a huge ovation from the Bell Centre crowd in pre-game introduction

Middlesex 249 for 5 (Gubbins 82) trail Surrey 415 (Roy 110, Burns 88, Foakes 63*) by 166 runsScorecard At 4.36pm on June 11 on a sun-drenched Lords day, Nick Compton trudged back through the Long Room at Lords. Compton had hit a trio of boundaries but, he knew, his 19 was nothing like sufficient to maintain the tenuous hold on his international career.A few days after, Compton announced that he was taking a break from all cricket. The reaction was understandable. Few cricketers have devoted so much of themselves to getting a chance in Test cricket. Having been dropped for the first time, in 2013, Compton struggled for motivation at having his dream taken from him, on the brink of an Ashes series.Yet he reoriented himself to returning to county cricket, moved back to Middlesex and, several thousand hours of hard work later, was recalled to the England side. A fine 85 in Durban helped to set up Englands series triumph in South Africa, but Comptons Test returns deteriorated rapidly thereafter and, by the end of the series with Sri Lanka, to drop him from the side almost seemed an act of mercy.Compton earned himself a second act in Test cricket but, given his age and an often painstaking style at the crease, there will surely be no third act. So if he is to find fulfilment in the shires, it will not come through rekindling his England ambitions. It will have to come, instead, from taking pleasure in county cricket for its own sake: thinking not about what he has lost, but what he still has.And for all Comptons anguish about the curtailment of his international career, he has still returned to a position of remarkable privilege: batting at No. 3, on his home ground of Lords, for the county best-placed to win the County Championship. It is not such a bad lot.So at 12.37pm Compton entered Lords by the very steps he had walked up disconsolately 55 days ago. He emerged with Middlesex having lost an early wicket in reply to Surreys 415, and Tom Curran bowling a zesty new-ball spell. There are exactly the conditions in which Comptons defensive fortitude is so prized.If Compton felt any vulnerability, Surrey were determined to pry on it. He was greeted by a short leg and three slips and, perhaps, a chirp or two. It might not be Test cricket, but Division One of the County Championship is still a ruthless place.Comptons first ball was a good length delivery outside off stump which implored him to play. That he did, defending the ball to third slip. Two balls later Compton pushed a ball into the covers and ran a single that was sharp without quite being one of Kevin Pietersens famed Red Bull runs.When he returned from the lunch interval, it was Comptons ill-fortune to be stuck facing Tom Curran. A couple of times he played and missed, a couple of times Compton held his bat inside the line of the ball. When Curran dropped short, Compton rocked back and pulled him to the square leg boundary. But the illusion of release was deceptive: Stuart Meaker located extra pace, and Compton dragged the ball on. His off stump was left isolated and alone, and perhaps Compton felt the same as he walked back for 11 runs off 43 balls, the sort of innings that explained why he was here, rather than at Edgbaston, in the first place.Some at Lords believe that, in time, Nick Gubbins might go on to emulate Compton in playing for England. Unusually for an English opener, he seems particularly proficient against spin, and some sumptuous shots against Zafar Ansari demonstrated as much. One stood out: Gubbins took a step-down the wicket to meet the ball, flicked his wrists like he was playing a top-spin forehand, and stood to admire the ball clearing long-on for six.The shot also spoke of Middlesexs determination not to allow Ansari to settle into a rhythm. But within three overs Ansari had snared two wickets: Dawid Malan, caught at short leg, and then Gubbins, bowled round his leg sweeping. Both wickets were vindication for Ansari bowling with more pace at the start of his spell, and the adjustment spoke of his shrewd cricketing brain and nurturing by Gareth Batty.Batty himself bowled with typical guile, adjusting his pace subtly, gesticulating to his fielders to move an inch here or an inch there, and giving off the air of a man relishing the tussle. George Baileys hard hands created an acute sense of vulnerability. On 2, Bailey edged to short leg but a sharp chance was put down; three runs later, Bailey inside-edged Meaker for four.On a day in which 11 Australian wickets fell for 77 runs in a Test in Sri Lanka, Bailey could not restore the reputation of Australian batsmanship. Indeed, against spin he inspired scarcely more confidence than Australias motley crew in Galle. After a few isolated glimpses of his assertive best, Bailey succumbed lbw, sweeping, Battys exhortations to the umpire answered.Now, at 204 for 5, Surrey could sense a hefty first innings lead, but John Simpsons adhesive half-century was infused with the grit that has lifted Middlesex to the summit of the Championship table. Yet this Lords pitch is showing modest signs that it will deteriorate over the final two days, and Surreys spin twins will believe they can take the bulk of the 15 Middlesex wickets that remain in this match. For all Middlesexs resolve, spectacular fielding from Rory Burns, flicking the ball back from the ropes to save two from the days penultimate ball, was a testament to Surreys spirit. China NBA Jersyes Cheap .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes have placed backup goalie Anton Khudobin on injured reserve with an unspecified lower-body injury. Authentic NBA Jerseys Wholesale . Their 38th instalment is arguably their biggest fight card to date, including three-title fights and a main event which was selected by the fans. The promotion boasts 14-straight years of business and is operated by MFC president Mark Pavelich, who is often overlooked in this country for the foundation hes established for MMA in Canada. http://www.wholesalejerseysnba.com/ . The catch: It needs a lot of money, and it needs it fast. Discount NBA Jerseys . Oyama had six birdies and two bogeys at Kintetsu Kashikojima in the event also sanctioned by the Japan LPGA Tour. "I have been having this neck ache thats been affecting my golf recently," Oyama said. Cheap NBA Jerseys Free Shipping . The return match will take place next Wednesday. Udinese leads Fiorentina 2-1 in the other semifinal. Napoli staged a second-half comeback from two goals down after Gervinhos opener and a stunning strike from Kevin Strootman. NEWARK, N.J. -- Taylor Hall made his new fans in New Jersey very happy with two power-play goals in a 4:11 span in the second period and the Devils posted their first win, a 2-1 decision over the road-weary and penalty-plagued Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night.Cory Schneider had 23 saves and forced the Ducks Chris Wagner to lose control of the puck on a second-period penalty shot as New Jersey snapped a five-game losing streak against Anaheim in its home opener.Sami Vatanen scored on a power play for Anaheim, which is 0-3-1 in its five-game trip to start the season. John Gibson made 26 saves for Ducks, who played shorthanded seven times.Hall, the former No. 1 overall draft pick who was acquired in a major trade with Edmonton in late June, tied the game at 1-all, putting the rebound of a shot by Mike Cammalleri into an open net at 12:35.SHARKS 3, ISLANDERS 2NEW YORK -- Joe Pavelski scored with 2:11 left to lift the Sharks to a victory over the Islanders.Melker Karlsson and Tomas Hertl also scored to help the Sharks win for the third time in four games. Joe Thornton and Brent Burns had two assists each, giving both five on the season. Aaron Dell stopped 21 shots to win his NHL debut.On the tiebreaking goal, Thornton sent a pass into the slot and Pavelski deflected it in. It gave Pavelski his fifth point in two games after he had a goal and three assists in the Sharks 7-4 loss to the New York Rangers on Monday.The Islanders trailed 1-0 after getting outplayed in the first period, but picked it up in the second and took the lead with two goals 2:10 apart in the middle of the period.Capitals 3, Avalanche 0WASHINGTON -- T.J. Oshie scored twice and Alex Ovechkin picked up his first goal of the season, helping the Capitals beat the Avalanche.Ovechkin and Oshie each scored on the power play to end Washingtons man-advantage scoring drought, and the Avalanche lost for the first time under new coach Jared Bednar. Goaltender Semyon Varlamov was sharp in stopping 37 of 40 shots behind Colorado teammates who were noticeably tired playing the second half of a back-to-back and their third game in four days.Washington backup Philipp Grubauer only needed 18 saves for his first career shutout because Washington had the puck for most of the game.The Capitals entered the game 0 for 8 on the power play and lacking production from the first line, but those problems went away in quick succession.STARS 2, PREDATORS 1NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Jason Spezza scored midway through the third period to give the Stars a win over the Predators.Adam Cracknell added his second goal of the season for Dallas, and Kari Lehtonen made 27 saves.Mike Fisher scored for Nashville early in the second period to tie it 1-1. The Predators have lost two straight.Spezzas tiebreaking goal came 9:15 into the third. Antoine Roussel had the puck in the right corner and sent it out front, where Spezza was able get his stick on it and tip it past goaltender Pekka Rinne.Rinne made 35 saves.SENATORS 7, COYOTES 4OTTAWA, Ontario -- Tom Pyatt, Mark Stone and Chris Kelly had a goal and an assist each as the Senators defeated the Coyotes in front of a sparse crowd of 11,061 at Canadian Tire Centre.Bobby Ryan, Zack Smith, Kyle Turris and Erik Karlsson, into an empty net, also scored for the Senators, who have won three of four. Mike Hoffman had three assists and Craig Anderson made 31 saves.Jordan Martincook scored twice, including his second at 18:43 just 30 seconds after Turris gave the Senators a 6-3 lead.Tobias Rieder and Oliver Eckman-Larson had the other goals ffor the CoyotesArizona lost the services of starting goalie Mike Smith seven minutes into the third period when he suffered an injury to his left leg during a scramble in front of the net.ddddddddddddLIGHTNING 4, PANTHERS 3, SOTAMPA, Fla. -- Brayden Point scored the game-winning goal in the sixth round of a shootout, and the Lightning beat the Panthers.Points goal came three rounds after it seemed Tampa Bay had won the shootout 1-0.After Jonathan Drouin scored for the Lightning in the third round, Vincent Trocheck appeared to fan on his initial shot before sending the puck into the net. It was called no goal on the ice but the ruling was overturned after a video review, tying the shootout at 1.Lightning star Steven Stamkos forced overtime when he lifted a shot from along the goal line over James Reimer with 5.5 seconds left in the third period.Michael Matheson scored his first NHL goal at 15:52 of the third to give Florida a 3-2 advantage.WILD 6, KINGS 3ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Erik Haula and Jason Pominville scored for Minnesota and assisted on the others first-period goal, fueling the Wild for a victory over Los Angeles that triggered an early exit for Kings goalie Jeff Zatkoff.After Charlie Coyle, Mikko Koivu and Teemu Pulkkinen tacked on scores for the Wild, Kings coach Darryl Sutter pulled Zatkoff for Peter Budaj during the second intermission. Zatkoff stopped 11 shots, taking his third straight loss since replacing star Jonathan Quick just 20 minutes into the season opener last week.Tanner Pearson had two goals, both assisted by Jeff Carter, and Anze Kopitar also scored in the third period for the Kings, but Jared Spurgeons end-to-end empty-net fling from the far corner put the bow on a banner night for the Wild.CANADIENS 4, PENGUINS 0MONTREAL -- David Desharnais scored twice and Al Montoya made 36 saves as the Canadiens won their home opener, over the Penguins.Off-season signing Alexander Radulov got his first goal as a Canadien -- with Montoya picking up an assist -- while Max Pacioretty also scored for Montreal, which has started the season 2-0-1. Montoya, signed from the Florida Panthers this summer, picked up his sixth career shutout.The Penguins, coming off an overtime loss at home Monday night, played their first road game of the season.While the ailing Carey Price got a huge ovation from the Bell Centre crowd in pre-game introductions, his replacement Montoya was spectacular in goal as Pittsburgh outshot the Canadiens 36-32.BLACKHAWKS 7, FLYERS 4CHICAGO -- Marian Hossa scored his 500th career goal, Artem Anisimov snapped a third-period tie with his first score of the season and the Blackhawks beat the Flyers.Hossas power-play goal chased Michal Neuvirth and gave Chicago a 4-0 lead, but Philadelphia responded with four goals in a 5 1/2-minute span overlapping the second and third periods. Wayne Simmonds, who hit the left post on two different shots, tied it at 4 on the power play at 3:49 of the third.The Flyers had all the momentum before Artemi Panarin stepped up for the Blackhawks in his best game so far this season. The Calder Trophy winner found a wide-open Anisimov for the tiebreaking goal at 10:24, and then finished off a 2-on-1 with Patrick Kane, beating Steve Mason for a 6-4 lead with 3:57 to go.Panarin also scored on the power play during Chicagos three-goal first. The Russian winger was kept off the scoresheet during the Blackhawks first three games. ' ' '