn going on make 104 as England's predominantly pace attack found the going tough.

James Anderson, Boyd Rankin, Ben Stokes and Joe Root picked up a wicket apiece.

WA openers Luke Towers (77) and Marcus Harris (69) put on 115 together for the opening wicket in the morning session before Anderson had Harris caught by Ian Bell.

Towers fell shortly before tea having added 110 with Lynn for the second wicket when Root had him caught behind by captain and wicket-keeper Matthew Prior.

Lynn fairly raced to 104 in 124 balls before falling to Rankin and Mitchell Marsh blasted 58 in 59 balls, his belligerent effort ended when Stokes had him caught behind as well.

James Allenby was unbeaten on 34 and Ashton Turner had 17 when stumps were drawn.

Anderson returned one for 31, Rankin one for 87, Root one for 32 and Stokes one for 56 while Chris Tremlett and Steven Finn went wicketless in 17 and 18 overs respectively.

© Cricket World 2013

View the original article here

County Champions Receive Trophies

Durham and Sussex players travelled to Buckingham Palace to pick up their Lord's and Lady Taverners Trophies, the official names for the prizes awarded to the men's and women's LV= County Championship winners.

His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh was on hand to present captains Paul Collingwood and Arran Brindle with the silverware on the 30th anniversary of the Lord's Taverners and Lady Taverners trophies being awarded to the county champions.

Prince Philip is the patron and '12th man' of the Lord's Taverners, the UK's leading youth cricket and disability sports charity.

Collingwood and Brindle were joined by their team-mates at the Lord's Taverners before their trip to Buckingham Palace.

"It’s been a good year but a tough one - I’ve told them to all go away and improve as we want to win this next year as well," Collingwood said.

"Huge thanks to The Lord’s Taverners for hosting us for such a special occasion and hopefully we’ll be making the return journey next year."

Brindle added: "On behalf of Sussex I’d like to thank The Lord’s Taverners for their excellent hospitality and congratulate Paul and his team on their Championship victory.

"We’ve been on an incredible journey this year, having to cope with injuries to key players, but we were able to bring in some really good youngsters who really flourished when given the opportunity. It’s a great honour to be here with Sussex as captain for the day."

Paul Robin Chief Executive of the Lord's Taverners said: "We are thrilled to welcome the winners of the LV= County Championships here at The Lord’s Taverners.

"It’s a great tradition for HRH The Duke of Edinburgh to present The Lord’s Taverners Trophies and a wonderful way to thank the county game which has, once again, been so supportive of the charity last season.

"With their help, The Lord’s Taverners continues to make a tangible difference to the lives of young people by getting them active in sport."

© Cricket World 2013

View the original article here

Proteas Win Again Over Sri Lanka

South Africa continue to be too good for the tourists.

South Africa 123-3 (Chetty 51no) beat
Sri Lanka 119-4 (Madushani 63no) by 7 wickets
First Twenty20 International, Potchefstroom

Sri Lanka Women remain winless on their tour of South Africa after the hosts followed up their 2-0 triumph in the ODI series by winning the opening T20 International at Senwes Park.

Trisha Chetty batted throughout South Africa’s run chase, ending on 51 not out of 54 balls as they got home with three balls to spare. Lasanthi Madushani had earlier batted throughout the Sri Lankan innings after they had been asked to bat by Proteas skipper Mignon du Preez.

The 26 year-old reached her maiden 50 off 51 balls and helped Sri Lanka post a modest 119 for four from their 20 overs. Unfortunately, she lacked much support from her colleagues. The opening stand with Chamari Attapattu yielded 30 runs in 38 balls, but she was stumped off Dane van Niekerk for 14.

Captain Shashikala Siriwardene made 15 of a second-wicket partnership of 42 but she was run-out. Yasoda Mendis and Eshani Kaushalya both fell in single figures as the Sri Lankan innings lacked any real late charge.

The South Africa bowlers were all fairly tidy, with Suné Luus (two overs for 24) perhaps the only exception. The wicket takers were Marizanne Kapp (1-15), Marcia Letsoalo (1-16) and van Niekerk (1-11).

South Africa’s opening pair of Lizelle Lee and Chetty then got their side off to an excellent start to put the result beyond any real doubt. Lee made a sprightly 28 off 22 balls, hitting five boundaries, as the pair shared 42 in 35 balls for the first-wicket.

It was then over to Chetty to guide the rest of the chase. She lost her skipper Mignon du Preez for just two, but received adequate support from Marizanne Kapp (15) and Dane van Niekerk (19 not out).

The Sri Lankan bowlers, like their counterparts, were all relatively economical. Siriwardene was the pick of them, getting through her four overs at a cost of 14 runs and picking up the wicket of Kapp.

The second of the three T20 Internationals is on Saturday, again at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom.

© Cricket World 2013

View the original article here

England Set For Sterner Sydney Test

Aaron Finch is one of the players England can expect to come against at the SCG

England will now play an Invitational XI instead of a New South Wales XI in their third warm-up game ahead of the 2013/14 Ashes series.

The game will feature Australian-capped batsmen as the home side continues to work on developing its batting depth in Test cricket.

England are currently playing a Western Australia XI and play Australia 'A' in Hobart prior to the Invitational game, which will begin on 13th November at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Ed Cowan, Aaron Finch, Phil Hughes, Usman Khawaja and Adam Voges are expected to feature for the Invitational XI.

"We feel this match presents a good opportunity to give a core group of talented batsmen from a number of states, further experience against a strong international line-up," Cricket Australia's Pat Howard said.

"We continue to look for opportunities to develop our batsmen and taking part in matches like this only helps in that area. The ECB is supportive of this plan. It wanted us to field a strong line-up, so we will use the opportunity to promote key players in the Australian system. In return, we look forward to the ECB fielding powerful teams for the touring Australian side in 2015.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all the state associations in supporting this plan, particularly as it coincides with the third round of Shield matches."

The opening Ashes Test begins in Brisbane on 21st November.

© Cricket World 2013

View the original article here

England To Play Scotland ODI In 2014

Scotland will host England in May 2014

Cricket Scotland have confirmed that Mannofield in Aberdeen will host England for a One-Day International in May 2014.

It will be England's third visit to Scotland after playing ODIs in 2008 and 2010. They were scheduled to meet in 2012 but the game in Edinburgh was abandoned weeks in advance as the ground was flooded.

The match will take place on 9th May.

"We are delighted that England will once again come to Scotland to play an ODI in 2014," Cricket Scotland Chief Executive Roddy Smith said.

"Our partnership with the ECB is crucial to our development plans and this fixture will give our cricketing public a great opportunity to see the England team competing against our national side on home soil.

"The decision to play the match in Aberdeen is based on a number of factors, such as the strong cricketing community in the city, the quality of the facility at Mannofield, the economic strength of the city at present and the fact that our major sponsor, The Parkmead Group, one of the UK’s fastest-growing energy companies is headquartered in Aberdeen.

"Taken together, all these reasons gave Mannofield a compelling case to host this big game.

"An excellent crowd supported Scotland during our T20 series against Kenya in Aberdeen this summer, and we hope to attract a large crowd of supporters and corporate guests to the game.

"There are four born and bred Aberdonians in the Scotland squad currently in Sri Lanka, including the captain Kyle Coetzer, so we are sure the Aberdeen cricketing public will come along and support the team in the biggest game of cricket to be held in the city for over 60 years."

© Cricket World 2013

View the original article here

Exclusive Interview - Clive Lloyd On Captaincy

In the first of a series of exclusive interviews with legendary Test captains, Clive Lloyd CBE talks about the challenges he faced leading the West Indies.

When he took on the job in 1974, he did not have much captaincy experience behind him, but he went on to lead the side with great success until 1985.

He discusses the challenge this presented and the good fortune he enjoyed in being able to lead players such as Michael Holding, Andy Roberts and Gordon Greenidge.

He then talks about the time when Greenidge bought his team-mates some very special jerseys while on tour in Australia...

© Cricket World 2013

View the original article here

Injured Jadeja Out As India Name Test Squad

The series will be Sachin Tendulkar's last before he retires

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been left out of India's 15-man squad for the two-Test series against the West Indies due to a shoulder strain.

The selectors have opted to include uncapped batsman Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, who made his Test debut in India's last match, against Australia in March.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan, who missed that game, is also back in the squad, after scoring 187 on debut in the third Test against Australia.

Experienced players including Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh miss out.

With Jadeja absent, India have picked three specialist spinners in Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha while Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav are the quick bowlers selected.

The series will be Sachin Tendulkar's last before retirement and begins with the opening Test in Kolkata on 6th November. Tendulkar will bow out at the second Test which Mumbai will host from 14th to 18th November.

India Test squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Cheteshewar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammad Shami, Murali Vijay, Umesh Yadav

© Cricket World 2013

View the original article here

Johnson Begins Ashes Preparation Early

Mitchell Johnson is heading home from India to begin preparations for the Ashes

Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson is to be given every opportunity to press his claim for an Ashes berth by returning home from the limited overs tour of India.

While his team-mates head to Bangalore for the decisive seventh match on Saturday (2nd November), Johnson will fly home to focus on training for first-class cricket.

"Mitch has performed very well in India, however, we believe it is best for his preparation ahead of a busy summer to have him return home to increase his bowling loads in preparation for the Ashes Test window,”  Cricket Australia General Manager of Team Performance Pat Howard said.

Johnson played in the fourth and final Test against India in March this year but was not involved in the Ashes contest in England, despite having played in both 2009 and 2010/11.

His withdrawal from the tour of India comes on the back of news that England's third warm-up game will now be against an Invitational XI in Sydney, for which Johnson may well be in the frame.

To date, he has played 51 Test matches and taken 205 wickets at an average of 30.57. However, against England, he has taken 35 wickets at 34.42 with a best of six for 38, achieved at Perth in 2010.

© Cricket World 2013

View the original article here

Ansari and Roy sign new Surrey deals

Surrey batsman Jason Roy and all-rounder Zafar Ansari have signed new two-year contracts with the club.

Roy, 23, made his first-class debut for the county in 2010 and scored over 700 runs in one-day competition in 2013.

Ansari, 21, was also a regular in the YB40 and FLt20 this year, taking 13 wickets and chipping in with 325 runs.

Roy is currently playing for Easts CC in Sydney, Australia under the guidance of former Australia international batsman Michael Bevan.

Meanwhile Ansari, who graduated with a politics degree from Cambridge University this summer, is training at The Oval ahead of the 2014 campaign.

View the original article here

England toil in Ashes warm-up game

Tour match, Perth (day one of three):

Western Australia Chairman's XI 369-4 v England

England endured a chastening first day of their Ashes tour as a Western Australia Chairman's XI made 369-4.

Chris Lynn scored 104 and three other batsmen passed 50 as England's seam attack was made to suffer at the Waca.

James Anderson took 1-31 from 16 overs but fellow pacemen Steven Finn, Boyd Rankin and Chris Tremlett took one wicket between them for 245 runs

England have three warm-up matches before the first Test in Brisbane, which starts on 21 November.

31 Oct-2 Nov: v Western Australia Chairman's XI, Perth

6-9 Nov : v Australia A, Hobart

13-16 Nov: v New South Wales XI, Sydney

21-25 Nov: 1st Test, Brisbane

29-30 Nov: v Chairman's XI, Alice Springs

5-9 Dec: 2nd Test, Adelaide

13-17 Dec: 3rd Test. Perth

26-30 Dec: 4th Test, Melbourne

3-7 Jan 2014: 5th Test, Sydney

The tourists are chasing a fourth consecutive Ashes series win, something they have not achieved in more than a century.

With Anderson, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann certain to play in the first Test, fitness permitting, only one quick bowling spot is up for grabs.

But Rankin and Finn, in particular, came in for heavy punishment against a makeshift outfit on an unusually lifeless Waca pitch.

Lynn last played first-class cricket for his native Queensland almost 20 months ago and has since become a limited-overs specialist.

But his 16 fours and a six in a 116-ball century at number three followed an opening stand of 115 between Marcus Harris (69) and Luke Towers (77).

Rankin's first spell was littered with full tosses and 16 runs came off the uncapped Irishman's third over, although his second spell was an improvement.

Anderson and Tremlett had performed acceptably with the new ball, without posing major problems for two batsmen surplus to Western Australia's domestic requirements against Victoria in Melbourne.

All-rounder Ben Stokes (1-56) and part-time spinner Joe Root (1-32) were the other successful wicket-takers.

England captain Alastair Cook is missing the match with a sore back and Monty Panesar was ruled out with a stomach bug, while Kevin Pietersen, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann have been rested.

View the original article here

Panesar completes move to Essex

Essex have signed England left-arm spinner Monty Panesar on a two-year deal following his release by Sussex.

The 31-year-old, currently in Australia with England, took 14 County Championship wickets in six matches while on loan at Essex this summer.

Panesar left Sussex for the Division Two side after an internal club investigation for being fined by police for urinating on nightclub bouncers.

Six first-class matches 14 wickets Average of 36 Best figures of 4-49 "I loved playing for Essex last season," he said.

"I will always remember how the supporters and members gave me a heart-warming round of applause when I first came on to bowl at Colchester last August.

"It helped me to feel respected and loved as a cricketer after experiencing a challenging time in my life."

Essex head coach Paul Grayson had been unsure whether the prospect of Division Two cricket would attract Panesar, who has not featured in England's opening warm-up match against Western Australia.

But the former Northamptonshire bowler has committed to the Chelmsford club, despite reported interest from other sides.

"I want to help the club build towards the kind of success they enjoyed in its glory days under legendary captains Keith Fletcher and Graham Gooch," said Panesar.

"I love the family feel of the club and value the role Essex has played in helping me move towards my best, and gain selection for this winter's Ashes series."

View the original article here

Petersen to return to Somerset

South Africa batsman Alviro Petersen will return to Somerset as their overseas player for the 2014 season.

The 32-year-old spent last term with the county, scoring 562 Championship runs at an average of 46.83, including a century on his debut against Surrey.

Director of cricket Dave Nosworthy said: "Bringing Alviro back for the entire 2014 season is indeed good news.

Six Championship games - 562 runs, average 46.83 Seven YB40 games - 191 runs, average 38.20 Four FLt20 games - 91 runs, average 30.33 "He is a quality player and person, and we look forward to his contributions both on and off the field."

Petersen, who has played 26 Tests, was twice called up for international duty during his first spell in Taunton, but without any commitments next year, he is expected to be available for the entire summer.

"This coming season is an important season for us and as usual we canvassed and researched player options and balances thoroughly and always in the best interests of the team," added Nosworthy.

"Ultimately Alviro remained our stand-out option and its great news that we'll have a familiar face once again gracing our beloved County Ground and surrounds."

View the original article here

Roland-Jones has knee operation

Middlesex bowler Toby Roland-Jones has had keyhole surgery on a knee injury.

The 25-year-old seamer has suffered long-standing pain in his right knee and underwent an operation by a Swedish surgeon on Wednesday afternoon.

The Lord's outfit expect a relatively short time-frame for Roland-Jones' rehabilitation programme.

The England Lions bowler should be fit to start training in a week's time and he is expected to be fully fit to bowl in around six to eight weeks.

Roland-Jones signed a five-year deal with Middlesex in September last year after taking 61 County Championship wickets at an average of 19.13 in 2012.

This year he played eight four-day matches, taking 21 wickets at an average of 33.04.

He also took 18 wickets in 10 YB40 appearances and picked up three wickets in as many matches in the FLt20 tournament.

View the original article here

Rossington signs new Middlesex deal

Middlesex wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Rossington has signed a new two-year contract with the club.

The 20-year-old Edgware-born academy graduate impressed in one-day competition in 2013 and scored over 1,000 runs for the second XI.

In total, he has played 32 times for the county's first-team.

"Adam is potentially one of the most exciting young cricketers in the country," Middlesex managing director of cricket Angus Fraser said.

"He has an excellent cricket brain and enjoys being in the thick of a battle.

"As well as being able to compete, Adam has the talent to put his plans into action.

"Like a lot of young cricketers there are areas of his game he needs to work on, and these have been identified to him."

Rossington posted on Twitter:  "Delighted to have signed a new contract. Looking forward to the next two years."

View the original article here

Are the Miami Dolphins for Real? Let's Not Be Hasty

I don't want to rain on South Florida's parade, but I have some sage counsel for all you Miami fans who watched that rousing win over Atlanta this weekend.

Don't get your hopes up too high. Not yet.

I'm as impressed as anyone with the Dolphins' last-minute 27-23 win over the Falcons, one of the NFL's more talented and highly-regarded teams.

I liked what I saw in quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who capped a 75-yard drive by tossing a one-yard touchdown pass to Dion Sims with 38 seconds left to win the game.

So Miami is 3-0 for the first time since 2002 and everybody's doing the salsa down there in the southern climes. And they're not exactly beating the dregs of the league, having whipped the Colts and the Falcons both.

"The sky's the limit," Miami receiver Brian Hartline told CBS Sports.

Maybe, but this team has some weaknesses it needs to shore up before it can be considered among the league's elites.

They need much better pass protection: Tannehill frequently had to hurry his throws and was sacked five times. And the defense needs work on both putting pressure on the quarterback as well as stopping the run. Note the nearly five yards rushing average they gave up against Atlanta.

There were some other impressive wins this weekend, like the Ravens beating up on the Texans, 30-9, and the Bengals' 34-30 win over the Packers, just to name two.

We also had some telling losses by teams who were supposed to be in the thick of it this year. Like the 49ers and Redskins. Read my opinions of those teams here, and do not hesitate to voice your unbridled agreement.

- Getty Images

View the original article here

Cricket Training Ideas: Baseball Mitts

New Zealand's Andy McKay pictured using a baseball mitt during training - why not use one too?

It's rare to see a coach these days without a fielding bat and a baseball catching mitt in the kitbag. But the mitt is a tool that can be used by all players.

I can hear people saying, "Hang on, mitts are cheating. Why would a player want one?"

The answer is simple: to improve your throwing.

At club and academy level, it's rare to see players warming up well with throwing. There is usually some kind of drill where the fielders are required to ping the ball to the keeper.

We can do better.

Throwing is tough on the shoulder, so it makes sense to ease yourself in, and the best way to do that is to gradually build up throwing speed and power.

The drill is simple: get into pairs and throw the ball to each other, gradually increasing the distance.

That takes a lot of throws, and so a mitt is a useful tool to save your hands and be more likely to catch the wayward throws (of which there will be many).

Mitts are also useful for the "return journey" when the throws are getting harder.

What do I mean by that?

A throwing warm up has 2 stages:

"lobbing" the ball back and forth, increasing the distanceThrowing the ball hard and flat back and forth, decreasing the distance

On the second stage you will be grateful for that mitt. The throws are coming in flat and hard.

In baseball they call this the "long toss" and it's used by pitchers to increase arm speed and power. It works perfectly as a warm up for the arm giving you power and accuracy before you move on to more specific drills.

It's a tool used in strength and conditioning too, so if you are thinking of improving your throws, you would do well to toss a mitt into your bag when you go to practice.

If you are in pre-match warm up mode, once you are done with your throws, you can head into your proper catching, stopping and throwing and leave the mitt for when the bowlers are warming up and the keeper is tied up somewhere else.

So if you want your team to be stronger and more accurate at throwing it's worth investing in a catching mitt each (or at least one between two) so everyone can warm up their throwing arms on the day of the match.

© 2013 miSport Ltd

For more coaching tips, videos and courses, please visit the PitchVision Academy website

View the original article here

Denver Broncos Overrated, New Orleans Saints Underrated

View the original article here

Down and Out in the NFL: Humiliated Quarterbacks

This has been a bad week for some NFL quarterbacks. I mean bad as in "humiliatingly bad." I mean bad as in "it can't get much worse."

The worst case is Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman. I'll just touch on the low points: First, he gets benched because of inept play. Then he's told he can't even stand on the sidelines because his bad attitude might rub off on the team.

Then he says he wants to be released. Then he accuses the Bucs of leaking aspects of his drug issues. There were also those accusations of how he rigged the team vote that made him a captain, and the fiasco where he missed the team photo because he "overslept."

Safe to say Freeman doesn't have much of a future in Tampa Bay, nor around the rest of the league if the lack of initial interest in the quarterback by other teams is any indication.

Around the horn, other quarterbacks are suffering.

- Houston fans are seen burning quarterback Matt Schaub's jersey.

- Joe Flacco of the defending Super Bowl champs Baltimore Ravens throws five interceptions in a loss to the Bills.

- Titans quarterback Jake Locker, who was playing the best football of his career, injures his hip and will likely miss a month of action.

- Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger calls his own team the worst in the league and Minnesota's Christian Ponder, who has a fractured rib, is in serious danger of losing his starting job.

Have I missed anybody?

Yes, quarterbacks make the most money, but when bad times roll around and fans are looking for someone to blame, quarterbacks earn their salary.

In the meantime, there are some other great quarterbacks in action this weekend. Here's my analysis of the best Week Five matchups.

- Getty Images

View the original article here

Great Games, Great Performers This NFL Weekend

var ziRfw=0;zobt="More Football Ads";zOBT=" Ads";function zIpSS(u){zpu(0,u,280,375,"ssWin")}function zIlb(l,t,f){zT(l,'18/1Pp/wX')}function rsi(i,h,w){if(gEI(i)){if(h)gEI(i).height=h;if(w)gEI(i).width=w}}zWASL=1;zGRH=1;var zSBT='Ads'.gB{line-height:1.5}.tr #oF{margin:0;color:#666}#abc #sidebar,#abc .sb{margin-top:.5em}#tt26 .entry .gB p{margin:0}@media screen and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio:0){#abc #sidebar,#abc #sb1.sb,#abc #sb2.sb{margin-top:1.5em}#tt0 #abc #sidebar{margin-top:.5em}}#abw .gB .u,#abw .gB .u:hover{display:block}#tt56 #index{margin-top: 2em}.vdNotice{color:#666;font-style: italic;}Great Games, Great Performers This NFL Weekend function zob(p){if(!this.zOfs)return;var a=zOfs,t,i=0,l=a.length;if(l){w(''+(this.zobt?zobt:xg+' Ads')+'');while((i'+t+'');}w('')}}zc(5,'jsc',zJs,9999999,'')z160=zpreC(160,600);z336=zpreC(336,280);z728=zpreC(728,90);z155=zpreC(336,155);zItw=160if(z728>0){adunit('','',uy,ch,gs,728,90,'1','lb',1)} Sports FootballFootballBasics & StrategyNFL DraftFantasyif(typeof zp!='undefined'){if(zp[8].d){w('');Dsp(zp[8],'ip');w('')}}Sharew(x2+zWl+'?p=1" zT="18/1[N" rel="nofollow">Print')Free Football Newsletter!

Discuss in my forum

Great Games, Great Performers This NFL WeekendBy Tim McDonaldOctober 28, 2013

My BioHeadlinesForumRSS

Follow me on:

zobt1=zobt;zobt='Ads:';zob();zobt=zobt1 if(zs>0){zSB(3,3)}else{gEI("spacer").style.display='none';gEI("sidebar").style.display='none'}

If you're a fan of the NFL, and it's safe to assume you are since you're here palling around here with the likes of me, you had a field day this weekend.

Here are just some of my highlights:

- Best game: Lions over the Cowboys 31-30. Duh.

I didn't even mind those sideline tirades from Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant. He was just pumped, like the fans. All those idiot talking heads should get off his back.

- Top performer: Calvin Johnson with 14 catches for 329 yards, the second-best receiving day in NFL history. Amazing performance.

- Runnerups: Drew Brees with five TD passes in the Saints' 35-17 win over Buffalo and Andy Dalton with the same in the Bengals' 49-9 romp over the Jets.

- Chief Lucky. Yes, it's true that Kansas City has had some luck on its side this year as the only unbeaten team in the NFL. The Chiefs keep beating teams with banged-up quarterbacks.

Still, I think it's more of a case of a matchup of a team with talent with the right kind of coach. They needed somebody like Andy Reid to guide them.

- Where's the Eagles offense? The Philadelphia offense has scored three points in the last two games. This was supposed to be the explosive story of the year, Chip Kelly's whiz-bang schoolboy offense lighting up the NFL. Maybe when they can field a healthy quarterback we'll see it.

And maybe not.

- Flightless Birds. Not many teams have sunk as fast as the Falcons. They were everybody's preseason darlings, but they lost again Sunday, this time to the lowly Cardinals.

The Falcons can't block, they can't run and they sure can't tackle. How could this same team have reached the NFC championship last year?

Atlanta is done for the year. The best the Falcons can hope for is to make it look respectable and build some momentum for next year.

- Getty Images

Comments (0)See All PostsSharePrevif(zs>0){if(zSbL250)gEI("spacer").style.height=Math.floor(e[0].height/12)+17.5+'em';else{var zIClns=[];function walkup(e){if(e.className!='entry'){if(e.nodeName=='A'||e.style.styleFloat=='right'||e.style.cssFloat=='right'||e.align=='right'||e.align=='left'||e.className=='alignright'||e.className=='alignleft')zIClns.push(e);walkup(e.parentNode)}}walkup(e[0]);if(zIClns.length){node=zIClns[zIClns.length-1];var clone=node.cloneNode(true);node.parentNode.removeChild(node);getElementsByClassName("entry",gEI("articlebody"))[0].insertBefore(clone,gEI("spacer"))}}}};CommentsNo comments yet. Leave a CommentLeave a CommentName* Email: (never displayed)* URL
Your Comment*Line and paragraph breaks are automatic. Some HTML allowed: , , , gEI("commentform").style.display="none";var c = getElementsByClassName("leavecomment",gEI("comments"));for(i=0;iNFC SouthWelcome to About.comBest Xbox Games of 2004NFL free agent running backsTop Five Free Agent NFL Quarterbacks zSB(3,3)if(z336>0){w('

Advertisement

');adunit('','','about.com',ch,gs,336,280,'1','bb',3);w('')} zIdscw='342';zIdscv='7';zIdscgs=gs;zau(256,zIdscw,'111px','d','http://z.about.com/5/p/719/'+zIdscv+'.htm?s='+zIdscgs+'&c='+ch+'&P='+zr(3),'','') zSB(2);zSbL=0 Explore Football Must ReadsFootball Video LibraryNFL's Biggest LosersDenver Broncos Overrated?Down and Out QBsWho Will Break These Records?Most PopularFootball GlossaryFootball 101 - The Basics of FootballFootball 101 - Understanding Down and DistanceTop 10 Insulting Football JokesLinebacker Positions Free Football Newsletter! By Category Football 101How to Play/CoachNFL TeamsNFL Player ProfilesLegends of the GameNFL RumorsNFL DatabankNFL DraftNFL HistoryFootball HistoryFootball Trivia & Games Super BowlFantasy FootballCheerleadersCollege Football splitList(gEI('bcl'));zau(256,'341px','230px','fp','http://z.about.com/6/ip/284/29.htm?s=football','',''); FootballAbout.comSportsFootballAlso from About.com:Calorie Count - Exercise DatabaseAdvertise on About.comOur StoryNewsSiteMapAll TopicsReprintsHelpWrite for AboutCareers at AboutUser AgreementEthics PolicyPatent Info.Privacy PolicyYour Ad Choices

©2013 About.com. All rights reserved.

check_modal();zCi();validateForms();splitLists();if(this.zKW&&gEI('sv'))gEI('sv').value=zE(zE(zKW,1),1).replace(new RegExp('\\+','g'),' ');if(!this.zOfs&&gEI('oF')){if(document.getElementsByClassName('tr')[0]){clone=gEI('oF').cloneNode(true);clone.id="labels";document.getElementsByClassName('tr')[0].appendChild(clone)}};zPxA[zPxC]=new Image();zPxA[zPxC++].src="http://b.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=6036459&c7=http%3a%2f%2ffootball%2eabout%2ecom%2fb%2f2013%2f10%2f28%2fgreat%2dgames%2dgreat%2dperformers%2dthis%2dnfl%2dweekend%2ehtm&c8=Football&c9=&cv=2.0&cj=1";adclose()var _gaq=_gaq||[];_gaq.push(['_setAccount','UA-44404314-1']);_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);_gaq.push(['rollup._setAccount','UA-40872762-3']);_gaq.push(['rollup._trackPageview']);(function(){var ga=document.createElement('script');ga.type='text/javascript';ga.async=1;ga.src='http://www.google-analytics.com/ga.js';var s=document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s)})();

View the original article here

India Win Runathon To Force Series Decider

Virat Kohli: Surely now the world's best ODI batsman?Action Images / Paul Childs Livepic

India 351-4 (Kohli 115no, Dhawan 100) beat
Australia 350-6 (Bailey 156) by 6 wickets
Sixth One-Day International, Nagpur
Scorecard

The rains relented and the runs began to flow once again in the One-Day International series between India and Australia. On this occasion in Nagpur, Australia’s total of 350 for six was insufficient for them to clinch victory. Instead, India’s powerful batting line-up, led by Virat Kohli, saw their side home in the final over of the run chase to set up a series decider in Bangalore on Saturday.

Kohli hit a hundred off 52 balls in the second game in Jaipur and was scarcely any more circumspect here. He took 61 balls to reach three figures and helped India score the 42 runs that they needed from the final four overs of their chase.

Openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan set the hosts off on the right track after George Bailey had continued his purple patch by taking 156 from the Indian attack to lead Australia to a seemingly ungettable total.

Sharma and Dhawan added 178 in fewer than 30 overs to lay the platform for Kohli’s pyrotechnics. Sharma was eventually removed by Aaron Finch when on 79, but Dhawan went onto reach his century before falling to James Faulkner.

It was then all down to Kohli. He dominated a third-wicket stand of 56 with Suresh Raina and coped well with losing both Raina and Yuvraj Singh in the 43rd over bowled by Mitchell Johnson.

Captain MS Dhoni provided a reassuring presence at the other end and the pair scored 61 runs from the 40 balls following Yuvraj’s departure to take India home.

Bailey, meanwhile, must be left wondering just what he needs to do to win Australia a cricket match. He could have been forgiven for thinking that a career-best 156 from 114 balls would have left him on the victorious side.

He and Shane Watson came together following the relatively early loss of both openers and both proceeded to hit centuries during a third-wicket partnership worth 168 in fewer than 24 overs. Watson was first to three figures, taking 93 balls, while Bailey followed soon afterwards off 84 balls.

A useful late cameo from Adam Voges supplemented Australia’s total as they scored 126 runs from the final 14 overs of their innings to propel themselves to a total that they would have reckoned would have been enough.

However, no score seems too big for India’s batting line-up in a series that has seen runs flow at an alarming rate. No bowler has been able to stem the tide thus far, with only the rain bringing them some temporary respite.

© Cricket World 2013

View the original article here

NFL on TV: Midnight Matchups?

I believe that by next year, we'll be watching Saturday morning NFL football games, right before "Ultimate Spider Man."

By 2016, every team except Jacksonville and Arizona will be allowed into the playoffs, which will last into August, right before training camp. Teams with losing records will be playing for the right to go to the Super Bowl.

Every team will have a sparkling, billion-dollar stadium - paid for by taxpayers - by 2020.

The news that the NFL playoffs could expand to 14 teams, up from 12, by next year doesn't surprise me.

The NFL is so popular now, it can do anything short of proclaiming itself the third arm of Congress and still be wildly popular with football fans.

Midnight matchups? Why not?

And here's why: The games are great. Like this week, Week Six if you're keeping track on your Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Swimsuit calendar.

- Getty Images

View the original article here

NFL Smackdowns: Forget the Dolphins-Saints, look to the 49ers, Pats and Seahawks

There is only one matchup of undefeated NFL teams this week, but it isn't the most important game, not by a long shot.

The Miami-New Orleans game is on Monday night, so it will get a lot of attention. It will be very interesting for a lot of reasons, one of which is to see if Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill is really as improved as he has looked early on.

But, in terms of revealing who will or won't go deep, deep, deep into the playoffs, forget about it. Neither of these teams is Super Bowl caliber, at least at this point.

For that, look to the 49ers vs. Rams tonight, the Patriots vs. the Falcons and the Seahawks vs. the Texans on Sunday.

Yes, the 49ers are 1-2, but that is deceiving. They have as much or more talent than any team in the league. They've been up on that high horse, coasting along arrogantly believing all the preseason hype. If they're ever going to come down to earth, now would be a good time to start.

Tom Brady and the undefeated Patriots get their first real test this week against a good Falcons team, and the unbeaten Seahawks get a test as well, against a good Texans team.

We'll see who's unbeaten after this weekend.

- Getty Images

View the original article here

NFL's Biggest Losers: Houston Texans and Atlanta Falcons

Of the teams that were in the playoffs last year and have taken bizarre nosedives this year, Houston and Atlanta are the most puzzling.

At least Redskins fans can point to the specific problem: Robert Griffin III is still recovering from a very serious knee injury.

And the Vikings weren't that good to begin with.

But, the Texans and Falcons were being mentioned breathlessly as Super Bowl candidates, particularly the talent-laded Falcons.

Houston was 12-4 last year. Atlanta was 13-3.

Now, here it is week seven and they've won three games between them.

The Falcons have suffered key injuries, but what NFL team doesn't? It's their same old story: Atlanta can't make the plays when it really counts. Specifically, they can't score in the red zone.

The Texans lost four straight and were brutalized 38-13 by the Rams at home. Houston quarterback Matt Schaub leads the league in touchdown passes. To the other team.

Fans burned his jersey and when he finally got hurt, his replacement was worse. I didn't think it was possible.

That's one of the things I love about the NFL. Every year there is a bunch of surprising winners. And every year, at least one or two of last year's winners are laughable, dirt-grubbing losers.

Here are some more intriguing "takeaways" - to use cool, NFL lingo - after week six action.

- Getty Images

View the original article here

Now Accepting Apologies From Denver Broncos Fans!

var ziRfw=0;zobt="More Football Ads";zOBT=" Ads";function zIpSS(u){zpu(0,u,280,375,"ssWin")}function zIlb(l,t,f){zT(l,'18/1Pp/wX')}function rsi(i,h,w){if(gEI(i)){if(h)gEI(i).height=h;if(w)gEI(i).width=w}}zWASL=1;zGRH=1;var zSBT='Ads'.gB{line-height:1.5}.tr #oF{margin:0;color:#666}#abc #sidebar,#abc .sb{margin-top:.5em}#tt26 .entry .gB p{margin:0}@media screen and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio:0){#abc #sidebar,#abc #sb1.sb,#abc #sb2.sb{margin-top:1.5em}#tt0 #abc #sidebar{margin-top:.5em}}#abw .gB .u,#abw .gB .u:hover{display:block}#tt56 #index{margin-top: 2em}.vdNotice{color:#666;font-style: italic;}Now Accepting Apologies From Denver Broncos Fans! function zob(p){if(!this.zOfs)return;var a=zOfs,t,i=0,l=a.length;if(l){w(''+(this.zobt?zobt:xg+' Ads')+'');while((i'+t+'');}w('')}}zc(5,'jsc',zJs,9999999,'')z160=zpreC(160,600);z336=zpreC(336,280);z728=zpreC(728,90);z155=zpreC(336,155);zItw=160if(z728>0){adunit('','',uy,ch,gs,728,90,'1','lb',1)} Sports FootballFootballBasics & StrategyNFL DraftFantasyif(typeof zp!='undefined'){if(zp[8].d){w('');Dsp(zp[8],'ip');w('')}}Sharew(x2+zWl+'?p=1" zT="18/1[N" rel="nofollow">Print')Free Football Newsletter!

Discuss in my forum

Now Accepting Apologies From Denver Broncos Fans!By Tim McDonaldOctober 21, 2013

My BioHeadlinesForumRSS

Follow me on:

zobt1=zobt;zobt='Ads:';zob();zobt=zobt1 if(zs>0){zSB(3,3)}else{gEI("spacer").style.display='none';gEI("sidebar").style.display='none'}

I don't want to crow or say I told you so, or bray about my NFL IQ, or anything that might suggest I am less than modest, fair and companionable.

Nor do I want to smirk and act superior over those Denver Broncos fans who called me "dumb," "lame" and "confused."

Ha, just kidding! Yes I do!

I told you so.

Am I a prophet or what?

Denver may yet win the Super Bowl, but the path there will not be as easy as their fans seem to think. The Broncos' 39-33 loss to the Colts - which I more or less predicted - is further evidence of that.

Rabid Broncos fans are known for their, uh, rabidity, not their objectivity, but surely even they know you can't make it to the Super Bowl with a dumb, lame and confused defensive secondary.

Even with Peyton Manning. Even with Von Miller.

OK, I'm finished exacting my revenge. How about those Chiefs, the only undefeated team left in the NFL? Who'd a thunk it?

This past Sunday had some great games and some surprises, and here's my analysis of where the NFL stands today.

With my newfound credibility in Denver, I'm sure you Broncos fans will be reading.

- Getty Images

Comments (1)See All PostsSharePrevif(zs>0){if(zSbL250)gEI("spacer").style.height=Math.floor(e[0].height/12)+17.5+'em';else{var zIClns=[];function walkup(e){if(e.className!='entry'){if(e.nodeName=='A'||e.style.styleFloat=='right'||e.style.cssFloat=='right'||e.align=='right'||e.align=='left'||e.className=='alignright'||e.className=='alignleft')zIClns.push(e);walkup(e.parentNode)}}walkup(e[0]);if(zIClns.length){node=zIClns[zIClns.length-1];var clone=node.cloneNode(true);node.parentNode.removeChild(node);getElementsByClassName("entry",gEI("articlebody"))[0].insertBefore(clone,gEI("spacer"))}}}};Leave a CommentCommentsOctober 24, 2013 at 7:24 pm(1) travis says:

To be fair the colts played a good game, the broncos defense struggled yet again, but the game was still the Broncos to lose. I can pull 3 plays that had the offense made we would be making this a different story. I am of course talking about the late interception, red zone fumble, and the Decker touchdown out of bounds drop. Any of those plays go differently and the Broncos win. I believe that this game actually calls into question the Colts offense more than anything else. Either way I can sit back and keep saying week after week the chiefs aren’t as good as their record shows, it doesn’t make me a prophet or a genius to allude to some special insight because the odds are on my side that they will eventually lose a game, just like the Broncos. The fact is that they don’t have an offense that can keep pace, so I’d say look to the Broncos to stop that record.

Leave a CommentLeave a CommentName* Email: (never displayed)* URL
Your Comment*Line and paragraph breaks are automatic. Some HTML allowed: , , , gEI("commentform").style.display="none";var c = getElementsByClassName("leavecomment",gEI("comments"));for(i=0;iNFL News and Opinion - Division Preview 2001 - AFC West - Denver BroncosDenver Sports - Super Bowl XLVII Preview - Denver, COSuper Bowl History - Super Bowl XIIWho Dat? Dey Super Bowl Champions - Super Bowl XLIV RecapNFL Playoffs - 2003-04 AFC Conference Championship Preview zSB(3,3)if(z336>0){w('

Advertisement

');adunit('','','about.com',ch,gs,336,280,'1','bb',3);w('')} zIdscw='342';zIdscv='7';zIdscgs=gs;zau(256,zIdscw,'111px','d','http://z.about.com/5/p/719/'+zIdscv+'.htm?s='+zIdscgs+'&c='+ch+'&P='+zr(3),'','') zSB(2);zSbL=0 Explore Football Must ReadsFootball Video LibraryNFL's Biggest LosersDenver Broncos Overrated?Down and Out QBsWho Will Break These Records?Most PopularFootball GlossaryFootball 101 - The Basics of FootballFootball 101 - Understanding Down and DistanceTop 10 Insulting Football JokesLinebacker Positions Free Football Newsletter! By Category Football 101How to Play/CoachNFL TeamsNFL Player ProfilesLegends of the GameNFL RumorsNFL DatabankNFL DraftNFL HistoryFootball HistoryFootball Trivia & Games Super BowlFantasy FootballCheerleadersCollege Football splitList(gEI('bcl'));zau(256,'341px','230px','fp','http://z.about.com/6/ip/284/29.htm?s=football','',''); FootballAbout.comSportsFootballAlso from About.com:Calorie Count - Exercise DatabaseAdvertise on About.comOur StoryNewsSiteMapAll TopicsReprintsHelpWrite for AboutCareers at AboutUser AgreementEthics PolicyPatent Info.Privacy PolicyYour Ad Choices

©2013 About.com. All rights reserved.

check_modal();zCi();validateForms();splitLists();if(this.zKW&&gEI('sv'))gEI('sv').value=zE(zE(zKW,1),1).replace(new RegExp('\\+','g'),' ');if(!this.zOfs&&gEI('oF')){if(document.getElementsByClassName('tr')[0]){clone=gEI('oF').cloneNode(true);clone.id="labels";document.getElementsByClassName('tr')[0].appendChild(clone)}};zPxA[zPxC]=new Image();zPxA[zPxC++].src="http://b.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=6036459&c7=http%3a%2f%2ffootball%2eabout%2ecom%2fb%2f2013%2f10%2f21%2fnow%2daccepting%2dapologies%2dfrom%2ddenver%2dbroncos%2dfans%2ehtm&c8=Football&c9=&cv=2.0&cj=1";adclose()var _gaq=_gaq||[];_gaq.push(['_setAccount','UA-44404314-1']);_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);_gaq.push(['rollup._setAccount','UA-40872762-3']);_gaq.push(['rollup._trackPageview']);(function(){var ga=document.createElement('script');ga.type='text/javascript';ga.async=1;ga.src='http://www.google-analytics.com/ga.js';var s=document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s)})();

View the original article here

OK, Denver Broncos Fans: Let�s See How Your Mighty Team Competes Against Men

I'm a true believer in Peyton Manning, as any right-thinking American should be.

But, as far as the Broncos as a whole: Not so much.

They've made their rep thus far bullying the league's pink teams.

Yes, they looked good against Baltimore. Then they ripped the Giants, currently winless and friendless.

They beat the Raiders, currently, um, 2-4.

They again looked good against the Eagles, but then made Tony Romo look all-world in a 51-48 squeaker over the Cowboys.

Oh yeah, then Chad Henne of the Jaguars threw for over 300 yards against them Sunday.

Yes, that Chad Henne. Yes, those Jaguars.

Now they'll face the Colts' Andrew Luck and I don't believe I need remind anyone that Chad Henne is no Andrew Luck.

Do I?

So you Bronco boosters talk to me after this game. In the meantime, here's more on the Broncos-Colts and the other big matchups this weekend.

And if you're one of those discerning people, like me, who isn't quite ready to just hand the Super Bowl trophy over to the Broncos, let me know. I'm getting hammered here by the Bronco-Nazis.

- Getty Images

View the original article here

South Africa Take Thrilling One-Run Win

Wayne Parnell was instrumental with bat and ball as South Africa beat Pakistan by one run in Sharjah

South Africa 183 (Parnell 56, Saeed Ajmal 4-30) beat
Pakistan 182 (Ahmed Shehzad 58) by 1 run
First One-Day International, Sharjah

Pakistan collapsed from 165 for four to 182 all out as South Africa won the first One-Day International in Sharjah by one run.

There was little hint of the drama to come as they looked to be making serene progress towards victory until Wayne Parnell, Imran Tahir and Morne Morkel bowled South Africa to a dramatic win.

The Proteas had also collapsed during their innings, slipping to 63 for five but thanks to Parnell's 56 in 70 balls, were able to mount a recovery, and eventually reach 183 before they were bowled out. And that proved to be enough.

Mohammad Irfan struck with the second ball of the day to remove opener Colin Ingram without scoring before Graeme Smith and JP Duminy both made 20.

However, Pakistan had the South Africans on the ropes as Faf du Plessis (12), AB de Villiers (4) and Ryan McLaren (8) fell cheaply.

It took Parnell and David Miller (37) to take the Proteas past the 100-run mark and although Shahid Afridi  (3-37) struck to remove Morkel for four, Parnell found support from Lonwabo Tsotsobe, who made 16 not out in 42 balls to frustrate Pakistan.

Their 52-run partnership for the ninth wicket effectively turned the game into a no-contest into a match with the potential to deliver some entertainment.

Parnell, who hit six fours and a six, fell when he was caught by Ahmed Shehzad off Saeed Ajmal (4-30) and the innings came to an end when Tahir was dismissed by Sohail Tanvir for one.

Like South Africa, Pakistan also lost an opener without scoring when Morkel had Nasir Jamshed caught by Miller for a 12-ball duck.

They responded strongly through Ahmed Shehzad's 58, Mohammad Hafeez's 28, Misbah-ul-Haq's 31 and Umar Amin's 20 before the wheels came off.

In the 41st over, Amin fell to make the score 165 for five as Tsotsobe had him caught behind by de Villiers. Even at that point, Pakistan were favourites to score the 19 runs they required to win the game, but they couldn't manage it.

Umar Akmal fell one ball after Amin for 18, trapped in front by Tahir and Tanvir followed six ball later for two when he was caught by de Villiers of Tsotsobe (2-28).

174 for seven and 10 required to win became 176 for eight when Afridi was caught by Miller off Tahir. Three runs later Wahab Riaz (0) was trapped in front by the leg-spinner and South Africa were back in the game - perhaps for the first time since Jamshed had fallen.

Ajmal (1 not out) and Irfan (2) managed to nudge their way to 182, and the point when one more run would have levelled the scores, but they couldn't get there, South African celebrations beginning when Irfan was bowled by Morkel.

The two sides meet again in game two of the series in Dubai on 2nd November.

© Cricket World 2013

View the original article here

South Africa-India Series Dates Revealed

Durban's Kingsmead will host the second ODI and the final Test

India will tour South Africa between 2nd and 30th December after the dates for the series of two Tests and three One-Day Internationals was confirmed.

Johannesburg and Durban will host the two Tests after Johannesburg, Durban and Centurion Park hold the ODIs.

India arrive in South Africa on 2nd December and play the first ODI on 5th December at The Wanderers Stadium.

Prior to the opening Test which begins on 18th December, the tourists will take on a South Afican Invitation XI in a two-day game in Benoni.

The tour concludes with the second Test at Kingsmead which starts on 26th December.

Tour Schedule

2nd December: India arrive in South Africa

5th December: 1st ODI, Johannesburg
8th December: 2nd ODI, Durban
11th December: 3rd ODI, Centurion Park

14th-15th December: Tour game, Benoni

18th-22nd December: 1st Test, Johannesburg
26th-30th December: 2nd Test, Durban

© Cricket World 2013

View the original article here

Thumb Fracture Sidelines Williamson

Kane Williamson is returning home after fracturing his thumb

New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson has been ruled out of the remainder of the tour of Bangladesh and the Sri Lanka tour that follows due to a fractured thumb.

Williamson was hit while fielding in the first One-Day International, and was unable to bat after the fracture was confirmed.

The blow from the ball immediately dislocated his left thumb and a small fracture was identified at hospital.

"This kind of injury unfortunately means Kane cannot take part in the rest of the tour and he'll return to New Zealand to begin his rehabilitation - Kane is about six weeks away from playing again at this stage," said New Zealand physiotherapist Paul Close.

Luke Ronchi, who was due to be part of the squad to tour Sri Lanka, will join up with the Black Caps in Bangladesh ahead of the final two ODIs and Twenty20 International.

New Zealand will name a replacement player for the Sri Lanka tour, which begins on 10th November in due course.

Bangladesh won the rain-affected opening ODI by 43 runs on the Duckworth/Lewis method after Rubel Hossain took a hat-trick.

© Cricket World 2013

View the original article here

Unbeaten NFL Bullies Preying on the Weak

So there are now five unbeaten teams left in the NFL. Aside from great quarterbacks, what do they all have in common?

Their unblemished records are blemished by the fact they are beating up on the weaklings of the league.

Denver quarterback Peyton Manning had a September to remember, throwing 16 touchdown passes through the Broncos first four games without an interception, while the Broncos are averaging nearly 45 points a game.

The combined record of Denver's opponents is 4-12.

The Patriots have beaten the Bills, Bucs, Jets and Falcons, who have a combined record of 5-11. The other unbeatens have faced similar opponents. Not one of these unbeaten and unbowed teams have played rivals that have won over half their games collectively.

The strongest opposition faced by any of the undefeated teams is that of the Saints, who beat the previously unbeaten Dolphins Monday night. Their rivals have a 6-10 record.

In fact, the Saints are the only unbeaten team now standing who have one of the toughest schedules in the league, if you go by 2012 records.

Who's got the easiest projected schedule in the whole league?

The Broncos.

Doesn't seem fair, does it?

This is just one of the many brilliant observations I've had on the season thus far. Do you have any?

- Getty Images

View the original article here

Video - Cook Absence Precautionary - Prior

Watch as England vice-captain Matthew Prior explains that Alastair Cook's absence from the first match of England's Ashes tour with a sore back is a precautionary measure.

Cook, along with Stuart Broad, Monty Panesar and Kevin Pietersen, who was the last of the touring party to reach Australia, will miss the game against a Western Australia XI, which gets underway on Thursday (31st October).

Prior said that ideally England would be fielding their best side but on this occasion, it would not be possible.

"As in the past, we want to play well, we want to put the best team out and ideally win these games," he said.

"So having the top order get out there and score runs is what we're looking to do, but we all know now what the right preparation is for every player, obviously 'Cookie' (captain Alastair Cook) has got a bit of a stiff back, it's purely precautionary, rushing him into something is probably not the best idea and KP (Kevin Pietersen) is obviously just 'around the world' a little bit and still needs a couple of days rest and recuperation."

Prior will lead the side in Cook's absence and he says that Perth is the perfect place for the side to begin fine-tuning their latest Ashes defence.

"I think Perth as a place in general has been fantastic for us. Not just from a climate point of view, obviously, coming into the warmer weather, I mean it's great for us to get used to it, but also the wickets.

"There's more bounce here, more bounce in the nets and it's almost the most extreme that we're going to face in Australia, preparation for the Gabba as well... so as a place, you know, we couldn't be happier. The preparations are going really well."

England have won the last three Ashes series, in 2009, 2010/11 and earlier this year when they beat Australia 3-0 at home.

England XI: Joe Root, Michael Carberry, Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Gary Ballance, Ben Stokes, Matt Prior (captain & wicket-keeper), Boyd Rankin, Chris Tremlett, Steven Finn, James Anderson.

Video courtesy of SNTV. Please note that this video is available until 1st November 2013, after which the player above will display the latest live video content.

© Cricket World 2013

View the original article here

Are the Miami Dolphins for Real? Let's Not Be Hasty

I don't want to rain on South Florida's parade, but I have some sage counsel for all you Miami fans who watched that rousing win over Atlanta this weekend.

Don't get your hopes up too high. Not yet.

I'm as impressed as anyone with the Dolphins' last-minute 27-23 win over the Falcons, one of the NFL's more talented and highly-regarded teams.

I liked what I saw in quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who capped a 75-yard drive by tossing a one-yard touchdown pass to Dion Sims with 38 seconds left to win the game.

So Miami is 3-0 for the first time since 2002 and everybody's doing the salsa down there in the southern climes. And they're not exactly beating the dregs of the league, having whipped the Colts and the Falcons both.

"The sky's the limit," Miami receiver Brian Hartline told CBS Sports.

Maybe, but this team has some weaknesses it needs to shore up before it can be considered among the league's elites.

They need much better pass protection: Tannehill frequently had to hurry his throws and was sacked five times. And the defense needs work on both putting pressure on the quarterback as well as stopping the run. Note the nearly five yards rushing average they gave up against Atlanta.

There were some other impressive wins this weekend, like the Ravens beating up on the Texans, 30-9, and the Bengals' 34-30 win over the Packers, just to name two.

We also had some telling losses by teams who were supposed to be in the thick of it this year. Like the 49ers and Redskins. Read my opinions of those teams here, and do not hesitate to voice your unbridled agreement.

- Getty Images

View the original article here

'Ashes tour games vital for England'

England have been in Australia for almost a week, but their preparations for the Ashes will step up a level when they play their first warm-up match.

The three-day encounter against a Western Australia Chairman's XI starting on Thursday is the first of three games that will be key to ensuring the players are ready for the first Test on 21 November.

Although some people say these matches do not mean much, I think they are vital because they have first-class status, it will be competitive cricket and players will want to impress.

England bowling coach David Saker agreeing a new contract to 2015 is very good news. I've seen him working from afar and he is a very popular member of the coaching staff.

He's played a part in helping James Anderson and Stuart Broad becoming two of the world's best and that's because he is a good people person as well as a good coach.

There will also be "battles" within the England team, with players putting down markers for selection for the Test opener in Brisbane.

The selectors, subject to injury, will know eight or nine of their first-choice XI, which means the tour games are effectively an audition for just a couple of places.

In terms of the batsmen, Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell are inked in, with Joe Root likely to start as well.

Assuming Root stays at the top of the order - as he did during the Ashes in England this summer - Michael Carberry, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes and Gary Ballance will vie for the number six spot.

With Matt Prior keeping wicket, and James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann bankers in the bowling department, only one quick bowling spot is still up for grabs.

The contest between Boyd Rankin, Steven Finn and Chris Tremlett will be fought in those three warm-up games - and, to a lesser extent, in the nets - and it is up to those players to grab their opportunity.

And we must not forget Tim Bresnan, who is recovering from a stress fracture of the back and could also come into contention for the series opener.

Even if a "banker" player were to perform poorly in any of the tour matches, it would have little bearing on their place in the series opener as they'd have enough in the bank already to maintain their place.

31 Oct-2 Nov: v Western Australia Chairman's XI, Perth

6-9 Nov : v Australia A, Hobart

13-16 Nov: v New South Wales XI, Sydney

21-25 Nov: 1st Test, Brisbane

29-30 Nov: v Chairman's XI, Alice Springs

5-9 Dec: 2nd Test, Adelaide

13-17 Dec: 3rd Test. Perth

26-30 Dec: 4th Test, Melbourne

3-7 Jan 2014: 5th Test, Sydney

The squad may not have seen any competitive action yet but they will certainly have had a taste of the what touring Australia is all about.

You cannot hide from the fact that you are an England cricketer in Australia because wherever you go - the ground, a restaurant or a hotel - there is always be someone, a waiter, waitress or whoever, who wants to remind you that you are English, you are not very good and that Australia will easily beat you!

It is all just Aussie banter and their attempt at humour, but as long as you are prepared and know it is coming it's pretty easy to laugh off.

I'm sure Stuart Broad will be singled out the most after the "not walking" saga at Trent Bridge last summer but he and his fellow England players will have heard much worse.

Cook accepts that England are favourites - and I agree. They have won three Ashes series on the bounce: two at home and one away.

The 3-0 margin in England over the summer was a convincing one. Australia can say they had the better of certain parts of matches, but they never did enough to get over the line.

I do expect Australia to be stronger in their own home conditions, and they are now more experienced after touring England.

But there is still a gulf between the sides and - man for man - England are better equipped and cover all bases. Australia are lacking in consistent run getters and are too reliant on their injury-prone captain Michael Clarke, while Nathan Lyon the off-spinner is no match for Swann.

The pace bowling department, subject to fitness issues, is their strength and if Mitchell Johnson can take his recent limited-overs form into the Test arena he could be a real handful, but I'm expecting more Ashes success for the visitors.

It certainly is a stark contrast to my days as a player. I had the unenviable record of losing four Ashes series down under, at a time when Australia were head and shoulders above every other side in the world.

For all the possible shortcomings of this current Australian side, it will still be a tough tour for Cook and his men.

The Aussies are a very proud nation and will fight every inch of the way, and will want to give their fans plenty to shout and cheer about.

England know they cannot just turn up and expect to win; they must prove they are good enough - and they will. They will win the series, but it will not be plain sailing.

Alec Stewart was talking to BBC Sport's Jonathan Jurejko.

View the original article here

Denver Broncos Overrated, New Orleans Saints Underrated

The Denver Broncos have been world-beaters when they play the league's downtrodden dregs, but when they finally play a team that's moderately competitive they barely hang on for a win, slipping by the Cowboys 51-48.

The Saints, on the other hand, were 4-0 heading into the hostile confines of Chicago's Soldier Field, where they whipped the Bears and a pretty good defense, 26-18.

The Broncos have an all-world offense, with Peyton Manning putting up ridiculous numbers. But, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo shreds their defense with over 500 yards in the air.

And as the old ball coaches say, offense wins in the regular season, defense wins in the playoffs.

At first, I thought the Saints were winning on emotion and adrenaline. This is a team that was rudderless last year because their coach Sean Payton was at home, watching the games on TV due to the infamous "Bountygate" suspension.

They all came together in training camp with a rough edge, wanting a little payback.

But, after handling the Bears on the road, it looks like they're making a good case for legitimacy.

These are only two teams who have proven themselves under- and over-rated at this point in the season. Here are some others.

- Getty Images

View the original article here

Down and Out in the NFL: Humiliated Quarterbacks

This has been a bad week for some NFL quarterbacks. I mean bad as in "humiliatingly bad." I mean bad as in "it can't get much worse."

The worst case is Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman. I'll just touch on the low points: First, he gets benched because of inept play. Then he's told he can't even stand on the sidelines because his bad attitude might rub off on the team.

Then he says he wants to be released. Then he accuses the Bucs of leaking aspects of his drug issues. There were also those accusations of how he rigged the team vote that made him a captain, and the fiasco where he missed the team photo because he "overslept."

Safe to say Freeman doesn't have much of a future in Tampa Bay, nor around the rest of the league if the lack of initial interest in the quarterback by other teams is any indication.

Around the horn, other quarterbacks are suffering.

- Houston fans are seen burning quarterback Matt Schaub's jersey.

- Joe Flacco of the defending Super Bowl champs Baltimore Ravens throws five interceptions in a loss to the Bills.

- Titans quarterback Jake Locker, who was playing the best football of his career, injures his hip and will likely miss a month of action.

- Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger calls his own team the worst in the league and Minnesota's Christian Ponder, who has a fractured rib, is in serious danger of losing his starting job.

Have I missed anybody?

Yes, quarterbacks make the most money, but when bad times roll around and fans are looking for someone to blame, quarterbacks earn their salary.

In the meantime, there are some other great quarterbacks in action this weekend. Here's my analysis of the best Week Five matchups.

- Getty Images

View the original article here

Flintoff wants review system scrapped

Former England captain Andrew Flintoff is calling for the decision review system (DRS) to be scrapped.

Flintoff wants a return to the days when decisions rested solely with the on-field umpires.

DRS was at the centre of several controversies during England's Ashes victory over Australia in the summer.

"I don't think it's needed, just let the umpire do it. It's one of the few games left where the umpire's decision is final," said Flintoff.

Jonathan Trott, first Test at Trent Bridge

South African third umpire Marais Erasmus overturned Pakistani on-field umpire Aleem Dar's original not out decision for an lbw appeal from Mitchell Starc even though he did not have access to Hot Spot. It was Trott's first ball, and the host broadcaster was using Hot Spot to show a replay of the previous wicket.

Usman Khawaja, third Test at Old Trafford

The Australia batsman was given out caught behind off spinner Graeme Swann by on-field umpire Tony Hill. The review showed no Hot Spot mark and no audio, but third umpire Kumar Dharmasena upheld Hill's original decision. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called it "one of the worst cricket umpiring decisions I have ever seen". 

Kevin Pietersen, third Test at Old Trafford

Pietersen reviewed the decision of on-field umpire Hill after being caught behind in the second innings. The verdict was upheld by third umpire Dharmasena on the audio evidence, despite no mark showing up on Hot Spot.

"It's not like football where they'll stand there shouting, screaming and swearing at them.

"Like it or lump it, he'll stick his finger up, or not, and you've got to get on with the next ball."

The International Cricket Council was forced to send its director of operations to meet with players and staff from both teams after the third Ashes Test at Old Trafford to discuss the use of DRS.

England were aggrieved Jonathan Trott was given out lbw during the first Ashes Test despite appearing to nick the ball.

He was given not out by on-field umpire Aleem Dar but dismissed by Marais Erasmus despite the key Hot Spot camera angle being unavailable to the official.

Kevin Pietersen failed to have a caught behind decision overturned in the third Test at Old Trafford despite no mark on his bat showing on Hot Spot.

The decision to give Australian batsman Usman Khawaja out, caught behind off spinner Graeme Swann, in the third Test at Old Trafford was upheld despite a review showing no Hot Spot mark and no audio.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called it "one of the worst cricket umpiring decisions I have ever seen".

Stuart Broad also refused to walk when edging to Michael Clarke at slip off the bowling of Ashton Agar, with Australia unable to ask for DRS to be called into action having used up their two reviews.

"I got a hundred against New Zealand at Gloucester and got caught behind for about 15, but I stayed out there," admitted Flintoff.

"On the flip side you get some shocking decisions and you've got to walk off. It evens itself out, it doesn't need DRS, let the umpires make the decisions."

The decision review system is being changed for this winter's Ashes with each team allowed an extra two referrals after 80 overs of an innings.

At the moment teams are allowed two unsuccessful reviews per innings.

Snickometer, which detects edges using sound, could also be made part of the DRS process, subject to further testing.

But Hot Spot will not be used as host broadcaster Channel Nine has chosen to drop the controversial system because of concerns over its cost and reliability.

View the original article here

Glam's Allenby has split loyalties

Glamorgan all-rounder Jim Allenby says he will find it strange facing England in the Ashes tour opener in Perth.

Allenby is included in a Western Australia Chairman's XI who will take on England in their first warm-up game before the Ashes starts on 21 November.

Australia-born Allenby is qualified to play for England having moved to the United Kingdom 13 years ago.

"It is a little bit of a funny one to be playing against England over here," he said.

"I would love to play for England like all county cricketers do.

"But I accept fully that it's a tough side to break into. They're a brilliant cricket team and the set-up is second to none.

"To be involved in that set-up would be great. It's not something that is going to happen overnight.

"There's a lot of people who have taken a lot of time to take their chance.

21-25 Nov: 1st Test, Brisbane

5-9 Dec: 2nd Test, Adelaide

13-17 Dec: 3rd Test, Perth

26-30 Dec: 4th Test, Melbourne

3-7 Jan 2014: 5th Test, Sydney

"If I do one day get a chance to do it, it will be massive moment in my career and my life.

"But at the moment it's not that realistic. [But] another season like last and you just never know."

The 31-year-old former Leicestershire player previously said he was frustrated not to have gained any recognition from the England selectors.

Perth-born Allenby also revealed Australia had started to show an interest but said his ambition was to play for England.

Allenby says he will have split loyalties when he faces England and admits he is more familiar with the opposition than his own team-mates.

"Growing up I always wanted to play at the Waca  against England for Australia," Allenby added.

"But that's certainly changed in the last 15 years that I've been in the UK.

"I'm really looking forward to playing against some guys that I only usually play against in the northern [hemisphere] summer.

"I've been training for a couple of days with the team I'm playing in.

"I certainly know the team I'm playing against probably a bit better than the guys I'm playing with.

"It's great to be, in a small way, a part of the Ashes. I'm going to really enjoy the atmosphere and the buzz that's around the place at the moment.

"People can't wait for this series to get started."

View the original article here

Great Games, Great Performers This NFL Weekend

var ziRfw=0;zobt="More Football Ads";zOBT=" Ads";function zIpSS(u){zpu(0,u,280,375,"ssWin")}function zIlb(l,t,f){zT(l,'18/1Pp/wX')}function rsi(i,h,w){if(gEI(i)){if(h)gEI(i).height=h;if(w)gEI(i).width=w}}zWASL=1;zGRH=1;var zSBT='Ads'.gB{line-height:1.5}.tr #oF{margin:0;color:#666}#abc #sidebar,#abc .sb{margin-top:.5em}#tt26 .entry .gB p{margin:0}@media screen and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio:0){#abc #sidebar,#abc #sb1.sb,#abc #sb2.sb{margin-top:1.5em}#tt0 #abc #sidebar{margin-top:.5em}}#abw .gB .u,#abw .gB .u:hover{display:block}#tt56 #index{margin-top: 2em}.vdNotice{color:#666;font-style: italic;}Great Games, Great Performers This NFL Weekend function zob(p){if(!this.zOfs)return;var a=zOfs,t,i=0,l=a.length;if(l){w(''+(this.zobt?zobt:xg+' Ads')+'');while((i'+t+'');}w('')}}zc(5,'jsc',zJs,9999999,'')z160=zpreC(160,600);z336=zpreC(336,280);z728=zpreC(728,90);z155=zpreC(336,155);zItw=160if(z728>0){adunit('','',uy,ch,gs,728,90,'1','lb',1)} Sports FootballFootballBasics & StrategyNFL DraftFantasyif(typeof zp!='undefined'){if(zp[8].d){w('');Dsp(zp[8],'ip');w('')}}Sharew(x2+zWl+'?p=1" zT="18/1[N" rel="nofollow">Print')Free Football Newsletter!

Discuss in my forum

Great Games, Great Performers This NFL WeekendBy Tim McDonaldOctober 28, 2013

My BioHeadlinesForumRSS

Follow me on:

zobt1=zobt;zobt='Ads:';zob();zobt=zobt1 if(zs>0){zSB(3,3)}else{gEI("spacer").style.display='none';gEI("sidebar").style.display='none'}

If you're a fan of the NFL, and it's safe to assume you are since you're here palling around here with the likes of me, you had a field day this weekend.

Here are just some of my highlights:

- Best game: Lions over the Cowboys 31-30. Duh.

I didn't even mind those sideline tirades from Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant. He was just pumped, like the fans. All those idiot talking heads should get off his back.

- Top performer: Calvin Johnson with 14 catches for 329 yards, the second-best receiving day in NFL history. Amazing performance.

- Runnerups: Drew Brees with five TD passes in the Saints' 35-17 win over Buffalo and Andy Dalton with the same in the Bengals' 49-9 romp over the Jets.

- Chief Lucky. Yes, it's true that Kansas City has had some luck on its side this year as the only unbeaten team in the NFL. The Chiefs keep beating teams with banged-up quarterbacks.

Still, I think it's more of a case of a matchup of a team with talent with the right kind of coach. They needed somebody like Andy Reid to guide them.

- Where's the Eagles offense? The Philadelphia offense has scored three points in the last two games. This was supposed to be the explosive story of the year, Chip Kelly's whiz-bang schoolboy offense lighting up the NFL. Maybe when they can field a healthy quarterback we'll see it.

And maybe not.

- Flightless Birds. Not many teams have sunk as fast as the Falcons. They were everybody's preseason darlings, but they lost again Sunday, this time to the lowly Cardinals.

The Falcons can't block, they can't run and they sure can't tackle. How could this same team have reached the NFC championship last year?

Atlanta is done for the year. The best the Falcons can hope for is to make it look respectable and build some momentum for next year.

- Getty Images

Comments (0)See All PostsSharePrevif(zs>0){if(zSbL250)gEI("spacer").style.height=Math.floor(e[0].height/12)+17.5+'em';else{var zIClns=[];function walkup(e){if(e.className!='entry'){if(e.nodeName=='A'||e.style.styleFloat=='right'||e.style.cssFloat=='right'||e.align=='right'||e.align=='left'||e.className=='alignright'||e.className=='alignleft')zIClns.push(e);walkup(e.parentNode)}}walkup(e[0]);if(zIClns.length){node=zIClns[zIClns.length-1];var clone=node.cloneNode(true);node.parentNode.removeChild(node);getElementsByClassName("entry",gEI("articlebody"))[0].insertBefore(clone,gEI("spacer"))}}}};CommentsNo comments yet. Leave a CommentLeave a CommentName* Email: (never displayed)* URL
Your Comment*Line and paragraph breaks are automatic. Some HTML allowed: , , , gEI("commentform").style.display="none";var c = getElementsByClassName("leavecomment",gEI("comments"));for(i=0;iNFC SouthWelcome to About.comBest Xbox Games of 2004NFL free agent running backsTop Five Free Agent NFL Quarterbacks zSB(3,3)if(z336>0){w('

Advertisement

');adunit('','','about.com',ch,gs,336,280,'1','bb',3);w('')} zIdscw='342';zIdscv='7';zIdscgs=gs;zau(256,zIdscw,'111px','d','http://z.about.com/5/p/719/'+zIdscv+'.htm?s='+zIdscgs+'&c='+ch+'&P='+zr(3),'','') zSB(2);zSbL=0 Explore Football Must ReadsFootball Video LibraryNFL's Biggest LosersDenver Broncos Overrated?Down and Out QBsWho Will Break These Records?Most PopularFootball GlossaryFootball 101 - The Basics of FootballFootball 101 - Understanding Down and DistanceTop 10 Insulting Football JokesLinebacker Positions Free Football Newsletter! By Category Football 101How to Play/CoachNFL TeamsNFL Player ProfilesLegends of the GameNFL RumorsNFL DatabankNFL DraftNFL HistoryFootball HistoryFootball Trivia & Games Super BowlFantasy FootballCheerleadersCollege Football splitList(gEI('bcl'));zau(256,'341px','230px','fp','http://z.about.com/6/ip/284/29.htm?s=football','',''); FootballAbout.comSportsFootballAlso from About.com:Calorie Count - Exercise DatabaseAdvertise on About.comOur StoryNewsSiteMapAll TopicsReprintsHelpWrite for AboutCareers at AboutUser AgreementEthics PolicyPatent Info.Privacy PolicyYour Ad Choices

©2013 About.com. All rights reserved.

check_modal();zCi();validateForms();splitLists();if(this.zKW&&gEI('sv'))gEI('sv').value=zE(zE(zKW,1),1).replace(new RegExp('\\+','g'),' ');if(!this.zOfs&&gEI('oF')){if(document.getElementsByClassName('tr')[0]){clone=gEI('oF').cloneNode(true);clone.id="labels";document.getElementsByClassName('tr')[0].appendChild(clone)}};zPxA[zPxC]=new Image();zPxA[zPxC++].src="http://b.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=6036459&c7=http%3a%2f%2ffootball%2eabout%2ecom%2fb%2f2013%2f10%2f28%2fgreat%2dgames%2dgreat%2dperformers%2dthis%2dnfl%2dweekend%2ehtm&c8=Football&c9=&cv=2.0&cj=1";adclose()var _gaq=_gaq||[];_gaq.push(['_setAccount','UA-44404314-1']);_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);_gaq.push(['rollup._setAccount','UA-40872762-3']);_gaq.push(['rollup._trackPageview']);(function(){var ga=document.createElement('script');ga.type='text/javascript';ga.async=1;ga.src='http://www.google-analytics.com/ga.js';var s=document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s)})();

View the original article here

India chase down 350 to beat Aussies

Sixth one-day international, Nagpur:

India 351-4 (49.3 overs) beat Australia 350-6 (50 overs) by six wickets

Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan starred as India once again successfully chased a massive target against Australia.

Australia made 350-6 in Nagpur, thanks to centuries from Shane Watson (102) and skipper George Bailey (156).

But after Dhawan made 100 from 102 balls, Kohli smashed an unbeaten 115 from only 66 to guide the hosts home with six wickets and three balls left.

Two weeks ago India made 362-1 to win in Jaipur - the second-highest one-day run chase in the history of the game.

This latest encounter in Nagpur, which saw the third-highest successful pursuit in international 50-over cricket, means Australia have been on the receiving end in each of the five largest chases in ODI history.

438-9: South Africa v Australia, Jo'burg, 2006

362-1: India v Australia, Jaipur, 2013

351-4: India v Australia, Nagpur, 2013

350-9: NZ v Australia, Hamilton, 2007

340-5: NZ v Australia, Auckland, 2007

With the previous two matches abandoned because of rain, the best-of-seven series is now tied at 2-2. The decider will take place in Bangalore on 2 November (08:00 GMT).

After losing both openers early on, Watson and Bailey shared a 168-run partnership for the third wicket which put Australia in a seemingly commanding position.

Adam Voges (44 not out) was the perfect foil for his free-hitting captain Bailey, who eventually fell in the final over for 156 - his highest score in one-day internationals.

Chasing seven an over, openers Rohit Sharma and Dhawan gave India an ideal platform from which to launch their final charge.

Sharma was eventually dismissed for 79 midway through the 30th over, leaving the hosts 178-1.

Any hopes of an Australian fightback were dashed as Kohli, who smashed his country's fastest ODI ton from only 52 deliveries at Jaipur, immediately started to dominate the visitors' bowling.

By the time their fourth wicket fell in the 43rd over, India were left needing 61 from 43 balls.

Some powerful, yet highly controlled, hitting from Kohli and his hugely experienced skipper MS Dhoni (25 not out) helped India seal victory.

View the original article here

NFL on TV: Midnight Matchups?

I believe that by next year, we'll be watching Saturday morning NFL football games, right before "Ultimate Spider Man."

By 2016, every team except Jacksonville and Arizona will be allowed into the playoffs, which will last into August, right before training camp. Teams with losing records will be playing for the right to go to the Super Bowl.

Every team will have a sparkling, billion-dollar stadium - paid for by taxpayers - by 2020.

The news that the NFL playoffs could expand to 14 teams, up from 12, by next year doesn't surprise me.

The NFL is so popular now, it can do anything short of proclaiming itself the third arm of Congress and still be wildly popular with football fans.

Midnight matchups? Why not?

And here's why: The games are great. Like this week, Week Six if you're keeping track on your Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Swimsuit calendar.

- Getty Images

View the original article here

NFL Smackdowns: Forget the Dolphins-Saints, look to the 49ers, Pats and Seahawks

There is only one matchup of undefeated NFL teams this week, but it isn't the most important game, not by a long shot.

The Miami-New Orleans game is on Monday night, so it will get a lot of attention. It will be very interesting for a lot of reasons, one of which is to see if Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill is really as improved as he has looked early on.

But, in terms of revealing who will or won't go deep, deep, deep into the playoffs, forget about it. Neither of these teams is Super Bowl caliber, at least at this point.

For that, look to the 49ers vs. Rams tonight, the Patriots vs. the Falcons and the Seahawks vs. the Texans on Sunday.

Yes, the 49ers are 1-2, but that is deceiving. They have as much or more talent than any team in the league. They've been up on that high horse, coasting along arrogantly believing all the preseason hype. If they're ever going to come down to earth, now would be a good time to start.

Tom Brady and the undefeated Patriots get their first real test this week against a good Falcons team, and the unbeaten Seahawks get a test as well, against a good Texans team.

We'll see who's unbeaten after this weekend.

- Getty Images

View the original article here

NFL's Biggest Losers: Houston Texans and Atlanta Falcons

Of the teams that were in the playoffs last year and have taken bizarre nosedives this year, Houston and Atlanta are the most puzzling.

At least Redskins fans can point to the specific problem: Robert Griffin III is still recovering from a very serious knee injury.

And the Vikings weren't that good to begin with.

But, the Texans and Falcons were being mentioned breathlessly as Super Bowl candidates, particularly the talent-laded Falcons.

Houston was 12-4 last year. Atlanta was 13-3.

Now, here it is week seven and they've won three games between them.

The Falcons have suffered key injuries, but what NFL team doesn't? It's their same old story: Atlanta can't make the plays when it really counts. Specifically, they can't score in the red zone.

The Texans lost four straight and were brutalized 38-13 by the Rams at home. Houston quarterback Matt Schaub leads the league in touchdown passes. To the other team.

Fans burned his jersey and when he finally got hurt, his replacement was worse. I didn't think it was possible.

That's one of the things I love about the NFL. Every year there is a bunch of surprising winners. And every year, at least one or two of last year's winners are laughable, dirt-grubbing losers.

Here are some more intriguing "takeaways" - to use cool, NFL lingo - after week six action.

- Getty Images

View the original article here

Now Accepting Apologies From Denver Broncos Fans!

var ziRfw=0;zobt="More Football Ads";zOBT=" Ads";function zIpSS(u){zpu(0,u,280,375,"ssWin")}function zIlb(l,t,f){zT(l,'18/1Pp/wX')}function rsi(i,h,w){if(gEI(i)){if(h)gEI(i).height=h;if(w)gEI(i).width=w}}zWASL=1;zGRH=1;var zSBT='Ads'.gB{line-height:1.5}.tr #oF{margin:0;color:#666}#abc #sidebar,#abc .sb{margin-top:.5em}#tt26 .entry .gB p{margin:0}@media screen and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio:0){#abc #sidebar,#abc #sb1.sb,#abc #sb2.sb{margin-top:1.5em}#tt0 #abc #sidebar{margin-top:.5em}}#abw .gB .u,#abw .gB .u:hover{display:block}#tt56 #index{margin-top: 2em}.vdNotice{color:#666;font-style: italic;}Now Accepting Apologies From Denver Broncos Fans! function zob(p){if(!this.zOfs)return;var a=zOfs,t,i=0,l=a.length;if(l){w(''+(this.zobt?zobt:xg+' Ads')+'');while((i'+t+'');}w('')}}zc(5,'jsc',zJs,9999999,'')z160=zpreC(160,600);z336=zpreC(336,280);z728=zpreC(728,90);z155=zpreC(336,155);zItw=160if(z728>0){adunit('','',uy,ch,gs,728,90,'1','lb',1)} Sports FootballFootballBasics & StrategyNFL DraftFantasyif(typeof zp!='undefined'){if(zp[8].d){w('');Dsp(zp[8],'ip');w('')}}Sharew(x2+zWl+'?p=1" zT="18/1[N" rel="nofollow">Print')Free Football Newsletter!

Discuss in my forum

Now Accepting Apologies From Denver Broncos Fans!By Tim McDonaldOctober 21, 2013

My BioHeadlinesForumRSS

Follow me on:

zobt1=zobt;zobt='Ads:';zob();zobt=zobt1 if(zs>0){zSB(3,3)}else{gEI("spacer").style.display='none';gEI("sidebar").style.display='none'}

I don't want to crow or say I told you so, or bray about my NFL IQ, or anything that might suggest I am less than modest, fair and companionable.

Nor do I want to smirk and act superior over those Denver Broncos fans who called me "dumb," "lame" and "confused."

Ha, just kidding! Yes I do!

I told you so.

Am I a prophet or what?

Denver may yet win the Super Bowl, but the path there will not be as easy as their fans seem to think. The Broncos' 39-33 loss to the Colts - which I more or less predicted - is further evidence of that.

Rabid Broncos fans are known for their, uh, rabidity, not their objectivity, but surely even they know you can't make it to the Super Bowl with a dumb, lame and confused defensive secondary.

Even with Peyton Manning. Even with Von Miller.

OK, I'm finished exacting my revenge. How about those Chiefs, the only undefeated team left in the NFL? Who'd a thunk it?

This past Sunday had some great games and some surprises, and here's my analysis of where the NFL stands today.

With my newfound credibility in Denver, I'm sure you Broncos fans will be reading.

- Getty Images

Comments (1)See All PostsSharePrevif(zs>0){if(zSbL250)gEI("spacer").style.height=Math.floor(e[0].height/12)+17.5+'em';else{var zIClns=[];function walkup(e){if(e.className!='entry'){if(e.nodeName=='A'||e.style.styleFloat=='right'||e.style.cssFloat=='right'||e.align=='right'||e.align=='left'||e.className=='alignright'||e.className=='alignleft')zIClns.push(e);walkup(e.parentNode)}}walkup(e[0]);if(zIClns.length){node=zIClns[zIClns.length-1];var clone=node.cloneNode(true);node.parentNode.removeChild(node);getElementsByClassName("entry",gEI("articlebody"))[0].insertBefore(clone,gEI("spacer"))}}}};Leave a CommentCommentsOctober 24, 2013 at 7:24 pm(1) travis says:

To be fair the colts played a good game, the broncos defense struggled yet again, but the game was still the Broncos to lose. I can pull 3 plays that had the offense made we would be making this a different story. I am of course talking about the late interception, red zone fumble, and the Decker touchdown out of bounds drop. Any of those plays go differently and the Broncos win. I believe that this game actually calls into question the Colts offense more than anything else. Either way I can sit back and keep saying week after week the chiefs aren’t as good as their record shows, it doesn’t make me a prophet or a genius to allude to some special insight because the odds are on my side that they will eventually lose a game, just like the Broncos. The fact is that they don’t have an offense that can keep pace, so I’d say look to the Broncos to stop that record.

Leave a CommentLeave a CommentName* Email: (never displayed)* URL
Your Comment*Line and paragraph breaks are automatic. Some HTML allowed: , , , gEI("commentform").style.display="none";var c = getElementsByClassName("leavecomment",gEI("comments"));for(i=0;iNFL News and Opinion - Division Preview 2001 - AFC West - Denver BroncosDenver Sports - Super Bowl XLVII Preview - Denver, COSuper Bowl History - Super Bowl XIIWho Dat? Dey Super Bowl Champions - Super Bowl XLIV RecapNFL Playoffs - 2003-04 AFC Conference Championship Preview zSB(3,3)if(z336>0){w('

Advertisement

');adunit('','','about.com',ch,gs,336,280,'1','bb',3);w('')} zIdscw='342';zIdscv='7';zIdscgs=gs;zau(256,zIdscw,'111px','d','http://z.about.com/5/p/719/'+zIdscv+'.htm?s='+zIdscgs+'&c='+ch+'&P='+zr(3),'','') zSB(2);zSbL=0 Explore Football Must ReadsFootball Video LibraryNFL's Biggest LosersDenver Broncos Overrated?Down and Out QBsWho Will Break These Records?Most PopularFootball GlossaryFootball 101 - The Basics of FootballFootball 101 - Understanding Down and DistanceTop 10 Insulting Football JokesLinebacker Positions Free Football Newsletter! By Category Football 101How to Play/CoachNFL TeamsNFL Player ProfilesLegends of the GameNFL RumorsNFL DatabankNFL DraftNFL HistoryFootball HistoryFootball Trivia & Games Super BowlFantasy FootballCheerleadersCollege Football splitList(gEI('bcl'));zau(256,'341px','230px','fp','http://z.about.com/6/ip/284/29.htm?s=football','',''); FootballAbout.comSportsFootballAlso from About.com:Calorie Count - Exercise DatabaseAdvertise on About.comOur StoryNewsSiteMapAll TopicsReprintsHelpWrite for AboutCareers at AboutUser AgreementEthics PolicyPatent Info.Privacy PolicyYour Ad Choices

©2013 About.com. All rights reserved.

check_modal();zCi();validateForms();splitLists();if(this.zKW&&gEI('sv'))gEI('sv').value=zE(zE(zKW,1),1).replace(new RegExp('\\+','g'),' ');if(!this.zOfs&&gEI('oF')){if(document.getElementsByClassName('tr')[0]){clone=gEI('oF').cloneNode(true);clone.id="labels";document.getElementsByClassName('tr')[0].appendChild(clone)}};zPxA[zPxC]=new Image();zPxA[zPxC++].src="http://b.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=6036459&c7=http%3a%2f%2ffootball%2eabout%2ecom%2fb%2f2013%2f10%2f21%2fnow%2daccepting%2dapologies%2dfrom%2ddenver%2dbroncos%2dfans%2ehtm&c8=Football&c9=&cv=2.0&cj=1";adclose()var _gaq=_gaq||[];_gaq.push(['_setAccount','UA-44404314-1']);_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);_gaq.push(['rollup._setAccount','UA-40872762-3']);_gaq.push(['rollup._trackPageview']);(function(){var ga=document.createElement('script');ga.type='text/javascript';ga.async=1;ga.src='http://www.google-analytics.com/ga.js';var s=document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s)})();

View the original article here