BROWNSBURG, Ind. — John Force Racing and Chevrolet have agreed to a multi-year partnership extension.

“I want to thank Chevrolet and everyone who has faith in John Force Racing. I got a job to do and that’s to win and sell Chevrolet cars and trucks. They want winners and I told them we’d give it everything we’ve got and that’s all you can do. Trusting in us and re-signing us, that’s pretty cool,” said John Force, CEO and owner of John Force Racing and driver of this weekend’s PEAK Chevrolet Performance Accessories Chevrolet Camaro SS. “I started with Chevrolet. I’ll never forget that. We’re helping to keep that Chevrolet name alive in the NHRA because they keep John Force Racing and 140 employees alive and we just thank you for that, Chevrolet.”

“We are proud to continue to partner with John Force and his race team,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet Vice President Performance and Motorsports. “John is the best. He is an incredible champion and a legend, and we are thrilled that John Force Racing and Chevrolet will continue to race together.”

The legendary drag racing team and automobile titan have had a storied history. Team owner and CEO John Force has won 72 of his 150 NHRA victories in a General Motors vehicle, 19 of which have come in a Chevrolet. His first final round in 1979 was in a Chevrolet, his first win came in an Oldsmobile in Montreal 1987 and Force’s first three of 16 championships came in an Oldsmobile. His fourth championship, in 1994, came in a Chevrolet.

Since returning to Chevrolet in 2015, John Force Racing has produced two championships (2017 Funny Car with Robert Hight and Top Fuel Dragster with Brittany Force) and 40 national event wins (Robert Hight, 16 Funny Car; John Force, 9 Funny Car; Brittany Force, 9 Top Fuel, Courtney Force, 5 Funny Car and Austin Prock, 1 Top Fuel).

BROWNSBURG, Ind. – E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series competitor Chad Green was transported to a local hospital Saturday after a horrific high-speed crash during qualifying at the 65th annual Chevrolet Performance NHRA U.S. Nationals.

Green was transported by ambulance from Lucas Oil Raceway to Indiana University Methodist Hospital, where he awaits surgery to address an upper back injury.

“First off, the support we’re getting from the racing community has been overwhelming,” said Pat Musi, who has served as crew chief for Chad Green since the Midland, Texas-based driver started laying the foundation for his NHRA Pro Mod debut in 2018. “To everyone who’s offered to drive the rig, came by the pits and helped us load up, offered their well wishes – thank you. We truly appreciate it.

“Right now, we’re focused on getting Chad on the mend. He’s with his family – his mother and father have flown in – and his kids were by his side all night. He’s alert, talking, knows what’s going on and what happened. The doctors have gotten his pain under control, and he’ll be going into surgery this afternoon.”

Andrew Petersen, Director of Marketing for Chad Green Motorsports, echoed Musi’s sentiments and added there’s currently no timetable set for a return.

“It’s our hope to know more and have more details later today and, of course, over the course of the next few days, weeks and months,” said Petersen. “Chad and his family are so very grateful for the outpouring of support – phone calls, texts, emails. We’ll do our best to keep our racing family and fans updated throughout this process.”

Robert Hight was ready to go for the NHRA season opener at California’s Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in February.

Then, he discovered in cross-country trips from his Anaheim Hills, Calif., home to the John Force Racing headquarters in Brownsburg, Ind., that the bitter midwestern temperatures were irritating his still-healing collarbone. He had broken it during the final-round crash that made his Countdown victory last September at Gateway Motorsports Park even more spectacular.

Within two weeks after the crash, he had undergone surgery, gotten fitted for custom padding and won the next race, pressuring eventual champion J.R. Todd until the final day of the season.

Losing in the first round at the final two races, losing his grip on first place and being unable to stop Todd kept Hight motivated.

Then came the mad scramble at John Force Racing — where Hight has been president since January 2011 — to get Austin Prock on track in time for the Winternationals.

Back in April 2018, team owner John Force had spoken of a three-year plan to groom Prock for his pro debut. But drag-racing legend Don Prudhomme found sponsorship for Prock and the race was on to assemble a Top Fuel team for the youngster.

The Winternationals was just five days away when Hight received the phone call informing him of the 11th-hour development. So Hight switched gears, put aside his own preparations and organized the formation of Prock’s team.

Prock had tested in a Funny Car but never in a dragster, so he was getting the feel of the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Dragster — of any dragster — for the first time with five days until showtime. Hight was engaged fully in the process of Prock’s premiere, from deciding the 23-year-old former midget and sprint car driver would race a dragster rather than a Funny Car to completing contracts to ensure the proper decals were affixed to the car.

That was in addition to monitoring costly but crucial safety improvements to both of the team’s Funny Cars and Brittany Force’s dragster. The NHRA mandated specific extra padding for the Funny Cars and JFR was fashioning a wider Top Fuel canopy.

That would have been enough to keep Hight occupied throughout an offseason. But on top of that, the lingering issue of the sanctioning body’s unclear-at-best concussion protocol also needed to be addressed. So at the urging of IndyCar Series driver Graham Rahal, John Force’s son-in-law, Hight and Force met with Indianapolis-based orthopedic expert Dr. Terry Trammell and NHRA tech officials Glen Gray and Tim White to learn how best to protect drivers.

All of these distractions didn’t faze Hight one bit on the race track. He won the season-opening Winternationals and has led the standings ever since. He built his 34-10 record during the first 16 races on five victories in seven final rounds. His victory at California’s Sonoma Raceway in late July was the 50th of his career.

This hectic pace is simply a way of life now for Hight, who said that during his early days in the sport, “Mechanically, I knew enough and I could get a job on a team — I didn’t know I could get a job with John Force.”

Hight’s career has evolved in a rather stunning way. At first, he was elated just to be a crew hand. He served as the clutch specialist for seven championship seasons from 1995-2001. He eventually wanted to get off the road and manage the facility, then had the urge to drive, which Force satisfied in 2005.

“It’s one thing to be a crew member. These guys work very, very hard, do the same thing week after week. I didn’t want to continue doing that. Now, driving, that’s another thing. It’s not the same,” Hight said. “And years later, I still love it just as much as I did. It never gets old. I never look at is as, ‘Oh, gosh, I’ve got to get on a plane again tomorrow.’ Heck no — I’m going to a race. Even when I’ve been in slumps, it was never, ever,‘Why am I doing this?’ Nothing like that. It’s like, ‘This is going to be our weekend,’ always dreaming that this is the weekend we’re going to turn things around.”

Hight is a two-time champion (2009 and ’17) and president of the company. And he, too, claims he’s amazed at how far he has come in a sport his parents urged him not to pursue.

“I pinch myself. It’s hard for me to believe,” he said. “Honestly, I never thought I would get to drive. It was my dream, but you’ve got to face reality. Luckily, John gave me the chance. In all honesty, it wouldn’t have happened if I had not been married to his daughter.”

That’s one wrinkle in an otherwise perfect story. Hight and Force’s eldest daughter, Adria, are the parents of teenage daughter Autumn. But Hight and Adria Force split several years ago, although their relationship is amicable for their daughter’s sake — and the fact they still work together. Adria Force is the CFO of John Force Racing.

“We get along fine. We have to work together every day. If we didn’t do it right, it would be awkward for everybody that works around us and that isn’t fair to them,” Hight said. “We communicate, like we always did. There’s not going to be any fighting. Things didn’t work out and we moved on.”

Many wonder how Hight feels being overshadowed by the larger-than-life John Force, the boss who has eight times more championships and literally 100 more victories.

“I don’t look at it like that,” Hight said. “John’s been racing 40 years and he’s a 16-time champ and has more wins than anybody else. He deserves to be where he’s at today. I’m very grateful for him giving me this opportunity to drive. If it wasn’t for John, I wouldn’t be doing this. So it doesn’t bother me one bit. I’m probably his biggest fan. I like the role that I play. I’m not a storyteller. I’m not a comedian. I’m more serious and technical. I think it’s a good balance.”

A sign of Hight’s loyalty came in 2007 when Force was hospitalized for several weeks with multiple fractures and injuries from a frightening crash. Hight stayed by Force’s side and even provided some custodial care. That’s about as personal as it gets, yet Hight said, “When you care about somebody, you do whatever you can to help him. It didn’t bother me a bit.”

Hight thinks a team with two John Force personalities might be impossible.

“It would clash. I just don’t know that that could work,” Hight said. “John’s an easy person to get along with. John can get along with anybody. But Kobe Bryant could not play with LeBron James.”

But he was quick to say Force gives people the limelight more often than fans might recognize: “Definitely. He wins a race against you, and he wants to pull you into the interview and get you some attention, too. That’s the kind of person he is.”

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Carolina Hurricanes captain Justin Williams says he is taking a break from the NHL to start this season.

With the start of training camp looming later this month, the 37-year-old forward said Monday that he will "step away" from the sport.

"This is the first time in my life that I've felt unsure of my aspirations with regards to hockey," Williams said in a statement released by the team. "For as long as I can remember, my whole offseason until this point has been hockey and doing what was necessary to prepare for the upcoming season.

"Because of my current indecision, and without the type of mental and physical commitment that I'm accustomed to having, I've decided to step away from the game," he added.

Williams is an unrestricted free agent and three-time Stanley Cup champion whose two-year contract with Carolina expired after last season. He took over the team captaincy last year and led the Hurricanes to the Eastern Conference final in their first playoff berth since 2009.

Williams has 312 goals and 474 assists in his 18-year career with Carolina, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Washington. He was a key member of the Hurricanes' 2006 Cup championship team and also won it twice with the Kings, earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2014.

He had 23 goals and 30 assists while playing all 82 regular-season games last season, then had four goals and three assists during the Hurricanes' three playoff rounds.

General manager Don Waddell says the Hurricanes prepared for the possibility of not having Williams.

Paris Saint-Germain have completed the signing of goalkeeper Keylor Navas from Real Madrid on a permanent basis with Alphonse Areola moving in the opposite direction.

The Costa Rica international established himself as the Spanish giants' first-choice goalkeeper after his arrival in 2014 from Levante and helped Real to three consecutive Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018.

- Champions League group stage: All you need to know

Navas said in a tweet: "If God changes our plan it is because he has something better in mind. I hope to begin a new path and make history with PSG."

Navas, 32, also won the La Liga, Supercopa de Espana, two UEFA Super Cups and three FIFA Club World Cup titles but has since fallen to second in the pecking order behind Thibaut Courtois.

He joins PSG as No. 1 ahead of Sergio Rico and fellow summer signing Marcin Bulka -- a move that ends years of uncertainty over the goalkeeping hierarchy.

Navas, who underwent his medical in Spain, should debut for the French champions at home to Strasbourg in Ligue 1 after the international break.

He will also immediately come up against his former employers Madrid in the opening match of PSG's Champions League Group A campaign at Parc des Princes.

Areola, 26, moves to the Bernabeu on a one-year loan deal with no option to purchase.

Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens recap a hectic North London Derby and what the result means for Tottenham and Arsenal. Plus, they discuss Juventus' dramatic win over Napoli.

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Gab Marcotti is here to recap another busy, dramatic weekend in soccer. Welcome to Monday Musings.

Jump to: North London derby lessons | Juve, Napoli show flaws | Barca drop points | Lukaku abused | Man United's transition | Bale back for Real? | Dortmund's wake-up call | Salah, Mane drama? | Super Simeone and Atletico| Rome derby a fun one | Trouble for Lampard? | Big statement by Bayern | And finally... Bas Dost

Derby lessons: Arsenal, Spurs miles off the pace

What struck you most about the North London Derby was how ragged and stretched these two teams became in the second half. When the distance between the back line and the attackers expands like it did on Sunday, it's usually the result of a tactical breakdown. You could chalk some of it up to fatigue, I guess, but it's not what you expect from coaches like Mauricio Pochettino and Unai Emery. The former has had plenty of time to build a side with a distinct tactical identity, while the latter is in his second season and has a reputation as a tactical savant.

The result was a 2-2 draw that left little doubt that these two teams aren't where their managers want them to be. Tottenham in particular look a shadow of themselves not just tactically, but physically as well: maybe it's the result of the summer training regimen, which is notoriously taxing under Pochettino but yields dividends later. At least Jan Vertonghen and Christian Eriksen seem to be off the naughty step, Dele Alli is close to full fitness and, when Tanguy Ndombele returns, there will be more options.

Pochettino put a rather more positive spin on it -- "I am so optimistic that we have the quality to build again" he said, adding that "the good feelings" had returned -- but you wonder how much of that was "managerspeak." It's going to take more to convince most that Spurs have turned the corner.

As for Emery, he praised his team's hard work to get a point after being 2-0 down at home, while also complaining about their tactical foibles in the first half. You wonder, though, what his game plan was to begin with. Going with a 4-3-3 formation while leaving out Dani Ceballos at home is a statement that screams: "we're going to sit and counter," which is fine even if a bit humdrum. But if you're going to do that, at least do it well.

- Ogden: Fightback will buy Emery more time
- Spurs ratings: Son stands out
- Arsenal ratings: Aubameyang, Lacazette 8/10

The biggest concern, though, has to be down the spine. In midfield, for the bright spot that was Matteo Guendouzi, there was the nasty blot that was Granit Xhaka. And at the back, David Luiz had one of those "switch-off" games, while Sokratis Papastathopoulos was at fault for the first goal.

Was it a one-off? Do we expect these two thirty-somethings to markedly improve at the season wears on? And if they don't, are we comfortable with Rob Holding (who hasn't played since 2018), Calum Chambers (who mostly played midfield last year) and Shkodran Mustafi (who is, well, Shkodran Mustafi) to step up?

Nope, me neither.

This was the season many hoped the North London clubs would close the gap on Liverpool and Manchester City. Instead, the chasm still looks huge.

Juventus, Napoli flaws exposed in seven-goal thriller

For a minute, Carlo Ancelotti must have been thinking he was living his own personal Istanbul, only in reverse. His side were 3-0 down away to Juventus and stormed back to equalize. (OK, nitpickers: I know the difference as I was there. Liverpool's turnaround took six minutes, this one took 15, but still ...) And then, deep in injury time, Kalidou Koulibaly sliced a clearance into the back of the net in the cruelest twist to give Juve a 4-3 win.

For the neutral, it was captivating. For the two clubs, a sign that there is still work to do.

Ancelotti questioned the defensive mistakes -- not so much Koulibaly's own goal, but what came before -- and why his team "only started playing in the second half." He has a point, although sending on Hirving "Chucky" Lozano and Mario Rui at half-time undoubtedly rattled Juve and illustrates the range of attacking options at his disposal: it's up to him to find the right mix in the right game.

- Horncastle: Juve, Napoli show Serie A is wide open

Juventus didn't look much like a Maurizio Sarri team -- possibly because his illness means he hasn't taken training in several weeks and watched from a luxury box -- but rather, for more than an hour, like a version of last season's. They were stout defensively and devastating on the break, with plenty individual quality. Then came the collapse, and while fingers will be pointed at Matthijs De Ligt, it's worth remembering the obvious. He only turned 20 last month -- at his age Leo Bonucci had played a single minute of league football and Giorgio Chiellini had yet to make his debut in Serie A and both turned out OK -- and he's dealing with massive changes like a new league, a new language and a new culture.

Plus, with all due respect to the Eredivisie, you can probably count on two hands the number of opponents of Napoli's quality that he has faced, and that includes Champions League and internationals. That said, De Ligt is a very different player from the injured Chiellini: for all his skills, he lacks the freakish athleticism that can help a young player paper over tactical cracks. Juventus will need to make adjustments while he develops.

Beyond that, there were plenty of positives for both managers to focus on. Gonzalo Higuain may not last 90 minutes, but he looked sharp and motivated and poised for a comeback season. The formation switch -- 4-3-3 when attacking, 4-4-2, with Douglas Costa sliding into midfield and Blaise Matuidi going wide -- also worked relatively well and might be the answer to carrying Cristiano Ronaldo and Higuain in a Sarri system. Napoli showed tons of personality and Fabian Ruiz, again, showed his quality and leadership, while Alex Meret made some key saves.

There's plenty more to work on -- Juve could use more width, Napoli's center-backs need to get back to where we expect them to be -- but the foundations are there.

Barcelona drop points amid Neymar drama

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez will supposedly return after the international break. When they do, they'll find a Barcelona side five points off the pace in La Liga after the weekend's 1-1 draw with Osasuna. Not much to cheer then, apart from the contributions of homegrown youngsters Carles Perez and, in particular, 16-year-old Ansu Fati, who came on and became the third-youngest goal scorer in the history of La Liga.

Much of the past week has been marked by Barcelona's pursuit of Neymar. As I said before, this never felt like a football move (they already have Messi, Suarez and Antoine Griezmann up front) or, indeed, a rational one (Barca aren't a bottomless pit of cash, and Neymar breaks the bank wherever he goes). Now, I'm wondering if it was ever real.

The rumour going around Monaco at the Champions League draw was that it more a case of Barca wanting to appear to be doing something in order to appease somebody. (Who? Fans? Media? Messi? Who the heck knows?)

The fact that PSG say they only received the first written offer on August 27 and that the only way this deal would ever get done was as a player-plus-cash swap, which is always complicated and time-consuming and suggests this was never the cards. And maybe both clubs knew it all along.

Cagliari, Italy must step up against racial abuse

It happened again at Cagliari. You'd rather talk about Inter's 2-1, victory but the actions of the few imbeciles who racially abused Romelu Lukaku make it tough to do, especially since a whole string of players of color have been abused there, most recently Moise Kean and Blaise Matuidi.

Lukaku, to his credit, called for unity on Monday among players against this issue and there will be, rightly, calls for the authorities to act. But this illustrates neatly what the problem is and what Cagliari -- both club and fans -- can and must do right now. It's not just about apologising and condemning; it's about identifying (name and shame, let's see what their families/employers think about this) those responsible and making it clear they're not welcome at their ground. That applies to the supporters in the Curva Nord who heard the abuse and the stewards in that area of the ground.

The former ought to be encouraged to step forward (yes, there are cameras and microphones, but eyewitness accounts -- even relayed anonymously -- go a whole lot further in getting things done), the latter ought to be told to do their jobs.

Expect a long, difficult season for Man United

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer felt Manchester United "should have won" instead of drawing 1-1 with Southampton, blaming the fact they did not on "finishing" and "final passes." To each his own. I'd be more concerned about how extraordinarily one-dimensional they look. It's true that you can have success by doing the same thing over and over if you do it extraordinarily well; it's just that much harder.

With Alexis Sanchez, Matteo Darmian and Chris Smalling leaving this past week, the first team is down to 25 outfield players. It sounds like a lot until you consider that six of them are relatively untested youngsters, another two (Marcos Rojo and Eric Bailly are long-term injury absentees) and another is Phil Jones.

It's obvious that this will be a long transition season with more players leaving by attrition: Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic and Ashley Young aren't getting any younger. The question is: transition to what? And should worse come to worse -- say, a mid-table finish -- will they stick with it or embark on their umpteenth change of direction?

Is Bale a key player again for Real?

Right now, it feels as if Zinedine Zidane is simply throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks. The 2-2 draw at Villarreal saw him again switch systems and personnel (4-4-2, with Gareth Bale and Lucas Vazquez out wide) and we caught our first glimpse of the Karim Benzema-Luka Jovic partnership. But while they had plenty of possession, there were also jitters -- and downright howlers, like Sergio Ramos' blunder -- at the back and often chaos up front.

Bale's two goals were his first in the league since March, although he rather put a dampener on his night by picking up two yellows in injury time. Does it mean he cares and isn't actually just interested in playing golf? I'll let others psychoanalyse him, since it seems to be a favorite leisure pursuit in and around Madrid.

Meanwhile though, you wonder how clear Zidane's thinking is, particularly vis-a-vis Bale, given he spent the summer pushing him out the door only to then start him in every game this season. You hope things will come into focus after the break, when Eden Hazard finally returns.

Dortmund aren't winning titles like this

Let Borussia Dortmund's 3-1 bloody nose away to Union Berlin serve as a wake-up call. This was a horrid performance that can't be explained away by the enthusiasm of playing away to a newly promoted club.

The summer spending, coupled with Bayern's rebuild, had many thinking it could be Dortmund's season. But that's not going to happen with performances like this.

No worry about Mane, Salah drama

I like the fact that even winning 3-0 away to Burnley, Sadio Mane got angry that Mohamed Salah didn't pass him the ball, despite that you'd imagine he'd be used to the Egyptian's foibles after two years together. You want to see players holding teammates to account and putting the team first.

I'm not sure it's greed on Salah's part as much as it is tunnel vision in the final third. It's something he's had his entire career -- and, possibly, what hurt his finishing early on -- and it has long frustrated managers and teammates. Klopp has done a bang-up job of papering over it, but the reality may be very simple: with Salah you just have to take the good with the bad.

And as long as the former far outweighs the latter, you'll put up with it.

Simeone's magic working on new Atletico

The only perfect side in La Liga are Atletico Madrid. And while they had to huff and puff to come back from two goals down to win 3-2 against Eibar, they're not just getting results, they've evolved and are more multifaceted (read: less "Cholistas") than before.

I said on the FC TV show and I'll say it again. When you consider the upheaval this summer with the departures of Griezmann, Rodri and, of course, Diego Godin, if they do win La Liga, they might as well rename their ground "Cholo" Metropolitano.

Whether it's the reinvention of Thomas Lemar, the faith in Joao Felix, the fact that Mario Hermoso looks like he's been there for five years or the belief in Renan Lodi's front-foot style, there is little question that Diego Simeone is earning his bacon this year.

Rome derby a real thrill ride

So much for the old trope whereby derbies are hard-fought, tight, fingernail-chewing affairs. Lazio and Roma finished 1-1, hitting the woodwork no fewer than six times between them and putting on a pulsating show.

Lazio look more like a team right now, which is what you expect given that this is Simone Inzaghi's fourth season and they made very few changes over the summer. Paulo Fonseca's side is a work in progress and they are going right down to the wire in the transfer market: Nikola Kalinic and Smalling arrived last week and Henrikh Mkhitaryan is his way. There's more to come from both.

Lampard's trust in youth leads to Chelsea draw

I'm all for giving youngsters a chance, but there's a time and a place. On Saturday, Chelsea were 2-0 up at half-time and flying at home to Sheffield United. They conceded a goal immediately after the break and suffered through most of the second half. With six minutes to go, Frank Lampard replaced Mateo Kovacic with Billy Gilmour, an 18-year-old midfielder making his debut.

Gilmour wasn't great, but he wasn't the reason Chelsea gave up the equalizer (you can blame successive mistakes from veterans for that) but those are far from ideal conditions in which to make your debut. You assume Lampard knows him best and that the kid has the personality and guts to bounce back, but what Lampard's choice shows most of all is that he feels zero pressure to do things according to conventional wisdom. This may or may not be a good thing.

A big statement by Bayern

Bayern got just what they wanted in their 6-1 walloping of Mainz. Ivan Perisic and Philippe Coutinho made their debuts in the starting XI, Robert Lewandowski scored again (what's new?) and even the much-maligned Alphonso Davies got on the score sheet.

You can't read too much into it because Mainz are awful and Robert Kovac was clearly shuffling his deck. But six different goal scorers feels good ...

And finally...

Bas Dost came on at half-time and scored on his debut for Eintracht Frankfurt in their 2-1 home win over Fortuna Dusseldorf, leaving them fifth in the table. With one goal every 45 minutes, he's on pace to score 63 goals this season.

This concludes the latest instalment of #BasDostWatch.

Big Picture

There are no certainties when it comes to the T20 captaincy, but for now Lasith Malinga is the man entrusted with the build up to the T20 World Cup next year, and he's clearly in a mood to experiment. In the first T20I, Malinga wanted to have a look at the batting. So although he acknowledged that bowling first might have been smarter (given the difficulty involved in defending a score with a wet ball), he wanted to give his young batting order a free hand. The results were hit-and-miss. Kusal Mendis' re-ascension to the top of the batting order clearly worked, with the batsman producing the best innings of the evening. Others, such as Kusal Perera and Avishka Fernando, though, failed to fire.

Malinga is unlikely to make wholesale changes after just one loss, but the batsmen in particular, who failed to make a significant impact on Sunday, will be on notice. The likes of Danushka Gunathilaka await a chance to get into the XI.

New Zealand, meanwhile, showcased the depth in their batting order - Ross Taylor, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner and Daryl Mitchell all providing important innings, after the top order had allowed the required rate to near 11 as early as the eighth over. While their established bowlers - Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi and Santer - all produced good performances, the relatively modest performances of the fringe fast bowlers will place them under some scrutiny. Seth Rance, in particular, leaked 58 runs in his four overs, and didn't take a wicket.

Form guide

New Zealand WWLWW (completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLLLL

In the spotlight

Ever since Ross Taylor moved to the lower-middle order in T20Is, he has been both more prolific, and more explosive. Where he had struck at 117 and averaged 23.22 at No. 4 for example (where he has most-often batted), he has struck at 131.39 at Nos. 5 and 6, and averages 38.18. On Sunday, hitting 48 off 29, he played exactly the kind of innings he's in that lower position for. If the top order fails, New Zealand still have a player of the explosive power and calibre of Taylor to come. He is, essentially, their middle-order insurance.

Isuru Udana has just been named one of the marquee players for South Africa's Mzansi Super League, and with the bat on Sunday, he showed exactly why, hitting two sixes off the first two balls he faced, in the last over of Sri Lanka's innings. Having first emerged in 2009, Udana spent years out of the Sri Lanka side but used that time wisely, honing not just his batting, but also his fielding. Even in a match against New Zealand, who have some of the best fielders on the planet, Udana can count himself among the best on the field. He is primarily chosen for his bowling however, so if he is to firm up his place in the side for that T20 World Cup, he will need to shake off his 0 for 38 off 3.3 overs from Sunday and show himself to be a more capable fast-bowling ally to Malinga.

Team news

Sri Lanka may be tempted to bring Danushka Gunathilaka into the side. But they'll likely go with the same XI.

Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Mendis, 2 Kusal Perera (wk), 3 Avishka Fernando, 4 Niroshan Dickwella, 5 Shehan Jayasuriya, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Isuru Udana, 9 Akila Dananjaya, 10 Lasith Malinga (capt), 11 Kasun Rajitha

With only 13 players available since a thumb fracture ruled Lockie Ferguson out of the series, New Zealand don't have a lot of options. They will likely play the same side as well.

New Zealand (possible): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Tim Seifert (wk), 4 Colin de Grandhomme, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Daryl Mitchell, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Scott Kuggeleijn, 9 Seth Rance, 10 Tim Southee (capt), 11 Ish Sodhi

Pitch and conditions

The Pallekele surface on Sunday had substantial turn, so expect that to be the case again. That wasn't to say there was nothing for the quicks though, with Tim Southee and Lasith Malinga the two best bowlers from either side. Rain may again interrupt.

Stats and trivia

• Ross Taylor averages 39.28 and strikes at 135 in Sri Lanka - better numbers than any other country he's played in, including New Zealand.

• Isuru Udana has scored 147 runs at a strike rate of 184 this year. He's played four innings and been dismissed only once.

• Lasith Malinga needs one more wicket to become the first bowler to 100 T20 international wickets. The next-closest active player is Shakib Al Hasan, who has 88 wickets.

Stuart Broad is excited to see the resumption of the "awesome" competition between Steve Smith and Jofra Archer when the Ashes resumes in Manchester on Wednesday.

While Broad welcomed the return of Smith after the worrying injury he sustained at Lord's, he warned that Test cricket was a "brutal sport" and there would be no respite in England's attempt to discomfort him.

Smith was obliged to miss the Leeds Test after sustaining a delayed concussion injury when hit on the neck by an Archer bouncer at Lord's. While Smith resumed his innings after a short period off the pitch, he appeared somewhat skittish and soon fell leg before having left a straight ball. Underlining his confused state, he called for a review of the decision but then walked off before it was confirmed.

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But while some have suggested he may be somewhat nervous when facing Archer, Smith has pointed out that the bowler has not actually dismissed him in the series. All of which has left Broad looking forward to another gripping passage of play between the pair.

"Firstly, it's great that Steve is ok and coming back into Test cricket," Broad said. "No one wants to see anyone miss cricket through a head injury. It was a nasty hit. It's great to have him back.

"But Test cricket is a brutal sport. Sides go hell for leather against each other. So I'm sure that, when Steve comes in, Jofra will be in Joe Root's ear wanting the ball. And I'll be excited when he does.

"It was a really tasty bit of cricket at Lord's. Smith was on 70 or 80 and playing beautifully, but suddenly Jofra went from bowling 84mph to bowling 95mph. He was really charging in. That's the intensity - the theatre - Test cricket brings.

"That sort of cricket is awesome to watch on the telly or from the stands but when you're stood at mid-on it's pretty special. Hopefully we can have a battle like that again.

"The dream is someone nicks him off first ball and Jofra doesn't get to bowl at him. But Smith does average 60-something. So there will probably be a period in this game where those two come together again and, touch wood, I'm on the pitch to view it."

Broad has had his own experience of trouble against the short ball. He was memorably struck in the eye while batting against India at Old Trafford, the scene of this week's Test, in 2014. Top-edging his attempted pull off Varun Aaron, he sustained a badly broken nose and admitted he suffered nightmares as a consequence. He used psychologists to help recover but, before the injury, he averaged 23.95 with the bat in Test cricket with one century and 10 half-centuries. Since then, he has averaged 13.18 with just two half-centuries.

While he believes Smith is unlikely to suffer such extreme consequences, it has left Broad grateful for the improved protection offered by modern helmets.

"Smith has a bit more skill than me with the bat so it probably won't affect him," Broad said. "I don't think I've ever played in a series where so many people have even hit in the head. I can't even describe why. Obviously both sets of fast bowlers are bowling well and looking in good rhythm. The pitches have maybe played slightly untrue and a bit two-paced: one will skid through and one will slow down. It feels like the doctors are running out every 10 overs.

"But it's part of Test cricket. You bowl a bouncer not to hit someone in the head, you bowl a bouncer to maneuverer footwork and change momentum of bodyweight. But your best bouncer is directed over leg stump and at the head, unfortunately. But fortunately the helmets are much better now."

While Archer's confrontation against Smith may gain the headlines, Broad's private competition against David Warner has been just as absorbing. Broad has dismissed him four times in the three Tests and feels he is reaping the rewards for bowling a fuller length. But he warned that the pitches for the final two Tests could be better for batsmen and praised Warner's batting in the first innings in Leeds.

"It's been a great battle so far," Broad said. "I've really enjoyed it. I had to look quite closely pre-series as, until this series, he had probably had the better of me.

"I'd always focussed on his outside edge thinking that running the ball across him would bring in the slips. But the bloke has incredible hand-eye coordination, so if you miss your line at all it seems to disappear through the covers.

"I had a change of mindset in this series and have tried to bring the stumps into play more against him. I've looked to nip it back onto off-stump and then, if the ball holds its line, it brings the outside edge in and that actually limits the scoring options slightly.

"Also, the pitches have been in our favour with the new ball. I don't want to take too much credit that I've out-thought him or anything. It's been a really good time to bowl with that new ball.

"But Test cricket always moves on and this pitch will be very different to Lord's or Headingley. And on that first morning at Headingley it was probably as good a time to bowl as you'll ever get in Test cricket: cloudy, heavy, swinging, seaming. He might have played and missed a lot but he got through that period and got a pretty crucial fifty. He'll take confidence from that."