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The PCB has decided to extend the contracts of batting coach Grant Flower and fitness trainer Grant Luden, on the advice of head coach Mickey Arthur. Both Flower and Luden had signed two-year contracts, starting July 2014, and are on three-month extended contracts already. The PCB told ESPNcricinfo that the contracts will be further extended for one more year.There was a possibility of Arthur suggesting a new coaching staff but he endorsed the duo and also brought in a new fielding coach in Steve Rixon from Australia. The entire coaching staff now has one-year contracts other than Azhar Mehmood who will join the Pakistan team as bowling coach only for the limited-overs leg of the England tour. Arthurs own contract is for one year with a one-year extension subject to performances.Pakistans batting had been one of their major weaknesses earlier and the PCB had turned to former captains Inzamam-ul-Haq, Javed Miandad and Zaheer Abbas to bring about improvements. With Flowers appointment, Pakistan witnessed considerable improvements in their batsmen. Pakistans average runs per wicket was just 28.89 between January 2012 and February 2014. Since Flowers appointment in July 2014, it rose to 43.82. Under him, Pakistan batsmen have converted 48.43% of half-centuries into centuries - 31 hundreds out of 64 50-plus scores - which is the most among all teams by a distance. South Africa and Australia are next with under 41% conversions.Pakistan had their highest successful Test chase last year in Pallekele when they scored 382 - the sixth-highest successful chase in Tests. Pakistans No. 6 have averaged 61 in Tests since July 2014, which is way higher than any other teams No. 6. Under Flower, Pakistans fourth innings average is also the highest among all teams.With Luden in the staff, Pakistan developed an imposing fitness criteria that helped players raise their fitness levels. However, he has been stripped off from his additional responsibility of being the fielding coach with Rixon coming in. Mushtaq Ahmed is travelling with the team as a makeshift bowling coach only for the Tests in England. Cheap Custom Jerseys . Woodson said during a radio interview Thursday that the Knicks Carmelo Anthony doesnt get the same calls as other superstars. Stitched Custom Soccer Jerseys . -- In a span of seven Washington Redskins offensive plays, Justin Tuck sacked Robert Griffin III four times. http://www.soccerjerseyscustom.com/ . -- Claudio Bieler hadnt scored since early September, and not from the run of play since mid-July. Wholesale Custom Jerseys . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. Discount Custom Jerseys . 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. OAKLAND, Calif. -- With Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester holding down the front end of the rotation, the Chicago Cubs were already in good shape to make a playoff run in the fall.Kyle Hendricks is almost certain to be a big part of that as well, especially if he keeps pitching like he has the past three months.Hendricks added to his already impressive season with another strong outing, pitching into the eighth inning for his fifth win since June to help the Cubs beat the Oakland Athletics 3-1 Sunday and complete a three-game sweep.I think he can be effective any time, Chicago manager Joe Maddon said. The gun doesnt say a big number but after those changeups and the curve ... if he elevates at 90, I promise you, and you can see the reaction of the hitters, that 90 is a lot quicker than it reads on a scoreboard.Hendricks (11-7) was dominant against an As team that lost for the eighth time in nine games, Chicagos right-hander allowed three hits over 7 1/3 innings, struck out four and retired 17 straight before Marcus Semiens one-out home run in the eighth.Hendricks lowered his ERA to 2.17, second-lowest in the majors among qualifiers behind the Dodgers Clayton Kershaw.When youre rolling like this you try to stay in that same mindset, keep doing your same work, Hendricks said. I just fell behind Semien 3-1 and said, `Here it is, and he hit it.Pedro Strop retired two batters and Aroldis Champan pitched the ninth for his third save since arriving in a trade from the New York Yankees on July 25.Kris Bryant and Jorge Soler both homered off As starter Sean Manaea (3-7). Bryants home run was his 27th this season, one more than the two-time All-Star had in 2015 when he was the NLs rookie of the year.The Cubs seventh straight win improved them to a major league-best 69-41 and marked their 10th series sweep this season. That topped their mark from a year ago, and increased their lead in the NL Central to 11 1/2 games over St. Louis.Bryant and Soler finished with two hits apiece for the Cubs. Bryant homered leading off the sixth while Soler -- who homered in the series-opener Friday after being activated from the disabled list earlier in the day -- hit his seventh home run this season leading off the seventh.ddddddddddddnthony Rizzo added an RBI double in the eighth.The As had not scored in 19 consecutive innings before Semien hit his 23rd home of the year, a towering solo shot that ended Hendricks day.We couldnt do enough offensively to put any pressure on them, Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. We needed to score more runs to give (the starters) some help.LEAVING THEM ONThe Cubs missed numerous chances to break the game open. Wilson Contreras and Javier Baez struck out to end the second after Chicago put runners on the corners. The Cubs loaded the bases with no outs in the third but failed to score, then stranded three more runners on base in the eighth. Their pitcher escaped a lot of moments but he did have really good stuff, Maddon said. We had a chance to score many more runs than we did.TRAINERS ROOMCubs: Soler handled the DH duties in all three games against the As but that will change when Chicago opens a two-game series against the Los Angeles Angels at Wrigley Field on Tuesday. Soler will be back in the outfield, most likely in left where he has started 34 games this season.Athletics: RHP Sonny Gray was placed on the disabled list with a strained right forearm. Its the second stint on the DL for Gray, who was pulled from his start against the Cubs on Saturday after only five innings. ... Chris Smith, a right-handed reliever, was called up from Triple-A Nashville to replace Gray on the roster.UP NEXTCubs: RHP John Lackey (8-7) pitches the opener against the Angels. Lackey has one win in his last two starts after a five-game losing streak.Athletics: RHP Kendall Graveman (7-7) faces the Orioles on Monday at the Coliseum. He has been Oaklands most consistent pitcher over the past two months, with six wins in his previous 12 starts. ' ' '