since Aug. 2, 2012, against the Mets. The Giants had won Zitos last 14 starts at home, including one in the World Series, and he entered the game with a 1.40

Moeen Ali says hed had enough of giving his wicket away and now tries to bat like a top-order batsman for England. Roger Maris . One of three centurions for England as they scored 537 in their first innings on day two of the first Test against India in Rajkot, Ali says he changed his approach after being left embarrassed by some of his previous dismissals.I try now to have the mindset of a top-order batsman, said Ali. When I go in I almost pretend were one wicket down for not too many, and try to play to that situation. Ive had enough of giving my wicket away; I was embarrassed with some of the ways I was getting out. I will still do that sometimes, but the less often, the better. The best of the action from the second day of the first Test between India and England in Rajkot. I really enjoy batting at five. It keeps me in the game for longer, while still letting me have a break after bowling, if Ive been in the field for a long time.Before this innings, I felt a little bit lethargic as I went out to bat, so I thought to get myself going, Im going to play a little bit like a one-day game, especially against the spinners, and use my feet.Normally I back myself to hit over the top straight away, that sort of immature batting. But I wont do that as much anymore, its more about knocking the spinners off their length, picking up singles and rotating the strike. Staff at the Rajkot Hotel surprise England cricketers Moeen Ali and Joe Root with a cake after their impressive innings When the time is right, and Im playing well, I will still hit over the top. But I just need to back my defence a bit more against spin.Despite Alis new mature approach, he still fell in bizarre fashion when he was finally dismissed; bowled by Mohammad Shami not playing a shot.I found facing Shami particularly tough to play on that wicket, Ali added. He was bowling really well, reversing it both ways. Moeen Ali falls in bizarre fashion for 117, bowled when leaving a straight ball from Mohammed Shami. I thought he had maybe one more over left in him, so I was just trying to see him through - I left one ball, and it was obviously the wrong thing to do.England failed to take an Indian wicket in the final 23 overs of day two, with the hosts closing on 63-0, but those personal struggles against reverse-swing, and some encouraging turn during his six overs with the ball, have Ali optimistic of Englands chances on day three.I thought we bowled alright up to stumps, but they just played really well. We just need to continue to be patient, as Saqlain Mushtaq keeps telling us. There were signs of reverse-swing and spin late on, which is encouraging ahead of tomorrow, and with a couple of wickets - I know they are brilliant players of spin - I feel we could get into them.All three spinners bowled well at the end of the day. That helps me a lot, because for the team I want to out bowl the other two spinners.Obviously we want to build partnerships together as bowlers, but from a personal point of view I want to out bowl them and take more wickets.Live coverage from day three of the first Test between India and England begins on Sky Sports 2 from 3.45am on Friday. Or watch from £6.99 without a contract - on NOW TV. Also See: Stokes leads England run-glut WATCH: Day Two highlights Scorecard Cricket videos Red Schoendienst . The Masters champion and winner of last weeks Australian PGA has a three-round total of 14-under 199 at Royal Melbourne. "Im in a really good position for tomorrow," Scott said. Mike Mayers . LOUIS -- Mike Smith is used to facing plenty of shots, so this was nothing new. http://www.custommlbcardinalsjersey.com/...large-601q.html . LOUIS -- Heading into the final stretch of the season, the issues for the Chicago Bears banged-up defence only seem to be getting worse.SAN FRANCISCO -- With his knuckleball dancing at a variety of speeds, R.A. Dickey once again looked like the Cy Young Award winner the Toronto Blue Jays acquired in the off-season. Dickey allowed two hits in 8 1-3 innings and sparked a four-run fifth with an RBI double, leading Toronto to a 4-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. "He was just about perfect today," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "He had it all going on. He was in the strike zone. Everything was really dancing today. ... Thats him at his best right there." Mark DeRosa added a two-run single and Adam Lind had three hits for his eighth multihit performance in the past 12 games, helping the Blue Jays earn a split of the two-game series. Barry Zito (4-4) was done in by the one big inning and lost at home for the first time since last August. The defending World Series champion Giants have lost 11 of 18 games heading into a nine-game road trip. Dickey (5-7) bounced back from a pair of rough starts in which he allowed six runs each to Baltimore and Atlanta. With the back and neck problems that contributed to his slow start in Toronto now in the past, Dickey returned to the form that helped him dominate the National League last season for the New York Mets. He was able to change speeds with his knuckler and throw it for strikes all game, getting the Giants to swing early in a very efficient outing. "I was changing speeds a lot today, which was good," Dickey said. "I was able to throw a 63, 64 miles per hour one for a strike and I was able to throw a 79 miles per hour one for a strike. As Ive gotten healthier, I felt like Ive been able to have the latitude to be able to do that. Before it was just trying to muster everything I could to survive an outing." Dickey retired his first 11 batters before Pablo Sandoval lined a clean single to right field. He didnt allow another baserunner until Hunter Pence walked to lead off the eighth in his best start since joining the Blue Jays in the off-season. He was replaced after allowing a single to Gregor Blanco and walking Marco Scutaro with one out in the ninth inning. "He was commanding the knuckleball to where he wanted to throw it," Blanco said. "He was unbelievable. ... He has a lot of movement on it, whichh makes him so difficult. Orlando Cepeda. You dont know where the ball will go. You have to hit a mistake like I did in the last inning when that ball hung up." Casey Janssen got Sandoval to hit into a double play for his 12th save in 12 chances. The Blue Jays also helped Dickey with their gloves, with shortstop Maicer Izturis making diving stops to rob Buster Posey and Sandoval of possible hits. Zito ran into trouble when he walked struggling No. 8 hitter Henry Blanco with one out in the fifth inning. Dickey then squared around to bunt when he saw Sandoval crashing in from third base and Brandon Belt from first. Dickey pulled back and decided to swing away, knocking a grounder past the charging Sandoval and into the left-field corner for an RBI double. "I saw both Panda and Belt crashing," Dickey said. "It was slug bunt all the way. I had played it out in my mind that that was what I was going to do if I saw both those guys closing in on me." Dickey scored on a two-out single by Jose Bautista. Zitos second walk of the game led to more trouble after Edwin Encarnacion and Bautista pulled off a double steal when Sandoval couldnt get the tag down in time even though Poseys throw beat Bautista to third base. That set up DeRosas two-run single. "The fifth inning was the Achilles heel today," Zito said. "Being unable to minimize the damage, the slash hit was OK, but then I gave up a couple of two-out hits that hurt." Zito allowed seven hits and walked three in six innings while losing at home for the first time since Aug. 2, 2012, against the Mets. The Giants had won Zitos last 14 starts at home, including one in the World Series, and he entered the game with a 1.40 ERA this season at AT&T Park. NOTES: It was Dickeys first extra-base hit since doubling against Philadelphia on Sept. 24, 2010. ... Zito became the first Giants starter to pitch at least six innings and not strike out a batter since he did it May 12, 2007, at Colorado. ... San Francisco CF Angel Pagan missed his 10th straight game with a strained left hamstring but manager Bruce Bochy hopes he will be able to play Friday in Arizona. ... The Blue Jays finished 3-4 on their road trip that included stops in Atlanta and San Diego and return home to face Texas on Friday. ' ' '