Loughborough Lightning 135 for 4 (du Preez 38*) beat Yorkshire Diamonds 129 (Rodrigues 58, Matthews 2-19) by six wickets

Loughborough Lightning completed a third win in four matches to move ahead of Surrey Stars into third place in the Kia Super League, winning a low-scoring contest by six wickets with five balls to spare. South African star Mignon du Preez produced the match-winning innings for the second match running, following her 70 not out against Stars last week with an unbeaten 38 here, striking four sixes.

Indian teenager Jemimah Rodrigues top scored with 58 for the Diamonds, but a total of 129 all out from their 20 overs proved too little in the end, even though their bowlers did their best to defend it by taking the contest into the final over, England seamer Beth Langston conceding only 17 from her four overs.

Lightning took the upper hand early after Yorkshire had won the toss and opted to bat, the visitors losing both openers in the Powerplay overs in making 32. Lauren Winfield drove Jenny Gunn straight to Georgia Adams at mid-off before West Indies allrounder Hayley Matthews was rewarded for two tidy overs when Alyssa Healy holed out to deep midwicket, where Lucy Higham pouched a good catch after waiting for a towering shot to come down again.

Hollie Armitage, who had struggled against Matthews's offbreaks in the Powerplay, fared no better against Kirstie Gordon, the left-arm spinner, whose sixth delivery bowled her, Diamonds reaching the halfway point at 55 for 3.

Rodrigues and Alice Davidson-Richards steadied the ship, adding 35 in six overs, but a breakdown in communications cost the latter her wicket after Rodrigues set off for a quick single off Gordon, Sarah Glenn's throw from short backward square running the non-striker out comfortably.

The 18-year-old Rodrigues completed her half-century off 34 balls, having struck four boundaries, but lost another partner when Bess Heath miscued Bryce to mid-off before her fine innings ended when she found the hands of Matthews at deep midwicket.

She fell during a chaotic last two overs of the Diamonds innings, which saw 14 runs added but five wickets lost, three of them run out. In the midst of that, Matthews bowled Langston to finish with 2 for 19, her economy bettered only by Gordon, who took 1 for 14 from her four overs.

In reply, Lightning openers Matthews and Amy Jones picked up boundaries in five of the first six overs to be comfortably ahead of the game at 40 without loss, before Matthews missed one from legspinner Katie Levick that kept low.

A tight three overs by the lively left-armer Katie George put the brake on a little. Nonetheless, Lightning looked well placed at 58 for 1 at the halfway point, although they stumbled in the 13th over as Chamari Atapattu was run out and Jones caught behind off consecutive balls from Langston, leaving two new batsmen at the crease with 56 still needed.

The pressure was eased somewhat when George's final over went for 14, including a six by du Preez over the longest boundary, leaving Lightning needed 34 off the final five overs, although du Preez had been given a let-off on 7 when George could not hold on to what would have been a good return catch.

Du Preez struck her second maximum off New Zealand offspinner Leigh Kasparek and a third off Levick, either side of ex-Lightning left-arm spinner Linsey Smith dismissing her former captain, Georgia Elwiss, finishing the match by clouting Smith for her fourth six from the first ball of the final over.

Warwickshire 303 for 4 (Yates 139*, Rhodes 82) v Somerset

Rob Yates notched his maiden first-class century as Warwickshire took a commanding position on day one of their Specsavers County Championship match against second-placed Somerset at Edgbaston.

Closing on 303 for 4, the Bears were led by the 19-year-old academy product, who looked assured as he reached 139 not out from 286 balls, with 22 fours, passing his previous first-class best of 91, which came at the beginning of July at Hampshire.

At 32 days shy of his 20th birthday, No. 3 Yates became the youngest Warwickshire batsman to score a ton since Sam Hain, who at the age of 18 years and 336 days, reached the total in his fifth match against Northants in 2014.

Yates took his team to a position that might have seemed unlikely when Dom Sibley departed in the second over of the day. With plenty of eyes watching the 23-year-old ahead of the third Ashes Test at Headingley, Sibley found Roelof van der Merwe at gully, leaving the hosts 0 for 1 after just 10 balls.

But with a short boundary in front of the Eric Hollies Stand, Warwickshire frustrated Somerset with an impressive 153 partnership from 232 balls between Yates and opener Will Rhodes.

Rhodes, who would eventually depart for 82 from 117 balls after being caught behind off the bowling of Craig Overton, struck 13 fours and one six in addition to Yates' 10 fours.

That gave the Bears a platform and any Somerset hope of quick wickets were subsequently dashed by Hain. The England Lions batsman scored just 25 from 104 balls before edging to Steven Davies off van der Merwe, but he had continued to frustrate a Somerset side who used six bowlers.

The partnership between Hain and Yates was worth 89, leaving the hosts on 242 for 3 and Adam Hose next in.

With the new ball available after 80 overs, the visitors persevered for an extra 5.2 overs before changing during Jack Brooks' 14th over. The move brought success with Craig Overton trapping Hose lbw for 17 from 36 balls, 20 balls later, earning him his second wicket. But wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose followed the trend, striking two fours in a 28-run partnership with Yates.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Bears' search for a place kicker took another turn on Sunday when the team waived Elliott Fry.

Fry and fellow kicker Eddy Pineiro competed against each other for the job since Chicago opened camp on July 26, but coach Matt Nagy told reporters Sunday that Pineiro earned the opportunity to handle all kicks in practices and games over the final two weeks of the preseason.

"Both kickers for us had done a really good job competing," Nagy said. "It wasn't an easy decision for us. Both kickers had done a lot better [in the preseason] than where we thought they were in OTAs.

"But what this enables us to do now with two preseason games left is get more kicks [for Pineiro]. Now you're not splitting reps in the preseason game and I think there is a mental aspect too for Eddy with him now able to get out there and kick in these final two preseason games and get those reps. The volume will pick up for him. It's a great opportunity for him to see what he can do."

Pineiro went 2-for-2 on field goals (of 41 and 27 yards) in Chicago's preseason loss to the New York Giants on Friday night. Fry missed his lone attempt from 47 yards at MetLife Stadium, but did convert a 43-yard kick versus the Carolina Panthers in the Bears' exhibition opener.

Nagy, however, stopped short of declaring that Pineiro won the job outright.

"Like any position, we're always out there looking for the best," Nagy said. "Eddy hasn't attempted a kick in an NFL regular-season game, so like any player, that can go either really good or really bad. But we like where we are with him right now."

Pineiro was traded to the Bears after being signed by the Oakland Raiders in 2018.

"The way I look at it, I feel like I haven't won the competition," Pineiro said. "Everything's still open. Who knows if they bring somebody else in? But it does give me a confidence boost, like OK, I have a shot to be the guy and prove to the coaches that I can be the guy that they want me to be. So yeah, I feel a lot more confident, yeah."

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott will not face charges from Las Vegas police for an alleged assault that occurred in May, according to Frank Salzano, one of Elliott's attorneys and agents.

On May 19, Las Vegas police briefly detained Elliott after an incident in which Kyle Johnson, a security guard at a music festival, was knocked to the ground. Elliott was released and apologized to Johnson. At the time, Johnson declined to press chargers but later filed a criminal complaint.

Two of Elliott's lawyers, Scott Rosenblum and Jason Lampert, released a statement in July in which they believed Johnson was attempting to extort Elliott.

The NFL investigated the incident as well, and Elliott met with commissioner Roger Goodell in New York. The league later said Elliott would not be penalized under the personal conduct policy. In 2017, Elliott was suspended for six games for an alleged assault involving a former girlfriend in Columbus, Ohio, even though no charges were brought in that case by law enforcement.

Elliott has yet to report to training camp and is subject to fines totaling more than $900,000 as he seeks a contract extension. He spent most of his time in Mexico, but returned to Texas over the weekend. The Cowboys returned to Dallas on Sunday morning after their 14-10 win against the Los Angeles Rams in Honolulu.

Their first practice at The Star in Frisco, Texas, will be Tuesday, and the front office hopes to pick up the pace on the negotiations with Elliott, as well as Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper.

MEDINAH, Ill. -- Phil Mickelson had a hasty start to the final round of the BMW Championship on Sunday, arriving at Medinah Country Club less than 40 minutes prior to his tee time, changing his shoes in the parking lot and scrambling to get warmed up.

Mickelson had been locked out of his nearby hotel room for 90 minutes because of a lightning strike that caused a fire and an evacuation. He tweeted about the circumstances and feared he might miss his tee time.

How's this for crazy? My hotel was struck by lighting, I was on top floor,we were evacuated and the place is on fire(only thing of mine on fire this week.) I can't get back into my room and may miss my tee time because I am without clubs and clothes.

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) August 18, 2019

Mickelson, 49, credited the power of social media with helping him make it. The PGA Tour got involved, as did local police. Mickelson's brother and caddie, Tim Mickelson, said Phil was soon allowed back into his room and would make the tee time. He was staying at the Eaglewood Resort & Spa hotel in Itasca, Illinois, adjacent to Medinah Country Club, so his journey was not far.

He was scheduled to tee off at 11:52 a.m. ET off the 10th tee, which is a considerable distance from the clubhouse and parking lot. He only had time to swing a weighted club in the parking lot, then to hit a few drivers and chips on the range before heading to the course.

Mickelson tweeted again that the "EMT's were awesome and I'm going to make it," and then joked that his clubs "acted as a fire retardant."

AUSTIN, Texas -- Former NFL and Texas running back Cedric Benson, one of the most prolific rushers in NCAA and University of Texas history, has died in a motorcycle crash in Texas. He was 36.

Benson's attorney, Sam Bassett, says Austin law enforcement told him that Benson was killed in a motorcycle crash Saturday night.

One of the top high school recruits in the country out of Midland, Texas, Benson was a key player in the Longhorns' resurgence under former coach Mack Brown. Benson played at Texas from 2001 to '04. He won the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation's top running back, in 2004.

His 5,540 rushing yards for the Longhorns still ranks second in school history, behind only Ricky Williams' total.

Brown and Williams posted on social media after learning of Benson's death.

Saddened by the reports on the passing of Cedric Benson. We've coached a lot of tough players but none were tougher than Cedric. He was a true spirit. Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family on this sad day. pic.twitter.com/6afR0AFiJW

— Mack Brown (@CoachMackBrown) August 18, 2019

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Just learned that fellow Longhorn Cedric Benson has passed on to the other side. RIP to one of the greatest to have played for the University of Texas ?? #cedricbenson #hookem #runningbacks #thisistexas #rip @nufced

A post shared by Ricky Williams (@williams) on Aug 18, 2019 at 10:49am PDT

Tom Herman, the current coach at Texas also expressed his condolences.

"It's an unbelievably sad day with the news of the passing of Cedric Benson," Herman said in a statement. "We lost a true Longhorn Legend, one of the best running backs in college football history and a really special man. He was far too young, and my heart aches for his family, friends and the entire Longhorn community. Our thoughts and prayers are with them all."

Benson was drafted No. 4 overall by the Chicago Bears in 2005. He also played for the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers.

He reached Super Bowl XLI with Chicago but had his best individual success in Cincinnati, topping 1,000 rushing yards three times. He had 6,850 career yards from scrimmage and 33 touchdowns.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

We can't recommend enough the importance of taking part in some mock fantasy football drafts before your real ones arrive. It's easy (just click here and join one), doesn't take much time and gives you the chance to make mistakes that don't count, while getting a feel for where players may land in your specific league size and format.

That latter part is key, because player value changes dramatically based on how many managers are in your league, the makeup of your rosters and your scoring system.

To that point, the value of quarterbacks rose in our recent 10-team, 2-QB mock when compared to our 10-team PPR, 10-team non-PPR and 12-team PPR drafts that rostered only one starting QB.

This time around, we turned to a 12-team, 1-QB, non-PPR format -- and not surprisingly, with no bonus point for receptions, running backs ruled the early part of the first round. In fact, the top eight picks were running backs.

Throughout the draft, those whose value gets a big boost from receiving in PPR formats also took a hit. For example, Travis Kelce slipped out of the first round (No. 17), while James White (No. 57) and Tarik Cohen (No. 66), who make their fantasy mark catching passes, sank as well.

Meanwhile, with off-field questions, Melvin Gordon and Antonio Brown dropped all the way to No. 22 and 23, respectively. On the other hand, Keith Lipscomb snagged Ezekiel Elliott at No. 2 (over pass-catcher extraordinaire Christian McCaffrey), despite his current holdout, believing at this time that it will get worked out before Week 1.

Check out each of the picks below and compare them to our other mocks -- then go do your own mocks to warm up for the real ones.

The participants, in order of draft position, were:

Mike Triplett, Keith Lipscomb, André Snellings, Tom Carpenter, Tristan H. Cockcroft, Kyle Soppe, Matt Bowen, KC Joyner, Mike Clay, Field Yates, Jim McCormick and Eric Karabell

With the platform of USA Basketball's road to the FIBA Basketball World Cup in store, several players have looked to turn heads with their patriotic pairs during the team's training camp and early exhibition games.

For Kyle Kuzma and P.J. Tucker, it could be their final stretch in Nike sneakers, as both will be among this fall's most sought-after sneaker free agents, with their current swoosh endorsement deals set to expire in late September.

Both have been wearing exclusive pairs of the Kobe 4 Protro in navy, red and white so far, with Kuzma expected to continue carrying the torch for the former Los Angeles Lakers legend's signature sneaker line as he continues on with the national team.

After suffering an ankle injury just before team USA's exhibition win over Spain, Tucker was forced to withdraw -- a personal disappointment for the 34 year-old excited to represent his country, and a letdown for sneakerheads looking forward to his rotation of FIBA footwear.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, a fellow 2017 draft classmate of Kuzma's, has kicked off his new sneaker deal with Jordan Brand during his time with USA Basketball, after officially transferring over from Nike's basketball category to the Michael Jordan subsidiary in late June.

"I've been wearing Jordans since before I could walk, when I was 10 months old," Tatum said. "Fast-forward 20 years later, now I'm a part of the brand."

After a process that began at the start of the year -- "a bunch of phone calls," he jokes -- Tatum welcomed the internal shift to become a Team Jordan member after just the second season of his rookie shoe deal with Nike.

"I told my mom, the only way athletes get to come to the brand is if Jordan approves," he said. "Getting the approval from the greatest player of all time at 21 [years old] is an incredible feeling."

When his mother asked what went into his thought process of accepting the transfer, it was apparently a straightforward decision.

"I was like, 'Jordan knows who I am?' Yeah, I'm down," he said with a laugh.

In the week leading up to his official announcement, Tatum says 50 pairs of Jordans arrived on his doorstep. Several limited edition exclusives were packaged alongside recent performance models, along with a handful of his favorite Air Jordan 1 colorways.

During his time with USA Basketball, Tatum has helped to headline Jordan's newest performance sneaker, the Jumpman Diamond, coincidentally, alongside his new brandmate and teammate in Kemba Walker. Each is wearing slightly different editions of the team shoe in navy, white and red accents, before they switch to green-based kicks for the regular season.

"The creativity and freedom that you can have over here, and the back and the forth with athletes is really creative and new in the basketball world," Tatum said.

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different arena, same @spidadmitchell ❤️ (repost @utahjazz) #NBAKicks

A post shared by NBA Kicks (@nbakicks) on Aug 16, 2019 at 11:18pm PDT

Though several of the NBA's biggest stars with their own signature shoe opted against playing in this summer's FIBA World Cup, that allowed for Donovan Mitchell to step in as the only USA Basketball player with his own signature model. The timing couldn't be better, as Adidas just launched his debut D.O.N. Issue #1 sneaker, highlighted by an acronym short for "determination over negativity," and complete with comic book themes.

Just as he did throughout the past NBA season, Mitchell continued his ongoing ritual of giving away his game-worn sneakers to fans, leaving a young boy in awe as he handed off his player exclusive navy and white Adidas signature shoe.

While both Tucker and Kuzma are just now beginning the early stages of their pending sneaker free agency, Celtics guard Marcus Smart might have already tipped his hand in Las Vegas on his next shoe deal. After originally signing with Adidas as a rookie in 2014, Smart was spotted in head-to-toe Puma gear as he arrived for USAB training camp, hardly a subtle move. The following day, he laced up Puma's recent Uproar sneaker in white, blue and red, perhaps plainly foreshadowing his plans.

Talks between the two sides are ongoing, according to industry sources. With Puma-sponsored athlete Terry Rozier leaving the Celtics in free agency, the Boston-based basketball category of the company is said to have mutual interest in signing Smart to continue their local pro presence, once his Adidas deal officially expires Oct. 1.

Last but not least, head coach Gregg Popovich even turned heads during the team's practices, breaking out a clean white and navy pair of the once mass friendly-turned-cult classic defining "dad shoe," Nike's Air Monarch. He even caught the attention of the league's reigning sneaker champ.

"Pop killed me with the Air Monarchs!" Tucker said.

Check out all of the best sneakers worn so far during USA Basketball's sessions leading up to the 2019 FIBA World Cup, and vote for your favorite pair in the poll below. For real-time sneaker updates and community discussions, join our SneakerCenter Facebook Group and follow us on Instagram.

Washington Nationals closer Sean Doolittle was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with right knee tendinitis, a day after he blew his sixth save chance of the season.

Doolittle, 32, allowed three home runs and four runs in the ninth inning Saturday night against the Milwaukee Brewers to blow a three-run lead for the Nationals. Washington eventually lost the game 15-14 in 14 innings.

"He has always had knee issues," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Sunday, according to the Washington Times. "He can't get on that front side like he wants to (on his delivery). I told him, 'You are not letting anybody down. But we have to get you right.' It came to a head."

Martinez said Sunday that he he will play matchups with his bullpen in the ninth inning during Doolittle's absence. But he made it clear that Doolittle will not lose his job.

"When he does come back, he's our closer," Martinez told reporters.

"I'm still searching for answers," Doolittle said after Saturday's game. "I don't know. ... It just wasn't coming out tonight. That part of the order, that team, there's just nowhere to hide."

Right-hander Kyle McGowin was recalled from Double-A Harrisburg in a corresponding move.

The Nationals (66-56) currently hold the first wild-card spot in the National League, with a 1½-game lead over the Chicago Cubs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

PITTSBURGH -- The memories come flooding back. Ask a major leaguer what he did last week at the plate, and he might need to look at a box score to remind himself. But ask about his Little League experiences, and boy, does he have memories.

"My 12-year-old season, I broke the home run record for our Little League," Chicago Cubs star Kris Bryant said recently. "Before the season started, I told my parents I wanted this drum set. Really bad. They said if you break -- his name was Chuckie Howard -- if you break his record of 18 home runs, we'll get you the drum set. I hit 19, but I changed my mind at the last minute and asked for golf clubs. That was my first set of golf clubs."

Bryant and his teammates will get to experience Little League all over again -- and finally make it to Williamsport, Pennsylvania -- when they and the Pittsburgh Pirates take in a game on Sunday before playing each other later that night in the hometown of the Little League World Series. It's a dream come true -- even if it comes decades later for some.

"To win a district playoff game back then and advance was a pretty big deal," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "It was hard to imagine being good enough to get that far."

"That far" wasn't very far at all for Maddon. He grew up in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, just 73 miles from Williamsport, but he has never been there. Not until Sunday, at least.

"As a community, we were more football- and basketball-oriented," Maddon said. "But as baseball players, we really wanted to go."

Across the country, in Las Vegas, Bryant had the same dream. But it was his brother who actually got closer.

"He made it to regionals, in San Bernardino, [California]," Bryant said. "I don't even remember the game. I was busy trading pins. I still have that collection."

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo also dreamed of making it to Williamsport. In Parkland, Florida, he watched every year.

"We never got close," Rizzo said with a bit of a disappointment that still lingers. "But it was always a goal."

What's left are those memories of attempting to get there.

"In my first Little League game [T-ball], I ran the bases backward," Bryant said, laughing. "I didn't know what direction to go. And there were no bathrooms because it was Saturday, and the school was closed. So my grandma had a bucket in her car, and that's where I went to pee.

"You remember the stupid things, but they're great."

"I remember going from my first Communion straight to my Little League game and playing in my suit, just with a jersey over it," Rizzo said.

Like Bryant, Rizzo was coached by his dad. Both profess theirs were the good kind -- the kind who didn't care about anything but making sure the kids had fun.

"My dad's signs were pretty easy," Rizzo said with a laugh. "He would just scream from the third-base coach's box, 'Steal!' or 'Bunt!'

"We had a play, if I was pitching or catching. We had, like, a padded backstop, so if there was a guy on third, we would purposely pitch it back there, and it would bounce back to the catcher, and we would nail the guy trying to steal home. My friend Christian and I would do that."

Ask the players and even Maddon how good they were as Little Leaguers, and they aren't shy -- or forgetful.

"When I was 12, you could only pitch in every other game," Maddon said, smiling. "I was 8-0, and the other guy was 0-7, so we went 8-7 for the year. ... I hit .500 when I was 9. They used to post the stat sheet in the clubhouse."

Said Bryant: "My last year in Little League, I hit .720 with 19 home runs. ... I wanted to go to Williamsport so we could miss some school in August. It was a fairy tale to get there. It didn't happen for us."

But it's happening now -- for them and the fortunate Little League teams still in the tournament. Maddon and his players promised to soak in the game they attend before taking on the Pirates. It's bound to bring back even more memories.

"There was a water tank out in left-center field, and there was a dude by the name of Brown that used to hang out there," Maddon said. "Just an old man by the name of Brown. He would sit there and yell, 'Hit the water tank!' Finally, I hit the water tank, and I knew that if you could hit the water tank, it was a pretty significant development in your Little League career."

Bryant loves all that he has now as a pro ballplayer, but his Little League days can never be replicated.

"I really enjoy watching now, still," he said. "It's very innocent. A batter gets hit, and you go over and shake hands. You miss those days. That's when it really felt like a game. ... Some of my favorite memories are from Little League and my dad coaching me. It didn't matter if you won or lost, you were just happy to be out there playing."