Kommandozentrale » ve allowed an average of 34.5 points. ' ' '

The ECB has announced final squads for the inaugural North v South series next March, with Mark Wood, Steven Finn and James Vince among those given opportunities to press their claims for England selection in the three 50-over matches.Wood is currently working back to fitness after a third ankle operation in the space of 12 months, having briefly impressed in an England shirt during the ODI series with Pakistan at the end of the summer. His ability to operate at 90mph could make him a key weapon when England challenge for the Champions Trophy next June.Paul Farbrace, Englands assistant coach, said they were hopeful Wood could also be fit for the ODI tour to West Indies in February.There is a chance he may make the West Indies squad, Farbrace said. But for someone like Finny, who has missed out on his place in one-day cricket in recent series, its a great opportunity for him to show what he can do and get himself into the one-day side. Theres others - [Dawid] Malan, [Sam] Northeast, people who have been very successful in county cricket who perhaps havent had the opportunity, this is a great chance for them.Vince played all three ODIs on the recent tour of Bangladesh but was dropped from the squad to tour India next month, while Finns last limited-overs appearance came in 2015. Vince will captain the South XI and Keaton Jennings will lead the North. Four members of each squad have already been selected via the Professional Cricketers Associations MVP ranking system.Jennings and Ben Duckett, who both made senior England debuts this winter, are joined by Liam Dawson, Tim Bresnan and Harry Gurney as the other capped players involved. Two young legspinners, in Mason Crane and Josh Poysden, have also been included in the 13-man squads.For all the players selected, the North versus South series is a platform to make an impression, Englands national selector, James Whitaker, said. As Andrew Strauss said when he introduced the series before the start of the 2016 season, we see it as an important addition to our selection process in 50-over cricket, ahead of the two major global events we are staging over the next three summers - the Champions Trophy next year and the World Cup in 2019.With the calibre of the squads we have selected, we are confident there will be an intense and high-quality level of competition that allows us to assess players who are currently just outside the England squad, and their ability to perform at that higher level.Farbrace will coach the South side while Englands bowling coach, Ottis Gibson, will take charge of the North. Both were involved in selection, while Trevor Bayliss, Englands head coach, will attend the matches.The key thing is to give people outside of the current one-day set-up the opportunity to place for England, Farbrace said. With an eye on the 2019 World Cup in England, were trying to make sure that white-ball cricket has the same importance as red-ball cricket. Its a brilliant opportunity for players in county cricket who otherwise wouldnt have been selected.What were saying is, the Lions is one route and county cricket is certainly another route. When people come through the Lions, you know theyve come through a grounding between county cricket and international cricket, but also there are people capable of coming directly from county cricket. There are some very good county players... So you want the routes to be varied, not just one line into the England team.Eight members of the Lions squad announced earlier this week for the one-day series against Sri Lanka A in March have been included - Jennings, Joe Clarke, Liam Livingstone, Poysden, Tom Alsop, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Ben Foakes and Tom Curran - while a number of promising players outside the performance programmes, such as Sam Hain, Jack Leaning and Richard Gleeson have also earned call-ups.The squads will gather in Dubai ahead of warm-up matches on March 15. The three-match North v South series will then take place in Dubai, on March 17 and 19, and Abu Dhabi, on March 21.North squad: Keaton Jennings (Durham, capt), Ben Duckett (Northamptonshire*), Sam Hain (Warwickshire), Joe Clarke (Worcestershire), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Jack Leaning (Yorkshire), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire*), Josh Poysden (Warwickshire), Graeme White (Northamptonshire*), Mark Wood (Durham), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Richard Gleeson (Northamptonshire), Harry Gurney (Nottinghamshire*)South squad: James Vince (Hampshire, capt), Daniel Bell-Drummond (Kent), Tom Alsop (Hampshire), Dawid Malan (Middlesex), Sam Northeast (Kent), Liam Dawson (Hampshire*), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Tom Curran (Surrey), Lewis Gregory (Somerset*), Tim Groenewald (Somerset*), Matt Coles (Kent*), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Mason Crane (Hampshire)*PCA MVP rankings selectionWholesale Curry Shoes Cheap . Tests earlier this week revealed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain for Sabathia, who was hurt in last Fridays start against San Francisco. Its an injury that will require about eight weeks to heal. He finished a disappointing campaign just 14-13 with a career-worst 4. Cheap Curry Shoes Wholesale . After a lengthy wait, persistent rain finally forced the postponement of the Nationals game against the Miami Marlins on Saturday night. The teams, and a few thousand fans, waited nearly four hours from the 7:05 scheduled start time before an announcement was made shortly before 11 p. http://www.wholesalecurryshoes.com/ . The showiest items on Calgarys lot were forwards Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak. Both will be unrestricted free agents this summer. Cheap Wholesale Curry Shoes . Giroud, who wasnt in the starting lineup for two matches after allegations about his private life and a decline in form, scored twice in the first half. Tomas Rosickys chip made it 3-0 before half time at Emirates Stadium, while defender Laurent Koscielny scored an unmarked header in the second half. Wholesale Curry Shoes . And when it opened, every player was at his stall. Thats a sure sign that a team is in a slump and is searching for answers. "Its embarrassing to be at home and play the way we did," said defenceman Josh Gorges.The Washington Redskins are surging and the Green Bay Packers are struggling.The story line for Sunday nights game at FedEx Field isnt too much different than it was for last years wild-card playoff game in Washington.The Redskins had won four in a row and the Packers had lost two in a row. Washington promptly jumped on Green Bay, taking a quick 11-0 lead. It was all Green Bay the rest of the way, though, as it advanced with a 35-18 win.Washington is hot again. After back-to-back home losses to Pittsburgh and Dallas to open the season, the Redskins are 5-1-1. The Packers have dropped three in a row and four of their last five to tumble to 4-5.The main thing is just sticking together and staying the course and preparing and working hard, Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. I think these guys play hard. We didnt point any fingers. We just continue to come to work and try to fight our way out of it and try to make plays in crucial situations.It has been the same message from Packers coach Mike McCarthy. Green Bay is in a rare spot, with a losing record through nine games for the first time since 2008. Thats also the last time they failed to make the playoffs.The Packers string of seven consecutive playoff berths is matched only by the New England Patriots. With Green Bays season in deep trouble, McCarthy is hoping for a repeat of last years playoff performance.I think you always look at your past experiences, McCarthy said. To me, thats part of developing your awareness and your instincts and how you move forward.With that, you have to make sure it applies to your current situation. I do that. I think everybody does that. Thats a part of this league. No one walks through the NFL unscathed.This is a tough spot as far as whats going on the last three weeks, but, if anything, it brings you back to your foundation and makes you focus even more on whats most important, and thats beating the Redskins.Doing that will be a major challenge. Washingtons offense is led by quarterback Kirk Cousins. He has thrown for 2,716 yards and completed 66.9 percent of his passes. He has one of the deepest group of pass-catching threats in the league, with six players having at least 26 receptions.Slot receiver Jamison Crowder and tight end Jordan Reed have a team-high 44 catches and receiver Pierre Garcon has added 42 catches.dddddddddddd.Green Bays pass defense, on the other hand, ranks 29th in opponent passer rating. Last week at Tennessee, the Titans threw five touchdown passes and only seven incompletions.The thing that has always impressed me from afar -- and then I think its like anything when you get to see a quarterback play live -- is the command of the offense, McCarthy said. Hes running it. Theres no ifs and buts. The way he gets in and out of plays, the way he distributes the football, hes accurate with the football. I think hes playing extremely well.On the other side of the ball, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has struggled for most of the season. Without even the pretense of a running game the last four weeks, Rodgers ranks in the bottom half of the league in passer rating, completion percentage and yards per attempt.Redskins cornerback Josh Norman doesnt care what the stats say, though. He considers Rodgers and the Patriots Tom Brady the best quarterbacks in the league.Hey, man, lets not get things mistaken over there. Thats No. 12, Norman said. That guy can hit you at any time, any place, anywhere, any given day, any given game.I really dont care what the outside noise is. I know who were facing and thats a cerebral quarterback thats the best of the best at what hes doing.Regardless of what others may think of him, I know for a fact that that is the toughest quarterback challenge to face because he has everything in his toolbox, in his arsenal, to make them win.Injuries have slammed the Packers. They had nine Week 1 starters out of the game by the end of last week, with right guard T.J. Lang (ankle) and left tackle David Bakhtiari (knee) dropping out of that blowout loss.Lang, especially, is out this week, but the Packers could get back outside linebacker Clay Matthews, who has missed the last three games, and tight end Jared Cook, who has missed the last six games. Bot are questionable. In four games without Matthews, the Packers have allowed an average of 34.5 points. ' ' '