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At this springs ICC Combines scattered across eight cities in the USA, close to 500 men in the junior and senior age groups took the field hoping to be noticed for a chance at inclusion in USAs Under-17 and senior mens squads. Marcus Allen Raiders Jersey . Such was the demand for competition that several hundred other male applications were rejected.Officials had been looking to encounter similarly enthusiastic participation from women, particularly since there had been few opportunities for them in the USA since 2011, the last time the USA Cricket Association held a national womens tournament. Instead, there were approximately 45 women nationwide who signed up. About half came to the New York trials, while 16 came to San Francisco, leaving single-digit participation - or none at all - for the other sites.Were still learning how many women play the game across the US, Tom Evans, the ICC Americas high performance consultant who coordinated the ICC Combines nationwide, said. Theyre a really passionate group, some of those girls, which is great, but its not a huge number at the moment from what we understand. There might be more out there that didnt come to the combines and hopefully we can work them into some sort of talent ID process down the track.Based on the numbers of that last USACA tournament in 2011, there were about 100 women playing across the country at that time. That has stagnated, or even gone backwards, despite initiatives such as the New York PSAL high school cricket competition, which welcomed girls to play as part of co-ed teams.At junior level wed love to see more girls take up the game and build up the depth of that talent pool, Evans said. But for the moment well work with the girls that weve got and theres some really talented and passionate girls in that group and I think with some good coaching and development work, that group could have some success.Five years ago, the USA Women team was having its share of success and appeared to be on the rise. After taking two years to find its footing upon the womens programme initiation in 2008, they defeated Canada in a best of three series in Canada during the 2010 summer to be the regions representative at the following years World Cup Qualifier in Bangladesh, something that would ideally lay the foundation to spur greater awareness and participation numbers.The following summer, a private donor wrote a six-figure check exclusively earmarked for USA Womens preparation for Bangladesh. The mens team had never received such generosity in all its years competing in ICC events and such financial backing, if done on a consistent basis, could open up all sorts of opportunities for women.However, that seed funding money had served mainly to sow discontent as petty squabbling between players and administrators broke out. The Bangladesh tour stipend offer to women players from the USACA was less than typically given to men players on tour. The USACA claimed that the lower stipend was tied to their destination, with the cost of expenses being lower in Bangladesh than a mens tour of Dubai. The womens stance was that it was discrimination.Separately, the women were also unhappy that coach Linden Fraser, who also led the dominant Tri-State Lynx club team from which most of the USA Womens squad competed for locally, had been replaced as USA Womens coach by Robin Singh shortly before the final 14 to tour Bangladesh was expected to be picked. A standoff ensued: give us our money - and our coach - or we wont go.The USACA called their bluff, despite a stern warning from the ICC to come to an amicable resolution with the players. The end result was that eight Tri-State Lynx players, all in their 20s, stayed home, and were replaced by women in their 30s, 40s, and even 50s. Outside of a shock one-run win over Zimbabwe, USA Women were trampled in their other five matches. The repercussions continue to this day. After the 2013 Womens World T20 Qualifier, when Canada represented the Americas and finished tied for last in the eight-team event, the berth designated for the Americas region for the World T20 and World Cup qualifiers was withdrawn by the ICC. Despite announcements that it would stage womens tournaments, the USACA never produced one after 2011. Only a dedicated but small group of players in pockets around the country have kept the dim flame of womens cricket from being extinguished altogether, organising tournaments on holiday weekends in places like Atlanta, Georgia.A hastily organised pair of matches last November by USACA against a touring Pakistan womens team were the first signs of life at the national level since 2012. However, the T20s were lopsided with Pakistan Women chasing a target of 57 in five overs followed by a 142-run win on Duckworth-Lewis. Mahika Kandanala, who was part of that USA squad but did not make the starting XI, says the experience highlighted how much work needs to be done to get USA competitive.I learned that the international standard is very, very high, Kandanala said. The 14-year-old, who plays in a boys academy squad in suburban Dallas, travelled to the New York ICC Combine to compete with about 20 other women. In order to get to that level, you have to work a lot. You have to practice almost every day and you have to be willing to try new things and see what works best for you.Kandanala is waiting to take up the baton currently being carried by players like Erica Rendler, who was USAs second-highest scorer at the 2011 Womens World Cup Qualifier. At 31, it was only Rendlers second tournament for USA after the former NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) athlete had picked up the sport on a family trip to Australia two years earlier. Her future seemed bright, but last years games against Pakistan and this springs ICC Combine leading to the MCC tour next month are the first chances shes getting at serious competition after losing her prime years to administrative indifference.I was hoping to see a little more women participants out here, Rendler said of the New York Combine. She had flown out from California to participate in the New York Combine after being unable to attend the one in San Francisco due to work commitments. I think we had a group averaging about 20 and thats the key takeaway, encouraging others to get involved and everybody bringing a cricketer out so that we can increase the talent pool and continue to build up the national programme.Though she was one of the older players to show up at the combine at age 35, Rendler still comfortably had the best fitness of any of the women on the field and even beat former USA mens captain Steve Massiah in a timed 2K run. However, most of the other female players were charted well below the targeted guidelines, highlighting the need for elevated standards and a more competitive player pool to pick from.The conundrum about participation numbers, though, continues to be a chicken versus egg scenario. Does there need to be greater investment to spur interest in terms of playing numbers, or will funding and fixtures increase only after the player pool rises? One way or another, players like Kandanala hope the commitment is there for womens trials and competitive opportunities on a regular basis.It was a good experience, Kandanala said. If we do this every six months, itll see this is how much Ive done, this is how much I need to do. Fred Biletnikoff Raiders Jersey .C. -- Al Jefferson joked that he feels he can score from anywhere on the court. Fred Biletnikoff Womens Jersey . -- Sergey Tolchinksy scored his second goal of the game 3:56 into overtime as the Sault Ste. http://www.shoptheraidersonline.com/Elit...Raiders-Jersey/ .Y. -- Leading 3-0 with only 11:25 left, the Colorado Avalanche committed a seemingly meaningless penalty to give the New York Islanders a power play. WORCESTER, Mass. -- The first openly gay player to be drafted by an NFL team is heading to Massachusetts to talk about his life.Michael Sam is scheduled to deliver a lecture at Clark University in Worcester on Tuesday.From Hitchcock High to the NFL will chronicle Sams experiences as a water boy in high school, to an All-American playing career at the University of Missouri to his selection by the St. Louis Rams inn the 2014 NFL draft. George Blanda Womens Jersey. The defensive end was released by the Rams, was on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad and played for the Montreal Alouettes in Canada.He won the Arthur Ashe Courage Award and was named one of GQs Men of the Year.The lecture is free and open to the public. ' ' '