Liebe, Lust und Leben » begin a minor league rehab stint. . RH

When JP Duminy first travelled to Australia in 2008 he was, by his own admission, just a kid. There were few expectations on him - he only had an outside chance of playing in the three-Test series - until he exceeded all of them. Thats when he began to understand how severely responsibility could rest on his shoulders. With that, came intense pressure to perform.The difference [from then] is that I was a young kid, playing my debut Test against guys like Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden. It was quite intimidating, Duminy said on the eve of South Africas first tour game under lights in Australia. Now I am more established than I was then. I am coming into a Test series with a little bit more confidence and a little more stability in my role in the team and how I play Test cricket.To say Duminy has under-performed in the eight years since his debut is neither cruel nor critical. The numbers back it up.To date, he has played only 36 Tests, added only three more centuries, and has an average of 32.44. He spent a period out of the side with injury - sustained when he returned to Australia in 2012 - but was also dropped twice. The current sentiment in South Africa is that he is a placeholder until someone more capable comes along.Australia could be the place for Duminy to prove he can fulfill the potential he once showed. In the absence of AB de Villiers, South Africa need senior batsmen to step up. In the context of Duminys own career, he needs to step up. He has gone 11 matches without a century since the Galle Test in July 2014, when he got an unbeaten 100 at No. 8.Though his opportunities are sometimes limited by a heavyweight top-order, he also went 11 innings in 2015 without passing 35 and was dumped for the Newlands Test against England last summer.Duminys response was to score a double-hundred in a franchise match and force a return, but it was only when he struck an unbeaten 88 against New Zealand in South Africas last Test that he was reconsidered. Faf du Plessis, South Africas stand-in captain because AB de Villiers is injured, went as far as to say that Duminys best was yet to come. Some remain skeptical because Duminy has often threatened without following through, and with an in-form Rilee Rossouw in the squad, an immediate replacement is available if Duminy bombs.Thats why, for Duminy, the lead-up to this series is more important than most and he said he could not have asked for better. Its the best preparation weve had on any tour, to be honest. I cant recall this amount of time before a Test match on any tour, he said. Weve got 10 to 14 days of training leading up to the first Test. South Africa arrived in Adelaide on Tuesday, 16 days before they take on Australia in Perth. They have two practice matches before the first Test - including a day-night game - and one between the second and third Tests. Their preparation is focused on the pink ball and playing under lights because this trip will be their first encounter with day-night Test cricket. Duminy said they will need some time to adapt to that difference in colour and in light, which will take a few training sessions.The concerns for South African fans may be that with all the emphasis on Test cricket under lights, the team could forget that the first two matches will be played in normal conditions and if they dont compete in those, the outcome of the day-night game could be redundant. Duminy allayed such fears, stressing South Africa were using the ample time they had to do as much as they can to win a third successive series in Australia.We are concentrating on staying in our bubble, he said. We are coming into this series with a bit of confidence on the back of our one-day series but we understand that its a clean slate. This is Test cricket. We are not looking at what the expectations are. We are looking to concentrate on our preparations. There might be a lot of banter being thrown around in the media but thats not something we want to focus on. Authentic New York Jets Jerseys ., for the next three years with the signings on Monday of Daryl Townsend and Michael Carter. Cheap New York Jets Jerseys China . -- Brandon Jennings made the most of his first game with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. http://www.cheapjetsjerseyselite.com/ . -- Anaheim Ducks defenceman Luca Sbisa will be out at least six weeks with a torn tendon in his right hand. Cheap New York Jets Jerseys . Having already announced that the race will start May 9 with three stages in Northern Ireland and Ireland and finish in Trieste on June 1, the rest of the route was unveiled Monday. Blue New York Jets Jerseys . But the quarterback hopes to stay involved in football after officially calling it quits Tuesday. "Id love to look at those opportunities as they arise," Pierce said in an interview from his Winnipeg eatery. CHICAGO -- The Detroit Tigers had to wait out a marathon rain delay before the game was finally called. They wont get too many wins like this, and they wont complain about it, either.Ian Kinsler hit his 20th home run, Miguel Cabrera added his 19th and Detroit beat the struggling Chicago White Sox 2-1 in a game that was stopped after more than a two-hour rain delay in the seventh inning on Thursday.A heavy downpour before the bottom of the seventh sent players and umpires running for cover. And after two hours, five minutes the game was called.A lot of riddles, dominos, cribbage, poker, watching other games, Kinsler said, describing the scene in the clubhouse during the delay. Just kind of hanging out, trying to stay aware of the weather situation and if were gonna have a chance to play. Theres not really much you can do.The Tigers did what they needed to do before the rain came and opened a seven-game trip on a winning note. The White Sox have now dropped seven of eight.Kinsler and Cabrera made it 2-1 with solo homers against James Shields (4-12) in the fifth. Mike Pelfrey (3-9) won for just the second time in nine starts, and the Tigers came out on top after dropping two of three against Minnesota.Adam Eaton had three hits and scored for Chicago. Shields gave up two runs and seven hits in six innings, but the White Sox continued their slide after going 1-5 on a trip to the Los Angeles Angels and Seattle.We found another way to lose a game today, Eaton said. Its just crazy.Held to four runs in the Minnesota series, the Tigers used the long ball to grab the lead in the fifth.Kinsler tied it with one out on a drive to center for his second homer in as many games. Cameron Maybin followed with a fly to deep right before Cabrera made it 2-1 with his shot to left-center. The home run -- his 427th -- tied Mike Piazza for 47th all-time. It also gave him 1,499 RBI.We only scored two runs but, truthfully, this is the second day in a row where we hit the ball hard, manager Brad Ausmus said. We didnt have a lot to show for itt in terms of runs, but up and down the lineup guys hit the ball hard.ddddddddddddREBOUND PERFORMANCEPelfrey, knocked out in the second by Kansas City last week, picked up the win after going 1-4 in his previous eight starts. The right-hander gave up a run and eight hits before leaving with one out in the sixth and runners on first and second.Shane Greene came in and hit Tyler Saladino with two out to load the bases. He then retired J.B. Shuck on a soft grounder to first for his second save in as many chances.TRAINERS ROOMTigers: RF J.D. Martinez took batting practice for the first time since he broke his right elbow last month. It still bothers him a little bit to throw, said manager Brad Ausmus, who indicated theyve yet to determine when hell begin a minor league rehab stint. . RHP Jordan Zimmerman (neck) threw a 40-pitch bullpen session. Next up, a rehab start Sunday for Triple-A Toledo. . OF Tyler Collins (neck) said he felt much better, but remained out of the lineup.White Sox: 2B Brett Lawrie is day to day after leaving the game because of tightness in his left hamstring. He popped out to the pitcher in the second inning and was replaced at second base by Tyler Saladino in the fourth. ... GM Rick Hahn said LHP Carlos Rodon (wrist) is progressing nicely and will make a minor-league rehab start before returning. ... Catcher Alex Avila (hamstring) suffered a setback in a rehab game with Triple-A Charlotte and likely wont be activated for another month. ... RHP Zach Putnam (right elbow) also had a setback and will likely need to have bone spurs removed from his elbow. Hahn said OF Austin Jackson, recovering from a torn meniscus in his left knee, will start ramping up non-impact activity in the coming days.UP NEXTRHP Michael Fulmer (9-2, 2.13 ERA) -- 7-1 in his past 10 starts -- looks to stay on a roll for Detroit while RHP Jacob Turner (0-1, 18.00) makes his second start for Chicago. ' ' '