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Bob Willis looks ahead to Englands second Investec Test against Sri Lanka in Durham on Friday, and says who he would pick in the absence of the injured Ben Stokes. Discount NHL Jerseys ... I would go with Jake Ball. Weve seen Chris Woakes in the Test arena and, for my money, hasnt quite been good enough.The selectors would say Woakes is the nearest like-for-like replacement to Stokes. A better batsman than Liam Plunkett - who may have been considered - but not as good a bowler, in my opinion. Liam Plunkett (left) was possibly considered as a potential replacement for Ben Stokes He took only two wickets in the two Test matches he played in South Africa over the winter, but England are quite obsessed with a long batting order - he was also part of the win in South Africa and the selectors like to keep faith with people they know.England may also have thought about bringing Adil Rashid in, with him likely to be needed in Bangladesh and India this winter, but hell have needed his gloves up in Durham - I dont think its weather suited to leg-spin.Woakes does well for Warwickshire, takes wickets for fun in fact, and has captained them in Ian Bells absence, but with this series being played against Sri Lanka in late May and early June, it gives England an opportunity to look at someone like Ball. Chris Woakes took astonishing figures of 9-36 for Warwickshire in his most recent outing He was in the squad for the first Test so deserves the first opportunity and its not as if were playing Australia or South Africa, so I would bring Ball in for Stokes and move everyone up the batting order - Jonny Bairstow to six, Moeen Ali to seven.Bairstow said in interview at Headingley that he was perfectly comfortable batting at seven - he and Stokes are clearly given licence by Trevor Bayliss to play their shots, and thats the way he likes to play, but six would still be perfect for him. Jonny Bairstow is in great form with the bat, hitting 140 in the first Test at Headingley And it was only a few months ago that Moeen was opening the batting in the UAE, so theyd still have proper batting down the seven.Stuart Broad has got his confidence back as a batsman, although whether he has got his skill back is another thing. But theres nobody who is going to knock his head off in this Sri Lankan attack and hed be a perfectly adequate number eight.With the ball, I thought Broad was a little unlucky not to take more wickets at Headingley. He and James Anderson both bowled beautifully throughout and it could easily have been Broad the one who picked up 10 wickets in the match. Are Stuart Broad (left) and James Anderson (right) Englands best ever opening pair? As Steve Harmison said when joining us last week on The Verdict, theyre now the best pair of opening bowlers England have ever had.Better than myself and Sir Ian Botham; Fred Trueman and Brian Statham; Harmison and Matthew Hoggard - thats high praised indeed. But its hard to argue against as theyre approaching 800 wickets between them.Theyre phenomenal bowlers, particularly in English conditions. And without Tillakaratne Dilshan, Majela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara - asking this Sri Lanka team to come and face the likes of Broad and Anderson, in May, is a bridge too far for most of them. They tried to attack, tried to defend, but whichever they did they couldnt cope with Englands bowling.Its not going to be 25 degrees so clearly the Sri Lankans wont be that comfortable, but weve had to play in Colombo in 40 degrees, so they have to play over here in just 10 degree weather in Durham.England have got all bases covered. I cant see things changing in the second Test.Watch England take on Sri Lanka in the second Investec Test at Emirates Riverside from 10am on Friday, live on Sky Sports 2 HD. Also See: Anderson takes 10 in England win WATCH: Players of First Test England fixtures/results Sri Lanka fixtures/results Custom NHL Jerseys . Manager Alex Ferguson says the injury was sustained while the player tried to hit a volley toward the end of training on Tuesday. NHL Jerseys China . Horford is out 3-to-4 months with a torn pectoral muscle for the Hawks, who have won two straight and five of six games. Atlanta improved to 2-0 on the residency with Saturdays 93-91 triumph over Minnesota, as Ivan Johnson scored his teams final four points, including the game-winning free throw with 4. https://www.chinanhljerseys.us/ . -- Andy Granatelli, the former CEO of STP motor oil company who made a mark on motorsports as a car owner, innovator and entrepreneur, has died.PINEHURST, N.C. -- A tough Pinehurst No. 2 tried to make a game out of this U.S. Open. Martin Kaymer always had an answer. Already with one bogey on his card, Kaymers tee shot on No. 4 was so deep into the trees that his golf ball settled in sandy patch that had been washed out by rain, stacked up against 6 inches of pine straw. With nowhere to go and no relief available, he turned to USGA President Tom OToole and said, "If you have a way to play it, Ill follow you." Kaymer navigated his way out of trouble just fine. He escaped with a bogey by getting up-and-down from 165 yards. He followed with an eagle with a 7-iron from 202 yards out of more sand and weeds. And a birdie on the final hole gave him a 2-over 72 and a five-shot lead in a U.S. Open that finally lived up to its reputation Saturday. "I kept it very well together," said Kaymer, who was at 8-under 202. Now he has to do it one more time, with a different cast of challengers behind him. Rickie Fowler, with teen idol status in American golf, birdied the par-3 17th hole and shot 67 to get into the final group of a major for the first time. Even more unlikely was the other player at 3-under 207 -- Erik Compton, the two-time heart transplant recipient who considers it a victory just to be playing golf. Compton ran off five birdies and an eagle for a 67 "If I were to win the tournament, it would be obviously something that would be extremely special, not only for me, but for my family and for those who have been around me, and I think also for the community and those who have been through some tough times," Compton said. "I might just sail off and never play golf again." Even so, this tournament is in the hands of a 29-year-old German who kept his cool on a broiling day of some wicked pin positions. Only one player in U.S. Open history has lost a five-shot lead in the final round, and that Mike Brady in 1919. "It would be nice if they make it difficult again," Kaymer said of the pins, several of which were on the edges of the Donald Ross turtleback greens. "Because then its all about ball-striking. I enjoy playing those courses a lot more than just a putting competition. ... So I hope they put them in tough positions. Not as tough as today. It would be nice if we could have some kind of a chance once in a while. But that is what you get at the U.S. Open. Its OK. You just have to play very well." Only six players remained under par, and considering no one has come from more than seven shots behind in the final round to win a U.S. Open, they might be the only ones left with a realiistic chance to catch Kaymer. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys. . Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson each shot 70 and were at 2-under 208. Brandt Snedeker had a 72 and was another shot behind. Asked how much that birdie mattered on the 18th hole, Kaymer said, "One shot." "If youre four shots, five shots, six shots, if you play a golf course like this, it can be gone very quickly," he said. "You could see it today. So the challenge tomorrow is to keep going and not try to defend anything. So well see how it will react tomorrow, how the body feels and how I handle the situation." Kaymer had his way with a softer, gentler Pinehurst No. 2 by becoming the first player to open with 65s to set the 36-hole record at 10-under 130. Some players wondered what tournament he was playing. There was no doubt what it was on Saturday. "Theyve set it up so that no one can go low," Retief Goosen said after a 71. "Some of the pins look like theyre about to fall off the greens." Toru Taniguchi shot an 88. Brendon Todd, playing in the final group with Kaymer, had a 79. Phil Mickelson had a 73 and was 13 shots out of the lead. Hell have to wait until next year to pursue the only major keeping him from the career Grand Slam. Adam Scott, the world No. 1, made bogey on all but one of the par 3s and was 11 shots behind. Kaymer nearly joined the parade of players going the wrong direction. He ended an amazing streak of 29 holes without a bogey by failing to get up-and-down from short of the second green. Trouble really was brewing on the fourth hole, when he pulled his tee shot into the trees and couldnt play his next shot. After being denied relief, he took a one-shot penalty drop and punched out to the fairway. From 165 yards, he hit his fourth shot to 15 feet right of the flag and lightly pumped his fist -- big emotion for Kaymer -- when it dropped for bogey. The other mistakes were sloppy. Kaymer hit a birdie putt off the green on the par-3 sixth and had to scramble for bogey. On the back nine, he twice took three putts for bogey, once from off the green. But he closed with his best shot of a long day, and still had control of this U.S. Open. Mike Brady is the only other player to lose a five-shot lead. That was in 1919 at Brae Burn Country Club in Massachusetts. He shot 80 in the last round, and Walter Hagen beat him the next day in a playoff. Kaymer is all about looking forward, not back at history, hopeful of winning his second major before turning 30. In the last 20 years, only Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Ernie Els have done that. ' ' ' |
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