Gästebuch » at the MCG.The Demons have high ho

Once upon a time, in a land Down Under, two great rivals had scheduled a duel. They were not fighting over a grand prize - the cup did not even have a name - but something far more important. Theirs was a battle for honour. Both had strong sporting prowess and both had plenty to prove.The hosts, Australia, had just returned from a humbling in Sri Lanka where they had to give up the crown they had worn for just a few months. They were ranked No.1 before that trip, buoyed by a satisfying home summer, but like the Emperor who thought he was clad in finery, their batting was actually bare.The challengers, South Africa, were embarking on their first mission since they were humiliated in India with their first away series loss in nine years. The months after that sent them reeling - a home defeat to England, an early exit from the World T20 and an off-field overhaul that put the focus on a change in team make-up through transformation. They arrived like Princess Aurora, asleep but still attractive.Still, something stirred in South Africa early on, which suggested they were ready to shake their last-season slumber. Their spearhead Dale Steyn threatened to push the oppositions Humpty Dumpty off the wall. He said that would cause the body to fall but in a cruel twist, it was his own shell that could not be put back together again.The kings other soldiers and the kings other men had to go out on their own and Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj accepted the task. A stirring comeback allowed the two stepsisters of the WACA - JP Duminy, whose career was born there eight years ago but had returned on life support, and Dean Elgar, whose career could have been stillborn there four years ago - to go to the ball. When midnight came, they had both scored hundreds and another little star was twinkling too. Temba Bavuma effected the run-out that started the second Australian collapse and led to the unlikeliest of South African wins.Australia were caught off guard but they promised not to make any changes. Rod Marsh and Darren Lehmanns noses grew as the words came out. They were proved Pinocchios when Australia made three changes for the second battle.Fee-fi-fo-fum , Philander smelled the blood of an Australian. He turned the Hobart pitch into a magic carpet, rolled back the years, and claimed his first five-for on the road since Lords 2012. Australia were all out for 85, which made for better reading than their 47 four years ago but would have felt a lot worse.All the better to rub your nose in it then, my dear, thought Quinton de Kock and Kyle Abbott. De Kock racked up a fifth consecutive score of fifty or more; Abbott claimed a nine-wicket match haul in his eighth Test over three years. South Africa had found a way to make stone soup, while Australias pot was still boiling.Too hot, too cold and nowhere near just right, explained the golden-locked Steven Smith. If there is anything in the wicket - spin, swing, seam - at the moment, we are not adapting well enough. We are not willing to grind it out.A trail of mints leading to a ball-tampering allegation shone in the moonlight but unlike Hansel and Gretel, the Australian team had no interest in following it. The ICC, however, did. It was alerted to the footage through media reports and laid a charge against the victorious stand-in captain Faf du Plessis, turning him from hero to villain. Despite carrying a previous conviction for this offense, he cried wolf and so did his cricket board.Everybody does it, they bellowed. The term artificial is not clear, they said. Ball shining is different to ball tampering, they pleaded. They huffed and puffed but they could not blow the house down. Match referee Andy Pycroft found du Plessis guilty. The punishment was not harsh enough to prevent du Plessis from playing the Adelaide Test, a fixture that could lead to a pot of gold at the end of a slightly different-coloured rainbow.South Africa were chasing a whitewash in a game that would be played with a pink ball. They would have to beat another new-look Australian side to do that. The hosts had replaced grumpy, sleepy, dopey and sneezy with driven, determined, defiant and daring. Their fresh faces saved their snow whites with a consolation win in which their Rapunzel, Usman Khawaja, let down his long hair. He made South Africas attack toil, for only the second time in the series, and scored a century to finish as the series top-scorer.South Africa wont leave too disappointed, though. After everything, they have plenty to celebrate. After du Plessis turned Cinderella, with a redeeming century, even their ugly duckling, Stephen Cook, whose technique was written off and career looked over, became a swan.In Perth and Hobart, Sleeping Beauty woke up; in Adelaide, the Emperor found a clever little tailor to begin stitching the basics of a new wardrobe and in the end, they all lived happily ever after. At least until the next series. Air Max 97 Pas Cher France .Y. - Free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, fresh off winning the World Series with Boston, reached agreement with the rival New York Yankees on a seven-year contract worth about $153 million, a person familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday night. Nike Pas Cher Chine Paypal . 10 VCU 85-67 on Thursday night at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The Seminoles (4-0) have scored at least 80 points in each of their games. http://www.pascherbasketnike.fr/france-air-max-97-solde.html . -- On the field, it was business as usual for Jameis Winston and No. Air Max 97 Pas Cher Femme . He just needed to be his best twisting, turning acrobatic self. "I didnt need to be anybody else, I just needed to be myself and be aggressive," said Burks, who scored a career-high 34 points to spark the Utah Jazz to a 118-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. Air Force 1 Fausse .com) - The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks both take aim at their first wins of the season on Saturday, as the Canucks open their home slate at Rogers Arena. Melbourne fans could catch a glimpse of the Demons forward line of the future on Saturday, with prized recruit Sam Weideman set to line up alongside young star Jesse Hogan.Weideman, the grandson of Collingwood great Murray Weideman, was the ninth overall pick at last years national draft, coach Paul Roos confirming on Thursday he would make his AFL debut against Hawthorn at the MCG.The Demons have high hopes the 195cm prospect will partner Hogan in attack for years to come, but of more immediate concern for Roos is the fitness of Hogan, who suffered a heavy knock to a knee after clattering into a point post in last weeks thrilling two-point win over Gold Coast.Hes progressing ... the plan will be to name him then jog him on (Friday) morning - the expectations are that hell play, but theres a little bit of water to go under the bridge yet, Roos said.I dont think well leave it until Saturday morning, hes still a young player.The next hurdle will be iff he doesnt feel great in the warm-up but I suspect if he gets through (Fridays fitness test) he should be fine.ddddddddddddWith just four games left in his coaching tenure, Roos has the chance to rid the Demons of another unwanted hoodoo.Melbourne have broken lengthy losing streaks at Etihad Stadium and against Carlton, Collingwood and Geelong under Roos watch and will be looking to snap a 13-game losing run against the Hawks.Theyre still the benchmark team, theyre two games clear on top of the ladder, Roos said.I think theres excitement (amongst our players) on the back of last weeks win - it was really important to get our eighth win.So there is excitement but you hope it translates ... youve got to understand the quality of the opposition - that excitement can change pretty quickly if we dont get off to a good start. 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