when we get down to L.A. against the Dodgers, manager John Farrell said.Mariners: RHP Steve Cishek, who recently lost his closer role, was placed on the 15-day DL (retroactive to Aug. 2

Two debutants opened the bowling as Australia lost to South Africa the other day. Has this ever happened before? asked Mitchell Frazer from Australia The two newcomers who had the chastening experience of sharing the new ball in Australias defeat by South Africa in Johannesburg on the weekend were Victorias Chris Tremain, who took 1 for 78, and Joe Mennie of South Australia, who ended up with 0 for 82. They were the first pair of debutants to share the new ball in an ODI for Australia since 1996-97, when Andy Bichel and Anthony Stuart did the honours against West Indies in Brisbane. There were four other instances for Australia in the early days of ODIs. Graham McKenzie and Alan Froggy Thomson took the new ball in the first ever official one-day international, against England in Melbourne in 1970-71. In Australias second match, against England at Old Trafford in 1972, Dennis Lillee and Bob Massie opened the bowling. Max Walker and Gary Gilmour took the new ball against New Zealand in Dunedin in 1973-74, while the following season Alan Hurst and Jeff Thomson started things off against England in Melbourne.Where does Quinton de Kocks 178 stand on the list of highest ODI scores by a wicketkeeper? asked Hammad Shakil from Pakistan Theres been only one higher individual score from a wicketkeeper than Quinton de Kocks turbocharged 178 for South Africa against Australia in Centurion last week. That was 183 not out, by Mahendra Singh Dhoni for India against Sri Lanka in Jaipur in 2005-06. Next come Adam Gilchrist, with 172 for Australia against Zimbabwe in Hobart in 2003-04, and Luke Ronchi, with 170 not out for New Zealand v Sri Lanka in Dunedin in 2014-15. Kumar Sangakkara made 169 for Sri Lanka v South Africa in Colombo in 2013, and Denesh Ramdin 169 for West Indies against Bangladesh in Basseterre in 2014, while Gilchrist added 154 against Sri Lanka in Melbourne in 1998-99, as well as 149 against them in the 2007 World Cup final in Bridgetown. De Kocks 11 sixes has been surpassed just six times in any ODI innings, and only once by someone who kept wicket in the same game - AB de Villiers smashed 16 sixes while scoring 149 from 44 balls for South Africa against West Indies in Johannesburg in January 2015.Six different South African bowlers took a wicket against Australia at the Wanderers. Was this a record? asked Hendrik Hitge There were indeed six different wicket-takers as South Africa bowled Australia out for 219 in Johannesburg on the weekend - but the record for any one-day international is seven, which has happened four times. The first two were by New Zealand: against India in Auckland in 1975-76, and Sri Lanka in Dunedin in 1990-91. Netherlands had seven wicket-takers in their win over Bermuda in Rotterdam in 2007, as did Australia in overcoming Scotland in Edinburgh in 2009. The Test record is also seven, and that has also happened four times, most recently by New Zealand against South Africa in Centurion in 2005-06.What are the earliest Test and ODI from which all 22 players are still alive? asked Steve Austin from Australia I hope Im not tempting fate here in saying that the longest-ago Test match from which all the players are still with us is the first one between Australia and Pakistan in Adelaide in December 1972. All of them have thus survived nearly 44 years - and lets hope theres many more to come. The oldest single team who are all still alive is also Australian - their side in the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town in 1966-67, almost 50 years ago. All the Aussies are also still alive from the first-ever official one-day international, against England in Melbourne in 1970-71 (England, sadly, have lost two men from that game). The oldest ODI from which all 22 players survive is the one between England and New Zealand at Old Trafford in 1978. Was Mosaddek Hossain the first Bangladesh player to take a wicket with his first ball in ODIs? asked Savo Ceprnich Offspinner Mosaddek Hossain played his first one-day international for Bangladesh last week, in Mirpur, and took the wicket of Afghanistans Hashmatullah Shahidi with his first delivery. Hes the 24th bowler to strike with his first ball in ODIs, but the first from Bangladesh. For the full list, click here.Another Bangladesh record was set in the third and final match of that series against Afghanistan, also in Mirpur: slow left-armer Mosharraf Hossain, 34, played his first match for nearly nine years. That puts him seventh on the overall list, just ahead of Faruk Ahmed, who went eight years 144 days between ODIs for Bangladesh between 1990 and 1999. For that list, click here.My dad left me a piece of paper signed by Garry Sobers and his 1966 West Indian side. Theres one name on there I cant work out - it looks like R. Barker. Do you know who this is? asked David Fifield from England That sounds like an interesting piece of memorabilia, from a famous team - Garry Sobers strong 1966 line-up won that years series in England 3-1. His team included big names like Rohan Kanhai, Conrad Hunte, Basil Butcher, Wes Hall, Charlie Griffith and Lance Gibbs, all among West Indies all-time greats. But there were some lesser lights. Two of that years 17-strong touring party never played a Test: the back-up fast bowler Rudolph Cohen, and the man I suspect youre after… Rawle Brancker, a slow left-armer from Barbados. He played in most of the first-class matches outside the Tests, and finished with 33 wickets, including a career-best 7 for 78 against Kent in Canterbury, when his victims included Colin Cowdrey, Alan Knott, Brian Luckhurst and Derek Underwood. (Sobers took 9 for 49 in the second innings of that match.) Brancker also took 6 for 39 for Barbados against Combined Islands in Bridgetown earlier in 1966. He played his last first-class match early in 1970, ending up with 106 wickets at 27.32 - and an almost identical batting average (27.31). He was a handy lower-order batsman who hit five first-class centuries for Barbados, including one against the 1964-65 Australian tourists, when he shared a big stand with Sobers, who made 183.Post your questions using the comments below Aledmys Diaz Jersey . 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McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford. SEATTLE -- Brock Holt made sure an outstanding effort by the Red Sox bullpen did not go to waste.Holts RBI single in the 11th inning lifted Boston past the Seattle Mariners 3-2 on Thursday night, a victory made possible by five scoreless innings by Red Sox relievers.Travis Shaw, who had a solo homer in the second, opened the 11th against Cody Martin (1-2) with an opposite-field single to left against the shift. Sandy Leon sacrificed Shaw to second and Holt then bounced a single up the middle off the glove of diving shortstop Sean OMalley.We were grinding through that game and to get the one run was big, Holt said. Travis with a big at-bat to lead things off there and then Sandy laid down a perfect bunt, so good team baseball in the last inning for us.OMalley, playing short with regular Ketel Marte sidelined with mononucleosis, said he should have at least kept the ball from getting through.I thought I should have had it, OMalley said. It was a tough play. The ball came up and made a little funny hop. But, I got a glove on it. Worst case, I just wanted to keep that in the infield. Unfortunately, it scooted into center and it ended up being the difference.Craig Kimbrel (2-3) retired all four batters he faced -- including striking out the side in the 10th -- for the victory. Brad Ziegler pitched the 11th for his third save, stranding the tying run at third.Guys came in and did an outstanding job, Boston manager John Farrell said. We didnt have the greatest matchups at the end, with Brad and the number of left-handers that were coming to the plate, but still he found a way to use his changeup and his off-speed pitches effectively.The Mariners put two runners aboard in the ninth against Fernando Abad when Farrell opted for Kimbrel to face Robinson Cano, who hit a game-deciding three-run homer off Abad on Tuesday.I felt like were in the fifth hitter of the inning and their best hitter is coming up, Farrell said. Felt like it was an opportunity for us to go to our most powerful reliever with the highest strikeout ratio there. Didnt think hed get out of it with just two pitches and a ground ball, but it worked out well.Seattle tied it with two runs in the fifth inning. OMalley hit the first pitch into the left-field seats for his first homer of the season and second of his career. Guillermo Heredia followed with a bunt single and advanced to third on consecutive ground outs. After Nelson Cruz was walked intentionally, Dae-Ho Lee blooped an RBI single into shallow right-center.Shaw opened the second with his 13th homer, driving a 2-0 pitch overr the right-field wall to put Boston up 1-0.ddddddddddddThe Red Sox made it 2-0 in the fifth when Bryce Brentz and Mookie Betts opened the inning with consecutive doubles.Seattle starter Ariel Miranda, acquired from Baltimore on July 31 for left-hander Wade Miley, allowed two runs and eight hits in six innings in his major league debut after being called up earlier in the day from Triple-A Tacoma.The Red Sox loaded the bases with one out in the first on singles by Xavier Bogaerts and David Ortiz and a walk to Dustin Pedroia, but Miranda escaped by striking out Jackie Bradley Jr. and getting Aaron Hill on a fly out to right.Seattle loaded the bases in the fourth on three walks by Drew Pomerantz, but Leonys Martin bounced to first to end the inning. Pomerantz, yet to win in four starts since being acquired from San Diego, allowed just two runs on four hits, but issued a career-high six walks.CUBAN TRIOMiranda was one of three Cuban-born players in the Mariners starting lineup, along with Heredia and Leonys Martin. The Mariners said it was the first time an American League team started a Cuban-born pitcher and two Cuban-born position players in the same game since Minnesota on Sept. 27, 1970, when Luis Tiant pitched with position players Tony Oliva and Leo Cardenas.TRAINERS ROOMRed Sox: 1B Hanley Ramirez, who injured his left wrist in a dugout stumble following Tuesdays game at Seattle, was scheduled to swing a bat on Thursday. Optimistically, hopefully hed be available on the weekend when we get down to L.A. against the Dodgers, manager John Farrell said.Mariners: RHP Steve Cishek, who recently lost his closer role, was placed on the 15-day DL (retroactive to Aug. 2) with a left hip labrum tear, an injury that is not expected to require surgery. Im very hopeful that hes back in our bullpen in 15 days, manager Scott Servais said. ... RHP Taijuan Walker, on the DL since July 6 with right foot tendinitis is expected to start Saturday against the Angels.UP NEXTRed Sox: Knuckleballer Steven Wright (12-5, 3.20) gets the start Friday when Boston opens a three-game road series against the Dodgers. Wright was 4-0 in six starts in July, but had a 6.23 ERA in 34 2/3 innings over that span.Mariners: RHP Felix Hernandez (5-4, 3.46 ERA) opens the three-game series against the Angels on Friday, the middle set of a three-series, 10-game homestand. Is 1-0 with a 5.60 ERA in three starts since coming off DL (right calf strain). ' ' '