Bewerbungen » expected to throw a bullpen session Sunday and

Winter on the highveld is traditionally cold and dry, but recent days have seen widespread unseasonal rain across it and almost everywhere else in the country. There have been heavy falls of snow on the mountains, and photographs in the newspapers and websites have shown railway stations under metres of water, cars in parking lots floating casually downstream like so many bath-time ducks.In this type of weather, cricket is not exactly front of mind, although it will slide into the frame as the New Zealanders drift south from two Tests against Zimbabwe shortly to prepare for their twin Tests against South Africa next month.Its already a nicely poised series. New Zealand are an open-minded, streetwise lot, while the gifted South Africans seem to have taken their fractiousness to the next level. There has been bickering behind the scenes in the latest round of contract negotiations - the threat of free agency is the thing in South Africa at the moment - and we have a board that demonstrates little leadership or grace under pressure. Last seasons domestic match-fixing debacle shows no signs of finding closure, and from everywhere comes the fidgetiness of widespread discontent.This said, self-laceration has become so inimical to South African cricket that its quite possible to dismiss the angst as so much white noise. South Africa produce good, if slightly unadventurous, cricketers, and it will only need one decent series - and one competitive summer - to remind us all of the countrys cricketing riches.Southern Africa is a naturally fertile cricket crescent. How else does one explain the fecundity that sees a Dale Steyn spring from the copper-mining wastes of Phalaborwa, or Kagiso Rabada need only one spell of bowling (in the televised final of the Under-19 World Cup in 2014) to be fast-tracked to the terminus that is a South Africa cap?One player who has sailed blithely clear of all the sturm und drang for the last couple of seasons is Dean Elgar. Known variously as Deano or Porra, a not entirely onside reference to what some have erroneously seen as his Portuguese ancestry, Elgar seems happiest to play cricket, remain true to his chirpy self and tiptoe past the mines and booby traps. It is a mark, perhaps, of his emotional intelligence, although it might just be that hes largely unconcerned with anything else. Either way, the strategy has served him well. In the Titans dressing room he is known as one of the Three Hyenas, a select group of enforcers, fines dispensers and receptacles of cricketing wisdom who back up their captain and generally charge about in a pack. Roelof van der Merwe used to be a hyena until he hauled his coffin off to the Netherlands (he was replaced by Farhaan Behardien). The third member of the trio is Heino Kuhn.Last season Kuhn opened the innings for Titans with either Elgar (when he wasnt away on Test duty) or Grant Mokoena. He scored 1126 first-class runs in 20 innings at 62.55, not a bad return for a player who was on a pay-for-play contract because he wasnt deemed quite key enough in the initial contracting round.Those young men and their parents who bleat about quotas and lack of opportunities and head to England or New Zealand at the drop of a hat would do well to study Kuhns numbers. Like Elgar, he is no longer a young man, but he has remained loyal to the Titans system, hung around and polished his game. Like Elgar, there has been little toy-throwing, much endeavour and no lack of focus.The reason Titans won the domestic double last season is due to a variety of quantifiable factors, several of which relate to Kuhns contributions to good starts, which, in turn, put pressure on the opposition.Yet every happy dressing room also abounds with currents more difficult to pin down. One has to be Elgars general sense of mischief. He certainly brings a levity to things. When he was asked recently, for example, who he thought should replace Rob Walter as Titans coach, because Walter is heading to Otago, he didnt pause for thought. Albie [Morkel], he replied, because that way we can hunt and fish during pre-season. It wont be like Rob, who always had us out on obstacle courses and training runs.Whatever his secret, South African cricket needs more Elgars at the moment. In all the hand-wringing, we have lost sight of whats important, what remains pure and untrammelled in the game we all love. Elgar has kept perspective and so kept the faith.The first Test against New Zealand is at Kingsmead, where the South Africans have the kind of record thats best ignored. But then its on to Elgars home ground, Centurion, a fortress, and a place where hes very much at home. Cheap Custom Giants Jersey .B. -- The Baie-Comeau Drakkar took over sole possession of first place atop the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Thursday with their sixth straight win. Cheap Giants Jerseys . - The Oakland Raiders re-signed offensive lineman Khalif Barnes on Friday. http://www.customsfgiantsjersey.com/ . But when it comes to determining if Raymond will find a place on the Leafs roster when training camp concludes in a week, well, that decision will ultimately fall to the head coach. Custom Mel Ott Jersey .C. -- When North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer reported to training camp in August he was a little miffed to learn he was third on the depth chart at punt returner. Custom Giants Jerseys . After Martin Skrtel put the Reds in front from close range at Stamford Bridge after only four minutes, Hazard hit back in the 17th with a superb strike. Etoo gave Jose Mourinhos team a decisive lead from Oscars back pass in the 34th. CHICAGO -- Ricky Nolasco was pretty good Saturday night. The way the Marlins are playing, though, he needs to be nearly unhittable. Nolasco allowed one run while pitching into the eighth inning, but the Chicago White Sox scored in the bottom of the ninth after Miami tied it in the top half for a 2-1 win. "At the end of the day, we cant score any runs," Marlins pitcher Mike Redmond said. "We have to be perfect. Pitch perfect every night." Chicagos Jake Peavy (6-2) shut down the Marlins until Derek Dietrich hit a tying homer in the ninth. But Conor Gillaspie had a game-ending single off Ryan Webb (1-3). All of that added up to the Marlins fourth straight loss, 11th in 13 games, a 6-13 record in one-run contests, and sent them to a major league-worst 13-36 record. Nolasco allowed one run and eight hits and struck out six in 7 2-3 innings for Miami but couldnt earn his second consecutive win after beating Arizona on May 19. The Marlins right-hander has allowed two runs over his last two starts. Alexei Ramirez gave Chicago a 1-0 lead with an RBI double in the third. Juan Pierre mishandled the ball in the left field corner -- he wasnt charged with an error -- allowing Alejandro De Aza to score from first. Giving up that lone run disappointed Nolasco. "Everybody is frustrated. Not just me, everybody is," Nolasco said. "Nobody wants to lose." Dietrichs solo homer with one out in the ninth broke up Peavys bid at a shutout and allowed him to reach base for the 14th straight time to start his career, which is second in Marlins history behind Kevin Millars 17 games in 1999. "Peavy pitched a great ballgame," Dietrich said. "Just glad I got a pitch that I could handle and I could do something with and help the team." Peavy struck out five and allowed six hits in the complete-game effort, his longest outing of the season. Miami, which hit into three double plays Friday, had its first scoring chance in the second when Justin Ruggiano grounded into one with no outs. Marcell Ozuna and Chris Coghlan had singled, but Miami didnt score after the double play and Greg Dobbs strikeout. With the single, Ozuna extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Then in the eighth, Peavy allowed a one-out double to Dobbs and walked Adeiny Hechavarria bbut escaped the inning by getting Rob Brantly to pop out and Juan Pierre to fly out.dddddddddddd "Its frustrating," Redmond said. "I know the guys are frustrated. I know that." Peavy and the White Sox might have been frustrated momentarily in the ninth but it didnt last long. Dewayne Wise led off with a double, and scored on Gillaspies single to left, easily beating a throw from Pierre. "For us to come back and win in the (ninth) was special," Peavy said. "Thats the White Sox way. Nothings easy around here, is it?" Alex Rios went 0 for 4, snapping his 18-game hitting streak, which had been the longest in the American League this season. Gillaspie had three hits while Jeff Keppinger and Ramirez each had two for Chicago, which has won eight of 11. "Baseball is such a funny game because everybody feeds off each other," Gillaspie said. "We went through some pretty rough times the first half of the season. Its good to kind of get everybody on the same page. Everybodys excited. You can feel it in the clubhouse." Theres a different feeling for Miami, which lost the opener of the series 4-3 in 11 innings. "Obviously thats not the way we wanted to go out," Webb said. "It sucks losing two games in a row like that." NOTES: White Sox LHP Chris Sale, who was scratched from his start Wednesday, played catch off flat ground Saturday. Hes expected to throw a bullpen session Sunday and start Tuesday. . Marlins RHP Nathan Eovaldi pitched five innings and struck out five in a rehab start at Single-A Jupiter. Eovaldi hasnt pitched in the majors this season after going on the DL with right shoulder inflammation. . John Danks, who made his first start for the White Sox in over a year Friday night, said his left shoulder felt good one day after making 76 pitches. . Marlins manager Mike Redmond said 2B Donovan Solano, who was placed on the DL May 7 with a left intercostal strain, will be sent to extended spring training Monday. . INF Angel Sanchez was outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte after being reinstated from a rehab assignment for lower back spasms. The move clears a spot on Chicagos 40-man roster. . Sundays pitching matchup is Miamis Alex Sanabia (3-6, 4.56 ERA) against Chicagos Dylan Axelrod (2-3, 4.13). ' ' '