and the best man will win that night.Peters is looking for his first title.Weve been lucky a lot of times and maybe finished some

Australian crickets story is littered with crucible moments; times when the national team has either stood up or flaked out. In the moment, these instances may not seem that important, only gaining resonance through what happens afterwards. Other moments stand out like beacons almost from the second they take place. Whatever is decided at levels above, whatever reviews or appointments take place, the fate rests ultimately with the players.The third dull, wintry day in Hobart felt like one such day and the next two to follow are no less important. Australia are so far behind South Africa they have only slim hope of getting out of Bellerive without a match and series defeat, but it is vital that they show evidence of improvement. The jobs of many, from the chief executive James Sutherland down to the debutant Callum Ferguson, are on the line.How much hinges on all this? Remember the words of the coach Darren Lehmann after Australia were bundled out for 85 on day one. Asked about the future, he did not want to think about the consequences of a hiding. Ill probably tell you in a few days, he said. Hopefully we fight back really well and the future is bright. We know weve got to get better in a lot of areas, weve always said that. Even four Tests ago when we were No.1. Now were way away from that.Each of the past five Australian captains have met moments of similar weight - of both the winning and losing varieties. For Allan Border, perhaps the most resonant was day one of the 1989 Ashes series at Headingley, when he came out to bat after a pair of early wickets on an overcast day and played an innings so brazen it included one six cut hard over backward point - back in the day when that shot was almost unheard of. Sixteen years of Ashes dominance were forged that morning.Border experienced the other side towards the end of his career, when he and his team were unable to take a chance to defeat West Indies in a series for the first time in 17 years. A chase of 186 to win in Adelaide was left too much in the hands of the tail, leaving Australia one run short of victory, and Border to hurl his worry ball so hard into the dressing room floor that it rebounded to strike the ceiling.For Mark Taylor, a personal turning point did not dovetail with team success, but foreshadowed it. By the time of the second innings of the first Ashes Test in 1997, he had gone 19 innings without passing 50, and a previously happy and dominant team were feeling the strain. Rolled by Darren Gough and Andy Caddick, then clattered to all parts of Edgbaston by Graham Thorpe and Nasser Hussain, Australia started their second innings 360 runs behind.Without a hundred, Taylors captaincy would have been at an end, and in the early overs the tension was close to unbearable. But in the company of Matthew Elliott and Greg Blewett, he carved out an ugly hundred, adding respectability to the scoreboard and allowing the team enough breathing space to regroup and ultimately win the series. Taylor led the team for another two years.Again in England, Steve Waughs captaincy came under enormous pressure during the 1999 World Cup, following on from a surprising 2-2 Test series draw against West Indies in the Caribbean. The team was not happy, Waugh and Shane Warne butting heads, and losses to New Zealand and Pakistan left the team needing to win each of their last seven matches of the tournament or face elimination at every stage. Waughs response, most pointedly in a pair of nail-biters over South Africa, was to make critical runs. Warne, by now toying with retirement, overcame doubts about a shoulder still regaining strength after surgery to rip the ball in his former fashion. The World Cup was won, and Waugh stayed on as leader until 2004. Despite a winning record overall, Ricky Pontings leadership is remembered most for a pair of Ashes defeats. The first in 2005 was said to have swung on Glenn McGraths injured ankle, but Pontings call to send England in even after he knew he would be without his best pace bowler proved much the more fateful juncture, leading ultimately to the loss of the urn for the first time since Borders 1989 redemption.Move ahead to 2010-11, and a home Ashes series now viewed as one sided may actually have pivoted on the loss of two wickets either side of the first drinks on Boxing Day. Phillip Hughes and Ponting were prospering well enough in front of a mighty crowd when the former skewed Tim Bresnan to point, before next over the captain snicked Chris Tremlett into the slips. The former coach Tim Nielsen still gnashes his teeth about that one and all the ignominy to follow - it proved to be Pontings last Test as captain.Michael Clarkes leadership tale always teetered between triumph and disaster with little in between. The pivotal point leading to the former came when Mitchell Johnson took the ball just before lunch on day two of the first 2013-14 Ashes Test at the Gabba, worrying out Jonathan Trott as per team plans and sending momentum flooding to Australia. The latter, perhaps harder to isolate, was arguably the second afternoon of the Cardiff Test in 2015, when a series of squandered starts sentenced Australia to an opening defeat in a series they would never lead. Clarke, fighting his own inner battles, was en route to retirement from that moment.So it is that Steven Smiths men find themselves in the crucible at Bellerive. They enjoyed a far better day on Monday than Saturday, even if Quinton de Kocks impersonation of Adam Gilchrist gathered impressive depth. The batting spine shown by Smith and Usman Khawaja, in particular, demonstrated a level of self-knowledge about where this team now stands after four consecutive losses and the distinct prospect of a fifth. The heaviness of expectation was not lost on Josh Hazlewood.Extremely important I think, he said. Everyone knows we need to improve and improve quickly. We talk amongst ourselves and everyone knows we need to improve. So I think its about everyone individually doing what they can on or off the field, and important to do it as a group as well. Hopefully it happens on the field. Were obviously a pretty tight group, we play a lot of cricket together and were on the road together a lot. Everyone gets along fantastically on and off the field, but nows an important time to stick together and even be tighter.Australian cricket has never been richer or better resourced. The national teams players have never been better paid nor looked after. There are problems with scheduling, and issues of coaching philosophy as it relates to the business of batting. But Australias Test team is ultimately in the hands of the players who shape it, through their own skill and presence of mind. The next two days will, once again, tell that tale. Cheap Phillies Jerseys . The showiest items on Calgarys lot were forwards Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak. Both will be unrestricted free agents this summer. Authentic Custom Phillies Jersey . After a replay, the winner will meet Sunderland in the quarterfinals. Sagbo did well to control Sone Alukos right cross and fire past Brighton goalkeeper Peter Brezovan. 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AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Matt Kenseth stood by his car and tried to remain calm after he saw a potential victory and Chase for the Sprint Cup championship berth vanish in a wreck in NASCAR overtime Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway.Kenseth was leading and in control of the Can-Am 500 when the caution came out for a Michael McDowell wreck with less than two laps remaining.On the ensuing restart, he tried to cut in front of Alex Bowman and ended up crashed.Is there anything I can do or say right now to make it better? Kenseth said. The only thing I can really do or say right now is make things worse. Im really trying not to do that.But it was pretty clear that it was a devastating night for Kenseth, who won a championship in 2003 and still seeks another in a career that likely has only a few more years left.Disappointed would put it lightly, Kenseth said. It finished our season. Five minutes before that, it looked like we were going to have a chance to go race for a championship.Kenseths spotter, Chris Crazy Osborne, took the blame for the accident, saying he had cleared Kenseth to the inside.Its a team effort, Kenseth said. We win as a team; we lose as a team. I cant blame Chris. I didnt really see what happened. He said I was clear, so I started looking toward the corner. I got turned around.Things happen in a hurry. I dont know if Alex just drove in there in front of me or I wasnt clear.Bowman was apologetic but didnt think he did much wrong. Kyle Busch was critical, saying that Bowman chopped down on him, so he tagged Bowman, who then was in position to be inside Kenseth when Kenseth thought he was clear.There is not really anything I can do when the spotter clears you and Im inside of you, Bowman said. I hate that it happened. Its very disappointing. I never would intentionally do that. I was just running my line and got turned sideways by the 18 [of Kyle Busch] and the next thing I know the 20 [of Kenseth] is driving across my nose.Its unfortunate. I dont think many people will be that hung up on it. If people were going to be that hung up on it, hed be down here screaming at me now.Kenseth wasnt screaming much. He was devastated.It probably hurts more in a way, but what are you going to do? Kenseth said. You dont know how many chances you are going to have [to win another championship]. We had a really good car and a really good chance.Xfinity Series: A close call with lug nutsElliott Sadler advanced to the championship but will be without his crew chief after NASCAR officials found two loose lug nuts after the race at Phoenix.The penalty for having them loose is a $10,000 fine and a one-race crew chief suspension. Sadler crew chief Kevin Meendering likely will be replaced by Ryan Pemberton.If three lug nuts were loose -- meaning with a lug not touching the wheel -- Sadler would have been docked 35 points and missed the cut. Both Sadler and Xfinity Series director Wayne Auton said there never was discussion of a third lug nut loose.Its going to be tough, man, Sadler said. No driver wants to go to Hoomestead with a chance of legitimately winning a championship and not have your right-hand man sidekick with you.ddddddddddddBut we still have a chance to go win it. We cant count ourselves out.Sadler now has a shot at the title along with Daniel Suarez, Erik Jones and Justin Allgaier.Jones leads the finalists with four wins this season; Sadler has three.Everybody is going to be on top of their game, and you just have to do what you can to have a fast car and be up there running with them and then put yourself in a position to a least have a chance at it, Jones said.Suarez, who has an average finish of 3.1 in the Chase, is optimistic.There are a lot of people that are going to start thinking about how cool it is going to be, Suarez said. I have to think about how Im going to make it happen. I have to do the work, and thats exactly what Im going to do.Allgaier doesnt have a win this year but still has a shot at the title.We all four have run together all [year] long, Allgaier said. Homestead is going to be no different.Advancing to the owners championship were the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 team (Matt Tifft to drive at Homestead), Team Penske No. 22 (Ryan Blaney) and the Suarez and Sadler cars.Camping World Truck Series: Three veterans, one rookieWhile three veterans (Johnny Sauter, Matt Crafton and Timothy Peters) and one rookie (Christopher Bell) advanced into the championship hunt, the driver with six wins this year -- rookie William Byron -- didnt advance as his engine blew while leading with 11 laps left at Phoenix.Byron will move from Kyle Busch Motorsports to join JR Motorsports next year as a Hendrick development driver.I would never take back the wins weve had, Byron said. Its gotten me to a new level, its gotten this team to a new level with confidence and performance.I would never trade those. Those were awesome moments for my team. I was hoping to share another one of those tonight, and it just didnt happen.Sauter, with two wins and a second-place finish in the semifinal round, has to feel like a favorite.Id like to think [were the ones to beat], he said. Anything can happen. ... Youre going to have to go down there and be aggressive and also be a little bit smart.Crafton has won two titles and seeks a third. Crafton: I dont think theres anybody that has an advantage, its whoever has the best truck and the best man will win that night.Peters is looking for his first title.Weve been lucky a lot of times and maybe finished some races that we probably shouldnt have, he said. Homestead is a pretty decent track for us, so [were] looking forward to going down there and seeing what weve got.Bell also is looking for his first title and got in thanks to Byrons engine failure.In the owners championship, it will be the Byron (the Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 9 team made it in because the Red Horse Racing team of Peters didnt make the owners Chase), Sauter, Crafton and Bell trucks. ' ' '