ake substantial scores but Ballance progressing ruthlessl

MUNICH, Germany -- Frenchman Alexander Levy overcame two bogeys to shoot a 4-under 68 in the third round Saturday to pull into a three-way tie with Ernie Els of South Africa and Swedens Alex Noren atop the leaderboard of the BMW International Open. The trio was even at 15-under 201 heading into Sundays final round. Els, who began the day with a one-stroke lead and shot a second consecutive 69, remains confident he can claim the title. "Yes I am," said the two-time winner of the British Open and U.S. Open. "Im swinging nicely and Ive had my back against the wall, so to speak, the last two rounds where Ive had to come back and try to salvage something. I did it again today." Levy, whose best finish to date is 10th, did well to emerge with only a bogey on the 15th, when he had to hack the ball out from under a tree. "Im very happy. It was great for me to play with a fantastic player," Levy said of partnering with Els for the day. "Its nice to play with him, very happy. It was unbelievable." Noren managed five birdies and an eagle to offset a bogey. "I hit a lot of good shots and a few bad ones, but you always do," he said. Englands Matthew Baldwin and Denmarks Thomas Bjorn were one stroke back. Bjorn put himself in contention by holing nine birdies in a round of 65 to move up 14 places. "I needed to shoot a round to give myself a chance tomorrow, and Ive done that," said Bjorn, the 2000 and 2002 winner. "The first two days its been decent but not great. I stepped it up today and that gives you a little bit of confidence tomorrow." American Peter Uihlein was another shot back in sixth after a 67. "Im just happy to keep putting myself in a good position going into the final round. Thats what its all about," Uihlein said. Local favourites Marcel Siem and 2008 winner Martin Kaymer both shot 69 and were at 204, along with defending champion Danny Willet (70), Joost Luiten (67) of the Netherlands and Brandon Stone (67) of South Africa. "Its a special week. I played really good golf the whole week so far and yesterday I managed to grind out a good round, but today I really played great golf again," said Stone, who is playing his debut season as a professional. Sergio Garcia holed seven birdies and avoided any bogeys for a 65. The Spaniard is one of three players four strokes at 205. Play was delayed by one hour at the start and again later for 1:20 due to heavy rain. Els had two bogeys in the opening seven holes, but finished strongly after making an adjustment at the 11th. He came agonizingly close to the eagle on the 18th, which would have given him the outright lead, but was content with the birdie for a share. "Hopefully tomorrow things are a little bit better," Els said. "Its going to be tough going in. Everybodys going to be quite tense."Wholesale Authentic Jerseys . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. 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Woodson said during a radio interview Thursday that the Knicks Carmelo Anthony doesnt get the same calls as other superstars.Yorkshire 282 and 200 for 4 (Ballance 75*) lead Nottinghamshire 94 (Bresnan 3-15, Sidebottom 3-21, Brooks 3-41) by 388 runsScorecard The second day of this match was probably not one on which any Yorkshire supporter was well-advised to stay at home and cut his hedge. On the other hand, it may have been wise for Nottinghamshire loyalists in Scarborough to turn off their phones and head instead for the Howardian Hills.Unless more rains falls than is forecast, Chris Reads team will need to bat for around 150 overs to save a game they actually need to win. Wednesdays evidence suggests they are ill-equipped to get halfway towards this objective.Nottinghamshires decline on a day containing one collapse and the odd longueur gathered pace at 11.20 when Ryan Sidebottom ran in to bowl from the Peasholm Park End. Unkempt locks flopping in the breeze, the Yorkshire bowler looked uncommonly like a 17th century Puritan, an Anabaptist perhaps. It had already been a productive session for Sidebottom, who had dismissed Michael Lumb in his second over when the batsman groped at an away-swinger and edged a catch to Andy Hodd.Now Steven Mullaney played a shot almost at right angles to a very straight ball which whacked into his pad. Sidebottom swivelled and demanded that divine judgement be visited upon the unrighteous. Neil Mallender, who might be flattered by such a notion, obliged. The moving finger was raised and Mullaney moved on.Nottinghamshire were 48 for 4 when their opener was out and they had added only four more when Samit Patel attempted a brainless uppercut to a ball that was too close and too low for the shot. First slip Tim Bresnan took a two-handed head-high catch and Reads men were 230 runs behind with half their batting gone. Sidebottom had taken three wickets for five runs in 12 balls.All this was greeted with cheers by the stallholders on the North Marine Road side until they contemplated the effects on their profits of a two-day finish. The Scarborough Festival is a celebration of all things Yorkshire but its about making a bit of brass, too: there is the Yorkshire Foundation, a Yorkshire Bread stall and the whole affair is sponsored by - you guessed it - Welcome to Yorkshire. Even Jack Russell, that artist among wicketkeepers turned the real McCoy with brushes, makes sure there are pictures of the ground under his strawberry gazebo.Sadly for those wearing green and yellow, the morning was no sort of celebration of all things Notts. Chris Read, their very present help at all times of trouble, was caught at coveer by Alex Lees when attempting to pull a ball from Jack Brooks.dddddddddddd Brendan Taylor, who risked cricketing vertigo by reaching double figures, inside-edged Steve Patterson onto his off pole and Bresnan cleaned up the tail. Notts lost their last eight wickets for 53 runs in 23 overs, their deficit was 188 and no member of Yorkshires attack had bowled more than seven overs. We waited for the follow-on to be enforced and Scarboroughs landladies held a summit meeting to consider the impact of a mass checkout.But, dear reader, they batted on. Instead of going for the quick kill, Yorkshires stand-in skipper, Gary Ballance, chose to hunt the stag to exhaustion. We thought with a lead of 188, we didnt want to bat last on this wicket, he said. We thought it better to get a big lead, rest the bowlers up and come out with a refreshed attack. Well look to get a lead of 500 or so, depending on the weather, and then our bowlers will be ready to go.All the same, with rain forecast, Ballances decision surprised many, including some former first-class cricketers. Curiously, though, batting on was entirely in keeping with the spirit of the old-style Festival, when sides like TN Pearces XI, MCC and the tourists played first-class matches in which winning certainly mattered but had to be incorporated into the overarching aim of making sure games went the distance.So in the afternoon session, Yorkshire scored 113 runs off 35 overs. Lees levied a quartet of successive off-side fours off Mullaney before he was lbw to Brett Hutton for 30 and Adam Lyth had made a pleasant enough 41 when his leading edge was caught by the bowler, Luke Wood. In the evening session the lead was extended to 388 with Jake Lehmann and Jack Leaning passing up chances to make substantial scores but Ballance progressing ruthlessly to 75 not out.It all made fine watching for most of the spectators on a summer afternoon plucked from an Enid Blyton story in which everyone is safe and the children go home for macaroons and ginger beer. Certainly the spectators were not complaining: cricket is the true faith here and watching Yorkshire grinding opponents down is how they enjoy spending their days.And there was even talk of a pleasant epilogue to the cricket. It is rumoured that Ballance has been made a KGD (Knight of the Golden Dustpan) by Scarboroughs relieved landladies. He would be the first Old Harrovian to receive the honour. ' ' '