Dein erstes Forum » , just when Pakistan would have wanted to pus

Will New Zealand have four teams in the Super Rugby semi-finals? That is the potentially embarrassing question for SANZAAR competition organisers.While results may well make the question redundant, it has to be said there is every prospect that will be what happens, especially given the intensity of the New Zealand games this year.But the big factor will be how the Lions perform against the Crusaders. The Lions at least have played against each of the New Zealand franchises and set up their season with an outstanding win over the Chiefs in Hamilton in the second round of the competition.They look a formidable side, certainly the best of the South African teams and while they gave away the No.1 seeds home advantage through to the final by sending their second string team to Buenos Aires, they can counter that by saying they have a rested team ready to meet the Crusaders challenge.It is tough for the Crusaders; they disappointed in their loss to the Chiefs in Suva a few weeks back and then were considerably outplayed by the Hurricanes whose bonus-point win allowed them to come through as the Super Rugbys minor premiers.That also meant they were left with a daunting travel plan to Johannesburg by not flying out until Tuesday ahead of a Saturday game. Thats tough in anyones language.But they should have Sam Whitelock and Andy Ellis back at lock and half-back respectively. They were late absentees in Christchurch at the weekend and they are key players for the side. Whitelock especially is invaluable in lineout play and will be needed to compete with the Lions in that discipline.For so long the Crusaders had the measure of consistency and while that hasnt been as potent as in earlier days, there is still a core of it and I wouldnt rule them out of turning their game around in South Africa. They have to if they want to send coach Todd Blackadder out on a more positive note.But you have to admit the Hurricanes have found their form at the right time. They had quite a tough finish to the season with away games against the Blues, Waratahs and Crusaders, and they won the lot. That says something about their approach and the unity that has developed in the side.What I enjoyed about all the key games at the weekend was the passion with which teams with a playoffs chance competed. They definitely wanted to win and that was great to see. There was an edge to games and the Hurricanes were no exception; their forwards have really come on and have built on last years effort which saw them beaten in the final.Against the Sharks this week, they will be wary of slipping up at home. But it is difficult not to imagine them tuned to a high pitch, especially after the disappointment of their loss to the Sharks in regular season play.They also showed they had learnt from last seasons loss in the final to the Highlanders. There were times in their game when the Crusaders were only a score away from being back in the contest, but the Hurricanes took their chances and capped it right at the end with Beauden Barretts try to seal a fine performance.In Dunedin, the pressure was on as well. The Highlanders have had such a good record against the Chiefs in recent times that they showed no fear going into the game and that was seen by the way they were prepared to back their mates when there was any hint of trouble. It was all handbags stuff, but it demonstrated how keen both sides were for the win.The pressure was on the Chiefs because they knew the Hurricanes had won in Christchurch with a bonus point and it was possible the Chiefs could get into position to be first and to secure that all-important home advantage.But the Highlanders showed just what a tremendous side they have become.I think No.8 Luke Whitelock demonstrates what they are about. Halfway through the season he wasnt getting regular game time, but since then he has been playing well enough to keep Liam Squire, a new All Blacks back-rower, out of the starting line-up. With Elliot Dixon playing so well they are very strong in that area while in the backs Lima Sopoaga has again shown his class.That penalty kick from halfway which ended up out just short of the goal-line was outstanding and he is right on top of his game, and that is crucial in Super Rugby. It has been said so many times that teams winning the Super title need to have a quality first five-eighths and there is no doubt that is what Sopoaga is.Just a final thought on the Blues, as a Blues fan and former player, I believe the way they finished the season with wins over the Brumbies, and then the Waratahs last Friday, was a great boost and with the players they have got there has to be great hope for the future.Some of the talent coming through in the side is very exciting and full marks to Tana Umaga for bringing that through. Now the challenge is to continue that growth next year.It was a tough night for prop Ofa Tuungafasi in the scrums when he was on the receiving end of some impressive Waratahs pressure. But that can happen and all props have been through it.He should apply the old adage to the lessons he was given in the scrum: I never lose. I win or I learn. That is the approach he has to take. He will need to go back to Mitre 10 Cup rugby and look at what he is doing and learn from it.He will be targeted by every prop he comes up against now as a result of that, but every player suffers that sort of experience. He is young enough, and has the body shape, to be able to cope and I am sure he can come back from that. Cheap Chiefs Jerseys Authentic . General manager Jarmo Kekalainen told Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch on Friday that he wants to see Gaboriks contributions go beyond the scoresheet before considering a long-term deal for the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent. Authentic Armani Watts Jersey .J. -- New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his left knee. http://www.cheapchiefsjerseysauthentic.com/ . Now tied for second in the league in shootout goals, the 24-year-old likes to see what the opposing goaltender has in store before he ultimately lands on a move. Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys China . Galatasaray said in a statement on its website Monday that Mancini signed a three-year contract and will be paid 3.5 million euros for the upcoming season, with his salary upped to 4. Authentic Kahlil McKenzie Jersey .25 million option on reliever Jose Veras. Pakistan 308 for 6 (Azam 117, Azhar 101, Joseph 2-62) beat West Indies 172 (Ramdin 37, Nawaz 3-40, Wahab 2-28) by 136 runsScorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBabar Azam became the third Pakistan player - and eighth overall - to score three consecutive ODI centuries as he top-scored with a 106-ball 117 in Pakistans commanding 136-run victory over West Indies in Abu Dhabi. The win completed Pakistans 3-0 sweep of the ODI series and enabled them to displace West Indies at No. 8 in the ODI rankings.Azam put on a run-a-ball 147 for the second wicket with captain Azhar Ali, who scored a century of his own to become the only Pakistan player to score three hundreds as ODI captain. The top-order hundreds formed the backbone of Pakistans total of 308 for 6, a score that looked beyond West Indies almost from the start of their scratchy, plodding reply.The margin of victory could have been even bigger had Pakistans middle- and lower-order batsmen fully capitalised on the strong launchpad provided by Azam and Azhar. Pakistan had moved to 232 for 2 by the time their partnership had been broken in the 39th over; they added just 76 runs thereafter, as successive batsmen struggled to find their timing on a slowing wicket and against an older ball. The last ten overs of Pakistans innings yielded only two boundaries, one of which was possible only thanks to a lazy misfield by Evin Lewis at deep backward square.But if the end of Pakistans innings appeared anti-climactic, it was still lively compared to the dreary run-chase that followed. Showing an inability to rotate the strike, against pace and spin alike, West Indies batsmen got stuck and never approached the run rate required to mount a genuine challenge. By the end of the 30th over, West Indies had soaked up 112 dot balls - as many as Pakistan had faced in their entire innings - and were wallowing in the gloom of impending defeat with the score 119 for 5. Their limp effort continued thereafter as the match drifted towards its inevitable conclusion.On a flat pitch that became slower and more sluggish over time, the best time for batting was at the very start. Having won the toss, Pakistan batted first - for the third time in a row - and made the most of the good conditions early on, racing along to 36 off the first four overs. Opening bowlers Azarri Joseph and Shannon Gabriel clocked up speeds in excess of 140 kph - Gabriel hit the late 140s several times - but could not quite find the control to mmatch.dddddddddddd Sharjeel Khan was characteristically strong square of the wicket, while Azhar showed nice touch, flicking through midwicket, driving down the ground and playing a commanding cut past backward square.The introduction of Kraigg Brathwaite and Jason Holder slowed the tempo of Pakistans innings somewhat, before Sunil Narine and Sulieman Benn helped West Indies regain a greater measure of control, stifling the batsmen with their lack of pace and disciplined lines. Benn was rewarded in his second over when Sharjeel lost patience and hit a well-flighted delivery straight to Joseph at long-on. With the spinners continuing to exert the squeeze, Azhar and Azam meandered along, bringing up the teams 100 in the 20th over. But as the partnership got going, the runs began to flow again. Once Azam was set, he found the gaps with increasing ease. Azhar used the sweep and slog-sweep with great effectiveness against Benn. Pakistans second 100 runs came off just 83 balls.It was Holder who ended their partnership when Azhar, batting on 101, played a tired heave across the line of a slower ball that clipped the top of off stump. Shoaib Malik was dismissed by Narine next over as West Indies began to pull things back for the second time in the innings, just when Pakistan would have wanted to push on. Azam picked up ones and twos as he approached his century, but, with only three wickets down, Pakistan would have wanted rather more than that.Azam departed off the last ball of the 46th over, looking to paddle-sweep a yorker-length ball from Kieron Pollard, only to find his leg stump disturbed. Pakistan were 280 for 4 with four overs remaining. They added another 28, but the late charge towards which they had been building never actually materialised.It didnt need to. West Indies openers, Lewis and Kraigg Brathwaite, started steadily, putting on 45 off 56 balls before Lewis, on ODI debut, was bowled around his legs by Sohail Khan. That partnership turned out to be the biggest of West Indies innings, as wickets fell regularly thereafter. A 42-run sixth-wicket partnership between Holder and Denesh Ramdin was the only other stand of substance, but it came after the match was all but lost. Once Imad Wasim broke that stand, the end came quickly, with the last five wickets falling for the addition of just 13 runs. ' ' '