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LAS VEGAS – Though he put on a valiant rally through much of Sunday night’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch was left none too pleased after the checkered flag waved.
Busch, who was last in the 39-car field and two laps down after early contact with the outside wall in turn two forced him to make an unscheduled pit stop on lap 11, caught a couple of breaks and converted a pair of wave-arounds into what was shaping up to be a solid night in the playoff opener.
Busch’s second wave around returned him to the lead lap for the start of the final stage, and then he leveled out with the rest of the field when older brother Kurt cut a tire and pounded the wall on lap 189, allowing Kyle to pit for fresh tires and be back on sequence with the rest of the frontrunners.
After that came a drive through traffic which saw Kyle Busch climb to as high as sixth place, but his No. 18 Toyota could not avoid the lapped car of Garrett Smithley in the final laps. Busch ran into the back of the slower No. 52 and ended up with significant front-end damage that sent him backwards.
With the gains he made earlier in the final stage negated, Busch limped home to a 19th-place finish at his home track.
Of note, prior to the race, retired NFL star Marshawn Lynch swapped helmets with Busch before serving as the honorary pace car driver for Sunday’s race in Las Vegas.
Afterward, Busch took a page out of Lynch’s playbook when speaking to reporters at the post-race media bullpen.
“I’m only here so I don’t get fined,” Busch said three times in a short interview session.
Asked what happened with Smithley, Busch was quick to fire back with, “don’t know,” but that the contact “killed it” in regard to his race car.
Busch later expanded on the incident when he was interviewed by NBCSN before leaving pit road.
“I was told he (Smithley) was going to go high, (and I) thought he was going to go high, (but) he went middle because I thought he was going to go high, and it killed our day,” Busch told Parker Kligerman. “I don’t know. We should have run fourth probably, but instead (we’re) 19th.
“We’re the top echelon of motorsports and we’ve got guys that have never won late model races running out here on the race track. It’s pathetic. They don’t know where to go, so what else do you do?”
Smithley later defended how he drove the final laps.
“I watched the video, I held my line,” Smithley said. “The 24 (William Byron) went under me and the 88 (Alex Bowman) went to the outside of me. He (Busch) had a faster car and could have gone around.”
Busch, who won the regular-season title and entered the playoffs with 45 bonus points, dropped from leading the points to fourth after teammate Martin Truex Jr. won the event, but is still in solid playoff position thanks to the points he banked prior to the start of the playoffs.
He left the track swiftly, but not without a pointed one-liner to Kligerman before doing so.
“It’s pathetic to have to lean on insurance,” Busch said of the bonus points. “My premiums are going to go up.”
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SPEED SPORT has been reporting on and covering motorsports happenings from all over the world for 85 years, so we thought it would be fun to take a look back in the archives to see what happened 10, 25 and 50 years ago each week.
So check out what SPEED SPORT was covering 10, 25 and 50 years ago this week in Looking Back!
10 Years Ago (Sept. 16, 2009): Joey Saldana led only one lap of the 56th Gold Cup Race of Champions, but it was the most important one. Driving for Kasey Kahne Racing, Saldana passed Jason Sides on the last lap to earn a $50,000 victory at Silver Dollar Speedway. It was his 17th victory of the World of Outlaws season and the 56th of his career. A restart on the 29th lap led to an 11-lap shootout, with Saldana using a run on the top in turn four to slingshot his way around Sides and beat him to the finish line.
Other Happenings: Ohio’s Bart Hartman won the prestigious World 100 at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway, earning more than $42,000; Denny Hamlin put together a dominant performance to win the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at his home track, Richmond Int’l Raceway; Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing signed a letter of intent to merge the two teams for 2010; Tony Stewart won the Prelude to the Dream all-star dirt late model race at his own track, Eldora Speedway.
25 Years Ago (Sept. 14, 1994): Rookie Jacques Villeneuve outran Al Unser Jr. to earn his first victory in the PPG Indy Car World Series at Road America. Paul Tracy started from the pole and led 35 laps, but engine problems sidelined him. Villenueve, meanwhile, shot by Tracy and Unser to take the lead during a restart on lap 36 and never looked back. Unser, meanwhile, played it safe and crossed the line second to clinch the PPG Indy Car World Series championship for Roger Penske.
Other Happenings: Terry Labonte came out on top of a lengthy battle with Dale Earnhardt and Rusty Wallace to win the Miller Genuine Draft 400 at Richmond Int’l Raceway; Billy Moyer won the World 100 at Eldora Speedway for the third time, earning $27,000; Dave Darland won the inaugural Non-Wing Sprint Nationals at Lincoln Park Speedway; Kenny Wallace picked up the NASCAR Busch Grand National win at Richmond; Damon Hill won the Italian Grand Prix.
50 Years Ago (Sept. 17, 1969): Richard Brickhouse won the inaugural running of the Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway as most of NASCAR’s top stars sat out the race after the Professional Drivers Ass’n boycotted the track for safety reasons. Brickhouse resigned from the PDA in order to compete, taking over the No. 99 Dodge that was originally going to be driven by Charlie Glotzbach. He earned $25,450 for his win. Meanwhile, drivers from the PDA who chose not to race were told by NASCAR’s Bill France they would be required to post a sizable bond before being allowed to race again.
Other Happenings: Dan Gurney won a USAC National Championship 200-mile event at Donnybrooke Int’l Speedway, with Don White picked up a victory in USAC Stock Car action at the same track; Ken Rush won the first race run at Alabama Int’l Motor Speedway, winning the NASCAR Grand Touring ’Bama 400; Sonny Strupp snapped a five-year drought win a win at Orange County Fair Speedway; Harry Peek won thee New York State Late Model Championship Race at Fonda Speedway.
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This week in golf (Sept. 16-22): TV schedule, tee times, info
Published in
Golf
Monday, 16 September 2019 07:17

Here's a look at what's happening in professional golf this week, and how you can watch it:
PGA Tour
Sanderson Farms Championship
Thursday-Sunday, The Country Club of Jackson, Jackson, MS
Course specs: Par 72, 7,440 yards
Purse: $6.6 million
Defending champion: Cameron Champ
Notables in the field: Cameron Champ, Joaquin Niemann, Zach Johnson, Jason Dufner
Tee times: TBD
TV schedule: Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
PGA Tour Live: Thursday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. ET (PGA Tour Live)
European Tour
BMW PGA Championship
Thursday-Sunday, Wentworth Club, Surrey, England
Course specs: Par 72, 7,284 yards
Purse: €6,215,965
Defending champion: Francesco Molinari
Notables in the field: Francesco Molinari, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Paul Casey, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry
Tee times: TBD
TV schedule: Thursday-Friday, 5:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
PGA Tour Champions
Sanford International
Friday-Sunday, Minnehaha Country Club, Sioux Falls, SD
Course specs: Par 70, 6,729 yards
Purse: $1.8 million
Defending champion: Steve Stricker
Notables in the field: Woody Austin, Paul Broadhurst, John Daly, Bob Estes, Tom Gillis, Bernhard Langer
Tee times: TBD
TV schedule: Friday-Sunday, 6-8 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
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Dawson hundred halts Gregory's surge as Somerset set title tempo
Published in
Cricket
Monday, 16 September 2019 11:29

Somerset 30 for 2 trail Hampshire 196 (Dawson 103, Gregory 3-63) by 173 runs
Only twice this decade has a bowler ended a season with more than 50 Championship wickets at an average below 15, but after running through Hampshire's top order at the Ageas Bowl, Lewis Gregory has a fighting chance to put his name alongside Graham Onions and Morne Morkel in doing so.
Gregory's opening burst accounted for Felix Organ, Sam Northeast and James Vince within the first 40 minutes of play, and with new-ball partner Josh Davey and the returning Craig Overton picking up a wicket apiece, Hampshire were reeling at 24 for 5.
They soon fought back, primarily thanks to Liam Dawson's first Championship hundred in three years, but after bad light interrupted the final session, Somerset reached the close two down with the expectation of bright sunshine tomorrow.
A few years ago, it seemed that Gregory might never quite manage to fulfil his obvious promise. A former England under-19 captain, he had been a semi-regular wicket-taker in the Championship and an occasional contributor with the bat in white-ball cricket, but he had not quite kicked on in the way his club had once hoped, and back injuries were a constant source of irritation.
Fast forward to the present day, and he is perhaps the best English player on the circuit yet to win an international cap. In T20, he is a brilliant finisher, and attracted interest from Rajasthan Royals before last year's IPL auction, while in the Championship he is a precision engineer in his control of line and length.
Here, he was nagging and accurate, nipping the ball both ways off the seam. He struck with the third ball of the day, as Organ fended to slip, before removing Northeast - brilliantly caught in the gully by Roelof van der Merwe - and clean bowling Vince with a sharp inswinger.
"I've had a lot of issues physically which have held me back a little bit," Gregory said. "Someone asked me earlier in the year what the difference has been [this season], and I think it's purely been that.
"The skill has always been there, it's just being able to back that up, spell after spell. After a couple of operations it seems like I'm able to do that, so fingers crossed that continues."
Every man, woman and child in Somerset has underlined, circled and highlighted next week's apparent title decider against Essex in their respective diaries, but a win here and a Surrey victory at Chelmsford could feasibly be enough to seal the pennant with a game to go.
And at the stage of the season when every bonus point counts, Somerset had one within half an hour of the first morning of their penultimate game. On a pitch with a healthy covering of grass - Nigel Gray's final home surface as Hampshire's groundsman - both sides surprisingly wanted to bat, though Vince must have instantly regretted his decision.
In the game between these sides here last summer, 34 wickets fell in five sessions as the final nail was hammered into the coffin that contained Somerset's title hopes by teatime on the second day; after the early flurry of wickets, it seemed a repeat was on the cards.
But during a vital stand of 92 between Dawson and Keith Barker, who made a doughty 40, batting suddenly began to look easy.
"I think the ball got a little softer," suggested Gregory. "It was hard to keep the ball in good condition. There was a little bit in the surface with a hard seam, and it seemed to nip around a little bit, so fingers crossed we can play well first thing in the morning, and with the sunshine out we can make hay."
Dawson has had an unusual summer, with a two-month stint carrying the drinks as part of England's World Cup squad punctuating an otherwise unremarkable campaign, and he had off-field distractions to contend with in the form of lucrative contract offers from both Surrey and Warwickshire.
Instead, he signed a new three-year deal at Hampshire, and was the only man to look comfortable against Somerset's persistent attack. He seized on width well, playing the ball late under his eyes, and brought up his hundred with an elegant straight drive through mid-on.
It would have been a source of immense frustration that he was dismissed in such tame fashion, flashing at a back-of-a-length ball from Tom Abell with minimal foot movement, but if this wicket proves to be low-scoring, his 103 runs may prove to be worth plenty more.
"It is one of the quickest pitches I've played on here in the last couple of years," said Dawson. "There is more bounce and zip than usual. When it is doing something, it is doing it quicker."
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Rilee Rossouw has played his final game of red-ball cricket for Hampshire. The South African batsman hinted at the start of the season that he was unlikely to extend his deal beyond this season, and will only play T20 for the club next year. It is as yet unclear as to whether he will attempt to resume his international career.
Meanwhile, Tim Groenewald is set to leave Somerset after five-and-a-half years at the club. His contract expires at the end of the season, and it is expected that Kent will announce him as a new signing in the coming weeks.
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David Lloyd, Samit Patel fifties give Glamorgan solid base
Published in
Cricket
Monday, 16 September 2019 11:32

Glamorgan 300 for 4 (Lloyd 66, Patel 66) v Leicestershire
Glamorgan, who may need to win this and their final game of the season against Durham to be in contention for promotion, were on course for a respectable first-innings total against Leicestershire at the end of the first day at Sophia Gardens. They will resume on 300 for 4, after two batsmen scored 66, there were four partnerships of 50 or more and three batting points gained with 19.4 overs left to achieve the maximum.
Glamorgan were hoping to bat first on a pitch that played better than it looked and is likely to take spin as the game progresses, but the decision was made for them when Leicestershire opted for an uncontested toss.
The visitors also decided to omit Callum Parkinson, their recognised spinner, a decision they may regret, especially as Glamorgan recalled offspinner Andrew Salter for only his second Championship game, in addition to the left-arm spin of Samit Patel.
Nick Selman and Kraigg Brathwaite made a quiet start to the innings, before Selman accelerated to strike Ben Mike for four boundaries in the seamer's fourth over. Mike got his revenge in the following over when Selman was well caught one handed by Will Davis at cover for 36.
Brathwaite, who averages 39 in first-class cricket and will be remembered for the 134 and 95 he scored against England for West Indies at Headingley two years ago, continued to play watchfully and was at the crease for 3 hours 40 minutes for his 44 before he was trapped leg before by Gavin Griffiths.
After Selman and Brathwaite had put on 62 for the first wicket, the second wicket pair of Brathwaite and David Lloyd continued the good work with their stand of 82. The third half-century partnership followed when Lloyd shared 52 for the third wicket with Patel. Lloyd scored 66 from 148 balls, with a six and eight fours, most of them driven with perfect timing through the off side, before he was bowled by Chris Wright.
Patel, playing the third of his four games on loan from Nottinghamshire, equalled Lloyd's score before spooning the first ball of the 81st over to square leg. Leicestershire, for reasons unknown, did not take the new ball until the 90th over, and a fifth half-century partnership was in sight with Billy Root and Chris Cooke sharing 45 for the fifth wicket. When play ended due to bad light with 5.4 overs remaining Glamorgan would have been satisfied with their day's work.
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Rossington rampage rocks Durham after Rushworth strikes
Published in
Cricket
Monday, 16 September 2019 10:23

Durham 37 for 4 (Sanderson 3-20) trail Northamptonshire 217 (Rossington 82, Rushworth 5-68) by 180 runs
Adam Rossington produced a murderous counterattack to revive Northamptonshire on the opening day of their crucial Specsavers County Championship promotion clash with Durham at Wantage Road.
Asked to bat in bowling conditions that couldn't have been better designed, Northants were listing at 150 for 8 after Chris Rushworth's fourth five-wicket haul of the season before captain Rossington struck 60 in just 22 balls to rescue a batting point. He was last out for 82 but pushed his side to 217. Ben Sanderson then put Northants on top with three wickets as Durham slipped to 37 for 4 when bad curtailed the day.
Rossington targeted the short leg-side boundary towards the Clark Road and shuffled across his stumps to slog sweep seven sixes - three of them in one over from Brydon Carse that went for 27 and four off Rushworth, including the biggest that brought up the batting point.
It was the perfect time for a captain's innings and gave Northants something to bowl at, which looked unlikely when Rushworth ran through them after lunch. Conditions were tailor-made for he and the Durham attack with a heavy grey cloud clinging over the ground and the floodlights the only reason play was possible. Ned Eckersley could have declined the toss from the changing room.
But the visitors did not initially do justice to conditions and allowed Northants to reach 99 for 1 just after lunch. But Durham located a more consistent length and Rushworth's first wicket began a severe slide of 7 for 51 in 21.1 overs.
He found the breakthrough with a delivery that jagged back sharply off the seam to pluck out Alex Wakely's off stump as he perfectly justifiably shouldered arms. Two balls later Rob Keogh edged an away-swinger to fall for a second-ball duck after a match-winning innings last week.
Rushworth also nipped one through Ben Curran's defences, who was rather caught on the crease in losing his off stump for a battling 36. After tea, Doug Bracewell was pinned by a nip-backer for 1 and the five-wicket haul was completed by one that bounced to take the shoulder of Brett Hutton's bat to point.
Ben Raine also went to 50 wickets in a season for the second time with his 3 for 57, having Rob Newton caught at slip for 26, Luke Procter caught behind first ball after tea for 8 and Gareth Berg bowled off his gloves as he tried to avoid another ball that bounced a little.
But after Rossington's brilliance gave his side a useful score, and momentum, the Northants bowlers made inroads much earlier then Durham managed.
Sanderson got one to straighten on Cameron Steel who edged low to Hutton at third slip for 7 and lured Alex Lees, on 15, into flicking across a full delivery to provide Alex Wakely with a catch at first slip. A nip-backer then trapped Angus Robson lbw for 9.
Gareth Berg also produced a big inswinger that won a leg before decision against Championship debutant BJ Watling. The New Zealander walked off for a third-ball duck as Northants ended the day much the stronger.
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Gloucestershire wobble as Ryan Higgins, Ed Barnard shine with ball
Published in
Cricket
Monday, 16 September 2019 11:45

Gloucestershire 87 for 4 (Barnard 3-16) trail Worcestershire 221 (Wessels 72, Higgins 4-55) by 134 runs
Only Leicestershire have endured a longer exile from county cricket's first division than two of the contenders for promotion this year. Gloucestershire and Glamorgan were both relegated in 2005, the last season of three up and three down before it was decided that the clubs in the upper tier should feel a little more secure.
The converse of that has been an increased degree of difficulty for the teams trying to make the transition in the opposite direction. Clearly, the change has disadvantaged this trio in particular, in which case Gloucestershire, in third place going into the final two rounds, will feel they ought not to miss the opportunity.
They meet second-placed Northamptonshire at Bristol next week, which might yet have one promotion place riding on it depending on how the table looks in a few days. Win this one first, however, with Northamptonshire and another contender, Durham, locking horns at Wantage Road, and the prize could be within touching distance.
Momentum is said to count for a good deal at this stage of the season and although they were beaten by Sussex last week, Gloucestershire had won three matches in a row before that one. They defeated Worcestershire by 13 runs in a thrilling finish at Cheltenham in July, a result which ended any lingering hope that Worcestershire themselves might still sneak into the race.
Yet after an opening day largely dominated by seamers under a cloudy sky, Gloucestershire had control for a while only to have it taken from them in a difficult final session in which Ed Barnard undermined them three times by taking wickets with the last ball of an over. Any optimistic notions entertained in the visitors' dressing room that the home side might have been distracted in their anticipation of defending their Vitality Blast crown at Edgbaston on Saturday, a date that Gloucestershire had pencilled into their diary before Derbyshire surprised them in the quarter-final at Bristol, proved without foundation.
Gloucestershire's bowlers had given them the upper hand in the first session, delayed by one hour after a damp morning, to the extent that when Ben Cox was out four overs after lunch, falling to the second of two fine catches by Tom Smith at third slip, Worcestershire were 71 for 5. Ryan Higgins, the allrounder whose runs and wickets are a large element of why his side are in contention, had taken three, going round the wicket to pin the left-handed Hamish Rutherford leg before and two balls later bringing one back sharply to bowl Alex Milton, who shouldered arms.
Without Moeen Ali, taking time out to nurse some minor "niggles" ahead of Saturday, Worcestershire's often fragile batting appeared in danger of caving in rather rapidly.
That they did not was down to Riki Wessels, whose approach to batting is consistently to attack. It comes off less frequently in the red-ball game than it did in white-ball cricket in his pomp but on this occasion it did, bringing him a 58-ball half-century and 72 off 89 deliveries before, attempting the reprise the slog-sweep that had brought him six off Higgins earlier, he found Ben Charlesworth on the square-leg boundary.
After a brief experiment opening, Wessels is back in the middle order and looks more comfortable there. His sixth-wicket partnership with Barnard (30) gave the innings some substance. With the game evolving quickly, Gloucestershire had their three bowling points - their first objective - in the 48th over, but Joe Leach and Adam Finch built on the impetus provided by Wessels enough to ensure it was the basis of a genuine recovery. Higgins, with 4 for 55, had been Worcestershire's most dangerous opponent with the ball. Shannon Gabriel, the West Indian Test fast bowler brought in for the final push, proved as ineffective as he had against Sussex.
The downside for Gloucestershire of bowling the home side out by tea was two hours of batting in light that did not really brighten until the last throes. James Bracey and Chris Dent weathered the new-ball threat but when Barnard came into the attack as first change, he immediately broke through as Bracey was caught behind and Dent edged to third slip.
Mitchell took his first Championship wicket of the season by having Smith leg before and Barnard combined again with Cox to leave Gloucestershire four down for 56, before Gareth Roderick and Charlesworth survived until the close.
Umpire Nick Cook, who was suffering from a sore knee, was replaced by Mike Burns mid-way through the afternoon session.
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People were singing my name and I thought 'What is going on?' - Jack Leach
Published in
Cricket
Monday, 16 September 2019 11:32

If any confirmation were needed that Jack Leach has become an England cult hero, it came on the third evening at The Oval. Leach had walked out to bat alongside Jofra Archer, with England eight down and sitting on a 374-run lead when people began to rise in their seats and join in with a booming chorus that echoed around the ground: "Stand up if you love Jack Leach!"
Only those of a green-and-gold persuasion declined to join the choir. Leach's fan club has grown steadily since the middle of summer, but largely because of his batting exploits rather than his spin bowling. First came the 92 as nightwatchman opener against Ireland at Lord's, for which he was named Man of the Match; then the valiant 1 off 17 balls to accompany Ben Stokes into the history books at Headingley. In the first innings at The Oval, he held up his end while helping Jos Buttler to add 68 and lift England from trouble again.
Then there is the endearing routine of cleaning his glasses between deliveries. In part it is Leach's everyman appearance that chimes with the watching public - though the sight of fans at Old Trafford mimicking his bald pate and glasses prompted Kevin Pietersen to wonder in a column for a betting site whether Leach was becoming a "laughing stock".
On the final day of the series at The Oval, Leach made sure the talk would be about his bowling at last. He made key incisions to remove Marnus Labuschagne and Tim Paine before taking the last two wickets to fall for figures of 4 for 49 - his best in home Tests - in the process sharing all ten with Stuart Broad and his captain, Joe Root.
"Today I just wanted to be patient and felt if I did my job well then the wickets would come," he said. "I needed to put the ball in the right area and be patient. I got my rewards at the end, with some good catching from Rooty. Broady set the tone amazingly well earlier on, it was a real team effort. The Aussies fought hard but we did enough.
"It was nice to get some wickets on the last day. The support for me has been something I didn't think I'd ever experience. Maybe it's because of my batting, but I think it's mainly because I'm bald and have got glasses. The way the public have warmed to me is something very special and I don't take for granted. I can't thank them enough."
England were well on their way to drawing the series on Saturday evening, when Leach was warmly serenaded by the Oval crowd. Looking back, he was happy enough to acknowledge the moment of fortune at Headingley that saw Nathan Lyon drop the ball with a decisive run-out opportunity begging.
"Yesterday, when I was batting at the end, over there they were singing 'Stand up if you love Jack Leach', and then they started over there as well. I just thought 'What is going on?' Nathan Lyon came over and said to me 'How many beers do you owe me [for the run out]?' I think I owe him a lot. Sport is fickle and I guess you have to enjoy the good moments and not get too down about the bad moments. I have had some luck as well. Hopefully you earn that luck through hard work, I will continue working hard."
Leach has been a hit on social media, as well as in the stands, with a video of his re-enactment of the single he scored at Headingley receiving more than 5000 likes on Twitter. After Australia had retained the urn by winning the next Test, at Old Trafford, there were suggestions that Steven Smith had donned a pair of glasses in mock tribute - though it was later clarified to be a joke at the expense of bespectacled former Australia opener Chris Rogers.
"Smith came to me to let me know that it wasn't about me," Leach said. "I didn't know whether it was or wasn't. I was kind of hoping it was, and thought it was a good laugh. I was very embarrassed after Headingley when the video came out of me doing my one. I think I deserved that to be honest! That's why we got a picture together after the game with him wearing my glasses!"
Having made a low-key debut in Christchurch in March 2018, then missing out on the following Test summer through injury, it feels as though Leach has taken 18 months to become an overnight success. However, he does not intend to bask in his new status, and could well find himself involved in a momentous achievement of a different kind over the coming days, with Somerset closing in on the first-ever Championship title in their history.
"Somerset-Essex next week, I don't know if I'll play yet. I've been part of that Somerset season as well so I don't know. During this series it's been pretty mentally and physically tiring. But I probably haven't bowled too many overs, not a silly amount. It will be good to go back and try to win the Championship with Somerset because we've never won that."
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Cowboys DE Charlton wants team to release him
Published in
Breaking News
Monday, 16 September 2019 12:51

FRISCO, Texas -- Inactive for the first two games, Dallas Cowboys defensive end Taco Charlton took to social media Monday with a plea to the team: Free me.
After tweeting that message, the post was deleted, but he did follow up with this:
Trust me the last thing I want to do is to have to go to social media to get what I want so I can play football again.
— Taco Charlton (@TheSupremeTaco) September 16, 2019
The Cowboys have had trade discussions for Charlton, a first-round pick in 2017, but nothing that has gotten close to fruition, according to a source. Charlton is guaranteed his $1.376 million base salary this season and $458,000 of his base salary next season.
"We are not getting into that at all in any way," owner and general manager Jerry Jones said after Sunday's win against the Washington Redskins. "I know there is some discussion. We don't get into that."
The Cowboys welcomed back defensive end Robert Quinn from a two-game suspension for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy on Monday. They will have an exemption for Quinn through Wednesday but then would have to make a spot for him on the 53-man roster.
Charlton could be among the candidates to be moved; however, the Cowboys are not sure of the availability of defensive end Tyrone Crawford, who aggravated a hip injury against Washington, or defensive tackle Antwaun Woods.
The 28th overall pick in 2017, Charlton has four sacks in 22 games (seven starts) but has not found a consistent role in the rotation used by defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli. He missed three games last year because of a shoulder injury that required offseason surgery, and he also had ankle surgery.
After a slow start to camp, he had two sacks in the preseason.
Going back to the 2017 regular season, he has been a healthy scratch in four of the last six games.
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