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Sam Billings, the Kent batsman whose technique against spin bowling is considered one of the best among Englands coming generation of batsmen, says he is flattered to have been talked up by Michael Vaughan as a potential reinforcement for the Test tour of India, but insists that he remains a work in progress in first-class cricket.Billings has been on the fringes of the one-day squad for several months without being able to secure a regular berth, but he gave an indication of his aptitude in Asian conditions in the ODI series against Bangladesh last month, when he was drafted in to open the batting in the series decider in Chittagong, and swept his way to a vital 62 from 69 balls in a stiff run-chase.It was great to contribute, said Billings during a Chance to Shine event in West London. I should have got 120 not out to win the game but thats life and I would have taken 60 at the start. To be involved in another series win in difficult conditions shows how far we are coming along as a group.Everyone knew that Bangladesh had won their last six home series, including against India and South Africa, so it was no mean feat to win. People think it is only Bangladesh so you should just smack them around but, with Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes, theyve got a seriously good side in their own conditions.Bangladesh backed up that assertion in no uncertain terms in the subsequent Test series and, speaking in the aftermath of Englands shocking collapse in the second Test at Dhaka, Vaughan argued strongly for Billings inclusion for the five-Test series against India that gets underway in Rajkot next week - not least because, as a right-hander, he will be better placed to combat the offspin of Indias attack leader, Ravi Ashwin.Obviously that is flattering, Billings said, Playing spin is one of my strengths. Manoeuvring the ball around and putting spinners under pressure is one of my strengths, but the guys who are there have done it regularly in first-class cricket and are there for a reason.Billings had his moments in first-class cricket for Kent last season, most notably a career-best 171 against Gloucestershire in Bristol in August but, having missed the early weeks of the summer during his IPL stint, he played just seven Division Two matches and was unable to put together the weight of runs that earned Ben Duckett and Haseeb Hameed their call-ups.Haseeb hasnt had an opportunity yet, and to have a long run at it too, he said. These guys have done it over and over in first-class cricket. But any time England calls you just get on a plane and try and get the job done.While the prospect of Billings joining the England squad remains, for the time being, a pundits pipedream, there is no diluting either his confidence or his eagerness to get involved if the chance should arise. And, having sampled the atmosphere of modern Indian cricket during his IPL stint with Delhi Daredevils, Billings believes he has been granted a fascinating insight into what it takes to succeed in conditions that previous generations might have regarded as alien.The IPL was huge for that, he said. It is different to a Test match but the basics dont change: your footwork is paramount.I was very fortunate to work with Rahul Dravid in the IPL and pick his brains on playing spin. At some points we moved the stumps back and had the used crease to play with and he said, if you can bat on that you can bat on anything.This is one of the reasons [Trevor] Bayliss and [Andrew] Strauss are pushing us to go over there. Yes it is T20 cricket but it is about the environment and learning how those guys go about it.Billings grounding sounds somewhat counter to Alastair Cooks assertion in the aftermath of the Dhaka defeat, that Englands batsmen were inexperienced in Asian conditions. And certainly, given the resources made available by the ECB on their recent Lions tours, and the coaching expertise that has been drafted in to prepare Englands next generation, the scale of the collapse in Dhaka - 10 wickets for 64 runs in 22.3 overs - was extreme.And if the talking point coming out of the Bangladesh tour is the vulnerability of Englands batsmen to the ball turning away from the bat - particularly the left-handers to the offspin of Mehedi Hasan - then Billings gives the impression that such a challenge shouldnt have come as quite such a surprise, especially given the identity of two of the lead coaches in the Lions set-up.Graham Thorpe and Andy Flower may be two left-handers, but they were great players of spin, especially against offspin with the turning away from the bat, he said. The basics dont change, you have to get as close to the ball as possible or as far away from it as possible using the depth of the crease.For me, I identified two years ago that left-arm spin was a really big area I needed to work on, he said. The ball going away or sliding on is generally more difficult for a batter when it is turning.In the UAE last winter, he was able to pick the brains of New Zealands left-arm spinner, Daniel Vettori, who was drafted in as a consultant on the England Performance Programme. We had a hybrid pitch that was ragging square. He was bowling at a good pace, it was seriously tough, and thats when you work out whats good for you.As a consequence of the grounding that he and his fellow batsmen have been given, and given the experienced heads they can call upon during the India tour, Billings remains confident that England will find a means to battle back from their Dhaka ignominy and put up a fight in the coming weeks.[Alastair] Cook, in his debut Test, got a hundred in India, so theyve got no better bloke to pick the brains of - although, of course, he does it a different way. Stokesy [Ben Stokes] is still one of the younger lads, even though it feels hes been around for years, and in terms of his game against spin, hes come on leaps and bounds and will only get better. Well all get better, the more we are exposed to it.Its finding different ways all over the place. Ive got no doubt there are some seriously good players of spin there. Its a different kettle of fish against [Ravi] Jadeja and Ashwin, but its been great to have had these two Test matches. We got out unscathed - yeah we drew, I know we wanted to win - but well go into the India tour with preparation time. Ive got full faith in the boys and they are definitely good enough to win.ECB will double its investment in cricket charity Chance to Shine, from 2017, to inspire millions of young people to play and learn through cricket. Visit chancetoshine.orgCheap Shoes Ireland Online . The 18th player to shoot 60 on the tour, Jamieson settled for par on the final hole when his 15-foot birdie chip grazed the edge of the hole and stayed out. After opening with rounds of 66 and 73 to make the cut by a stroke, he had 11 birdies in the bogey-free round. Wholesale Shoes Ireland . 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The Oilers come in having lost five in a row (0-4-1) and 16 of their last 20 games, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday.VICTORIA, British Columbia -- Colin Montgomerie won the Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship on Sunday, outlasting Scott McCarron with a birdie on the third hole of a playoff.Montgomerie closed with a 4-under 67 to match McCarron at 15-under 198 at scenic Bear Mountain Resort, the first-year venue in the PGA Tour Champions event that was played in Hawaii from 2012-14.Im obviously delighted with my performance, but it was very sad, Montgomerie said, noting golf great Arnold Palmers death Sunday at age 87. I had a message to me that Arnold Palmer had passed away during the round.McCarron bogeyed the par-5 18th in regulation for a 70.Montgomerie and McCarron matched pars on 18 on the first two extra holes and Montgomerie won with a 15-footer on the third trip down the hole in the playoff.I kept on missing these putts unfortunately, but eventually got one in, Montgomerie said. So delighted that way, but again this day will be remembered, unfortunately, for very, very sad reasons.The 53-year-old Montgomeries three previous victories on the 50-and-over tour came in major championships -- the 2014 and 2015 Senior PGA Championship and 2014 U.S. Senior Open. The Scot won 31 times on the European Tour and topped the tours money list a record eight times, seven in a row from 1993-99.He marveled at the course.This is unbelievable, this golf course, Montgomerie said. To have the vision of putting a golf course on this land is quite phenomenal. I always treat golf courses as how many poor holes there are on a golf course, and this is a very good one. There isnt any poor holes, theres not one poor hole on this golf course at all.McCarron missed a chance for his second victory of the year after winning the Principal Charity CClassic in June in Iowa for his first senior title.ddddddddddddPretty disappointing, obviously, McCarron said. In regulation, missing the fairway and getting the break I did was pretty unfortunate, but I didnt hit a very good shot. But I hung in there tough, I didnt have my `A game today, but I was trying as hard as I could.He also remembered Palmer.My wife knew in the playoff, but she didnt let me know, which is a good thing, McCarron said. Arnold was one of my absolute heroes, and probably one of the greatest things Ive ever received was right after I won in Des Moines just a few months ago, I got a hand-written note from Arnold Palmer. That meant so much to me. He was just such an amazing guy and meant so much to everyone and hes going to be sorely missed. So Im very, very sad today.Miguel Angel Jimenez shot a course-record 61 to tie for third at 13 under, finishing as Montgomerie and McCarron made the turn. The Spanish star played the first five holes on the back nine in 6 under with an eagle and five birdies, then closed with four pars to miss a chance to break 60.Jeff Sluman (67), Scott Dunlap (68) and Doug Garwood (70) also were 13 under.Bernhard Langer closed with a 63 to tie for seventh at 12 under. The 59-year-old German star leads the tour with four victories this season.Fellow Hall of Famer Vijay Singh tied for 28th at 6 under after a 71.Rod Spittle topped the four Canadians in the field, closing with a 65 to tie for 38th at 4 under. Jim Rutledge was 3 under after a 68, Stephen Ames 1 over after a 69, and Murray Poje had a 73 to finish last among the 78 finishers at 21 over. ' ' '