Haftungsausschluss » in. Taylor underwent ankle surgery on

Sam Billings, the Kent batsman whose technique against spin bowling is considered one of the best among Englands coming generation of batsmen, says he is flattered to have been talked up by Michael Vaughan as a potential reinforcement for the Test tour of India, but insists that he remains a work in progress in first-class cricket.Billings has been on the fringes of the one-day squad for several months without being able to secure a regular berth, but he gave an indication of his aptitude in Asian conditions in the ODI series against Bangladesh last month, when he was drafted in to open the batting in the series decider in Chittagong, and swept his way to a vital 62 from 69 balls in a stiff run-chase.It was great to contribute, said Billings during a Chance to Shine event in West London. I should have got 120 not out to win the game but thats life and I would have taken 60 at the start. To be involved in another series win in difficult conditions shows how far we are coming along as a group.Everyone knew that Bangladesh had won their last six home series, including against India and South Africa, so it was no mean feat to win. People think it is only Bangladesh so you should just smack them around but, with Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes, theyve got a seriously good side in their own conditions.Bangladesh backed up that assertion in no uncertain terms in the subsequent Test series and, speaking in the aftermath of Englands shocking collapse in the second Test at Dhaka, Vaughan argued strongly for Billings inclusion for the five-Test series against India that gets underway in Rajkot next week - not least because, as a right-hander, he will be better placed to combat the offspin of Indias attack leader, Ravi Ashwin.Obviously that is flattering, Billings said, Playing spin is one of my strengths. Manoeuvring the ball around and putting spinners under pressure is one of my strengths, but the guys who are there have done it regularly in first-class cricket and are there for a reason.Billings had his moments in first-class cricket for Kent last season, most notably a career-best 171 against Gloucestershire in Bristol in August but, having missed the early weeks of the summer during his IPL stint, he played just seven Division Two matches and was unable to put together the weight of runs that earned Ben Duckett and Haseeb Hameed their call-ups.Haseeb hasnt had an opportunity yet, and to have a long run at it too, he said. These guys have done it over and over in first-class cricket. But any time England calls you just get on a plane and try and get the job done.While the prospect of Billings joining the England squad remains, for the time being, a pundits pipedream, there is no diluting either his confidence or his eagerness to get involved if the chance should arise. And, having sampled the atmosphere of modern Indian cricket during his IPL stint with Delhi Daredevils, Billings believes he has been granted a fascinating insight into what it takes to succeed in conditions that previous generations might have regarded as alien.The IPL was huge for that, he said. It is different to a Test match but the basics dont change: your footwork is paramount.I was very fortunate to work with Rahul Dravid in the IPL and pick his brains on playing spin. At some points we moved the stumps back and had the used crease to play with and he said, if you can bat on that you can bat on anything.This is one of the reasons [Trevor] Bayliss and [Andrew] Strauss are pushing us to go over there. Yes it is T20 cricket but it is about the environment and learning how those guys go about it.Billings grounding sounds somewhat counter to Alastair Cooks assertion in the aftermath of the Dhaka defeat, that Englands batsmen were inexperienced in Asian conditions. And certainly, given the resources made available by the ECB on their recent Lions tours, and the coaching expertise that has been drafted in to prepare Englands next generation, the scale of the collapse in Dhaka - 10 wickets for 64 runs in 22.3 overs - was extreme.And if the talking point coming out of the Bangladesh tour is the vulnerability of Englands batsmen to the ball turning away from the bat - particularly the left-handers to the offspin of Mehedi Hasan - then Billings gives the impression that such a challenge shouldnt have come as quite such a surprise, especially given the identity of two of the lead coaches in the Lions set-up.Graham Thorpe and Andy Flower may be two left-handers, but they were great players of spin, especially against offspin with the turning away from the bat, he said. The basics dont change, you have to get as close to the ball as possible or as far away from it as possible using the depth of the crease.For me, I identified two years ago that left-arm spin was a really big area I needed to work on, he said. The ball going away or sliding on is generally more difficult for a batter when it is turning.In the UAE last winter, he was able to pick the brains of New Zealands left-arm spinner, Daniel Vettori, who was drafted in as a consultant on the England Performance Programme. We had a hybrid pitch that was ragging square. He was bowling at a good pace, it was seriously tough, and thats when you work out whats good for you.As a consequence of the grounding that he and his fellow batsmen have been given, and given the experienced heads they can call upon during the India tour, Billings remains confident that England will find a means to battle back from their Dhaka ignominy and put up a fight in the coming weeks.[Alastair] Cook, in his debut Test, got a hundred in India, so theyve got no better bloke to pick the brains of - although, of course, he does it a different way. Stokesy [Ben Stokes] is still one of the younger lads, even though it feels hes been around for years, and in terms of his game against spin, hes come on leaps and bounds and will only get better. Well all get better, the more we are exposed to it.Its finding different ways all over the place. Ive got no doubt there are some seriously good players of spin there. Its a different kettle of fish against [Ravi] Jadeja and Ashwin, but its been great to have had these two Test matches. We got out unscathed - yeah we drew, I know we wanted to win - but well go into the India tour with preparation time. Ive got full faith in the boys and they are definitely good enough to win.ECB will double its investment in cricket charity Chance to Shine, from 2017, to inspire millions of young people to play and learn through cricket. Visit chancetoshine.org Cheap Shoes Black Friday . Detroit and Boston are deadlocked, 1-1, and Tigers manager Jim Leyland could be forgiven if he was caught rationalizing instead of dissecting how his club could blow a 5-1 lead late in Game 2. Wholesale Shoes Black Friday Free Shipping . Klitschkos management company says the bout will be the Ukrainian fighters 25th world championship fight. The 1.83-meter (6-foot) Leapai defeated the previously unbeaten Denis Boytsov in November to become the WBOs mandatory challenger. https://www.cheapshoesblackfriday.com/ .com) - Following a late-game loss to the reigning NBA champs, the Toronto Raptors will look to sustain their recent high-level play as they travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers. Wholesale Shoes Black Friday . The Celtics closed out their first preseason under Stevens on Wednesday night with a 101-97 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, who rested a lot of their lineup including former Celtics Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. Shoes Black Friday Deals 2020 .S District Court against Major League Baseball, the Office of the Commissioner and his own union, the MLBPA. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue sophomore forward Caleb Swanigan joined some elite company Friday night during the 15th-ranked Boilermakers 109-65 season-opening victory over McNeese State.With 23 points, 20 rebounds and six assists, Swanigan joined No. 1 overall draft pick Ben Simmons of LSU and NBA star Blake Griffin as the only college players in the past 10 years to amass at least 20 points, 20 rebounds and five assists in a game.We needed to get the momentum going and moving our way, Swanigan said of his dominant 17-point, 10-rebound first half. We knew we came out a little slow. McNeese State really competed in those first few minutes, so we had to turn it up.Center Isaac Haas added 22 points and six rebounds for Purdue, and forward Vince Edwards had 19 points and 11 rebounds.The Cowboys led 19-14 with 10:16 remaining in the first half when Swanigan and Edwards fueled a 22-3 run that turned a five-point deficit into a 36-22 lead.Purdue features one of the nations top front lines, and that was evident as the Boilermakers dominated inside, enjoying a 32-15 rebounding advantage through 20 minutes.Swanigan, Haas and Edwards combined for 64 points and 37 rebounds, making 23 of 36 field goal attempts.Swanigan and Edwards, a junior, both declared for the NBA Draft in the spring, but after workouts with professional teams, the forwards opted to return to college for the 2016-17 season.Sometimes we seem to forget that we have size, Purdue coach Matt Painter said. But what I liked is that Caleb is getting assists now and is becoming a complete player. There was a time in the first half that it seemed like he was getting every rebound. Then Vince Edwards had a great start to the second half.Freshman guard Carsen Edwards scored 18 points and guard Dakota Mathias added 13 for the Boilermakers.Five guys getting in double figures .dddddddddddd.. thats just sharing the ball and having fun as a team, Vince Edwards said.Richard Laku scored 16 points and James Harvey and Jamaya Burr each had 15 to lead McNeese State.BIG PICTURE:McNeese State: The Cowboys were competitive for almost 15 minutes, making 7 of 13 first-half 3-point attempts but had no answer for Swanigan, Edwards and Haas, kinds of players rarely seen in the Southland Conference.Purdue: The Boilermakers played without three scholarship players -- F/C Jacquil Taylor, F Basil Smotherman and G Ryan Cline -- but had plenty of interior strength to win. Taylor underwent ankle surgery on Tuesday, and Smotherman and Cline each was suspended for Fridays game for summer arrests involving marijuana use. Smotherman will return for Mondays game against No. 4 Villanova.POLL IMPLICATIONSPurdue certainly did not hurt its chances of climbing in the Top 25 poll with its 44-point victory and will have a chance to open even more eyes Monday night when it plays No. 4 Villanova in Mackey Arena.STAT TO NOTE:Big men Swanigan, Vince Edwards and Haas were a collective 15 of 19 from the free throw line. Guard Carsen Edwards was only 1 of 6 from the line.UP NEXT:McNeese State: The Cowboys will play host to Louisiana College on Tuesday night, hoping to use their perimeter shooting and quickness to get into the win column after facing a Big Ten opponent loaded with frontcourt strength.Purdue: The Boilermakers will have an opportunity to open some eyes nationally on Monday night when they entertain reigning national champion and No. 4 Villanova. Purdue has never beaten a Top 5, non-conference opponent in Mackey Arena, posting an 0-5 record from the time the building opened in December 1967. ' ' '