more than that, though. Theres something to be said for a smiling face and a positive disposition in a world of soundbites and cynicism. On one hand, its understandable that Morgan is happy with

Headingley 1981. Edgbaston 2005. India beating England in an ODI final prompting Sourav Ganguly to wave his shirt on the Lords balcony.That we know these moments so well is in no small part due to the fact that, every time theres a delay during a Test or ODI, theyre hauled from the archives and replayed on TV; classic memories of better days.So what about when theres rain in the air and filler is needed as Englands women are playing?Thats easy. Cue up the 2009 World T20 semi-final.Beth Morgans name is forever synonymous with that June day. Her unbeaten 122-run stand with Claire Taylor confounded Australia, who had clobbered their way to 163 before taking a couple of early wickets to have one foot into the final.Instead, Morgan got up and running with a crisp sweep before beating the onside field with a pull to set in motion one perfect hour at the crease. A canny paddle-scoop reduced the requirement to 44 from the final five overs before consecutive boundaries in the 18th left only a run a ball. Somehow, they had done it.It was pivotal moment for the protagonists at the crease, and for womens cricket in England. Sure enough, days later they lifted the trophy at Lords. In time, central contracts would come and now theres the Kia Super League, currently underway across the country. Theres no mistaking where the roots for much of this are found: in the accomplishments of Englands ravenous generation.Morgan looks out onto The Oval, the scene of her and Taylors heist, while talking to ESPNcricinfo in a reinvented capacity, as part of the Surrey Stars line-up for the inaugural edition of the KSL.Illustrative of Morgan the person - now 34 years old and three years clear of international duty - her instinct when asked to reflect upon this famous innings is to instead talk about Taylors contribution of 76 not out.I had the best seat in the house, she recalls. Players like me learned so much from her, so to go get the opportunity to share something like that was fantastic.It never got better for Morgan as an England representative. In 2013 a shoulder injury would persist and ultimately force her into retirement, 14 years after debuting. She quickly knew, after 100 white-ball caps for her country and seven Test Matches, that it was over at that level.Thats sport, she says philosophically, believing the abrupt episode taught her a lot about life.It doesnt take long to realise that this is Morgan, for whom the glass is forever half full. The ultimate team player exhibiting the best values of English cricket was how Clare Connor - her former skipper and now boss of England womens cricket - described her when leaving the Three Lions behind. This all rings true when sitting opposite her.Youve obviously been talking to my Mum, is Morgans retort to comments that shes the nicest person in cricket. Its more than that, though. Theres something to be said for a smiling face and a positive disposition in a world of soundbites and cynicism. On one hand, its understandable that Morgan is happy with her lot after participation in Englands trio of Ashes victories in 2005, 2008 and 2009. She also has a World Cup winners medallion from 2009 that sits comfortably with the spoils from the aforementioned World T20; the mementos of an impeccable year for the national side.But, on the other, you couldnt begrudge her a hint of jealousy, or at least some wistful throwaway lines: how it would have been nice to be at the start of her ride rather than the end - to be in a position, as young players are now, to make a living from the game to which she has devoted the bulk of her adult life. Not Morgan.I get asked that a lot, and Im not sure that people believe me, but I couldnt be happier, she says.To play alongside and against the players I did, to play in World Cup-winning teams, I wouldnt have changed it for the world [and now] I am really happy about the way the game is going into professionalism.If someone said we would be professional in my career as a player, she adds before trailing off in thought; its just how it was, cricket was my love and you managed the best that you could.And I still absolutely love it… The day you dont wake up and want to play is the day you stop; I still have the butterflies in the stomach and the hairs on the back of the neck when playing at places like this.Coming from the pre-contract era, Morgan is again juggling full-time work as she always did as an England player, but wouldnt have it any other way.It has meant so much to be part of the first KSL [and] I would love to play for as long as I can, she says, with still an eye to the future.If I am still performing, most importantly, then Id love to stay.We did need to create something between county and international, she notes, pointing out that the quality of talent is spread far further than in her experiences in Australia. This competition is exactly that.It isnt just the chance to be paid properly to play that eluded Morgan. Comparable in style to a modern Georgia Elwiss, making her mark as a seam bowler before evolving into a reliable batsman, theres little doubt the Australian Womens Big Bash League would have knocked down her door down, had it then existed.I cant lie: I would love the opportunity to play in the Big Bash, Morgan declares, while at the same time acknowledging the clock is against her. But coming back to Australia, where she played five seasons of club and domestic cricket, could never be ruled out if a franchise did fancy her services. If they wanted an old girl to come in, then I certainly would have a think about it!As for her wish for the womens game in the coming years, her framework is consistent with that of Connors: a legitimacy that makes the game just as attractive to young girls as it is for boys.That legitimacy began at home with Morgan. Her family embraced cricket like any other, but with Mum out there too, the idea of a woman playing cricket was normalised from the get-go. It didnt hurt either that her Uncle Eddie [Hemmings] was also Englands spin bowler at the time.Now, the cycle has come full-circle, with Morgan leading the next generation of girls through her volunteer role as coordinator of the under-15s side at her beloved Middlesex, where shes a bona fide legend and remains a middle-order mainstay.Were not going to bowl at 90 mph, and were not going to hit sixes out of The Oval, but with the skills now and the fitness of the girls you want an acceptance that it is a really good game to watch with ability to hit the ball 360 degrees, she says.Maybe that recognition will be enough for Middlesex women win their campaign to get onto Lords at some stage. Watch this place; hopefully one day.Could it be that the KSL is the tonic for players like Morgan to consider putting themselves up for international comebacks? Maybe so if new national coach Mark Robinson has his way. He has expressed an interest in players of this generation potentially reconsidering retirements.Beth Morgan - I saw her batting and thought, Crikey! Why have you retired? Robinson said on the topic while commentating on the KSL, as another of Morgans former England cohorts, Arran Brindle, struck a match-defining 45 for Southern Vipers this week.In reality, this probably wont be how the Morgan story ends. For her, theres an awareness that shes currently a long way off giving the time commitment now required, doubly so with the volume of talent she sees as a team-mate, coach and opponent.I have had my time, and I am very grateful for that. Who knows, if I scored thousands of runs and someone knocked on the door... but it is fairly unrealistic, and Im pretty chuffed with what I have done.Rightly so. For now, she has another trophy to hunt. If Surrey can sneak into KSL Finals Day, she will have the chance on a big stage. 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The Canadian squad, skipped by Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg, got on the board first with two in the second end, and followed that with two more apiece in the fourth and sixth ends. HOUSTON -- Despite striking out 61 times and only scoring 10 runs in four games, the Toronto Blue Jays found a way to take three of four from the Houston Astros.J.A. Happ won his ninth consecutive decision, Edwin Encarnacion reached 30 home runs for the fifth straight season and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Houston Astros 4-1 on Thursday night for their eighth win in 11 games.Its been a tough place for us to play; we won three games and had a chance to win all four of them, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. So we feel good about that. Not a lot of offense on either side but I think thats because the pitching was so good on both sides. We got some big hits and won some close games.Happ (15-3), who already has set his career high for wins, retired 12 of his first 13 batters and allowed one run and four hits in six innings. He is 9-0 with a 2.49 ERA in 10 starts since losing at Detroit on June 6.Its nice to have a couple quick innings, Happ said. Hopefully the less pitches they see the better youre going to be for the later at-bats when youre turning the lineup over or trying to at least two, three or four times. I think that was huge to be able to have something left to get out of that jam.Happ struck out six and walked none, and Joaquin Benoit, Jason Grilli and Roberto Osuna completed the five-hitter. After walking rookie Alex Bregman leading off the ninth, Osuna struck out Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Evan Gattis for his 24th save in 26 chances.After being given a day off Wednesday, Bregman was 1 for 4 with a sixth-inning single. The second overall pick in the 2015 amateur draft, is hitting .056 (2 for 36) since he was brought up July 25.Houston pitchers struck out a major league-record 61 in the four-game series, three more than the previous mark set by Cincinnati pitchers against San Diego in 2008. Astros pitchers set a record with 52 strikeouts in a three-game series against Baltimore from May 24-26.Mike Fiers (7-5) gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings, walking none and tying his second high with seven strikeouts.Devon Travis doubled leading off the first inning for the first of his three hits and scored on Josh Donaldsons groundout -- the first run in the series that did not score on a solo home run.I felt good tonight, Travis said. I found out once again for the millionth time that this is a really humbling game. Its alwayss great to come out here and help your team with a ball game.ddddddddddddOn the previous pitch, Smoak took an 0-2 curveball on the low, outside corner and stepped toward the dugout thinking it was strike three, only to have plate umpire Todd Tichenor call the pitch a ball.Toronto doubled the lead in the fifth when Justin Smoak swung over a curveball in the dirt for strike three and the ball hit off Gattis and bounced away for a wild pitch that allowed Russell Martin to score from third.Tyler White hit a run-scoring double in the bottom half for his first RBI since June 10.The Astros have lost eight of their last 10 games, getting outscored 47-21.We all hate it collectively because we dont like going through this rut, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. I think the guys are handling it like pros. We believe in this group and they believe in themselves, but sometimes, you need to have a good day to realize all the work and extra conversations are worth it. Its the big leagues and its a game of adjustments -- its not a try-hard league.Travis singled in a run against Will Harris in the eighth, and Encarnacion connected against James Hoyt in the ninth for his 298th home run.It feels good, Encarnacion said about being close to 300. I know its going to happen but I wish it could happen with people on base so we could win some games.TRAINERS ROOMBlue Jays: SS Troy Tulowitzki went 1 for 4 after missing three games after breaking his right thumb when hit by a pitch from Baltimores Chris Tillman on Sunday.Astros: INF Marwin Gonzalez (right hand soreness) was held out of the starting lineup but pinch hit in the seventh inning and grounded out. Gonzalezs right-handed swing is less comfortable than left-handed swing, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. ... Luis Valbuena (right hamstring strain) is taking part in any baseball activity but continues daily treatment ... INF Carlos Gomez (right hamstring strain) was 0 for 2 with two strikeouts as the designated hitter after not playing in five of the last six games.UP NEXTBlue Jays: LHP Francisco Liriano (6-11), acquired from Pittsburgh at the trade deadline, is to make his Toronto debut on Friday at Kansas City.Astros: LHP Dallas Keuchel (6-11) is slated to start at home Friday against Texas. cheap falcons jerseys cheap ravens jerseys cheap bills jerseys cheap bears jerseys cheap bengals jerseys cheap cowboys jerseys cheap lions jerseys cheap texans jerseys cheap colts jerseys cheap jaguars jerseys cheap chiefs jerseys cheap rams jerseys cheap dolphins jerseys cheap vikings jerseys cheap saints jerseys cheap giants jerseys cheap jets jerseys cheap eagles jerseys cheap steelers jerseys cheap 49ers jerseys ' ' '