Managing the workload of their fast bowlers is going to be key for India to win the World Test Championship, India's captain Virat Kohli believes. After the win in Antigua Test, which made him India's most successful captain in overseas Tests, Kohli spoke of the importance of having his bowlers making maximum impact in Test matches.

One of those was Jasprit Bumrah, who sat out the limited-overs legs of the ongoing tour and came back to blow West Indies away in the second innings with a spell that read 8-4-7-5. He was not at his best in the first innings, which he put down to a slightly stiff back coming back into action after a long break, but in the second innings he was lethal, relying on the outswinger, which is not his stock delivery.

"That's probably the most important thing for us right now, managing player workloads," Kohli said at the post-match presentation. "That's why he (Bumrah) didn't play any white-ball cricket after the World Cup because we wanted him to be fresh for the Tests. He is going to be a key factor for us as long as the Test championship continues. We know how good a bowler he is. And the impact he can make in a spell."

Kohli said India had the required personnel in the pace department to be able to dominate but spoke of the need to monitor the workloads closely. "[Mohammed] Shami is the same [as Bumrah]," Kohli continued. "Ishant [Sharma] is a banker for years now. And he can make an impact in any spell he bowls. Those three together are bowling really well. Umesh [Yadav] hasn't had a game, and we have Navdeep Saini, who can bowl 150 clicks, waiting in the wings. We are pretty settled as far as our bowling options are concerned. Managing workloads and the number of overs we bowl is going to be a key factor for us."

Other than workloads, the team's selection of the XIs has come under scrutiny in the past. In this Test, too, they had to make two difficult decisions. They ended up leaving out R Ashwin and Rohit Sharma. Ashwin's exclusion left the experts, including Sunil Gavaskar, surprised. Kohli said the selections were being made in the team's best interests. While he went on to offer a reason for Hanuma Vihari's inclusion ahead of Rohit, he avoided speaking about leaving out Ashwin.

"The combination is absolutely based on players who can provide more than one skill," Kohli said. "That's why Vihari got the nod for this particular game because he can bowl you those eight-ten overs when you are falling behind the over rate. As a part-timer he is pretty effective as well.

"Look, for us it is about managing the best combination we can as a side, and feeling settled about it. We all have a discussion on that particular thing, and we go ahead with what is the best thing for the team. There will always be opinions on a team selected, but we all understand that whatever decisions are taken are in the best interest of the team."

To live with selection calls is definitely one of the challenges of captaincy, but it is a job that has brought Kohli a lot of satisfaction over the years. Going past Sourav Ganguly as the most successful India captain in away Tests is just one of them.

"It is a responsibility that I am fulfilling," Kohli said of captaincy. "It is a blessing that I am in a position where I can contribute to the team in more than one way. I like taking that responsibility but nothing is possible without the team. If these guys hadn't bowled or batted the way they have, we wouldn't have won the Tests we have. The credit can't be taken away from them at all because I am just making decisions on the field. Execution is in their hand. Always been a team game for us."

ATLANTA -- The crowd rushing to circle the 18th green. The steady chants. It all sounded so familiar to Rory McIlroy at East Lake, with one big difference.

On Sunday, it was all for him.

One year after he was an overlooked bystander as Tiger Woods celebrated the missing piece of his comeback by winning the Tour Championship, McIlroy surged past Brooks Koepka and delivered a clutch par putt when he needed it to win the FedEx Cup and the $15 million prize, the biggest payout in golf history.

"It's amazing how different things can be in a year," McIlroy said.

With two final birdies, McIlroy closed with a 4-under 66 to end a marathon day at the storm-delayed Tour Championship and finished four shots ahead of Xander Schauffele. He joined Woods as the only players to win the FedEx Cup twice since it began in 2007.

He smiled at hearing the chants "Rory! Rory! Rory!" from a gallery that came under the ropes on the 18th hole to watch the finish.

"I must say, I didn't enjoy that walk last year like everyone else did," McIlroy said. "I never took the fight to Tiger."

McIlroy had more than the $15 million prize on his mind.

He wanted to win this outright and was keeping score to the very end. The format was changed this year to give top players a head start based on par depending on their standing in the FedEx Cup. Justin Thomas was the No. 1 seed and started at 10 under par before a shot was hit. McIlroy was the No. 5 seed and started at 5 under.

He finished at 18 under in the FedEx Cup finale. His actual score was 13-under 267, better than anyone else in the 30-man field.

It will boost him to No. 2 in the world behind Koepka.

There also was a small matter of payback. McIlroy had a one-shot lead over Koepka in a World Golf Championships event last month in Tennessee but made only one birdie in the final round as Koepka blew past him to win.

They were in the final group Sunday at East Lake, and McIlroy got the best of the No. 1 player.

McIlroy thanked fans on Twitter after his victory.

Thank you to all the fans from around the world for your incredible support throughout the season especially those in Atlanta this week. It truly means so much to me. Now it's time to celebrate! ?? ? ? https://t.co/TChzWyr6uX

— Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory) August 26, 2019

The final round turned on the seventh hole with a three-shot swing -- McIlroy made a 25-foot birdie, while Koepka lost his tee shot in the trees and made double-bogey. There were consecutive two-shot swings on the back nine, and then it was a matter of holding off Schauffele.

McIlroy was four shots ahead until back-to-back bogeys, and he was on the verge of watching his lead shrink to one when he holed an 8-foot par putt on the 16th. Schauffele had to settle for pars, and McIlroy finished with a flourish.

He was the only player to break par all four days.

Schauffele closed with a 70 to finish alone in second, which paid out $5 million.

Thomas lost his way Sunday morning in the conclusion of the third round when he took triple-bogey on the 16th hole to fall four behind. He finished with two birdies and a 68 and tied for third with Koepka, who ended another big year with a pedestrian finish of 72.

They each earned $3.5 million.

Paul Casey shot 72 to finish fifth and earned $2.5 million.

What looked to be a shootout turned into a runaway for McIlroy.

The marathon final day -- 31 holes for McIlroy and contenders -- began with big promise for a wild chase for the $15 million prize. Four players took turns atop the leaderboard in the first 35 minutes of golf Sunday morning, which included Schauffele's first hole-in-one of his career with a 5-iron on the 240-yard ninth hole.

The third round had been suspended Saturday after lightning struck a tree and injured six spectators huddled nearby. Police said they were treated and released from medical attention later that night.

Koepka birdied the 18th for a one-shot lead over McIlroy and Schauffele. It was tight for the first hour of the final round, and then it turned quickly.

Koepka was still up by one shot when he yanked his tee shot into the trees left of No. 7 and never found it. He made double-bogey, and it became a three-shot swing when McIlroy made a 25-foot birdie putt.

McIlroy still had a one-shot lead when he stuffed a wedge to 3 feet for birdie on the 12th, and it became another two-shot swing when Koepka missed a 4-foot par putt. The next hole brought another two-shot swing -- Koepka three-putted from 18 feet, McIlroy made birdie from 12 feet.

Koepka ended the PGA Tour season with three victories, another major at the PGA Championship, a World Golf Championship and the undisputed No. 1 world ranking. He is the favorite to win PGA Tour Player of the Year again, though McIlroy at least gave players something to contemplate when they vote over the next few weeks.

The FedEx Cup counts as an official win, giving him three for the year. And he had 14 finishes in the top 10 out of 19 starts, the highest percentage of his career. Whether it's enough was of little consequence. McIlroy had the FedEx Cup and the biggest payout in golf.

"I'm going to enjoy this one tonight," he said.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- James Blackman was the front-runner all along and now the quarterback has won Florida State's starting job.

Coach Willie Taggart made the announcement on Sunday night in a statement posted on the school's website. Blackman beat out Wisconsin graduate transfer Alex Hornibrook and Louisville transfer Jordan Travis. The redshirt sophomore will start for the Seminoles when they open the season against Boise State on Saturday in Jacksonville.

It's not clear if Hornibrook or Travis will be FSU's backup. Taggart's next opportunity to meet with the media is on Monday.

Blackman has started 13 games, including 12 as a true freshman in 2017. He has thrown for 2,740 yards, 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions at FSU.

In his only 2018 start, Blackman threw for 421 yards, four touchdowns and an interception in a road loss to NC State. Blackman became the immediate odds-on favorite this winter when Taggart dismissed Deondre Francois, who started 11 games last fall.

Blackman feels he has a strong grasp of what new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles wants to run. Even though Blackman has had three offensive coordinators and varied schemes in his short career, he told reporters during preseason camp that he has an understanding of "what to do and when to do it and how to do it" when it comes to Briles' high-tempo spread offense.

And he's learning the scheme without a playbook -- in fact, everyone is.

It's a new wrinkle for Florida State in 2019, something Taggart has embraced -- and so have the players.

"It's a great thing not having a playbook because you have to go and make sure you write up the plays by yourself," Blackman said. "And go study by yourself and make your own playbook. Guys are really putting in the work to learn and understand your job."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

At five home games this season, the Portland Trail Blazers will wear red jerseys with "blazers" in lowercase letters written vertically down the chest.

The jerseys resemble those the team wore during the 1976-77 season, when they won the NBA title. Bill Walton, the center on that team, helped the Blazers unveil the jerseys on Sunday.

We'll be red hot & rollin' in our Classic Edition Uniforms this season!

MORE INFO: https://t.co/rDbfOWf2In pic.twitter.com/Ef01CepLGY

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) August 25, 2019

The team also will wear the jerseys and matching red shorts during their preseason opener Oct. 8.

The Blazers will be celebrating their 50th NBA season.

Brooklyn Nets guard Caris LeVert has agreed to a three-year, $52.5 million contract extension, league sources told ESPN.

LeVert, who turned 25 on Sunday, was eligible for his rookie extension as a member of the NBA's draft class of 2016.

No better feeling to start off Year 25. Brooklyn, I can't wait for what's next. pic.twitter.com/AyDj4yDqx4

— Caris LeVert (@CarisLeVert) August 26, 2019

LeVert's extension starts at $16.2 million in 2020-21 and escalates to $17.5 million and $18.8 million in the next two years, ESPN's Bobby Marks reported.

The deal gives LeVert security and a chance to return to free agency or negotiate an extension before his 28th birthday. The Nets now have their core of top players -- LeVert, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, DeAndre Jordan and Spencer Dinwiddie -- signed through the 2021-22 season.

Despite missing 42 games with a dislocated right ankle last season, LeVert showed All-Star potential for the Nets in the franchise's run to the playoffs. His talent and development in three NBA seasons with the Nets played a prominent role in attracting free agents Irving and Durant to the Nets this summer.

Before the ankle injury, LeVert averaged 18.4 points for the Nets in the early season --- and returned to top form in the playoffs, averaging 21 points in the five-game series with Philadelphia. For the season, LeVert averaged 13.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists.

LeVert was Sean Marks' first draft pick as the Nets' general manager, 20th overall out of Michigan in 2016. The Nets traded forward Thaddeus Young to get the pick and selected LeVert, who dropped on draft boards because he had two consecutive college seasons ended by foot injuries.

For the 2020-21 season, Brooklyn has $121 million in salary committed and will likely become a luxury-tax-paying team if it re-signs current players Joe Harris and Taurean Prince.

X-rays on Didi Gregorius' right shoulder were negative, and the New York Yankees shortstop's status is day-to-day.

Gregorius left New York's 5-1 victory at Dodger Stadium on Sunday night after being hit by a pitch from Los Angeles Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw.

Gregorius suffered a right shoulder contusion after being drilled in the first inning. He left in the third and was replaced by pinch hitter Mike Ford, who stayed in the game at first base.

Gregorius said after the game the shoulder was sore and that he expects the soreness to go away sooner than later.

"Pain is still pain. I mean, at the end of the day, maybe I think in a couple of days it will be all right," he said. "Or one day ... see how it wakes up tomorrow."

Gregorius hit a grand slam in New York's 10-2 victory over the Dodgers on Friday.

He is hitting .263 this season with 13 home runs and 44 RBIs in 58 games. His season started late, as he was recovering from Tommy John surgery.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Former Red Sox slugger David Ortiz has hired a firm headed by ex-Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis to look into the details surrounding the June shooting of Ortiz in the Dominican Republic.

Davis was hired a few weeks after Ortiz returned to Boston, Joe Baerlein, a spokesperson for Ortiz and principal owner of The Edward Davis Co., told ABC News.

Baerlein said his company is "monitoring and analyzing information from various sources in the Dominican Republic around the motives for the shooting of Ortiz on June 9th," as well as providing personal security to Ortiz and his family.

"He's damn interested in finding out what really happened,'' Baerlein told The Boston Globe.

Ortiz, 43, was shot in the back by a gunman while sitting and talking with a friend at a nightclub in Santo Domingo the night of June 9. He was flown back to Boston aboard a jet sent by the Red Sox the next day and spent seven weeks in a hospital, undergoing three surgeries for life-threatening injuries.

Ortiz has not spoken to Dominican authorities since the night of the incident, Baerlein told the Globe, and also has not spoken with any U.S. authorities about the shooting.

Dominican authorities initially said that Ortiz had been the target of a hit. But almost three weeks later, police held a news conference to say their investigation led them to believe Ortiz was not the intended target and that it was a case of mistaken identity. More than a dozen people have been arrested in connection with the case.

"David has been carefully monitoring the government and police investigation,'' Baerlein told the Globe. "He had no basis for a long time to challenge their theory of mistaken identity. However, as new facts continue to come up, it lends some optimism that there may be some other conclusions that are drawn before it's over about why David was shot.''

Ortiz, who was released from the hospital at the end of July, posted to Instagram on Sunday a photo of himself and daughter Alex as he dropped her off at college.

Aaron Judge is a man of his word.

The New York Yankees outfielder, while catching up with bullpen catching coach Jason Brown's father, John, on the field prior to Sunday's series finale at Dodger Stadium, told the elder Brown, "I'll hit one for you tonight," as he walked away.

A man of the people @TheJudge44 pic.twitter.com/8uDeuD3lBs

— R2C2 is UNINTERRUPTED (@R2C2) August 25, 2019

Judge delivered on that pledge in his second at-bat, crushing a 1-1 curveball from Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw to deep center field in the top of the third inning.

"That's Aaron Judge, yeah, that's who he is," Jason Brown said of the Yankee star's exchange with his father, who lives in Southern California.

Judge described the encounter to ESPN after New York's 5-1 win.

"I've seen [John Brown] all over the place, and I missed seeing him when we played in Anaheim this year, so I went over there and just said hello to him and said I'd get one for him, and I was able to do that today," Judge explained. "Wind was blowing out, though, so that helped."

Asked if he has ever promised a home run to a fan before and then delivered, Judge replied, "I think once or twice, but it doesn't happen too often."

Judge later joked that he needs John Brown, whom he has known for a couple of years, to come to "every single game," calling his presence a "lucky charm."

The promised homer was Judge's 16th of the season and gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead. Judge also homered in the first two games against the Dodgers this weekend.

The narrative all season in the National League has essentially been the Los Angeles Dodgers and everybody else. It's hard to fight back against that statement, as the Dodgers own the largest run differential in the majors -- only the Houston Astros are close, and no NL team is within 100 runs of the Dodgers' margin.

Consider the Atlanta Braves, however, a team that might be starting to peak at the right time. The Braves went into Citi Field this weekend to face a red-hot New York Mets team that plays very well at home and had just swept the red-hot Cleveland Indians. The Braves swept the series to run their winning streak to eight games, and the three wins were each impressive in their own way:

Friday: Atlanta won 2-1 in 14 innings, outlasting Jacob deGrom as Mike Foltynewicz allowed two hits in seven innings and the bullpen tossed seven scoreless.

Saturday: After Atlanta jumped to a 4-0 lead, the Mets rallied and took the lead on Pete Alonso's three-run blast in the fifth. But the Braves rallied with two runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth to win 9-5.

Sunday: Josh Donaldson hit two home runs, and Dallas Keuchel tossed seven scoreless innings -- three double plays helped -- in another 2-1 victory.

The Braves have won or tied nine consecutive series, including winning five of six games against the Mets and taking two of three from the Dodgers, Twins, Nationals and Phillies. They've been beating good teams to maintain their six-game lead over the Nationals in the NL East -- and that's important.

The weird thing about the Braves is that while their bullpen has drawn a lot of criticism all season, they've actually exceeded their Pythagorean record: The Braves are 80-52, compared to an expected record based on run differential of 74-58. That six-win difference is the biggest positive spread in the majors. Often when a team exceeds its expected record, it is due to a super clutch bullpen that helps a team win close games. Indeed, the Braves are 25-13 in one-run games and 11-5 in extra innings, but the bullpen has generally been average over the course of the season, ranking 12th in the majors in win probability added.

The hope, of course, is that the bullpen is improving. Until the Mets scored a run off Mark Melancon in the ninth inning on Sunday, the pen had thrown 25 consecutive scoreless innings. Although Melancon, Chris Martin and Shane Greene struggled initially after coming over at the trade deadline, all three have settled in and pitched better of late:

Melancon: Four saves and a win in his past five outings.

Martin: Five straight scoreless outings with just two hits allowed.

Greene: Six straight scoreless outings with three hits allowed, nine K's and no walks.

Also consider the two main holdovers:

Luke Jackson: One run in 11 innings in August with 15 K's and four walks.

Sean Newcomb: The hard-throwing lefty had a 1-2-3 eighth on Sunday, and he has a 3.16 ERA in relief.

That's five pretty good relievers, and only Jackson was in the Atlanta bullpen at the start of the season. Given that the Dodgers have their own concerns in relief -- Kenley Jansen has six blown saves and eight home runs allowed in 49⅔ innings -- one can reasonably project the Braves to have the better bullpen in the postseason. (As always, small-sample production will trump all projections.)

Another reason to like the Braves now more than two months ago is that Donaldson has quietly given them a third big bat alongside Freddie Freeman and Ronald Acuna Jr. After a slow start (perhaps rusty after injury problems in 2018), Donaldson is up to 32 home runs and hitting .265/.379/.538. Since the middle of June, he is hitting .294/.409/.658. He has been bashing like an MVP candidate for more than two months now as the Braves' answer to Cody Bellinger.

Then there's Keuchel, who had his best start with the Braves on Sunday. He is 5-5 with a 3.78 ERA, and the top four of Mike Soroka, Julio Teheran, Max Fried and Keuchel gives Atlanta four above-average starters. A big reason the Braves' run differential is mediocre is because for much of the season, the back of the rotation was horrible; Foltynewicz, Kevin Gausman, Kyle Wright and Bryse Wilson have a combined 6.33 ERA in 39 starts. Those guys won't be starting in October (though Foltynewicz has a chance to pitch himself back into the Braves' postseason plans).

The major takeaway: I think the Braves are better than their plus-78 run differential suggests. They'll get Dansby Swanson back soon, and Nick Markakis, Ender Inciarte, Brian McCann and Austin Riley are all on the injured list, so this win streak is a credit to the team's depth off the bench.

It's difficult to believe, but the Braves haven't won a playoff series since the 2001 NL Division Series. Since then, they've lost seven straight division series and a wild-card game. This might be the team to finally break that streak.

Nationals sweep Cubs: The other big sweep this weekend was the Nats going to Wrigley Field and winning 9-3, 7-2 and 7-5 in 11 innings on Sunday. The Cubs were 44-19 at home entering the series.

Sunday's game was fun, as Kyle Schwarber tied the game with a two-run homer in the eighth off Fernando Rodney, Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel worked out of a two-on jam in the ninth, and then the Nationals finally scored twice in the 11th off Tyler Chatwood, with Howie Kendrick and Trea Turner starting the rally with a single and double.

Anthony Rendon drove in the second run of the inning with his fourth hit of the game.

Possible MVP?

"I'll make a case for him right now, yeah," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. "MVP, Gold Glove. My man, Anthony Rendon."

Rendon probably has some ground to make up, but a late surge could put him in the running:

Rendon: .329/.407/.617, 29 HRs, 104 RBIs, 94 runs, 5.2/5.6 WAR

Christian Yelich: .329/.421/.678, 41 HRs, 89 RBIs, 91 runs, 6.0/6.5 WAR

Bellinger: .312/.409/.655, 42 HRs, 100 RBIs, 101 runs, 7.9/6.8 WAR

Rendon has hit .348/.444/.652 with runners in scoring position, but get this: Entering Sunday, he was hitting .408/.452/.855 with nine home runs in 76 at-bats in high-leverage situations -- the biggest, most clutch moments of games. The only thing is Yelich also has been great in the clutch. (Rendon ranks third in OPS in medium- and high-leverage moments, and Yelich ranks fourth.)

Anyway, Rendon is having another terrific season. Maybe he is only a strong third in the MVP race (and Braves supporters will bring up Freeman and Acuna), but don't ignore Rendon's clutch numbers the rest of the season.

Indians lose Ramirez, then lose a tough game: Jose Ramirez fractured his right hamate bone on a swing in Saturday's win over the Royals, and he will undergo surgery on Monday. The timetable to return from such a procedure varies, but Joey Gallo had a similar surgery on July 23, and he is expected to be out until mid-September. Ramirez likely will be lost for the rest of the regular season, and even if he makes a miraculous comeback, hitters often take longer to regain their power after these injuries.

It's a devastating injury for the club, as Cleveland had rediscovered its mojo in part because Ramirez had bounced back from a dreadful start. As late as June 16, his OPS remained under .600. Since then, he had hit .313/.359/.654 with a 16 home runs and 51 RBIs in 56 games. Rookie Yu-Cheng Chang, with four career plate appearances, started at third on Sunday.

In that game, the Indians tied the Royals with four runs in the bottom of the ninth. Francisco Lindor homered off Ian Kennedy, and with two outs, Franmil Reyes blasted a towering, game-tying, three-run homer. It looked like Cleveland would find a miracle win and sweep the Royals, but Ryan O'Hearn homered in the top of the 10th, and the Royals won 9-8.

"There's two ways to look at it," Indians manager Terry Francona told reporters in Cleveland. "You can feel sorry for yourself, which probably doesn't end well. Or you can choose to fight back and feel like this is our time to shine. And I would choose No. 2. I'm aware that it got more difficult. We lost a great player."

The Indians have been resilient all season, fighting through injuries to the starting rotation and an 11½-game deficit in June to get back in the American League Central and wild-card races. Now, they're back to 3½ games behind the Twins, with 12 of their next 16 games on the road.

Quick weekend thoughts: Good to see Felix Hernandez put up a respectable effort in front of the Seattle fans on Saturday (two runs on two home runs in 5⅔ innings against the Blue Jays). I don't know how much he has left, but it would be nice if his final starts in a Mariners uniform aren't embarrassingly awful. ... Stunning stat of the year: Mariners catchers are hitting .302 with 35 home runs. ... Somebody who has been awful is Trevor Bauer, who gave up eight runs in three innings to the Pirates on Sunday. After yielding nine runs two starts ago, he has a 7.62 ERA with the Reds, and his season ERA is 4.34. For all the hype given Bauer's analytical approach to pitching, he has had an ERA under 4.00 just once in his career. ... One of the Twins sluggers who has flown under the radar is Miguel Sano, who has 26 home runs in 292 at-bats. The strikeout rate remains insane (35%), but he is mashing home runs and has played well enough at third base. ... It seems like we've skipped over Michael Brantley in this space this season, but he is riding an 18-game hitting streak in which he is batting .458/.519/.750. For all the attention the Yankees' DJ LeMahieu has received for his MVP-type season (non-Mike Trout division), Brantley has had the same type of season to little acclaim.

Sprinter Williams and 5000m champion McColgan among Doha-bound Brits after success on a scorching day in Birmingham

Jodie Williams and Eilish McColgan both delivered performances to remember as they stormed to victory and on to the team for Doha on day two of the Müller British Athletics Championships.

Both have experienced more than their fair share of setbacks over the past few years but on Sunday they proved that their perseverance and passion is paying off.

In the 200m, Williams did not only have to battle her rivals but also the wind as she surged off the bend and into a -4.3m/sec gale.

Her winning time was 23.06 as she pipped defending champion Beth Dobbin by 0.07, with both athletes securing their spots for the IAAF World Championships.

In a close finish, Ashleigh Nelson was third in 23.18 while Kristal Awuah was fourth in 23.36.

“It means so much,” Williams said after her win. “I was really hoping that was going to be the outcome of today and I really battled to that line and made sure that I was going to be on top of that podium and going to Doha. I couldn’t be happier.”

Williams has been very open about the struggles she has experienced since a remarkable junior career which included a five-year and 151-race winning streak.

But now based in America in Phoenix, Arizona, she feels like this season has been the start of a new chapter.

“It’s been a long road for me,” she said. “I think it has definitely been no secret that there have been ups and downs. I’ve tried to be as open as I can with everyone, just how much of a struggle it has been, both mentally and physically.

“This season has been a bit of a blessing for me. Everything has gone to plan and things really feel like they are falling into place.”

For Dobbin, there came relief that she had made the world championships team after struggling with a knee injury.

“I’m really happy to have booked my place on the plane to Doha,” said the Scottish record-holder and 2018 British champion.

“I only got back into spikes last Saturday. It has been a really stressful three weeks thinking ‘am I going to be on the start line?’ It has been a tough year.”

READ MORE: Beth Dobbin building on last year’s breakthrough

Like Williams, the past few years for McColgan have also been full of ups and downs and her run in Birmingham was further proof of her determination to make it on the team bound for Doha.

Breaking away early, she solo-ran her way to 5000m success, clocking 15:21.38 for a dominant win ahead of World University Games champion Jess Judd, whose strong finish saw her secure silver and the second automatic place for Doha ahead of European and Commonwealth medallist Laura Weightman – 15:35.82 to 15:36.73.

Blistering conditions at the Alexander Stadium saw the temperature reach about 30ºC during the race, with Melissa Courtney and Kate Avery among those not to finish.

“The last couple of years I’ve come in and been disappointed with my performance – I’ve come second or third and it has come down to a crazy sprint over the last 300m,” said European silver medallist McColgan. “I’m always jinxed at trials. This is the first one I’ve come into with no illnesses, no injuries.

“I’m healthy, I’m fit. I’m maybe not quite as sharp as I would like because I’ve had a big training block so the legs feel a bit sluggish but it’s the first time I’ve had a smooth build-up.

“I thought ‘this is it – run your own race, make the other girls hurt’. I wanted to make sure that I came here today and if I went off and I exploded and I came last then at least I gave it a pop, at least I tried.

“There were five girls with the qualifying time today so there could have been any two of us in that top two which makes it exciting. I’m obviously over the moon.”

The 800m also featured a strong field and the battle of the already-qualified athletes was won by European indoor champion Shelayna Oskan-Clarke as she pipped 2012 European winner Lynsey Sharp – 2:02.68 to 2:02.79 – with Alexandra Bell third in 2:02.87.

Sarah McDonald out-kicked double European under-23 champion Jemma Reekie to win the 1500m title in 4:22.95 and both were delighted to also make the team for Doha.

“I feel great,” said McDonald. “It feels good to come back here, after a few years of coming up short, to win the title.”

The 400m was won by Laviai Nielsen in 52.04 from Emily Diamond with 52.39 and Zoey Clark with 52.52, while Meghan Beesley retained her 400m hurdles title in 55.81 ahead of Jessica Turner in 56.06 as the top two in both races secured their world championships places.

The first track event of the day was the women’s 5000m race walk and that was won by Bethan Davies in 21:56.45 as she finished more than two and a half minutes ahead of the rest of the field.

Click here for a day two women’s field events report, while a men’s track events report is here and a field events report is here.