CLERMONT, Ind. — Doug Kalitta had tried 22 times to take home a Wally from the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, but every year luck didn’t go his way.

Finally, on Monday at Lucas Oil Raceway, luck was on the 55-year-old veteran’s side.

Despite it being a relatively mediocre run, Kalitta’s 4.144-second pass at 212.43 mph was enough for him to defeat Billy Torrence in the final round of Monday’s Top Fuel eliminations to take home his first U.S. Nationals trophy.

“I’m a real persistent guy, so I never give up,” Kalitta said after the 46th NHRA national event victory.

Kalitta’s run to the final was no cakewalk. First, he had to get past the always-fast Clay Millican, which he did via holeshot. He then had to dispatch No. 1 qualifier and track record holder Brittany Force in round two before facing off with Force’s rookie teammate, Austin Prock, in the semifinals.

“When we got by Clay, I was thinking this is going to be a good opportunity,” Kalitta said. “We try not to worry about who’s in the other lane, but Brittany’s car has been on a rail. She qualified first, so we knew we had a tough run there and it was a close race.

“We raced another JFR car in the semifinals. They’ve got quite an arsenal over there. Austin’s doing an awesome job and I think all of us are trying to keep up with how hard he’s hitting that tree. He left on me by a little bit, fortunately we were able to get by him.”

Force and Prock both fell to Kalitta’s Mac Tools dragster, leaving just Torrence to face him in the final round.

“We came out of the semifinals and had to stop to do a quick interview with FOX and I got back just in time to warm up my car,” Kalitta recalled. “I was glad I was able to be the one to warm up my car because I didn’t want to change up anything the way our day was going.”

The final against Torrence was, in Kalitta’s own words, “kind of ugly.” Both cars had issues on the run to the finish line, with Kalitta getting their first to collect his first U.S. Nationals Wally.

“At 800 feet, it seemed like my car was just coasting with no power,” Kalitta said. “It just started spinning the tires and I’m not sure if it threw the belt off or what happened. It pretty much died out there.

“I thought it was over, but the win light came on.”

The victory lined up perfectly with the 25th anniversary of his team owner and uncle Connie Kalitta’s U.S. Nationals triumph in 1994. A U.S. Nationals victory is special, but for the Kalitta family, that made this U.S. Nationals mean just a little bit more.

“I just can’t say enough about everyone that’s been working on my Mac Tools Toyota,” the U.S. Nationals Top Fuel winner said. “They were busting their butts — and Connie (Kalitta) was right there with them. Having him in our corner is awesome. What a day. It feels great to win a big race that Connie won.”

DETROIT -- Niklas Kronwall is retiring after 15 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings.

The hard-hitting defenseman announced his retirement in a video Tuesday on the team's Twitter account, saying he would be taking a new role within the organization. Kronwall played 953 games in his NHL career and was part of the Detroit team that won the Stanley Cup in 2008.

Kronwall had three goals and 24 assists in 79 games last season.

The rebuilding Red Wings are in their first offseason since the return of Steve Yzerman as general manager. They've missed the postseason three straight years.

Kronwall's future was uncertain when 2018-19 ended, but he'd shown over the past couple seasons that he could stay healthy. The Swede said in his retirement video that it was an honor to wear the Red Wings' jersey, and that Detroit has become home for him and his family.

Alexis Sanchez has said he has no regrets over his decision to join Manchester United last year.

The Chile international signed for Inter Milan on a season-long loan after 18 months at Old Trafford where he managed only five goals in 45 appearances.

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The forward has joined up with Romelu Lukaku at Inter after the Belgium international also joined the Nerazzurri this summer.

"I'm very happy I went to Manchester United," he told BBC Sport. "It's the club that's won the most in England.

"When I went to Arsenal it was fantastic -- I was happy there -- but United were growing at the time, they were buying players to win something.

"I wanted to join them and win everything. I don't regret going there."

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said Sanchez could feature for the club after his loan spell in Serie A but the forward said he needs regular minutes on the pitch to feel happy.

"I think that I'm happy when I play for my national team," he added. "I was happy at Manchester United too, but I've always said to my friends I want to play.

"If they would let me play I'll do my best. Sometimes I'd play 60 minutes then I wouldn't play the next game -- and I didn't know why."

Meanwhile, Inter have confirmed Sanchez will wear the No. 7 shirt at the club this season.

The search for a weakness in Ben Stokes' considerable armour is keeping Tim Paine awake at night. Such an admission is rare in cricket's often sanitised press conferences in which captains talk of focussing on their processes, execution of plans and whatever other bland sportspeak is in vogue. So it was intriguing to hear Paine, asked if he could be another Australian captain who floundered on an England allrounder, concede that, while his own position is of no concern, the question of how to deal with Stokes is causing considerable insomnia.

"Nah I haven't lost a hell of a lot of sleep thinking about my captaincy," Paine said on the eve of the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford. "But I have lost a bit of sleep thinking how we're going to get him out, that's for sure. He's a class player and he's really confident at the moment. He's going well."

It remains to be seen if Stokes' Headingley heroics become a series-winning contribution in the vein of Ian Botham or Andrew Flintoff, and Joe Root will undoubtedly be spending a similar portion of his waking hours pondering the best way to remove Steven Smith from the crease. But for Paine, at least, there were enough signs in the morning session on day four at Headingley that Nathan Lyon may provide the key to neutralising Stokes.

In the period before the new ball was introduced on the final day in Leeds, it seemed all but certain that Lyon would take Stokes' wicket, so often did he tease the outside edge of the bat with sharp turn and considerable bounce. It was only later, after Jonny Bairstow's arrival at the crease energised the run rate, that Stokes was able to dominate Lyon in brutal fashion.

"We've got some plans for him - but we've just got to execute them a bit better. As I said post [the Headingley] Test match, I think Nathan Lyon has actually bowled really well to him. He's created a number of chances each time he's bowled to him. We think as a fast bowling group, we can tweak things a little bit to him, but the other side of it is we hold our chances when Nathan is bowling to him. If we can do that, I think Gaz [Lyon] can open the game up for us through that middle order. The last two Tests in particular, we've let Nathan down a bit with our fielding."

Lyon's distress - he did miss the run-out that could have sealed it for Australia - at the conclusion of the third Test was painfully clear, as he dropped to the ground and had to be pulled up onto his feet by Paine before walking off, disconsolate, covering his face with his arm. In the aftermath of the match, Paine revealed he had encouraged the spinner to be an example to the other players and not allow the disappointment overwhelm him. At Old Trafford, Paine confirmed that Lyon has risen to the challenge.

"The instant disappointment was there for all of us to see after, on the field. But I think you go off the field for five minutes and sit down and put it all in perspective and realise that we are in the middle of an Ashes and he's a huge asset for us and I think he is ready to go. I would say he is really driven for these last two Test matches. He's found out a bit who his friends are in the last week and he's continued to prove people wrong, like he has his whole career."

A friendship that appears unlikely to form during this series is the one between Paine and Jofra Archer. The captain visibly bristled when Archer's recent comments about Australia panicking towards the end of the third Test were mentioned and the "choker" tag that has appeared in some media.

"No, and I've addressed it previously," said Paine, when asked if Australia had panicked or choked. "Jofra's entitled to his opinion, he's had plenty of those that's for sure. But we made some mistakes, it happens, we've addressed it as a team, we've spoken about it honestly. I was certainly one of those people who made mistakes, it happens in cricket, we've moved on and we're here ready for a great Test match."

The brusque manner of Paine's answer was sharp enough to invite further inquiries about whether or not Archer had touched a nerve or taken up residency under his skin.

"Not at all," said Paine. "Just that, as I said, I was told a few things when I was down in Derby - I haven't actually seen the quotes - but, yeah, talk is talk and we are here to play this Test match. What's happened in the past has happened and Jofra is entitled to his opinion. As I said, it doesn't faze us one way or another."

It was a dismissive deflection and one that suggests Paine won't be losing any sleep over Archer's chat, unlike Stokes' elusive wicket.

He probably isn't the player the crowds will be looking forward to watching, he probably isn't the bowler keeping Steve Smith awake at night and he probably isn't likely to feature on the front cover of Wisden, but Craig Overton's selection for this fourth Test makes some sense.

Overton is, in many ways, an archetypal English seamer. He is not especially quick - 85mph may be his peak speed - and doesn't gain the sharp movement of James Anderson. But he will hit a consistent line and length, he will gain more bounce than most, he bowls a decent bouncer and he will not wilt under pressure. He won't let England down.

With England keen to ensure their strike bowlers are not worked into the ground and concerned that Chris Woakes is a little jaded after a tumultuous few months, Overton has been called up to offer reliability and control. They are not the most glamorous of attributes but, in a team blessed with more flamboyance than consistency, more champagne than bread-and-butter, such skills have their place.

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While his selection here may seem to come out of the blue, it doesn't really. He was put on unofficial standby as a concussion substitute earlier in the series and, in the last month, is said to have recovered that bit of nip and bounce that suggests he is at his best. He has claimed 32 wickets at 21.34 this Championship season and while his brother, Jamie (who has claimed 26 at 18.88 this season), is notably sharper, he is also less reliable.

Some, it seems, will never forgive Overton for an incident in 2015 when he was alleged to have abused - perhaps racially - Sussex's Ashar Zaidi. And it is true there were aspects of the case - not least that the comments were reported by two exemplary witnesses, non-striking batsman Michael Yardy and one of the umpires, Alex Wharf - which remain concerning.

Before rushing to condemn him, however, it is worth remembering he was found guilty of a Level One offence - using language that is obscene, offensive or insulting - and not a Level Two or Three offence - which would have encompassed racial abuse. In short, he wasn't found to have committed the more serious charge. As a result, it doesn't seem especially reasonable to continue to hold it against him.

The England management have long admired his tough character. This was demonstrated early in his Test career when he not only top-scored in the first innings of his debut Test in Adelaide - he made 41 from No. 9 - but also bowled the most overs and took the most wickets in Australia's first innings. His maiden wicket was Steve Smith.

Perhaps more persuasively, he shrugged off a cracked rib - sustained when Pat Cummins struck him with a short ball - to bowl 41 overs in Australia's first innings in the following Test in Perth. He was only forced to admit defeat when throwing himself into a diving boundary save. He heard a large crack as he landed - the little crack becoming something more substantial - and was ruled out for the rest of the series. Paul Farbrace used to say, were it up to him, he would include him in every England team.

Overton will have the role of workhorse here. He may be expected to bowl long, tight spells and ensure Jofra Archer, in particular, can be used more sparingly. England hope that his extra height will extract a bit more bounce from a surface that isn't expected to offer the same lateral movement as other tracks in this series. Indeed, in normal circumstances, it looks to be the sort of surface - a little cracked already and with little grass cover - on which two spinners might be played. But with Adil Rashid injured and Moeen Ali out of sorts, Jack Leach will be relied upon to carry that burden. At least one member of England's coaching staff thought it an oddly hospitable pitch which offered no home advantage.

Woakes can probably count himself unfortunate. Having suffered from a knee injury through the winter tours, he was obliged to play several games for Warwickshire in order to prove his fitness ahead of the World Cup. He then played in the series against Pakistan, the whole World Cup and every Test so far this summer. And, while England insist he was fit for selection here, there were times at Leeds, at least, when the miles in the legs started to show. He will hate to miss out on this game, but the break may do him good.

In the longer term, the England management are concerned at his effectiveness on flat surfaces, especially flat surfaces where there is no Duke's ball available to him. They point out he could still play at The Oval in the unlikely event that the pitch is green but his captain's use of him so far this series - lack of use, might be more accurate - does not augur especially well for him.

Sam Curran, too, could be forgiven for wondering why he is with the squad. But while he clearly has talent with bat and ball, he is a bit slower and a bit shorter than Overton. The concern is his batting is not quite strong enough - he hasn't scored a first-class century - to bat in the top six and his bowling not quite strong enough to be relied upon to ensure that Archer and co aren't over-bowled. His best chance of a place may be at No. 7 instead of Jos Buttler.

It is revealing that the only selection change has involved the bowlers. While there has been the odd day in recent years when England's bowlers have struggled for penetration or consistency, this team's primary problem remains their fragile batting. Shuffling that top-order seems unlikely to suddenly unearth a pair of aces. There are two of three batsmen in this side who really need to repay the faith shown in them.

In the longer term, there seems to be a strong temptation to play Zak Crawley and Dominic Sibley in a top three that also includes Rory Burns. But for that, it seems, we will have to wait until they reach New Zealand. There is important business to be conducted first.

Sussex will go into their T20 Blast quarter-final against Worcestershire on Friday night with only one overseas player, after Jason Behrendorff was recalled by Western Australia following a back injury.

Behrendorff, who signed as a replacement overseas player due to Rashid Khan's Afghanistan commitments, played only two games in the tournament, going wicketless against both Essex and Glamorgan.

He was a more direct replacement for Tymal Mills, the left-arm seamer, who was ruled out of the tournament in August, also with a back injury.

Behrendorff's injury means that Sussex will go into Friday night's game with Alex Carey as their only overseas player.

It is unlikely that Carey would be available for Finals Day if Sussex were to make it. His state, South Australia, begin their 50-over season against Queensland three days later, and it is expected that they will recall him to train before that game.

Rashid would also be missing due to a clash with Afghanistan's T20I tri-series against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, meaning that if Sussex were to win on Friday night, they could well be without an overseas player.

Friday's game sold out within 48 hours of going on sale, giving Sussex a seventh full house in eight Blast home games, and captain Luke Wright paid tribute to the club's fans.

"The atmosphere at Hove this year has been the best I can remember for many seasons," Wright said. "Even in my 15th season playing T20 at the ground, the cheers of Sharks fans never fail to send a tingle down the spine when walking out to the middle."

India offspinner R Ashwin is likely to join Delhi Capitals for the 2020 IPL. ESPNcricinfo understands Ashwin is on the verge of moving out of Kings XI Punjab, who signed him at the 2018 auction for INR 7.6 crore (then USD 1.176 million approx) and appointed him captain. It is understood that although the move would be termed as a trade, technically, Capitals are buying out the player in an all-cash deal.

It is understood that, Capitals apart, even Sunrisers Hyderabad had expressed interest in Ashwin at one point, but talks did not go far.

The offer to procure Ashwin is believed to have come from Capitals, with both franchises engaged in talks for the past few months. If the deal goes through, Ashwin's procurement would further swell Capitals' rich collection of spinners.

Capitals' other Indian and overseas spinners include Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Rahul Tewatia, Mayank Markande, J Suchith and Sandeep Lamichhane.

Capitals would become the fourth IPL franchise for Ashwin, who has previously represented Chennai Super Kings, Rising Pune Supergiant and Kings XI. Ashwin, who will soon be 33, is one of the most versatile and successful spinners in the IPL.

Over the years, Ashwin has not been afraid to experiment both with his bowling action and his stock balls, and has utilised his variety to create doubt and dominate batsmen. With his experience and skillset, Ashwin has proved to be an asset as he can bowl in the Powerplay, dry up runs in the middle overs, or restrict batsmen at the death. Overall, Ashwin has taken 125 wickets in 139 IPL matches at an economy rate of 6.79, which is the best among all Indian bowlers with 50-plus wickets.

With Ashwin as captain, Kings XI won 12 games and lost 16 in the past two IPL seasons. Although they were a contender for the playoffs at the halfway stage in both seasons, they eventually failed to advance.

It is understood that Kings XI, who recently sacked their entire coaching staff led by the New Zealander Mike Hesson, are likely to appoint a new captain with India batsman KL Rahul being the favourite. One of the Kings XI owners said that the management was keen to have a new captain who would lead the franchise in the future.

With stats inputs from Bharath Seervi