aid. "I expect them to compete and shake it off. I expect them to be competitive." In their first matchup in the | Forum

The Barmy Army trumpeter played The Great Escape theme several times on Saturday. Tristan Thompson Cavaliers Jersey .Maybe it was optimistic or maybe he was simply trying to be encouraging. But when one of the supporters sitting near him pointed out that the vast majority of those who tunnelled out of Stalag Luft III in 1944 (the escape upon which the film was based) were recaptured and murdered by the Nazis, it did little to dampen spirits.Thats because most people understand that The Great Escape - as a film, at least - isnt really about escaping. Or not entirely, anyway.Its about spirit. Its about a refusal to accept defeat. Even when it is seemingly inevitable.So maybe the theme was the perfect accompaniment to an absorbing days cricket when England gave their all and still finished facing almost certain defeat.There have been days - some of them really not so long ago - when an England side going into a day like this would have subsided with a whimper. Think of Sydney 2014 or Leeds 2009. Think of the 1990s. That band of spectators who watch every day - and no other country can replicate such travelling support - has had to put up with some dark days amid the good ones.Everything was against England here. They had conceded too large a first innings score and their top-order had failed to give them the start they required in reply. With the pitch deteriorating and several players struggling with injury or illness - Stuart Broad has a foot injury, Zafar Ansari vomited on the pitch on Friday and Jonny Bairstow rolled his ankle on his way to the crease on Saturday - they knew their chances of clawing their way back into the game were slim.But, to their immense credit, they did not buckle or bend. Instead, Ben Stokes and Bairstow stretched their overnight partnership beyond 100 and, in the process, provided a reminder of the technique and temperament England will need to demonstrate to prosper in these conditions.There were none of the indeterminate prods we saw the previous night from Alastair Cook or Ben Duckett. Instead, we saw both men use their crease and their feet. We saw them trust their defence but take the opportunity to attack. We saw them render a pitch that had appeared treacherous on the second evening look nothing more than tricky on the third morning.Stokes was especially impressive. His improvement against spin is so marked that he is suddenly looking the best player of slow bowling in the side. Such is his ability to come down the pitch or play back, that he confuses the bowler as to the length they should bowl and then punishes anything short or over-pitched.It is true that life seemed somewhat easier against the older ball. It is true that, just as it seemed the partnership was in danger of becoming dangerous, Bairstow was punished for playing across a straight one by a quick, full ball that may have reversed a little. And it is true that, without Chris Woakes, the tail - Adil Rashid apart - folded fast.But the stand between Stokes and Bairstow was just what England needed after a disappointing second day. It reminded them of the attitude, the fight and the technique they are going to have to show if they are going to get anything from this series. It reminded them how they should have played on the second day.That resilience was then replicated by the bowlers. Broad, despite limping heavily, produced an opening spell of 6-2-6-2 (he had figures of 4.1-4-0-2 at one stage) to put India under just a little bit of pressure, while James Anderson (who had figures of 6-1-5-1 at one stage) produced a peach of a ball to swing back through Cheteshwar Pujaras defensive prod to leave them 40 for 3.It would have been perfectly understandable - perhaps even sensible - for Broad to sit in the dressing room with his feet up. A scan taken on Friday night had shown a strained tendon and joint in his right foot and, whatever advice the medics gave, running in and bowling as fast as he could was surely not among it.But, perhaps reasoning that he is out of the third Test already, he gave this spell everything. And, just for a few minutes, he hinted that he could replicate the sort of drama that we have seen at The Oval (2009), Durham (2013) or Joburg (2016). The Barmy Armys songs increased in intensity (their song for him rhymes the words Stuart Broad with large pork sword) and, in between urging them between deliveries to sing louder, Broad hit the pitch hard enough to gain the seam movement that accounted for both the first two wickets. Anderson, meanwhile, touched 90mph and reiterated the same message: were not giving up; were not losing belief.Maybe, had it not been for Kohli, England might have been able to creep back into the game. Increasingly, though, he is emerging as the key difference between the sides. Just as he prevented a tricky situation in Rajkot from becoming a crisis, so he prevented a wobble becoming a collapse here. Even when the ball kept low, he seemed to find it with the centre of his bat. His half-century has effectively shut the door on England in this game.His declaration will probably come around or just after lunch on day four. The lead is already 298 and is already probably enough. England will try to slow Indias progress but it is inevitable they will then be left with a minimum of five sessions of batting before them. Its hard to see any result other than an India win. But cricket wouldnt be half the game it is of it was predictable and if England are doomed, nobody has told them yet.Whatever happens, Englands attitude can have significance beyond this game.It should prove to them that they can prosper in these conditions. It should prove to them that Ravi Ashwin, for all his skill and control, can be combatted and that there is no place in this England dressing room for defeatism or excuses. Previous England teams (and not just England teams) may have bemoaned the conditions, the food, the climate and the loss of an important toss. This one will learn to deal with challenges or make way for players who will. This one, despite its flaws, has much to admire about it.Will there be a great escape? Probably not. But if we witness more spirit of the Great Escape this England team will receive no complaints from those watching. Avery Bradley Celtics Swingman Jersey . All of the scoring came in the final 20:04. Lucic scored on a power play at 15:46 of the third period, when he tipped a shot over Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen for a 3-1 lead. Stephen Curry USA Jersey . In the lead up - which seemed to begin the moment Mike Geiger blew the whistle in Houston last Thursday night - the Impact rumour mill went into overdrive. The speculation went into meltdown mode, of the golden nugget variety. http:///...s-Kevin-Love-Jersey/ . The catch: It needs a lot of money, and it needs it fast.SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Chad Knight said he was on edge. It never showed as he laced the biggest hit of his young life. Knight lined a run-scoring single to left field in the bottom of the seventh inning, and Westport, Conn., beat Northwest champion Sammamish, Wash., 14-13 in a wild game Friday to earn a spot in the U.S. championship game at the Little League World Series. "I went to the plate and I was a little nervous, but then I realized it was just any other at-bat," Knight said. "I just had to go out and put the ball in play. If we didnt score, I knew Alex (Reiner) would get the next three outs and we would score in the eighth inning." Connecticut beat Sammamish for the second time in a week to advance to play Chula Vista, Calif., on Saturday for a berth in the title game. Tijuana, Mexico, will face Tokyo for the international title. The World Series championship is Sunday. That crushing nine-inning loss to Chula Vista on Wednesday night was quickly forgotten when Knights ball landed safely, setting off a wild celebration near the pitchers mound at Howard J. Lamade Stadium "I was really just speechless because for us to compete and battle back was just amazing," said Knight, who also hit a solo homer to cap a seven-run rally in the fifth that tied it at 13. "It was our biggest comeback all year." The game marked the fourth time in Little League World Series history that two teams combined for 27 runs, and the 30 hits were the third-most in history. Charlie Roof started the winning rally by drawing a leadoff walk and Ricky Offenberg hit a one-out double down the left-field line. With five Washington players manning the infield and playing in, Max Popken then hit a one-hopper that Washington shortstop Jack Carper stabbed with pinch-runner Christopher Drbal breaking for home. Offenberg ran into Carper as the Washington player began to make a play for Drbal, who was tagged out in a rundown. Interference was called on Offenberg, leaving Drbal at third and Popken at first with two outs, and Knight followed with his winning hit. Im so proud of the kids, I cant even tell you," Washington manager Rob Chandler said. "We had extra infielders in. We were trying to do everything to win the game. Should I have walked Chad Knight? No, I shouldnt have. I wouldnt walk Knight if given a chance again, I would try to strike him out again." Washington scored 10 runss in the fourth on 11 hits to take what seemed like a commanding 12-5 lead, pounding a World Series record-tying eight straight hits off Connecticut starter Harry Azadian. Nicolas Batum Hornets Swingman Jersey. . The barrage was stunning and matched the record set by Dominican Republic in 1992 and equaled by Chula Vista, Calif., in 2009. Adam Carper, Dylan Matsuoka, Jack Carper, and Dalton Chandler each had RBI singles, and Will Armbruester added a two-run single. Zack Olson tripled home two more to complete the hit parade and also added a run-scoring double later in the inning. "We stuck with Harry because Harry has always managed to pull himself out of it," Westport manager Tim Rogers said. "Give them a lot of credit, they kept hitting. The kids never gave up, one pitch at a time, and thats how we did it. We knew we could score, but of course, we didnt want them to get that far ahead." Undaunted, Connecticut stormed back with seven runs in the bottom of the fifth, hitting three home runs to tie it at 13. After Washington starter Chandler reached his pitch count and departed, Matt Stone singled, Matt Brown doubled off the left-field wall and 13-year-old Alex Reiner homered off Armbruester in relief. Reiners was a three-run shot and it was a surprise -- it was the first of his Little League career. Roof followed with a double off Jack Carper, Drew Rogers lined an RBI single to right, and Popken homered to right centre. Knight followed with a long home run to left to tie the game. "While it was going in, we were just yelling," Offenberg said. "I dont even think we were saying words. We were that excited. I dont think Ive been that excited." Connecticut scored three runs in the bottom of the third, helped by three Washington errors, to take a short-lived 5-2 lead. It was an impressive showing by Westport, which somehow put Grant Holmans game-winning, three-run homer for Chula Vista far in the rearview mirror. "Being so close -- at some point youre going to lose. It would be rare not to," Rogers said. "I expect them to compete and shake it off. I expect them to be competitive." In their first matchup in the World Series earlier in the week, Westport built a 9-2 lead over Sammamish through four innings, then hung on for a 9-7 win. Azadian had three hits and four RBIs in that one as Westport sent 12 batters to the plate and scored seven runs in the second inning. Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '