Theres no other way to say this. Australias cricketers are presently in the grip of the kind of slide that has historically ended careers.A fourth consecutive defeat, sealed with more than a session to spare by a South Africa side minus AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn, is Australias worst run of losses since six in a row in 2013. The coach Mickey Arthur was sacked by Cricket Australia between the fourth and the fifth.To find another instance of four or more consecutive losses the clock must be wound back all the way to 1984, when the Australian Cricket Board (in its infinite wisdom) scheduled 10 consecutive Tests against West Indies at their mightiest. Kim Hughes led Australia through five straight defeats before resigning in tears at the Gabba. Allan Borders first Test as captain was a sixth loss in a row.Venture further still into the past, to the divisive days of the World Series Cricket split, and another loss of five Tests in a row - four to Mike Brearleys England and one to a Sarfraz Nawaz-inspired Pakistan in 1978-79. Graham Yallop - having predicted a six-nil Ashes victory - was relieved of his command after a 5-1 series defeat. Hughes was duly in command for the Pakistan loss at the MCG, during which time Kerry Packer and the board chairman Bob Parish met to discuss a much-needed truce in the cricket war.What does all this say? That the system can only take so much strain before it breaks. Another recent example of course is the summer of 2010-11. Three innings defeats in the one Ashes series, while not consecutive, humiliated Australian cricket at home. those results ushered the end of Ricky Pontings captaincy, Tim Nielsens coaching tenure and the breaking up of the selection panel chaired by the part-timer Andrew Hilditch. Those changes were wrought by the Argus review, a major undertaking that enshrined numerous alterations to how the national team was run.Five years on, and that document still takes pride of place in the personal collection of the team performance manager Pat Howard, among others. But as already discussed, the mixed priorities illustrated by the move of the first Test of the summer from the Gabba to the WACA, and the scheduling of a solitary Sheffield Shield match - under lights with a pink ball at that - place fresh scrutiny on decision-making in the halls of CAs Jolimont headquarters.Intriguingly, the CA board recently hosted a presentation by the New South Wales chairman John Warn and chief executive Andrew Jones on how they turned around the fortunes of the games most populous state. Independent governance at director level should ensure CAs CEO, James Sutherland, is kept on his toes. So too should a mood for change at senior executive level - Kate Banozic and Mike McKenna have gone, while the former board director Kevin Roberts has come in, alongside a newly promoted head of finance in Todd Shand. Pressure, too, must fall on the coach Darren Lehmann, despite his recent signing of a renewed deal to see him through to 2019. Earlier in this match, he offered up familiar homilies to ABC Radio about the quality of the individuals currently in the dressing room, how hard they were working and how great their attitudes were. This extended not just to the players but also to support staff including David Saker, Graeme Hick and Lehmanns old state team-mate Greg Blewett - nominally the fielding coach.They do all the prep, theyre great young men, theyre trying to do as well as they can for Australia each and every time, its just a case of making little mental lapses at times, Lehmann had said. Collectively were always pretty positive, but stats will show we havent batted as well as we would have liked the last few Test matches. Theres no hiding the fact weve got to bat better.Theres always pressure when youre coaching your country or playing for the country, thats why the guys have got to where theyve got to. Theyve been brilliant doing all the work behind the scenes and playing at the level below, now theyve got to do it at this level.True as this all is, the fact is that the Australian team is not a club side defined by how well everyone gets along with each other. It is a representative team brought together to win matches. As one former captain said recently: If you ask me to choose between a happy team and a winning one, Ill take the winning one every time.Australia have passed the point where they can keep whistling merrily towards defeat. There should be consequences, and soon. Fake Shoes Discount . Didier Drogba gave away the penalty that put Senegal one goal away from a major upset, but the veteran striker will get another chance -- probably his last -- at the World Cup after Salomon Kalous injury-time strike sealed the Ivorians place in Brazil next year. Fake Shoes Outlet . LOUIS -- Valtteri Filppula assisted on three of Tampa Bays four goals, and the Lightning beat the St. https://www.fakeshoesonline.com/ . 10 VCU 85-67 on Thursday night at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The Seminoles (4-0) have scored at least 80 points in each of their games. Fake Nike Shoes . Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, announced Wednesday that the team would assign Swedish forward Elias Lindholm to his nations team for the upcoming tournament. Fake Shoes Free Shipping . - Derek Wolfe says hes finally healthy after suffering a seizure in November that doctors now believe was related to the spinal cord injury he suffered in the preseason. NEW YORK -- After a slow start to their 10-game homestand, the New York Yankees know they need a quick turnaround.Otherwise, they might end up rare sellers at the Aug. 1 trade deadline.Before the biggest Yankee Stadium crowd this year, CC Sabathia allowed five or more runs for the fifth straight start, and New York dropped its second straight to the Boston Red Sox, 5-2 on Saturday.The Yankees (44-46) are under .500 after the All-Star break for the first time since 1995. After opening 0-2 on this homestand, they head into their series finale vs. the Red Sox on Sunday night with the trajectory of their season possibly hanging in the balance.Its got to turn around tomorrow, manager Joe Girardi said. This is probably as important (a) game that weve had in July in a long time, tomorrow.Sabathia (5-7) allowed five runs, four earned, in 5 1/3 innings. Boston chipped away at the big lefty by reaching base mostly on soft, well-placed contact and a couple of New York errors until a home run in the sixth by Sandy Leon.I felt good, Sabathia said. Just the result is not coming.Sabathias tough stretch follows a resurgent start to the season. The 35-year-old has allowed 27 runs in his past five starts after yielding just 18 over his first 11.Sabathia gave up nine hits Saturday, including two slow rollers beyond the range of charging third baseman Chase Headley and a soft RBI single by Leon in the fourth.I have to stay focused and know that those plays can turn around, Sabathia said. They arent right now, and thats just been whats killing me so far.Leon drove in four runs and Eduardo Rodriguez again dominated the Yankees in his return from Triple-A while Boston won its season-high sixth straight.Leon hit his second homer this season and the third of his career -- a three-run shot for a 5-1 lead. The catcher has 13 RBI in 20 games this season after compiling eight in 75 career games before that. Hes hitting .458 through 59 at-bats this season.He looks different now, Rodriguez said. He hits the ball everywhere.Leon also helped his Venezuelan countryman hold New York to a run and four hits over seven innings after the Red Sox recalled the left-hander ffrom the minors Friday.dddddddddddd Rodriguez (2-3) improved to 4-1 with a 2.01 ERA against Bostons archrival.Frustrating, Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner said. Offensively we werent able to get a whole lot going against Rodriguez today.Koji Uehara closed for his sixth save.Leons hot hitting has been timely for Boston, which has had catchers Blake Swihart, Christian Vazquez and Ryan Hanigan on the disabled list this season. The 27-year-old went into the All-Star break batting .455 (25 for 55), the highest first-half average ever in the majors, with a minimum of 50 at-bats.Rodriguez opened the season on the disabled list with a knee injury, then posted an 8.59 ERA in six starts before being demoted to Triple-A Pawtucket. Boston believed Rodriguez was tipping his pitches and had him adjust his delivery during two starts in the minors.Rodriguez threw 97 pitches Saturday, working quickly against New Yorks veteran-heavy lineup.Gardner ended a stretch of 180 homerless at-bats when he lined a solo shot into the Yankees bullpen in the third. It was his first homer since May 18 and sixth of the season.I definitely need to drive the ball a little bit better on a more consistent basis here in the second half, Gardner said.Headley hit a solo homer in the eighth for the Yankees against Matt Barnes.A-ROD IN LINEUPAlex Rodriguez is expected to start for the third straight game Sunday night when the Yankees face left-hander David Price. Its been a rare chance at consistent playing time lately for the 40-year-old, who is batting .218 with eight homers in 193 at-bats this season. Rodriguez was 0 for 3 with a walk Saturday and is 1 for 7 in the series.UP NEXTPrice (9-6, 4.34 ERA) pitches for Boston at Yankee Stadium following three straight games with exactly 10 strikeouts and one walk. He leads the AL with 140 strikeouts, most by a Red Sox left-hander before the All-Star break. Masahiro Tanaka (6-2, 3.23) is coming off six days of rest after allowing a season-high seven runs (three earned) in an 11-7 win against Cleveland. ' ' '