between Durban in the summer and Durban in the winter is that in the winter,

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The good news for Purdue is that the Boilermakers are just three wins from becoming eligible for a bowl game.The bad news is how beat up Purdue is following its 34-31 overtime victory at Illinois over the weekend.Purdue likely lost leading receiver Dominique Young (29 receptions for 338 yards and a touchdown) for the season with a right knee injury suffered during the second half at Illinois. Coach Darrell Hazell said Monday he was waiting for an MRI result before confirming Youngs status.Purdue hopes to have leading rusher Markell Jones (shoulder) and standout middle linebacker JaWhaun Bentley (ankle) back in action this weekend against Iowa (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) after each missed the Illinois game. Jones has rushed for 339 yards in four games and Bentley has 27 tackles.Running back Brian Lankford-Johnson started in Jones place and carried 18 times for 127 yards and a touchdown but left the game in the second half with a sprained shoulder and was replaced by Richie Worship. Hazell said he was confident Lankford-Johnson will be ready to play against Iowa.Defensive backs Myles Norwood and Tim Cason also missed some playing time at Illinois because of an assortment of bumps and bruises, but Hazell also hopes to have one or both back against the Hawkeyes.Its still early in the week, he said. Its a day by day thing, but they were in good spirits (Sunday).If either Norwood or Cason is unable to play, freshman cornerback Josh Hayes will get more action.For now, the Boilermakers (3-2, 1-1) are trying to enjoy the win. Quarterback David Blough said after suffering a 50-7 loss on Oct. 1 at Maryland, the comeback victory at Illinois is tremendously significant.There was nothing like getting a shot at redemption after (the loss at Maryland), said Blough, who ran for a touchdown and passed for another. Illinois was probably the most fun game Ive played at Purdue.The Boilermakers are now 3-23 in Big Ten games during Hazells four seasons at Purdue.Game notes Freshman kicker J.D. Dellinger has been selected Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after his field goal in overtime won the game at Illinois ... In keeping with the Boilermaker train theme at Purdue, Hazell said Monday that Purdues version of the Wildcat formation is known as Amtrak, and another gimmick formation with offensive linemen aligned outside the norm is called The Polar Express. Purdue used both formations at Illinois. Cheap Custom Chiefs Jersey . Roman Josi had a goal and an assist to lead the Predators to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday night. Custom Chiefs T-shirts . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. http://www.customchiefsjersey.com/ . -- Patrick Reed got an early start in golf. Cheap Chiefs Jerseys . -- Josh Sterk scored once and set up two more as the Oshawa Generals edged the visiting Belleville Bulls 3-2 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Wholesale Custom Chiefs Shirts . After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91. Perhaps the only difference between Durban in the summer and Durban in the winter is that in the winter, half of Johannesburg is not here. South Africas only subtropical city stays warm all year, the rolling hills are carpeted in the same shade of green all year and when cricket comes to town, clouds gather as though they have been summoned to a secret meeting, no matter what time of year, even August.Youd think the Cumulonimbus may have been fooled - never in Kingsmeads 93-year history has there been so much as a first-class match played on its surface in August - but it was not. Light rain fell through Tuesday evening, and when Wednesday dawned, it was to a mild stickiness in the air, the kind that could mean there will be swing.Theres good cloud cover and plenty of humidity in the air, Tim Southee noted, with some excitement after New Zealands morning training session. And theres a lot more grass there than what there was in Bulawayo. There is a nice, even coverage of grass and the nets have plenty of bounce in them.Southees observation could mean that Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer, whose team lost to New Zealand earlier this month, could be on to something when he predicted the side whose attack made better use of conditions will end up victorious. The crucial thing is the two seam attacks. Whoever bowls the best will win because the batting is strength for strength, Cremer said in Bulawayo a week ago.The prospect promises so much. Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada versus Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner. And all of that against some of the most accomplished batsmen in the game. Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor contending with swing, seam and bounce.But all of that may have to happen at a different time in a different place. My expectation would be that the Test strip is pretty devoid of moisture, even if they have perhaps flooded it a bit in the lead-up. If that is the case, there shouldnt be a huge amount of assistance; you could have to graft quite patiently for wickets, Shaun Pollock, who played his domestic cricket in Durban told Sport 24. New Zealand may not mind that too much because they have just come from a place where they have had to do exactly that. At Queens Sports Club, there was very little for the bowlers and still, New Zealand mmanaged to take 20 wickets twice.dddddddddddd Wagner, in particular, was impressive in his persistent short-ball approach. On unresponsive pitches, the seamers did an outstanding job, especially Neil, Southee said. Its never easy, he is in and out of the side and he ended up as the leading wicket-taker. Its great to see him getting the rewards.South Africa may also not mind, but not because their pace pack is recently practiced in the art of patience. Rather, because of this: What you do tend to find at Kingsmead is that at the start and then the end of seasons, there is some help for spinners, when there is not too much live grass, Pollock said.Enter Dane Piedt. The only specialist spinner in the squad, who took a five-for against England at this venue last summer, is looking forward to the chance to establish himself as both container and wicket-taker in conditions that could prove challenging for the rest of the attack. I was in the national academy a few years ago and we played a couple of winter games and the wickets were quite slow throughout the country, so I have had experience in winter in South Africa. The pace will be key that I bowl, higher paces rather than slow, thats going to be the key in order to control the game and have that ability to strike, Piedt said.If that doesnt work, Piedt is willing to play the waiting game too. I will also just look to stop the game and frustrate the Kiwi batsmen. Hopefully, that will bring out some loose shots and that will be how I get wickets. But I have a feeling it will spin a little bit, especially early on. I just need to get myself into the Test match and stay there, he said.Piedt will not be the only South African thinking that. The side faced the reality that they have slipped to No.7 on the rankings, after starting the year in top spot. They are at one of their lowest points and are taking on a team who are on the rise in conditions that are unfamiliar to everyone. Even though Southee does not think South Africa are on the way down because they are still a quality side, South Africa may be quite pleased half of Johannesburg is not in Durban to see how they go about laying the first bricks in their rebuilding phase. ' ' '