Dein erstes Forum » - and decide whether three spinners and three seam

TORONTO -- Humming along through five innings, all it took was two mistakes to ruin R.A. Dickeys Sunday afternoon. The veteran right-hander had his knuckleball dancing until the top of the sixth, when Tampa Bays Luke Scott and Kelly Johnson hit back-to-back home runs on successive pitches to propel the Rays to a 4-3 victory and a three-game sweep of Toronto. "That seems to have been my bane this year. Its not all the time that you make a mistake with one and it gets hit out of the park. Its just this year its been the case," said Dickey, the 2012 National League Cy Young Award winner. "You make a mistake and they pop one out." With the score tied 1-1 and James Loney on board with a single, Scott belted his ninth home run of the season just over the wall in right to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games. "His knuckleball is a great pitch, its really tough to square up," Scott said. "It should be illegal to throw that pitch. Theres a reason why he won the Cy Young last year. Its a real good pitch." The Rays (58-41) had barely finished celebrating the two-run bomb when Johnson hit a towering drive into the second deck in right for the former Toronto second basemans 15th home run of the campaign. Johnsons homer marked the fourth time Tampa Bay has gone back-to-back in 2013, including twice against Toronto (45-52), and the sixth time the Blue Jays have surrendered back-to-back home runs this season. "We needed a little bit better pitching performance than (what) I gave us today," said Dickey, whose team has lost four straight. "We needed a big one out of me today and I was hopeful to go into the seventh. I felt really good -- could have easily gone back out and its just frustrating that the results were what they were." Evan Longoria also went deep for the Rays, who hit seven home runs in the weekend series. Toronto scored two in the ninth to cut Tampa Bays lead to one when Jose Reyes doubled home Josh Thole and Brett Lawrie, but Rays closer Fernando Rodney struck out Jose Bautista and got a ground balls from Edwin Encarnacion and Melky Cabrera to pick up his 24th save. "Tough one. We had our opportunity to at least tie the game," Reyes said. "It is what it is and its a tough one. Disappointing." Dickey, who has not won since Canada Day and is now tied for the major league lead for home runs allowed with 23, agreed with fellow Toronto starter Mark Buehrles assessment after Saturdays loss that the Blue Jays, who were expected to contend, might be "overrated." "Its hard to see it any other way ... because of our record. I think the capability that this team has is still very, very good," said Dickey (8-11) after giving up four runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out eight. "We obviously still havent put all the pieces together and hopefully were going to be able to do that. This is a team thats not just built for (one) year." Rays starter Chris Archer (5-3) had a stellar outing for Tampa Bay, giving up one run on five hits over seven innings. The 23-year-old right-hander also walked four and struck out one batter for the Rays, who have now won five straight games, 13 of their last 14 and 17 of 19 to climb into second place in the American League East. "Ive realized where my potential is and Im striving for that every time out," Archer said. Toronto, which occupies the AL East basement, had a chance to get back in it in the bottom of the sixth after Scott and Johnson went deep, but Lawrie popped out to second with the bases loaded for the third out. A large section of the sun-soaked but frustrated crowd of 41,247 at Rogers Centre, which watched the home team waste a number of similar opportunities in Saturdays loss, voiced its displeasure with a smattering of boos. "Right now were not playing good enough baseball to win a lot of games. Thats just basically what it comes down to. They outplayed us in all three games ... theyre on a nice little roll," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "Theyve got a good ballclub, great pitching. Thats just the way it is." Toronto opened the scoring in the second when Tholes ground rule double to left brought Cabrera home from third. Longoria tied it in the top of the fourth when he took Dickeys first pitch of the inning to the opposite field in right for his 20th home run of the season. Dickey got in trouble in the top of the fifth when Tampa Bay put runners on second and third after two singles and a passed ball, but the 38-year-old struck out both Desmond Jennings and Ben Zobrist to keep the score tied 1-1 before things unravelled the following inning. "The buck always starts with the guy in front of the camera. If I turn in a few more outings that are better outings we might be at .500. I think it starts with our pitching and me in particular," said Dickey, before adding: "We are all just spokes in a big wheel and everybody plays a part." Notes: Prior to the game, the Blue Jays added former slugger Carlos Delgado to the clubs Level of Excellence. Delgado joins former players Dave Stieb, Roberto Alomar, Tony Fernandez, Joe Carter and George Bell, along with former manager Cito Gaston, former general manager Pat Gillick, late broadcaster Tom Cheek and current president and CEO Paul Beeston in being honoured. ... Dickey only gave up 24 home runs all of last season. ... The Blue Jays activated Cabrera (left knee tendinitis) from the 15-day disabled list and optioned reliever Neil Wagner to triple-A Buffalo. ... The Rays activated Loney off the paternity list and optioned infielder Ryan Roberts to triple-A Durham. ... The Blue Jays open an interleague series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Rogers Centre on Monday, while the Rays travel to Boston to take on the Red Sox. 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In the heat of the moment - and Chittagong moments come hotter than most - it may seem as if everything depends on the first hour or so of the final day of this wonderfully absorbing Test.And its true that with Bangladesh chasing an historic win there is plenty at stake. Sabbir Rahman, the calmest man on the pitch in the last hour, is already well on his way to joining fellow debutant Mehedi Hasan Miraz as a legend and England are in danger of making a losing start to their Asian tour. Six more Tests in these conditions before Christmas is starting to look like a mountainous challenge.The last day matters. And thats just the way it should be.But there is a bigger picture. There is a picture that sees the longest form of the game struggling to remain relevant across the world and a picture in which Bangladesh are fighting to prove its suitability as a host for international teams.And, in that grander scheme of things, this first Test has already been a resounding success. Contested by two fine but flawed sides, it has seen the initiative swing by the hour. It has seen new heroes introduced to the big stage and established stars produce memorable performances. It has been, in short, wonderfully, endlessly entertaining and unpredictable. Neither Mehedi Hasan nor Ben Stokes deserve to be on the losing side.Test cricket has proved, once again, that given a half-decent pitch, it remains great entertainment. Let us not be sidetracked here with a debate on whether it is more enjoyable than T20. It is perfectly reasonable to enjoy both in different ways. They can coexist.Whatever happens on the final day, Bangladesh can take great encouragement from this match. This is, after all, a team that has lost all eight of their previous Tests against England. It is a team that has not played Test cricket for more than a year, that is arguably without its three best seam bowlers, and that has, in its entire 94 Test history, only taken 20 wickets eight times previously. Zimbabwe and the under-strength West Indies side, captained by Floyd Reifer, were the opposition on the other occasions. Win or lose, Bangladesh have impressed in Chittagong, and anyone who loves Test cricket - even the most partisan England supporter - will celebrate their development.England deserve some credit, too. It would have been easy not to come on this tour. It would have been easy to cite the terrorist threats as a reason and to arrange some warm-up games in India ahead of that series. Instead they have understood the need to retain Bangladesh as a host nation in international cricket and taken the courageous decision to tour. Maybe, behind the scenes, the motivation has been political: a hope to win support in ICC meetings or similar. But at the players and coaches level, they have reflected on their options and chosen to embrace every aspect of this trip.If that sounds like a pretty insignificant decision, consider for a moment what might have happened to Bangladesh cricket in the longer term had England declined to tour. Consider, too, what it is like when you wake in the morning and see armed guards outside your window. When your commute to work is accompanied by several hundred armed men and when you know you cannot leave your hotel or dressing room for the duration of the tour.What England have done here is not insignificant. It is brave and admirable and good for the future of international cricket. The ECB has been involved in several greedy, selfish decisions in recent years. This time, at least, its intentions are good.It would be no disgrace to lose to this Bangladesh side either. Some portions of the media would portray it that way, but that would undervalue both sides. The truth is that whoever wins in these conditions, there is little to choose betwween the teams.dddddddddddd. That doesnt mean England are rubbish; it means they are far from perfect and that Bangladesh are improving. It disrespects Bangladesh to denigrate England.To their immense credit, the protagonists on both sides have appreciated that bigger picture here. Stuart Broad is a man sometimes loathed by opponents for his edge in the heat of battle. A man whose passion sometimes manifests itself in ways that irk. A man who gives everything every time he takes the field. A man who had just bowled a nine-over spell and is desperate to win and will do everything he can (within the Laws) to ensure England do just that. But even he understood he was part of something more important here.All the players have really enjoyed being here, Broad said. Its lovely being on the boundary. Some of the Bangladeshi fans have been chanting for England and I think they have really appreciated the fact that weve come. It was a big decision and Im glad the Test has been this exciting.I dont think any of us will sleep well tonight. With two wickets or 33 runs required, how could we? But everyone is drawn to Test cricket when it is tight and exciting. Ive been fortunate to play 99 Tests matches and this would certainly be in my top five of nerve-wracking finishes. I dont think anyone likes games where it is 600 v 600.Its been hard today, but thats part of the challenge of Test cricket. Its a test of character. Its about testing yourself in very different conditions. And this situation shows how far Bangladesh cricket has come. They have some high-quality players and were in a big battle tomorrow. Theres going to be 11 very disappointed and 11 delighted guys. We need to come out on top. None of this means that the result doesnt matter. In the fullness of time, England must reflect on the fact that, on a fourth-day pitch that turned from the first ball of day one, their captain was unable to trust any of his three spinners sufficiently to bowl when the match was coming to the boil. Gareth Batty offers control but lacks pace; Moeen Ali offers the bite but not the control, and Adil Rashid lacks both the pace and the control.They must reflect, too, on that fact that, for the 28th time since April 1, 2015, England were three wickets down before they reached 75 and consider whether Gary Ballance should be retained and whether Ben Duckett should be in the middle order rather than opening the batting.They need to think about the balance of their side - do they need another spinner, or would that represent mediocrity in depth? - and decide whether three spinners and three seamers is the way to go in India.Most teams would open with two spinners on day five. But England? Broad suggested it would be one spinner and one seamer. It may well prove to be Broad and Stokes searching for some reverse. Moeen looks the most likely wicket-taker of the spinners, but also looks liable to concede ten in an over.The ICC might also need to reflect on the quality of umpiring in this match. We know the job is tough and we know that we all endure poor days at work. But we have seen 24 reviews here and ten decisions overturned. That cant be right.But these things can wait. Anyone who thinks cricket is just about winning and losing doesnt understand the game at all. This has been an inspirational few days where all of us who value the game have won.Cricket has shown, as it has in Afghanistan and Ireland and Kenya and inner-cities and rural areas across the world, that it can unite and heal in a way politicians cannot. These things matter a great deal more than results. This has been a great game and the result wont change that. ' ' '