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Often horrendous, occasionally hopeful... overall, Englands performance in the 90s was haphazard, as a record of 43 defeats, 38 draws and only 26 wins over the decade will testify. England did have a number of excellent players at their disposal in that time but there was also a number of more unusual selections.Here we look back at four of the finest players of the decade and four of those whose time in the limelight was all too brief… THE FINESTMichael Atherton The tenacity required to captain a struggling England side for a record 52 Tests over five years in the mid-90s should not be underestimated. To do so while nursing a chronic back condition, and in a pre-central contracts era where everything was stacked against the national side succeeding, speaks volumes.Limited bowling options and inconsistent batting meant his side was often up against it and his was the wicket that opponents craved above all others. As a batsman, an average of 37 might be considered good rather than great but should be viewed in the context of Englands troubles and take into account the great pace bowlers around in the 90s - Ambrose, Walsh, Donald, Pollock, Wasim and Waqar. If ever there was a career-defining innings, his 185 not out in 643 minutes, to save the Johannesburg Test of 1995, was it.Alec Stewart The most versatile England cricketer of his generation, his best role in the team was a regular topic of debate for the selectors and never proper resolved - in the 90s, he played purely as a batsman in 51 Tests (averaging 46) and as a keeper in 42 matches (averaging 34).The highs were his twin hundreds as an opening batsman in the 1994 victory at Barbados against Ambrose and Walsh in their pomp to seal a first defeat for the West Indies at the ground in 59 years. He also took over the captaincy in 1998 and led England to a home series victory over a strong South African side - their first major series win in 12 years. Less happily was his involvement in five successive Ashes series defeats (with another two to follow in the 2000s).Angus Fraser Despite only playing in 43 out of a possible 107 Tests over the decade, many of Englands most notable victories in the 90s owed much to Frasers accurate and consistent fast-medium bowling. The Caribbean was a particularly happy hunting ground - his 5/28 at Sabina Park in the first Test of the 1990 tour contributed to a shock England win by 9 wickets.A career-threatening hip injury cost him three years out of the side and led to the perception that his earlier nip had gone. This assessment was unfair and, in the 1994 Barbados Test, Frasers first innings 8-75 was as important as the Stewart batting heroics in Englands improbable win. He was in and out of the side during the mid-90s but back to his best for the 1998 home series victory against South Africa in which he took 24 wickets. Darren Gough As with Fraser, Gough was often the victim of unfortunate injuries, only playing 34 Tests in the 90s. Australia may have dominated the era but the Yorkshireman won the respect of their public on his first Ashes tour in 1994-95 with an ebullient personality and 20 wickets in the first three Tests, including a man-of-the-match performance of 6-49 (to go with 51 with the bat) at Sydney before having to return home early.The SCG was again his stage four years later when he took the first Ashes hat-trick in 99 years, his searing yorkers deserving more than being on the losing side against Australia yet again. At least he had tasted team success the previous summer with victory at home against South Africa - his 17 wickets had been key. As England emerged from the difficulties of the 90s, Gough was a key component of Nasser Hussains developing side in the early 2000s. THE FORGOTTENRichard Blakey In among several contenders, the England tour of India in early 1993 must be a good candidate for the most disastrous tour of the decade. Every excuse was used to explain away English failure, from the smog in Kolkata, to dodgy prawns in Chennai. The initial squad selection had been controversial enough with the omission of David Gower, and Yorkshires keeper-batsman Richard Blakey being chosen ahead of Jack Russell.After England lost in Kolkata, Blakey replaced Alec Stewart with the gloves for the remaining 2 matches. However, a failure to pick Anil Kumbles flipper, and to hold a simple chance behind the stumps, meant his Test career was short and not particularly sweet - two matches, both of them defeats by an innings, and a batting average of 1.75. Having expected to win the series, England suffered a 3-0 series loss.Mark Lathwell The story of Mark Lathwells career is a microcosm of the muddled selectorial thinking of the 90s. With England 2-0 down in the 1993 home Ashes series, and after seven successive Test defeats, press clamour for youth to be given a chance had reached fever pitch.The 21-year-old Somerset batsmen was chosen to open, strangely replacing Graham Gooch, who slid down into the middle order. After just two Tests, and with a a top score of 33, Lathwell was dropped, never to appear again. England used 24 players over the summer, eventually losing 4-1. For his part, Mark Lathwell retired from the game in 2001 at the age of just 29.Martin McCague That 1993 Ashes summer also saw rabbits pulled out of hats in the England bowling ranks - having been born in Northern Ireland, Martin McCague was able to play for Kent as a non-overseas player and qualify for England despite having played much of his cricket while growing up in Australia. The Aussie press labelled him the first rat to join a sinking ship but, after a fiery debut at Trent Bridge, this briefly looked like sour grapes.Alas, his bowling in the next Test at Headingley was ineffective and he was dropped. A year later, McCague was contentiously selected for the 1994-95 Ashes tour ahead of Angus Fraser, England supremo Ray Illingworth arguing that his pace would unsettle the home batsmen. In the event, his bowling in the first Test at the Gabba was less than impressive and a stress fracture meant he never appeared again for England. Aftab Habib Whatever the struggles of the 90s, the one team that always seemed beatable was New Zealand, with England being on the winning side at home in 1990 and 1994, and away in 1996-97. There was no expectation that the Kiwis visit in 1999 would be any different. Aftab Habit had averaged over 50 for Leicestershire the previous summer and was drafted into the middle order to start the series.As it turned out, a strong seam attack of Chris Cairns, Dion Nash and Geoff Allott exposed limitations in the Habib technique and he was jettisoned with an average of 8.66 after just two matches. England went on to an embarrassing 2-1 series defeat and ended the summer bottom of the world Test rankings.Watch England In The 90s On Demand now, or at 10pm on Sky Sports 1 HD on Tuesday. Also See: Butch talks England in the 90s Watch England in the 90s Bumbles Blog Wholesale Authentic NFL Jerseys . 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One game after a miserable showing in Oklahoma City, Gay tied a career high with 41 points and the Sacramento Kings cruised to a 114-97 victory at the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.PHILADELPHIA -- Chris Johnson drove in a pair of runs and Alex Wood pitched six strong innings to lead the Atlanta Braves to their 10th straight victory, 4-1 over the slumping Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday night. Wood (2-2) allowed one run on two hits in his fourth major league start. The unorthodox 22-year-old rookie left-hander, who configures his body in an unusual way during his delivery, struck out three and walked two. Johnson, who entered leading the league in batting, hit a two-run single in the first to stake the Braves to an early lead. Justin Upton and B.J. Upton each had a pair of hits with a double apiece for Atlanta, which matched its season-best winning streak. Philadelphia managed just four hits while dropping its fifth straight and 13th in the last 14. The Phillies have just 33 runs in their last 14 outings. The home fans voiced their displeasure several times during the evening, including greeting closer Jonathan Papelbon with boos when he entered in the ninth. Papelbon pitched a scoreless frame. The loudest boos were targeted at Delmon Young after he struck out for the fourth time in the ninth inning. Cliff Lee (10-5) matched his shortest outing of the season while continuing his recent struggles. The left-hander gave up four runs -- three earned -- on eight hits in five innings to lose for the third consecutive start. Lee, who last pitched on July 21 and had his last turn in the rotation skipped due to a stiff neck, has a 6.00 ERA during his losing streak. The Braves, who surged to a 12 1/2-game leaad over Washington in the NL East, scored a pair of runs in the first inning on Johnsons two-run single.dddddddddddd After the Phillies got a run back in the third on Michael Youngs groundout, RBI hits by Jason Heyward and Justin Upton in the fourth pushed Atlantas lead to 4-1. Uptons double extended his hitting streak to nine games. Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless ninth for his NL-leading 34th save in 37 chances. There were two reviews of called home runs that were overturned by replay. Carlos Ruizs third-inning double originally was ruled a home run by third-base umpire Gary Cederstrom but changed when replays showed the ball didnt clear the metal fence atop the wall in left field. And B.J. Uptons fourth-inning double was called a homer but overturned after a lengthy delay when the umpires apparently determined that a fan interfered with the ball prior to it going over the wall. Notes: The Braves also won 10 straight games from April 5-16. ... The Phillies have lost five straight series. ... Darin Ruf extended his streak to 32 straight games reaching base safely with a fourth-inning single. Ruf also singled in the ninth. ... After an off day on Monday, the Phillies host Chicago for a three-game series beginning at 7:05 Tuesday night when right-hander Kyle Kendrick (9-8, 4.29 ERA) opposes Cubs right-hander Edwin Jackson (7-11, 4.65). ... Braves lefty Mike Minor (11-5, 2.75) faces Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg (5-9, 3.04) at 7:05 Monday when the teams begin a three-game series in Washington. ' ' '