All posts by h79snht.top

Former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori has showered generous praise on fast bowler Chris Martin, who became only the fourth New Zealand bowler to take 200 Test wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Nov-2011

Former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori has showered generous praise on fast bowler Chris Martin, who became only the fourth New Zealand bowler to take 200 Test wickets when he dismissed Kyle Jarvis in the Bulawayo Test. Vettori, who is the second-highest wicket-taker for New Zealand, said Martin was one of the best to have bowled for New Zealand.”Chris has always impressed me right from day one,” Vettori told . “He’s a fantastic bowler and probably an under-rated bowler as well. To do what he’s done, it’s a real credit to him and I certainly believe he deserves to be regarded as one of NZ’s best-ever Test bowlers.”It had been a long wait for Martin, who spent 10 months stuck on 199 Test wickets, and then more than 23 overs of toil after Test cricket finally came along. “It was an unfortunate circumstance that I had to wait that long, simply because we haven’t played any Test cricket since January,” Martin said. “I’d bowled 23-odd overs before it came so I didn’t know quite how to celebrate, it was more relief than anything, but it’s a moment I’ll remember for quite some time.”Three of the 200-club men studied in the same school, of course at different times. “To be one of four players to achieve that milestone is an honour, ” Martin said. “And there are three from Christchurch Boys’ High (Richard Hadlee and Chris Cairns being the other two), so that’s a nice achievement for the school. Chris Cairns is obviously immediately above me on the list and I think he’s got 218 wickets, so it would be nice to catch him.”Martin’s average of 34.94 might not strike fear, but that it is only marginally worse than Vettori’s 33.61 proves Vettori’s point that Martin might be under-rated. More than the statistics, it is Martin’s reliability and longevity that have shone through despite starting his career late – less than month shy of his 26th birthday. “Shane Bond was around for a while, but for the most part Chris has carried the pace attack by himself over a long period of time,” Vettori said. “He’s always been reliable.”What Martin has managed is rare for New Zealand fast bowlers – a near injury-free career. He has outlasted more incisive and flashier fast bowlers. New Zealand want him to stay around to share the experience he has garnered over his 11-year-old career with the younger quicks. Martin turns 37 in December, and there is likely to be debate around his place in the side, especially after match returns of 3 for 159 in the Test against Zimbabwe. Vettori, though, thinks there is more to come.”He’s still got a lot left in him and I think he wants to play for a wee while longer, which would be great for us to have him working with the likes of Tim Southee and Doug Bracewell coming through,” Vettori said. “It’s encouraging to have the three of them around for the Australian series [next month]. It’s the first time I’ve seen Bracewell bowl and I’ve been quite impressed by him.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Flamengo não vai contratar por contratar. Isso está definido dentro do clube. A diretoria não quer reforços apenas porque a torcida está pedindo. Em reunião ficou traçada a meta de buscar três a quatro grandes nomes do futebol para completar o elenco rubro-negro. Se não pintar a chamada “oportunidade de mercado”, a aposta vai ser nas categorias de base.

Dentro do Flamengo é consenso que não vale a pena investir em atletas que não cheguem para disputar vaga ou ser titular. Para isso, acredita-se que a base pode ser um diferencial. O trabalho feito nas categorias inferiores é considerado um dos melhores de todos os tempos.

Entre os atletas que hoje fazem parte da equipe sub-20, que conquistou a Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, pelo menos quatro jogadores já são vistos com grande futuro para o Flamengo, dentro e fora de campo. Todos com alto potencial para render frutos ao clube e em seguida serem vendidos por altas cifras ao futebol do exterior.

A ideia é fazer essa interação. De grandes nomes com os jovens. Na equipe principal, Kleber, os zagueiros Léo Duarte e Thuler, o lateral-esquerdo Michael, o volante Jean Lucas e o atacante Lincoln são considerados peças do elenco já. Todos serão utilizados com uma maior frequência, com exceção de Léo que já é praticamente titular da equipe.

A ideia, em especial, para gastar pesado é com jogadores pelos lados. Mesmo enxergando na base jovens com potenciais, a diretoria sabe que poucos terão a personalidade como Vinícius Júnior aos 17 anos teve nesta temporada. Por isso, o dinheiro alto será investido nessas posições.

RelacionadasFlamengo‘Janela agressiva’ começa a virar problema para o Flamengo na CopaFlamengo21/06/2018FlamengoEmpresário aponta Flamengo como interessado em zagueiro equatorianoFlamengo21/06/2018Humor EsportivoH. Dourado iraniano: memes com atacante do Fla bombam após gol anulado na CopaHumor Esportivo20/06/2018

England Test captain Andrew Strauss hit a career-best score and Sam Robson a century to put Middlesex in a formidable position

30-Aug-2011
ScorecardEngland Test captain Andrew Strauss hit a career-best score and Sam Robson a century to put Middlesex in a formidable position on day one of their County Championship Division Two clash with newly-crowned t20 champions Leicestershire at Lord’s.After being put in to bat, the hosts closed on 370 for 1, with Strauss having struck an undefeated 184 off 254 balls with 19 fours and two sixes. Robson made 101 before retiring hurt and Jamie Dalrymple added a brisk 46 before becoming the only wicket of the day.The first runs of the day came in the fifth over when Strauss pulled Matthew Hoggard for four. Two overs later, he collected three boundaries in four balls. Robson came out of his shell when he cover-drove Nathan Buck for four in the 12th over. Four overs later, the 22-year-old flicked Rob Taylor to the rope at square leg before threading the next delivery through point for four.The 24th over saw Strauss bring up his fifty, off 67 balls, with a cut for four off Rob Taylor. Just before lunch, Robson also moved to his half-century, in 96 deliveries, by dispatching Buck to the point boundary before Scott Newman and John Simpson were presented with their Middlesex caps during the break.As if to underline Leicestershire’s plight, the first semblance of a false shot came as late as the 44th over, when Robson bottom-edged a four off Taylor. Three overs later, he moved to 90 courtesy of a mistake by Hoggard at mid-off.With Strauss and Robson matching each other almost run for run, Strauss went to 99 when he took Middlesex past the 200 mark with a four through backward point. Two overs later, the England captain brought up his 42nd first-class hundred in 145 deliveries with his 15th four – which Wayne White, at point, parried to the boundary.In the 53rd over Robson joined Strauss on three figures when he drove his 169th ball, from Jigar Naik, through cover for four. Shortly afterwards Robson lost sight of a short-pitched delivery from White and was forced to retire hurt on 101. Nevertheless, his alliance with Strauss, worth 231 in 56 overs, had set a new record opening stand for Middlesex against Leicestershire.Dalrymple announced himself by cutting and pulling the second and third balls he received for four and at tea, Middlesex were 271 for no wicket. In the third over after tea Strauss lifted Naik over long-on for six. Five overs later, the England captain brought up his 150 in 202 deliveries, though not before he had swept Naik for another maximum.Leicestershire’s only success of the day came when Dalrymple (46), cutting, fell to the part-time spin of Josh Cobb, giving keeper Ned Eckersley his first scalp in first-class cricket. Dawid Malan joined Strauss in the middle and closed on 19 not out.

MatériaMais Notícias

O diretor de futebol do Corinthians, Duílio Monteiro Alves, teve de passar por uma cirurgia às pressas no último sábado. Aos 45 anos, ele sentiu-se mal ainda no CT, antes da viagem ao Rio de Janeiro, e foi para o hospital realizar um cateterismo por conta de um entupimento quase total de uma das veias do coração.

Duílio passa bem após cirurgia, mas ainda permanece em um hospital de São Paulo. Ele não tem prazo para retomar as atividades como diretor de futebol do Corinthians.

Duílio voltou à diretoria do Corinthians no início de fevereiro, com a eleição de Andrés Sanchez como presidente. Desde então, ele ainda não havia perdido algum jogo da equipe. Duílio e Andrés são os principais responsáveis por contratações.

O Corinthians ainda tem Jorge Kalil como diretor-adjunto de futebol. Ele é médico e, inclusive, foi o responsável por encaminhar Duílio ao hospital no último sábado. Outro integrante da diretoria de futebol é o gerente Alessandro Nunes.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansRomero vai a campo e é dúvida no Corinthians; Jadson fará examesCorinthians04/06/2018CorinthiansDuílio explica apostas do Timão e tem dúvidas com janela de transferênciasCorinthians28/05/2018

Tudo sobre

Corinthiansduílio monteiro alves

Tim Nielsen, the Australia coach, has said he is firmly in support of whatever measures are taken to improve cricket in the country despite the uncertainty over his future

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Aug-2011

Tim Nielsen, the Australia coach, has said he is firmly in support of whatever measures are taken to improve cricket in the country despite the uncertainty over his future because of the recommendations made in the Don Argus report.”The review’s been done with the sole purpose of improving and getting Australian cricket back to where we want to be, at No.1, and that’s what we’re all about as a team and especially in my role as coach, that’s what I’m all about,” Nielsen said in Colombo on the eve of the fourth ODI against Sri Lanka. “I’m supportive of this process; I just need some time to ensure that we go through this process and get all the information before we start making too much comment.”The Argus report recommended that the coach’s role be expanded to make him the leader of the overall coaching strategy for Australian cricket. The coach, along with the captain, will also be part of the five-member selection panel. However, it is not certain that Nielsen will be the man to fill the expanded role. Jack Clarke, CA’s chairman, said “in a restructure, you don’t just give someone the job in a new role” but added that Nielsen was welcome to re-apply for the role.”I think the most important thing is it’s been an exhaustive look at how we’re going to get Australian cricket back to where it wants to be, No.1 in all forms of the game,” Nielsen said. “You don’t do that by skirting around the edges and having nice, feel-good looks at things and hoping you’re going to fix things up by doing them the same way. We are 100,000% behind Australia being the best cricket team in the world and we’re going to start that process by winning again tomorrow and pushing on from there.”Michael Clarke, Australia’s Test and ODI captain, said that one of the major aspects of the Argus report was its emphasis on the necessity for an improvement in communication. “The positive from that is it allows the communication between selectors and players to be very clear now,” he said. “It allows me to give the player the consistent feedback the player is probably searching for and to let him know the reasons for his selection or non-selection. It certainly makes me more accountable now and I look forward to the challenge.”Another fallout of the Argus report was the removal of Greg Chappell, the national talent manager, from the selection committee. According to the , Chappell was banned from the Australian dressing room while the team was batting, because he was a disconcerting influence. Clarke, however, said he had no problems with Chappell.”My communications with Greg have been fantastic. He’s been open and honest with me and I’ve been able to do the same back in return,” he said. “My relationship with all the selectors has been fantastic and I’m certain that will continue.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Enquanto Rodrigo Aguirre dá os primeiros passos para tornar-se ídolo do Botafogo, lá em Belém (PA), Renan Gorne também tenta pavimentar o seu promissor futuro para voltar por cima ao Glorioso. Cedido ao Paysandu até o fim do ano, o jovem contou ao LANCE! o que tem passado no Norte do país.

Com apenas um jogo profissional pelo Alvinegro, cuja escalação se deu graças a Jair Ventura, Gorne ainda não é absoluto no Paysandu. Mas a passagem tem sido “proveitosa”, com o seu primeiro gol em terras tupiniquins na bagagem.

– A passagem tem sido bem proveitosa, estou treinando bastante, me dedicando muito. Sempre que o treinador tem precisado eu tenho correspondido bem. O que mais me chamou a atenção aqui foi a paixão do povo com o futebol. São alucinados mesmo, chega a impressionar. Tanto os torcedores do Paysandu, como os do Remo também.

RelacionadasBotafogoValentim completa 100 dias de Bota com título e equilíbrio nos númerosBotafogo22/05/2018BotafogoRetorno de Moisés e números positivo de Gilson: ‘boa’ dor de cabeça a ValentimBotafogo22/05/2018BotafogoMarcinho lamenta falta de ‘ousadia’, mas aposta no fator casa para reagirBotafogo22/05/2018

Aos 22 anos, Renan Gorne não escondeu o desejo que tem de voltar ao Botafogo mais para frente, levando em conta o seu vínculo até 2019. No clube carioca, cabe destacar, viveu o seu melhor período em 2016, quando foi campeão carioca sub-20,do Brasileiro da categoria e marcou 31 gols na base.

-Acompanho o Botafogo sempre que consigo. Tenho amigos lá e fico feliz de vê-los bem e que estão dando conta do recado. Meu contrato com o Botafogo vai até o fim de 2019. Espero que um dia até lá eu tenha a oportunidade de poder jogar e dar sequência no meu trabalho, ajudando o máximo – disse Renan, que também já foi emprestado aoNorth Carolina FC,equipe da NASL, liga paralela do futebol dos Estados Unidos.

CONFIRA O BATE-BOLA COM RENAN GORNE

Por que acha que não tem tido chances com frequência no momento?
Acredito que seja pela fase vivida com quem eu concorro pela posição. Todos que tem jogado tem ajudado muito, cada um da sua maneira. Todos os jogos que entrei fui bem. Tenho que buscar trabalhar para sempre que o Dado (Cavalcanti) precisar eu ajudar da melhor forma. Obviamente que quando a gente joga a confiança vem e as coisas saem com naturalidade, procuro me manter tranquilo e adquirir confiança diariamente.

Gorne soma 8 jogos (293 minutos) e 1 gol no Papão, 5º na Série B

Como vê a pressão da torcida após o vice para o maior rival? Houve muita cobrança nas ruas?
Na época do Estadual foi bastante difícil, RePa é um campeonato
à parte. Tem torcedor que prefere só ganhar RePa, e esse ano não tivemos êxito em nenhum deles (quatro jogos e quatro derrotas, inclusive nas finais estaduais), a pressão foi absurda, mas não foi por isso que deixamos de acreditar no trabalho. Hoje somos campeões da Copa Verde novamente!

Como foi a comemoração do primeiro gol pelo Paysandu?
Fiquei muito feliz,tirei um peso enorme das costas, até então havia atuado pouco, e ainda assim pude marcar o gol com poucos minutos jogados (contra oSão Raimundo).Eu estava procurando uma câmera porque no dia anterior havia sido aniversário do meu pai, mas na hora do gol os jogadores vieram me abraçar, e acabei não conseguindo fazer o que queria, mas foi bem legal.

Tem como resumir a passagem pelos EUA e falar sobre a importância dela na maturação da carreira?
Foi muito positiva. Ganhei confiança, cresci profissional, pessoal e culturalmente, e pude mostrar pra mim mesmo do que sou capaz. Fiz 6 gols sendo titular em 13 jogos, e depois de 5 anos conseguimos nos classificar para a fase de mata-mata da Liga chegando nas semifinais. Foi muito bom pra mim, e dei meu melhor pra buscar o máximo possível com o North Carolina FC.

E ainda sobre o Botafogo, tem tido contato com jogadores do clube carioca daí? E membros da diretoria?
Pouco, mas tenho. Sempre que dá eu entro em contato com alguns que subiram junto comigo. Da diretoria apenas o (Manoel, diretor da base) Renha me parabenizou quando marquei o gol. Ele sempre me acompanhou até mesmo quando estava nos EUA.

عقد محمد عبد الجليل لاعب الأهلي السابق، مقارنة بين غرفة ملابس القلعة الحمراء ونظيرتها في الزمالك، مُشيرًا إلى أن صفقات المارد الأحمر الجديدة مُبشرة.

وقال عبد الجليل في تصريحات لبرنامج “بوكس تو بوكس” عبر قناة “Etc”: “لعبت في الزمالك ولم يكن هناك انضباط كبير في السابق، كان هناك (معلمين) داخل النادي وقت انتقالي هناك، كان الفريق يضم لاعبين كبار، وكانوا جميعًا أصدقائي”.

وواصل: “لم أصطدم بأحد داخل الزمالك، لكن شاهدت مشاجرات كثيرة بين اللاعبين، وعفت نصار وأيمن منصور كانا من أقوى اللاعبين داخل غرفة الملابس، وشاهدت خناقة كبيرة بينهما ولم يتدخل أحد، عفت نصار من أفضل اللاعبين، كان يجيد اللعب في أكثر من مكان في الهجوم”.

وتابع: “الأمور في الأهلي مختلفة، اللاعبون الكبار يقومون باستيعاب العناصر الشابة والصفقات الجديدة، كان علاء ميهوب مثلي الأعلي وهو الأقرب لي في النادي، الجميع يدرك معنى كلمة الالتزام والانضباط داخل القلعة الحمراء”.

طالع أيضًا | محمد عبد الجليل: كولر كان يُجهّز كهربا منذ شهرين.. ولا أتمنى مشاركته أمام الزمالك

وأردف: “الصفقات الجديدة للأهلي مبشرة، ومروان عطية لاعب رائع وله مستقبل كبير مع الفريق، وهو من اللاعبين الذين كان يحتاجهم النادي، وسيكون امتدادًا للسولية”.

وزاد: “خالد عبد الفتاح ساهم في تألق محمد هاني، وعندما شارك الأول ظهر بشكل جيد، هو ظهير أيمن مميز، وسموحة كان يرفض التفريط فيه”.

وشدد: “أنا قلق من مستوى أفشة، عليه أن يطور نفسه، اللاعبون حوله يتألقون بشكل ملحوظ، قد يجد صعوبة مستقبلًا في ظل وجود لاعبين مميزين في الخط الأمامي، ولا أفضل مشاركته أمام الزمالك”.

واختتم: “رامي ربيعة مدافع الأهلي يجب أن يأخذ حقه، يذكرني بضياء السيد، كان يجلس كثيرًا ويعود للمباريات النهائية، رغم ابتعاد رامي عن المشاركة لكنه ظهر بشكل جيد، ويجب الإشادة به على الثبات، وأتمنى أن تبتعد عنه الإصابات”.

تقدم ولفرهامبتون بهدف أول أمام نظيره ليفربول في المباراة الجارية بين الفريقين بكأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي.

وتأتي تلك المباراة بين ليفربول وولفرهامبتون في إطار منافسات دور الـ32 من بطولة كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي، موسم 2022/23، على ملعب “الآنفيلد” معقل الريدز. هدف ولفرهامبتون الأول أمام ليفربول

وسجل جونزالو جيديس هدف ولفرهامبتون في الدقيقة 26 بعد خطأ فادح من أليسون بيكر حارس مرمى ليفربول.

البداية كانت بعد تسديدة راؤول خيمينيز ناحية المرمى، ليمسك أليسون الكرة، قبل أن يرسلها إلى تياجو ألكانتارا الذي لم يتمكن من التعامل جيدًا مع الكرة، لتُقطع منه.

ثم ينجح أحد لاعبي ليفربول في استخلاصها وتمريرها إلى أليسون، الذي حاول بدوره تمريرها إلى دفاع ليفربول، ولكنها اصطدمت بـ جونزالو جيديس الذي استغل الفرصة وسدد الكرة في الشباك.

ويمكنك متابعة البث المباشر بالفيديو لحظة بلحظة لمباراة ليفربول وولفرهامبتون من خلال الرابط.

David Warner will be out to prove he can become a Test opener when he faces the new ball during Australia A’s upcoming four-day series in Zimbabwe

Brydon Coverdale22-Jun-2011

David Warner will be out to prove he can become a Test opener when he faces the new ball during Australia A’s upcoming four-day series in Zimbabwe. Warner is generally regarded as the quintessential Twenty20 basher, but an encouraging finish to the Sheffield Shield season has him determined to show that he can thrive in the longer format.He has timed his run well, and although he won’t be the first choice as a Test opener to replace Simon Katich, Warner is clearly in the selectors’ wider field of vision as they look to the future. He is expected to open with Phillip Hughes during the Australia A four-day fixtures against a Zimbabwe XI next month, a vote of confidence in itself given that the squad also includes Usman Khawaja and Nic Maddinson, who could potentially partner Hughes.Warner collected his maiden first-class century against Western Australia in March, and it was an important achievement for a man who made his Twenty20 international debut before he had played a first-class game. Now, he has found the patience for the longer format, according to the Australia A captain Tim Paine, who has been impressed by Warner’s work ethic during the team camp in Brisbane this month.”I would say at this stage it would probably be David Warner [to open] in the four-dayers,” Paine told ESPNcricinfo. “He’ll probably get the chance to push on from the impressive finish he had to his domestic season. Hopefully if he can transform what we know he can do in the shorter formats into the longer formats then he’s going to be a pretty devastating opening batsman in the longer form, similar to something like what Sehwag does for India. That’s something he’s looking to bring into his game.”The last six months he’s started to find some hunger to actually play in the longer forms of cricket for Australia. Even today I reckon he batted for two and a half hours, which is something that in all the time I’ve been coming to the Academy with him as young guys, it’s not something he has done. He’s been a bloke who goes in and hits them really well for 20 minutes and he’s happy with that. But at the moment there’s a different drive to Dave Warner and he’s looked good the last two weeks.”At a time when Cricket Australia wants to attract more young fans by expanding the Big Bash, it is encouraging that a short-form specialist like Warner still harbours Test aspirations. However, despite the belief of Greg Chappell – who will be the selector on duty in Zimbabwe – that Warner can be an effective batsman in the longer format, it’s unlikely he’ll win a baggy green in the immediate future.When Katich was cut from Australia’s contract list this month, there was still no room for Warner in the 25-man group, a sign that for the time being, the selectors consider his place to be in Twenty20 and 50-over cricket. The likely partner for Shane Watson on Australia’s Test tour of Sri Lanka in August is Hughes, who Paine said was handling the pressure well ahead of the Australia A trip.”He’s been fine,” Paine said. “He’s been no different to when I’ve ever seen him. Hughesy is just Hughesy, he goes about it as he does. He’s a fine player, so I’m sure if he gets the opportunity he can score a lot of Test runs – he already has, for a guy so young. I’m sure he’ll be very, very keen to do well in Zimbabwe. He has a knack of scoring runs and I’m sure he’ll do that in Zimbabwe and in Test matches he may get to play in in the future.”Hughes is one of several members of the Australia A squad who has a strong chance of making the Sri Lanka tour, along with Khawaja, Paine, Jason Krejza, Michael Beer, Ben Hilfenhaus and Callum Ferguson. But Paine said despite the axing of Katich suggesting that younger men might win Test opportunities, there had been no loss of focus within his side.”Not so much around this group,” he said. “It’s been more in the media. I haven’t heard anyone in the last two weeks that I’ve been here in our team talk about the contract list and who’s out, and what the opportunities are going to be coming up. It’s just everyone is pretty focused on getting over there and performing and giving themselves the best chance of being picked to replace those players if it does happen.”The Australia A players fly to Zimbabwe on Saturday for a triangular one-day series featuring the hosts and South Africa A, before they take on Zimbabwe in a pair of four-day games.

Had his day not ended with a trip to hospital for treatment to a dislocated finger, it would have been a particularly good one for Ben Stokes

Jon Culley at Chester-le-Street31-May-2011
Scorecard
Ben Stokes’s 185 showed he is a complete batsman, capable of more than big hitting•PA Photos

Had his day not ended with a trip to hospital for treatment to a dislocated finger, it would have been a particularly good one for Ben Stokes, the Durham tyro whose name will be on everybody’s lips, sooner or later.His team had finished in a commanding position against so-far unbeaten Lancashire and he had proved he can bat not only very well but for a very long time to put them there. His career-best 185, though not without its moments of good luck, had been notable for its air of developing maturity and its five-and-a-half hour span. It was his third Championship century this season and the fifth of his career. Not bad at all for a young man who – until Saturday, at least – is still a teenager.He hurt himself dropping a ball driven hard to cover by Paul Horton, who was on 31 at the time and had he not been able to add only three to his score might later have reflected on the irony of the moment. Stokes had given three chances during his marathon innings – of varying degrees of difficulty but chances nonetheless – all of which had been missed by Horton at slip.Stokes’s Championship batting average for this season stands at 55.36, an impressive statistic among many attached to Durham at present. Good numbers do not necessarily equate to titles, yet halfway through a season in which the champions of 2008 and 2009 appear to have good prospects of winning a third title in four years, Durham’s stack up.Their batting averages, for example, show five players with 539 runs or more in the competition, with a sixth on 456. Given that the merit mark for a summer is 1,000 – and given that there are another eight matches to come – they make ominous reading.Dale Benkenstein already needs only 145 more to reach the milestone for the fifth time in his career. Stokes has the next highest aggregate on 609. In this match, they have scored 322 between, having shared a huge and probably match-winning stand of 331 that surpassed one Durham record and fell only just short of another.It was the biggest partnership for any Durham wicket against any opposition in the Championship, bettering that set by Benkenstein and Ottis Gibson, who put on 315 for the seventh wicket against Yorkshire at Headingley in 2006. One more boundary and it would have replaced the 334 by Stewart Hutton and Mike Roseberry against Oxford University in 1996 as Durham’s highest partnership in first-class cricket.It was more than enough to leave Lancashire in serious danger of surrendering the First Division’s only unbeaten record. They trailed by 273 on first innings and have lost three wickets in reducing the deficit by 69.But back to Stokes. What makes him so exciting is that he remains a free spirit, his natural aggression spurring him on when there is a moment to be grasped, as he demonstrated at the Rose Bowl in April when he hit the first five balls of an over for six against Hampshire’s Liam Dawson.There was more of that in evidence here as he was taken suddenly with the idea of hitting the ball over the pavilion, which is no mean feat given its height – 11 rows of seats, an eight-foot wall, the dressing rooms, the executive boxes and a fairly tall roof – and one which had been taken on successfully only once before, apparently, by Kevin Pietersen.So it probably says all that needs to be said about the power and timing that underpins his batting that Stokes, with two mighty sweeps against Steven Croft’s off breaks, did it twice. He was bowled attempting a third but could hardly be criticised for following his instincts.What should be noted was that this time the fireworks came only at the end. Otherwise, it had been an innings that demonstrated that he is learning that before seizing the moment it is important to know when is the right moment. With such a wise old pro as Benkenstein at the other end, the maturing process probably advanced quite measurably during this innings.Benkenstein had gone a little before Stokes, edging a decent ball from Luke Procter that wicket-keeper Gareth Cross moved sharply to take, setting off what in relative terms was a clatter of wickets. Ian Blackwell was bowled by a ball from Kyle Hogg that nipped back and kept low before Scott Borthwick wasted what might have been an opportunity to enhance his standing as a batsman by chasing a wide ball from Glen Chapple and giving a catch to slip that Horton, this time, managed to hold.From 425 for 5, Durham were 485 for 7, which was still a good lead but gave Lancashire, who were 172 behind at that moment, a little more encouragement. However, a breezy 61 off 63 balls from Phil Mustard, enhanced by some spirited biffing from Callum Thorp and Mitch Claydon, added more than 100 to the deficit.It was just Lancashire’s luck that Graham Onions then bowled his best spell of the match, trapping Stephen Moore with a ball that beat him for pace and allowing Horton to add only three to his score when dropped before he was caught behind off a bottom edge. In between, Thorp nipped one back to have Karl Brown leg before. Lancashire will do well to survive on the final day.