For all the sport's complex strategies and mind games, there is a visceral appeal in seeing a piece of wood propel a leather ball 400 feet over a fence and watching the batter trot confidently around the bases.

ECONOMIST: A legendary distraction

And they were initially rewarded when on-loan Surrey left-hander Newman was lbw playing forward to a ball that nipped back, Wood edged to gully and Wagh was bowled by an off-cutter.

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Wood blocked Hougaard's attempted kick and hacked the ball towards the try-line, but was just beaten to the ball by Saracens scrum-half Neil de Kock.

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Notts made a decent start in their pursuit of a target of 255, despite the early departure of acting captain Matt Wood who was deceived by Chad Keegan's slower ball.

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The hurler, who is usually protected by a designated hitter, may be forced to step up to bat because of inter-league rules--giving Mets pitchers their own opportunity to launch a leather ball and, perhaps, a piece of wood at him.

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With four minutes remaining Vigurs raced onto a clever flick from Gary Wood after a pass from Scott Morrison and he drilled the ball low across Pernis into the net.

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"I can't remember having the ball in the second half to be honest, " Wood said.

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In November 1988, he became the third West Indian to take a hat-trick in a Test match, dismissing Tony Dodemaide with the last ball of the first innings, and Mike Valetta and Graeme Wood with the first two balls of the second.

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It helped as well that Casey Tegreene had a law degree, Lowell Wood had spent his career dreaming up weapons for the government, Nathan Myhrvold was a ball of fire, Edward Jung had walked across Texas.

NEWYORKER: In the Air