Scorecards record what happened. Television shows us how. Commentators and analysts try and get to the why. They throw light on field placements, the set-up and the kind of delivery. We are told that the batsman was in perfect position. Or that he was caught off guard. Each delivery carries a story, and most stories a verdict. Was it a good ball or a bad ball? Was the shot on or was the batsman lucky? Every ball bowled is followed by an outcome. And these outcomes invariably beget a range of judgements.Players tend to see these mini-stories differently. For one, they are armed with more information - on the vagaries of the pitch, on atmospheric conditions, on the state of the ball, on the opposition - all of which makes it harder for them to deal in certainties. There are simply too many permutations for them to juggle.Players are also generally reluctant to see each ball as a discrete event. They understand that a good field setting doesnt become a bad one if a nick flies through a gap; that a terrific spell of bowling can produce a raft of runs and no wickets. They grasp the role of randomness. That on some overcast days the ball wont swing, that on some chilly days it will hoop around like never before. Many players are comfortable accepting that some events are beyond explanation.Which is probably why some of the best cricketers prioritise procedures over results. Opening bowlers can be fastidious about picking the right ball from the set the umpires hand them. Many bowlers have favourite ends. Some love to run upwind. Some obsess over shine, relying on their team-mates to take care of the ball. They are precise about fields. They pay attention to rhythm, to what their body tells them, and to repeating the same routine over and over. The canny ones make minor adjustments to confuse the batsmen. At some point, the stars align. The polish on either side of the ball is just right. So is the state of the pitch and the dampness in the air. The feet land in the optimal spots on the crease. The fingers grasp the seam at a perfect angle. The wrist cocks. The ball finds a length… and kisses the bats edge. A fielder is alert. A wicket falls. This is no standalone event, yet it is the wicket that is in the scorecard. And often the detail that endures most in memory.Our cover story this month - a chat between former England swing bowler turned cricket writer Derek Pringle and swing bowler turned leading England wicket-taker, James Anderson - deals less with what happened and more with the how. The focus is not so much on Andersons spells and his record haul of wickets; that is enshrined in the record books. Pringle is more interested in exploring the craft of swing bowling - in wobbly seams, in bowling dry, in maximising a helpful pitch, in adjusting to different conditions, and best of all, on sussing out batsmen. The answers are all Andersons, of course, but it is clear that the questions are from an old hand, one who understands the joys and challenges of swinging the ball and getting it to talk.There are more delights in store in the August issue, which also marks the Cricket Monthlys second anniversary. We return to 2004, when Muttiah Muralitharan went out to prove that his action was indeed legit; we rewind to 1992, when Wasim Akram and Co conquered all before them in England; and we head further back to 1976 to assess the grovel series and its subtext. Elsewhere, two writers debate the possibility of cricket being an Olympic sport. And another tells us of the trap that cricket fans routinely fall into: ignoring randomness and probability at each stage of a game. Packers Jerseys 2020 .C. -- Todd Fiddler scored a hat trick, including the overtime goal, as the Prince George Cougars survived an 8-7 win against the Kamloops Blazers in Western Hockey League play Sunday. 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PORTLAND, Ore. -- Trail Blazers forward Meyers Leonard has found himself after the hardest year of his life.It started at the beginning of last season, when Leonard gambled by turning down Portlands $40 million contract extension offer. Then he dislocated his shoulder twice, finally succumbing to surgery and watching as his team went to the playoffs.Now, he views the adversity as a victory of sorts -- because it brought him to the place hes at today.I believe that everything happens for a reason, he said. And Im flat-out excited for what the future holds.Portlands 7-footer is poised to return from the shoulder injury that finally caught up with him last season. His rehab is ahead of schedule and hes been practicing with the team during training camp. Theres no timetable yet for his return to games.The Blazers, who defeated the Utah Jazz 98-89 on Monday night in the preseason opener, are looking to build off of last seasons success when they surpassed expectations by going 44-38 with a second-round playoff appearance.Leonard, who turned down that initial extension offer last October, embarked on last season hopeful that hed make a statement in his fourth NBA season. He had already turned heads with his 3-point shooting ability, a rarity for a big man.He would go on to play in 61 games, including 10 starts, with a career-high 8.4 points and 5.1 rebounds a game. He also had 86 3-pointers.But he dislocated his shoulder in November during a game against the San Antonio Spurs and missed seven games. He dislocated it again during a practice in March and about a week later it was determined hed need surgery for a torn labruum.ddddddddddddLeonard knew all along something was wrong and it just added to his anxiety. For the first time in his life he feared failure, he said.It was the hardest year of life. Not even close. I lied to my entire family the whole year. I told them I was OK. I wasnt. I come from nothing and I turned down $40 million, he said.His outlook started to shift this summer after he signed a four-year, $41 million deal with the Blazers.Leonard said he keeps two journals each day, one to record all that he is thankful for, and another to keep him focused on his life goals. He said his faith has also grown.Hes not self-conscious about revealing his foibles or the transformation.I think a lot of times listening to other players speak, listening to myself speak in the past, it feels like a lot of times its scripted answers, kind of giving you guys what you want to hear. Certainly, sometimes thats just the way it is, he told reporters when training camp opened. But I like to be a little more open, be honest, with things. Thats just the way I am, I guess.Leonard has already been at work this summer on his game. Hes looking to do different things in the post this season and be more of a threat outside of spacing the floor. Hes good with whatever role falls his way, too.My goals and my thoughts going into this season is to do to whatever I can to help the team, he said. Im in a really good place in my life right now, on and off the court. Im very confident, my mind is clear. Im excited for this year. ' ' '