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Craig Ervine was 13 years old when he slipped on some stray penlight batteries at home. It would have been nothing more than a minor fall, but he was reaching up for something on a pelmet, and as he stuck his hand out to cushion the blow, went through a glass window. He cut through arteries, ligaments and nerves.Nevermind whether he would be able to hold the bat his father Rory put into his hand as soon he could stand again, his family feared he would not even live.Luckily, mum was a nurse and she knew straight away what to do. He had about five minutes to live had they not stopped the bleeding, Sean Ervine, Craigs older brother, told ESPNcricinfo.Extensive reconstructive surgery gave Ervine his hand back, the same hand that took him to his first Test century at Queens on Monday.****The Ervine brothers, Sean, Craig and Ryan, were brought up on a farm outside Harare and boarded at a school three hours away, close to their grandparents. Their grandfather fed their love of cricket, paying 50 cents to anyone who took a wicket. He was not too concerned with run-scoring, but that was the discipline Craig excelled in. He rose through the ranks at school and played for Zimbabwe in the 2004 Under-19 World Cup, when the countrys senior team was in turmoil. Sean was part of the white-player walkout that year. It was another six years before Craig would come into contention for national selection.He made his ODI debut in May, 2010, against India, and scored an unbeaten 67 to put himself on the map immediately. Ervine was also drafted into the Test XI for Zimbabwes comeback match in August 2011. But his early performances did not suggest he was stepping up for longer-term success.In 2013, after Zimbabwe returned from their tour of the West Indies, Ervine refused a national contract and moved to Ireland on a passport obtained via his great-great-grandfather in a bid to qualify to play for their national team.With the situation that Zimbabwe is in at the minute, it makes it quite tough to go back there and play cricket with all the financial problems, he told the Belfast Telegraph at the time. There were a few issues, so I felt coming over here was the best option.Ervine played for Northern Knights in the European summer and went to Perth to play club cricket in Australia in the second half of the year. He sought to expose himself to different conditions while considering his cricketing future. Eighteen months later, in October 2014, Ervine returned to Zimbabwe.I am glad to be back. I have been away for a long time. I played in Ireland and Australia, and it was tough with lots of travelling, Ervine told NewsDay on his return. I want to play for my nation again. It gives me an opportunity to play all three formats of the game and international cricket is more competitive. I had left because at that time, I couldnt make a living playing locally, and I think things are better off now.Zimbabwes financial situation has not improved markedly since then, but Ervines form has. In 23 ODIs since, he has scored 719 runs at an average of 37.84, including his maiden international century, which came against New Zealand in Harare a year and six days ago.Last week, in the first Test against New Zealand, he scored his maiden Test fifty in the second innings. He was unlucky not to be able to add to it when he was adjudged caught behind, although he had not made contact with the ball. This week, he doubled up, notching up his maiden Test century. Ervine is not an overly emotional person in public, but given his relationship with his home country, there have been questions asked about his commitment to the cause. Ervine would never have been able to answer those with words; instead, he did it when he took off his helmet and kissed the Zimbabwe bird.Playing for our country is a huge passion, its the ultimate goal and Test cricket is the ultimate game, he said afterwards. To be able to get a Test hundred against an attack like New Zealand, I cant ask for anything more.****For a man who suffered such a horrific hand injury, it is poignant that Ervines strength is against spin. Almost half - 57 - of his 115 runs were scored off Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi. His ability to score off his pads, to sweep and smother turn and read deliveries was the less appreciated but most important part of an innings that thrilled for the boundaries he took off New Zealands quicks and fascinated by his willingness to grind.Ervine also had the advantage of a solid partner. PJ Moor, despite being on debut, took over as aggressor and let Ervine anchor. Between them, they batted in a zone that seemed to shut out the mountain New Zealand had laid in front of them. Like protestors in myriad movements, the duo got on with the job of occupying and then thinking of action.The easiest thing is to try and break it down into small blocks - bat five-over blocks, bat for an hour, bat a session. Mentally, if you think about such a big total, its daunting to get there when you havent yet scored a run, Ervine said. And then, its knowing where your scoring options are and trying to be patient and wait for the ball to be in your area. If it is not, you have to wait it out.Ervine, who faced 27 dot balls in the nineties, was patient enough not to get frustrated when the runs dried up and shrewd enough to turn the strike over when the opportunity presented itself. He wanted the hundred so badly, he was willing to wait for it, no matter how long it took. This is up there with the most exhausting things Ive done on a cricket field, but it has always been a dream of mine. I am ecstatic about the hundred.But not so ecstatic that he has forgotten that there is a Test to save. Zimbabwe still need to avoid the follow-on and then take more time out of the game to rob New Zealand of the chance to bowl them out twice. Ervine seems ready to dig in, and his hand does, too.Denny McLain Jersey . Robredo, ranked No. 16, bounced back from an upset loss to Leonardo Mayer in the second round of the Royal Guard Open in Chile last week to down Carreno Busta in 1 hour, 25 minutes. 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Michael Fulmer Jersey .ca. Hey Kerry, big fan of yours, just finished reading your book. I think that we all saw the Canucks/Flames line brawl just after puck drop. It was obvious that something was about to happen, even to the referees because the fourth lines were on to start.GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Coach Mike McCarthy wants the Packers to be more balanced on offense. He might finally have a running back who can make that happen.The Packers on Tuesday claimed former Seattle Seahawks running back Christine Michael off waivers. Seattle had cut Michael on Tuesday.Green Bay is the only NFL team without a rushing touchdown by a running back this season. Although Michaels career in Seattle, which bookended a brief stint with the Dallas Cowboys, was considered a disappointment, the 2013 second-round pick has better numbers this season than any of the Packers running backs.In nine games with the Seahawks this season, Michael had 469 yards on 117 carries (a 4.0-yard average) and six rushing touchdowns.?Eddie Lacy, who hasnt played in a month and is on injured reserve because of an ankle injury, remains Green Bays leading rusher with 360 yards on 71 carries.The Minnesota Vikings?(5-4) also put in waiver claim for Michael, a league source told ESPNs Adam Schefter, but Green Bay (4-5) was higher in the waiver order.James Starks led the Packers with 33 rushing yards on seven carries Sunday in a loss at the Tennessee Titans. It was Starks first game since his Oct. 16 knee surgery. Ty Montgomery, a converted receiver, has been the Packers leading rusher in two games this season.Michael is the second running back the Packers have acquired from another team this season. They traded for Knile Davis last month but cut him afteer two weeks, which meant they did not have to give the Kansas City Chiefs any compensation in return.ddddddddddddDavis had just five rushes for 5 yards in the two games for Green Bay.Michael probably wont arrive at team headquarters until late Wednesday or early Thursday, so he wont have much practice time before the Sunday night game at Washington.?Green Bay put Don Jackson, an undrafted rookie who has 10 carries for 32 yards, on injured reserve Wednesday. Jackson was inactive Sunday versus Tennessee, but the team never listed any injury for him.The Packers badly need a rushing threat to balance their offense. They have thrown on 71.4 percent of their offensive plays this season, the highest of quarterback Aaron Rodgers career. Rodgers is the only player on the Packers roster with a rushing touchdown this season.I always want to run the ball more, but I also want to throw it 55 times a game too, McCarthy said Wednesday, several hours before the claim for Michael reportedly went through. Thats the way games are. You have to run the football. Everything starts with running the football. You cant extend your offensive line and your pass-protection unit the way we have. Running the football is very important for a number of different reasons.NFL.com first reported the news of Michaels claim by Green Bay.? ' ' '