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He might even have been dropped, they say, were it not for this approaching
landmark.

Yet there was no sense of fatigue about Ntini as he roared in for that first
over. As the speed-gun climbed to within an ace of 90mph, both openers
looked surprised by his pace and carry. So did De Villiers, whose hands
closed on empty air as Alastair Cook's edge whistled away to the boundary.

It was entirely appropriate that Ntini's 100th Test should have started on
Reconciliation Day, a public holiday here. In the words of the watching Omar
Henry – a man recognised as the first non-white player to represent South
Africa – “Makhaya's contribution to the process of transformation
has been immense.”

“This is a phenomenal achievement,” said Henry, who played three
Tests in the early 1990s. “He came from nothing. When people saw him
bowl for the first time, they thought he wouldn't last because of his
action. The man proved everybody wrong because of his determination, his
belief, and his fitness. I am telling you, he is a fitness freak.

“South Africa will field all day, and then he comes into the dressing
room, puts on his shorts and runs to the hotel. He has just proved so many
wrong. I don't think you can actually weigh what he has done for this
country.”

Ntini was unfortunate that Cook's wicket ended up going to the bowler at the
other end, 29-year-old debutant Friedel de Wet. He deserved that scalp for
the ferocity of his opening burst. Yet after a few more overs, the lack of
pace in the pitch began to draw his sting. Thursday's conditions were far
from suited to Ntini, whose career has been built on back-of-a-length
deliveries that rear up and threaten the batsman's ribs.

If Ntini's ability to bang away at the splice is his greatest strength, his
weakness is that he has no Plan B. He cannot resort to swing or cutters, and
his fuller balls are prone to be driven.

Before the match, he was asked whether he would consider refining his approach
as he gets older, just like his idol Malcolm Marshall. But there was no hint
of a rethink as he replied: “I just focus and keep to what I know.”

Jacques Kallis criticised the South African bowlers for being too loose, yet
Ntini should escape the worst of the censure. He only conceded runs at 2.6
per over, which was roughly the same as England's attack.

He also cranked up the crowd. As he ran in, a group of black supporters sang a
series of freedom songs – anthems that were popular among the political
activists of the early 1980s.

The fans might not have got their free drink, but they enjoyed the chance to
acclaim a genuine icon of the rainbow nation.

Holmgren takes over Browns

By TOM WITHERS

Associated Press

Last Updated:
3:29 AM, December 22, 2009

Posted:
6:21 PM, December 21, 2009

BEREA, Ohio — Mike Holmgren has decided to see if he can fix the Cleveland Browns.

The Super Bowl-winning coach accepted a job to become the club’s president on Monday, joining a franchise needing a major makeover after a decade of losing.

Browns owner Randy Lerner said the sides reached an agreement on Monday. Lerner said current president Mike Keenan will transition to the role of chief financial officer.

“We will spend the rest of the week finalizing the details of the agreement and will make a formal announcement next week,” Lerner said in a statement.

Holmgren is coming to Cleveland strictly in an executive role. On his radio show last week, Holmgren indicated his job offer with the Browns could include a return to the sideline. But Holmgren’s duties likely will focus on personnel decisions, and there’s a chance he may bring in a general manager to help him.

It’s still not known what effect Holmgren’s hiring will have on first-year Cleveland coach Eric Mangini, who improved to 3-11 on Sunday following a 41-34 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Mangini, the former Jets coach, may have strengthened his chances of staying for at least another year after leading the Browns to consecutive wins.

Holmgren, though, could choose to replace Mangini with his own coach to try and turn around the Browns, who have lost at least 10 games in six of the past seven seasons and made the AFC playoffs once since 1999.

Earlier today, Mangini was again put in the uncomfortable position of having to address swirling speculation about Holmgren’s future.

“I’m really focused on the group and getting them ready to play,” the former Jets coach said today. “As far as a timeline or any of the other things, it’s not what I’m doing or concentrating on. It’s not what the coaches are concentrating on and not what the players are concentrating on.

“What I’m looking to do is coach the team. That’s it.”

Saturday, Holmgren turned down a front-office position to return to the Seattle Seahawks.

Holmgren said he was intrigued by the opportunity to join Cleveland because of the absence of “layers” between him and Lerner, who in November announced he was looking to add a “serious, credible leader” to his organization. Holmgren spent two days meeting with Lerner last week and came away impressed by the owner’s passion to win and what he learned about the Browns.

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  Water and model ships: The urge to combine the two is overpowering. As long as there is water nearby, makeshift boats will be added to the equation. In some cases, it's a piece of wood in a rain puddle or a plastic tug in the bathtub. For ship modelers, it can mean building a scale model that is small enough for war gaming or large enough to reenact seafaring battles. The art of building fine scale ship models goes back to ancient times, and is still a worldwide hobby that attracts people of all ages.

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  Research the hobby. There are many resources available for the beginning ship modeler.

  1. Many modelers start with encouragement from a family member or friend who already builds ship models. If there is someone in your life who models ships, ask them for advice. Most modelers are glad to encourage beginners, and they always have great build stories to tell!

  2. Frequent hobby stores, especially ones that sell ship kit models and parts. Staff members can give you ideas of the difficulty of models and provide basic instructions.

  3. Attend model shows and competitions. They are scheduled year around and located all around the country. If you see a ship model you like, find the builder and ask lots of questions.

  4. Check the Internet. Many websites are dedicated to ship modeling, with Blogs and threads for all levels of ship building skills. Again, modelers are happy to share their knowledge. Popular websites include: www.steelnavy.com and www.modelwarships.com.

  5. Build your reference library. Good resource material can be found in books, CD's, magazines, and Internet articles. Ask opinions from other modelers; check libraries; search for items on the Internet.

  6. Join a scale modeling club. You can find club websites on the Internet, and most hobby stores have lists of model-related clubs in the region. To start, check out www.ipmsusa.org for model clubs in the United States and www.ipmscanada.com for model clubs in Canada.

  Pick a kit and start modeling. If you are like most ship modelers, this will be the only time you have only one kit on the work bench. Your inventory of kits will accumulate quickly, and that's part of the fun. Work on your new model now and look forward to the next build. Many modelers have several that they work on at a time, just to keep things interesting and varied. How do you pick that first kit? Here is a guide.

  1. Choose the material you want to first work with. Ship kits come in a variety of materials. They range from paper models to resin, plastic and wood. Paper model kits are cut out like paper dolls and assembled with white glue. Resin models generally come with the hull and deck houses as one piece. They are assembled with super glue or epoxy cement. Plastic kits come with parts on sprue “trees.” The parts are cut off and assembled with plastic cement. Wood models come in solid hull or plank-on-frame/bulkhead. With these kits, the builder gets the basic materials and a set of plans. They are assembled with wood glue.

  2. Decide what interests you the most. The types of ship models are vast. They range from ancient Phoenician ships to the Tall ships of the 1700's and 1800's, and on to today's ships seen at sea and in harbors. Model kits come in a variety of popular scales that commonly range from 1/700 scale to 1/48th scale. Pick one that is not terribly complicated and comes with good instruction sheets.

  3. Start with a basic tool inventory: a hobby knife with #11 blade, paint brushes, glue, model paint, a straight edge, tweezers, sand paper and sanding sticks. Add to it as your need arises and the pocketbook allows. The second wave of tools will include a vise, airbrush, punch & die set, and clamps, among other items. Many tools can be purchased at hobby stores, on-line or in craft stores. Also look in creative places such as tool sales bins, craft stores and cosmetic departments.

  Good luck on your first ship modeling adventure. You are joining enthusiasts worldwide, in an art form that is thousands of years old. You are in good company. Enjoy!

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