FONTANA, Calif. – In a dogfight to the finish line, Ashton Crowder beat Garrett Lowe in a battle of teenagers to become a two-time eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series winner on Tuesday night.

Crowder, 17, fought tooth and nail with Lowe, 18, down the home stretch in the second race of the season. The pair exchanged the top spot four times in the final five laps of the 100-lap, 200-mile event, with Crowder’s decisive move coming on lap 98 of 100.

The Charlotte, N.C., resident took command by holding true to the outside lane when it mattered most. His momentum off the higher groove propelled him past Lowe’s Wood Brothers Gaming Ford Mustang, and then Crowder eked out a car length more at the finish.

Though Lowe held the race lead on the 96th rotation, Crowder’s determination paid off two laps later, shortly after the pair exchanged the top spot twice in one circuit on lap 97.

Tuesday night’s thriller marked Crowder’s second series victory, as well as his second in the last six races dating back to 2019.

“That was pretty cool,” Crowder said after celebrating with a frontstretch burnout. “I told Garrett over the drivers’ radio with like 10 (laps) to go not to go then, to wait until five to go … because I didn’t want us to get caught by Bobby (Zalenski). Thankfully that didn’t happen.”

Crowder was outside the top 10 when the race’s first of two cautions waved past the halfway point, and he didn’t take the lead for the first time all night until lap 79.

But once out in front, Crowder commanded the field when it counted, pacing 16 of the final 22 laps en route to his first triumph at the virtual Auto Club Speedway.

The teenager noted afterward it was a huge show of growth from his entire team which culminated in a big victory for Burton Kligerman eSports, the team co-owned by NASCAR on NBC broadcast personalities Jeff Burton and Parker Kligerman.

“Everyone that builds these race cars has stepped up, because we weren’t all that good last year,” he added. “We got a win (at Darlington Raceway), but it was mostly off of strategy. The cars overall were lacking at that point. We spent a lot of time in the winter testing our butts off and it’s showing, I feel. We got out front and we had a lot of speed all night.

“It was a tad bit loose at times, but overall, I think we held on really well considering where we restarted toward the end,” Crowder noted. “I think Garrett may have fallen back a bit more than I did, but it was a huge group effort tonight. I’m so happy to get the win here.”

Lowe came up one spot short of securing a second-career victory in his own right, but was quick to note the fun he had in battling Crowder in the closing stages of the race.

“We had a fantastic car all night; I can’t thank everyone at Wood Brothers Racing enough,” said Lowe. “We couldn’t quite get there at the end. I think I may have pushed him away more than I was able to stay close to him in the draft. I think we’ve got plenty to look forward to for the rest of the season, though; I feel like we showed plenty tonight and we’ll be able to carry this momentum forward as we get into the heavy part of the season.”

The official margin between the two teenagers at the finish line was .128 seconds.

Bobby Zalenski tried to run down Crowder and Lowe in the final 10 laps, but could not get to the front pair and settled for a third-place finish.

Zalenski and Jake Nichols, who finished fourth after parlaying a one-stop pit strategy into a charge from 33rd on the grid, both led 13 laps but weren’t in the picture for the win in the end.

Chris Overland crossed the line fifth to give Wood Brothers Racing a pair of cars inside the top five, followed by John Gorlinsky, Casey Kirwan, Jimmy Mullis, Blake Reynolds and Jarl Teien.

Four-time series champion Ray Alfalla led 13 laps in his own right during his attempt at the one-stop pit strategy, but his hopes were squelched by an ill-timed caution past halfway.

Alfalla was scored 11th, while polesitter Keegan Leahy finished 22nd after heavy contact with Santiago Tirres in turn three during the second half of the event.

The night’s second caution flag at lap 58, when Michael Guariglia slapped the outside wall off turn four and came down into Logan Clampitt, collected seven cars in all – including two-time Fontana eNASCAR winner Ryan Luza, who ended up 36th, two laps down.

Defending champion Zack Novak was also eliminated in the melee, credited with 40th.

The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series season continues March 17 at the virtual Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway, where Novak won last fall to secure the title.

The finish:

Ashton Crowder, Garrett Lowe, Bobby Zalenski, Jake Nichols, Chris Overland, John Gorlinsky, Casey Kirwan, Jimmy Mullis, Blake Reynolds, Jarl Teien, Ray Alfalla, Matt Bussa, Brad Davies, Phillip Diaz, Jeremy Allen, Caine Cook, Alex McCollum, Bob Bryant, Santiago Tirres, Nick Ottinger, Brandon Kettelle, Keegan Leahy, Nathan Lyon, Justin Bolton, Corey Vincent, Graham Bowlin, Kollin Keister, Steve Sheehan, Eric J. Smith, Michael Conti, Dylan Duval, Chris Shearburn, Michael Guest, Malik Ray, Christian Challiner, Ryan Luza, Brian Schoenburg, Logan Clampitt, Michael Guariglia, Zack Novak.

Lead Changes: 30 among 13 drivers

Lap Leaders: Keegan Leahy 1-2, Ryan Luza 3-10, Bobby Zalenski 11, Logan Clampitt 12-14, Chris Shearburn 15, Logan Clampitt 16-18, Chris Shearburn 19, Logan Clampitt 20-22, Chris Shearburn 23-24, Logan Clampitt 25-26, Casey Kirwan 27, Logan Clampitt 28, Keegan Leahy 29-34, Nick Ottinger 35, Ray Alfalla 36-48, Jake Nichols 49, Nathan Lyon 50, Keegan Leahy 51-55, John Gorlinsky 56-57, Jake Nichols 58-66, Bobby Zalenski 67-69, Jake Nichols 70-71, Bobby Zalenski 72, Jake Nichols 73, Bobby Zalenski 74-78, Ashton Crowder 79-81, Casey Kirwan 82, Bobby Zalenski 83-85, Ashton Crowder 86-95, Garrett Lowe 96-97, Ashton Crowder 98-100.

Laps Led: Ashton Crowder 16, Keegan Leahy 13, Bobby Zalenski 13, Ray Alfalla 13, Jake Nichols 13, Logan Clampitt 12, Ryan Luza 8, Chris Shearburn 4, Casey Kirwan 2, John Gorlinsky 2, Garrett Lowe 2, Nick Ottinger 1, Nathan Lyon 1.

Caution Flags: Twice for six laps

Margin of Victory: .128 seconds

Average Speed: 44.556 seconds (161.594 mph)

Just imagine that despite the prospect of a two-year ban from European competition from the start of next season, Manchester City are able to blank out all of the noise and win the Champions League for the first time at the end of this campaign.

On the one hand, it would be the ultimate achievement and crowning glory of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan's transformation of the club. As City chairman Khaldoon al Mubarak told ESPN in an exclusive interview in August 2018: "We should win it [Champions League] in the next 10 years, and obviously, sooner rather than later."

But if UEFA's ban sticks and City spend the next two years unable to compete for European club football's biggest prize, then Champions League glory in May in Istanbul could prove to be a poisoned chalice rather than the Holy Grail. All of a sudden, the likes of Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne, Aymeric Laporte and the rest of City's superstars -- not to mention manager Pep Guardiola -- would have scaled the highest mountain at the club, only to find that the next two years will offer nothing more challenging than a domestic scene they have already conquered more than once.

City find themselves in a catch-22 situation. If they win the Champions League, there is nothing else for their array of stars to achieve at the club, and such glory could trigger an exodus sparked by ambition and harsh financial realities.

-- Champions League round of 16: All you need to know
-- ESPN Champions League fantasy: Sign up now!

As Guardiola's team prepare to face Real Madrid on Wednesday in Spain in the first leg of their round-of-16 Champions League tie, the City hierarchy are battling to overturn the ban imposed by UEFA earlier this month, after the club was found to have committed "serious breaches" of club licensing and financial fair play regulations. Ferran Soriano, City's chief executive, has claimed that the charges against the club are "simply not true," and an appeal has been lodged with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

It is a fight that will rumble on for some time off the pitch, and it is one City cannot afford to lose. But, paradoxically, winning the Champions League this season -- in the club's ninth attempt -- threatens to bring everything crashing down in the dressing room if CAS upholds the UEFA ban.

There are two strands to the battle facing City in the event of a failure to overturn the ban. Even if City are able to have it reduced to one season on appeal, they will still have to find a way of keeping their squad together.

First of all, they must deal with the financial implications of missing out on the funds that come with participating in the Champions League. Despite being eliminated at the quarterfinal stage by Tottenham last season, City still banked €93.24 million (£77.98m) in Champions League prize money. If they were to win this season's competition, they would expect to earn a similar figure to the €111.1m (£99.92m) taken home by Liverpool following their success in winning their sixth European Cup in June.

Missing out on close to £80m-per-season for the next two years, plus the loss of gate money that would come with staging no European fixtures, would leave a major hole in City's finances, and it is not one that could be filled by donations from the pockets of Sheikh Mansour. If City are forced to operate with an £80m shortfall for each of the next two seasons, they will struggle to fund an annual wage bill that stood at £315.3m in their 2018-19 financial report.

Although they have sensibly tied their key players to long-term contracts -- Sterling (2023), De Bruyne (2023), Laporte (2025), Bernardo Silva (2025) -- the flip side of having them secured for so long is that the club have to be able to pay their wages. Being without at least £160m over the next two years will place a strain on City, just as it would hurt any club.

Secondly, even if City can ride the financial storm for two years without Champions League money, the players might not be so keen to miss out on the biggest games in the most glamorous competition.

Sterling's flirtation with Real last week, in an interview with Spanish newspaper AS, was probably a sign of things to come. The England forward insisted that he is "really happy" at City but was quick to add that Real are a "fantastic club." Maybe Sterling was just being polite, playing to his audience, but timing is everything, and with a cloud hanging over City right now, it left the impression of a player keeping his options open.

But why shouldn't Sterling, or any of his teammates, play that game? City have been fantastic for Sterling, De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero, David Silva and many others in recent years. They have given them a platform to win big and earn big, and if they help City win the Champions League this season, it will be mission accomplished in every sense.

That is when the problems will start: When a player has nothing left to achieve and the biggest challenges are taken away from him, it is inevitable that he will look for something more appealing.

City might end up winning the Champions League this season, and it might prove to be more trouble than it is worth.

Virat Kohli has endured one of his quietest tours in recent memory, with scores of 2 and 19 in the first Test in Wellington following seven limited-overs innings with only one half-century. New Zealand are determined to ensure his lean run continues into the last match of India's tour as well, the second Test starting Saturday in Christchurch. And Neil Wagner, who returns to their squad after missing the first Test on paternity leave, says he is targeting India's captain specifically.

"Every team I play against I always try and target and go for their best players, because you know what a big stride it makes within a team when you get their best players out," Wagner told Stuff. "Drying him up, making sure they don't score and putting a lot of pressure on him from both ends [is imperative]."

Wagner has dismissed Kohli three times in six innings in Test cricket, bowling 108 balls to him and conceding 60 runs for an average of 20.00. The first of these dismissals came in Auckland, during the first Test of India's last tour of New Zealand in 2013-14. Chasing an improbable 407, India were giving New Zealand a real scare, with Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan putting on 126 for the third wicket. Then, with India 222 for 2, Wagner removed Kohli, and soon followed up with the wicket of Dhawan with a wicked bouncer from around the wicket. Wagner's 4 for 62 in that innings was critical to New Zealand's 40-run win, and he said it was one of the performances that helped him find his bearings as a Test cricketer.

"I think it was a stage where I was still trying to find my feet in the team and trying to find a way of getting a role and doing my role in the team," Wagner said. "That's one of the Test matches where it did turn. The way I bowl at the moment, that's where it started.

"It was an amazing Test win and something I always look back to and I think it kickstarted my career. Before that I was going through the phase where you have quite a few ups and downs and try to find your feet."

"There was a lot of periods where he's bowled a lot of long, hard, tough overs into the wind, and I was able to get a lot of success and Timmy didn't always get that reward or success from the other end. He's finally reaped the rewards that he thoroughly deserved" Wagner on Tim Southee's performance in the first Test

Before that Auckland Test, Wagner had taken 39 wickets in 12 matches at 37.94. Since that game, where he settled into his current role of relentless old-ball enforcer, he's taken 165 wickets in 35 Tests at the world-class average of 23.95. While his effectiveness in home conditions is widely acknowledged, he also has exceptional averages in South Africa (16.77) and the West Indies (22.80) in this period, and took 17 wickets at 22.76 in Australia when New Zealand went there earlier this season and suffered a 3-0 hammering.

Kyle Jamieson, who came in for Wagner in Wellington, enjoyed an exceptional debut, picking up 4 for 39 in the first innings and following up with a crucial 45-ball 44 from No. 9. Wagner was full of praise for the newbie, and hoped he had enjoyed his first taste of New Zealand's traditional celebration of a Wellington Test win, a limousine ride up to the top of Mount Victoria, where the bowlers toast their success with a bottle of champagne uncorked by their wicketkeeper.

"Exceptional," Wagner said of Jamieson's performance, during a media interaction in Christchurch on Wednesday. "Really glad and happy for him to get his opportunity, and for him to have done what he's done. He'll take a lot of confidence from it, and it'll do him a hell of a lot of good for his future as well, leading into the games he's definitely going to play in the near future.

"So very happy for him, and I really hope he enjoyed that limousine ride, because it's something really special, and I know it's a memory that'll always be with him."

Jamieson had been part of New Zealand's side on their 2019-20 tour of Australia, and had spent a lot of time training with his fast-bowling colleagues there. Wagner, however, said he hadn't passed on any specific tips, whether to do with the use of the short ball or anything else.

"Not really in particular like that, but I think with him being in Australia, and having been with the group, that's stuff you sort of feed off," Wagner said. "Like I said, I think it's really good for him and his career, and moving forward he'll learn a lot from that, and take a lot of positives.

"It's a really good point for New Zealand cricket to have, wherever we go, and someone has to either get crook or sick or, if there's an injury or whatever, get someone to miss a Test match, you do know that you've got that depth and players to come in and be able to do what they've done, and a massive plus for Tim [Southee] and Trent [Boult], the way they've gone about it has also made Jamie be able to come in and do what he's done. All in all, it's very positive for us, a big and good thing for us to have leading forward, and yeah, looking forward to getting back in the team."

Southee won the Player of the Match award in Wellington, with his swing and seam bringing him nine wickets in the Test. It was belated reward, Wagner felt, for how he had been bowling right through the season for New Zealand.

"Very stoked for Timmy, to be able to get rewards from the hard work he's put in the whole summer," Wagner said. "There was a lot of periods where he's bowled a lot of long, hard, tough overs into the wind, and I was able to get a lot of success and Timmy didn't always get that reward or success from the other end. He's finally reaped the rewards that he thoroughly deserved."

Wagner could have featured in Wellington had his daughter been born on her estimated due date of February 17, but her birth eventually took two days longer than expected. "If she was going to be early, and hopefully there on Monday, I would have definitely been there with the team, but so weird, she wanted to stay a little bit longer, and yeah, give her dad a little bit of a hard time," Wagner joked. "It's one of those things, but I wouldn't change it for anything else in the world.

"It was amazing to be there for the birth of my first child and to be there with my wife and support her all the way, who's been phenomenal and amazing throughout my career, to be able to be there for her as well and support her through this is, yeah, pretty special, and I wouldn't change it for anything else."

The Ranji Trophy will feature the Decision Review System (DRS), although in a "limited" capacity, for the first time in the upcoming semi-finals and finals rounds of the tournament, which begins from Saturday. It is understood that each team will have four reviews per innings, and the tools that will be used are a virtual pitch map for lbw decisions and slow-motion cameras. This limited DRS system will not feature tools like HawkEye, Snickometer, or UltraEdge.

Only a handful of matches are televised during a long domestic first-class season, and the lack of broadcast facilities in several venues makes it near impossible to implement technology for all teams. BCCI's GM for cricket operations, Saba Karim, told ESPNcricinfo that the board wanted to offer uniformity for all teams and that was only possible starting from this stage of the tournament. The final will also have the same limited system.

"We wanted to bring in uniformity so we can offer the same to all the teams, and that we could accomplish only for the semi-finals.

"For the finals also we'll have the limited DRS. But we're not introducing any new technology for this. There's no HawkEye, no Snicko, nothing of that sort. So whatever is available to us, we will implement that. Basically we're trying to facilitate the umpires to try and come up with better decisions," Karim said.

The umpiring standards in Indian domestic cricket have often come under scrutiny, and reached a particularly high crescendo last year when the semi-final between Karnataka and Saurashtra was televised and featured several contentious decisions. People from both teams had welcomed the use of technology after that game, as many have before them. Karim said the BCCI's decision to bring in technology came from an intent to provide tools in a high-profile match, but did not come about specifically based on that game.

"Such high-profile matches, we want to offer as much tools as possible to the umpires so that they can come up with correct decisions. We are at times influenced by whatever has conspired in the past, but to say that we have brought in only because of that would not be appropriate," he said.

Both teams from that fixture feature in the semi-finals this year, although they will not play each other. Bengal host Karnataka in Kolkata and Saurashtra will be hosting Gujarat. In a press release earlier this week, Saurashtra Cricket Association president Jaydev Shah said he welcomed the implementation of technology for one of the "most important tournament for seniors" and that high profile games like semi-finals and finals, at least, should feature assistive technology. Bengal captain Abhimanyu Easwaran was also welcoming of it.

"I think it's a very good thing to have DRS in domestic cricket as well, especially in knockout games, and semi-finals and finals. Even though there's not that much technology," Easwaran said. "The umpires can make errors at times. A human can make an error, but to rectify it, you have technology and that will probably change the game for a team and that can probably be a deciding thing at a crucial point of the game. So I think it's really good to have it, and hopefully it can help players get crucial runs or crucial wickets and change the game for their teams."

Easwaran, like most of his team-mates and a lot of others in the domestic circuit, has never played in a match that has featured the DRS. The Karnataka camp will have KL Rahul and Manish Pandey, at the very least, who will be familiar with the system through their time in international cricket. But Easwaran is confident that the lack of experience won't be too much of a barrier to overcome.

"It's a new thing, but I think guys have seen enough cricket on television, so we know a bit of how it works," he said. "In the pre-match meeting with the umpires and the referee, there is going to be an explanation about how it works and what are the technologies available and things like that. So we'll have a fair idea of it the day before the game. And obviously we'll talk about it to our teams as well, so they have a fair idea of how it's working. We've been also given papers to read how it works, and the guys have seen on TV, how to take a review, and things like that."

England 2 for 176 (Knight 108*, Sciver 59*) beat Thailand 7 for 78 (Chantam 32, Shrubsole 3-21) by 98 runs

Heather Knight took England's early World Cup campaign by the scruff of the neck after an early fright against Thailand with a maiden T20I hundred as her team secured an emphatic 98-run victory which gave them a handy net run-rate boost.

The early thoughts of what could transpire at Manuka Oval, when England lost their openers in the first two overs, turned to something a touch more prosaic as Knight and Nat Sciver added an unbeaten 169 for third wicket, England's highest stand in T20Is, followed by a professional performance in the field.

At 7 for 2 after 10 balls, England were far from comfortable coming off the back of their opening defeat to South Africa, but by the end of the powerplay had settled and were rarely challenged after that. Legspinner Suleeporn Laomi bowled her for four overs for a very creditable 26 but Thailand, who pride themselves on their fielding, will have been disappointed by some the lapses.

Shining Knight

Knight has spent the last few days defending England's tactics and batting order; whatever they decide to do, there is little doubt that she is key to the make-up of the side. Her form was impressive in the tri-series with back-to-back career-best scores on this ground and this time she raced to just the fourth century in T20 World Cups, plundering some increasingly wayward bowling from Thailand in excellent batting conditions. Knight was on 97 at the start of the last over and briefly lost the strike but carved a brace through backward point to reach three figures off 63 balls then marked the milestone by clubbing her fourth six over long-on. Knight and Sciver, with her second fifty in two matches, added 102 in the last 10 overs and, if they had really pushed, they may have earned a few more.

The early scare

The second ball of the match Amy Jones advanced down the pitch to a yorker from Nattaya Boochatham and a brilliant piece of work from keeper Nannapat Koncharoenkai pulled off the stumping. If that was an early test of England's nerve, it was multiplied in the next over when Danni Wyatt drove her first ball to point where Wongpaka Liengprasert held a terrific catch. Thailand were joyous. Was something extraordinary unfolding? In the end, there wasn't, but it was another little moment in this tournament that will linger in memories. Meanwhile, England's opening pair has not fired yet in Australia - across the tri-series that preceded the World Cup and the first two matches of the tournament their best stand is 26. With two openers batting lower down the order - Tammy Beaumont and Lauren Winfield - it is an issue for England to ponder for two vital matches to come.

Chantam's drives

Anya Shrubsole struck with her fourth ball but there was no surge of inroads for England with the new ball. Power is something Thailand need to develop, but there are some solid techniques in the top order. Nattakan Chantam is one who has a promising game to work with and she unfurled a few very pleasing strokes, a square drive off Shurbsole and a cover drive off Sciver among the best. It was clear from the off that Thailand were purely focused on batting out the innings, which is understandable, although their development could also be helped by pushing their own boundaries.

Wyatt's rare bowl

The day before this match, while defending England's decision to play Winfield as a No. 8 batter who doesn't bowl, Knight said it was because they felt another bowler would be wasted. She also cited herself and Wyatt as other options with the ball. Knight is a regular bowler in T20Is, but that certainly isn't the case for Wyatt whose bowling duties have shrunk as her batting has grown in recent years. When she was brought on for the 12th over it was just the sixth time since 2015 in T20Is that she had bowled. It was her only over of the day as England's frontline bowlers gained some success in the latter part of the innings in a situation where they needed to create their own intensity.

South Australia 207 (Copeland 5-63) & 1 for 40 need 363 more runs to beat New South Wales 373 & 2 for 236 dec (Hughes 136) by 363 runs

Scorecard

Trent Copeland took his 300th Sheffield Shield wicket for New South Wales and claimed his 20th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket while Daniel Hughes made his second century of the match leave South Australia with a mountain to climb on the final day.

Copeland took two of the last four wickets in the Redbacks' first innings early on the third day to reach the two milestones and bowl the visitors out for just 207. Hughes then pounded 22 boundaries and a six to post his seventh first-class century and his highest first-class score of 136 to allow New South Wales to declare on 2 for 236 after just 51 overs. Daniel Solway made an unbeaten 53 and it left South Australia needing 403 for victory in the fourth innings. Jake Weatherald and Henry Hunt reached 40 without loss before Hunt was caught in the gully off Liam Hatcher off the third last bowl of the day.

Western Australia 371 & 6 for 161 (Philippe 55, Ellis 3-50) lead Tasmania 390 (Webster 187, Paris 5-90) by 142 runs

Scorecard

A breathtaking run-a-ball 187 from Tasmania's Beau Webster has put Western Australia under enormous pressure heading into the final day at Bellerive Oval. Webster struck 27 fours and three sixes in his highest first-class to turn what looked to be a sizeable first-innings deficit into a lead before WA collapsed at the hands of Nathan Ellis and Gabe Bell losing 4 for 26 at the start of their second innings.

Tasmania were 8 for 281 at one stage still 100 runs behind WA's first innings total with Joel Paris knocking over Ben McDermott and Simon Milenko with the second new ball. Webster then took on the WA bowlers adding 109 runs with the last two Tasmanian batsmen in Ellis and Bell who contributed just eight between them. Paris finally had him caught behind to pick up his fifth wicket.

WA then slumped to 3 for 6 with Cameron Bancroft, Jake Carder, and Shaun Marsh falling for ducks with Marsh bagging a pair. When Sam Whiteman sliced Rainbird to point WA were staring defeat in the face but once again Cameron Green and Josh Philippe came to the rescue. They added 79 to steady the ship with Philippe making his second half-century of the match before edging Ellis to slip. Green was unimpressed when he was given out caught behind hooking for 45.

Queensland 184 and 1 for 134 (Burns 89*) need 221 more runs to beat Victoria 9 for 330 dec and 8 for 208 dec (Dean 96)

Scorecard

Joe Burns gave Queensland hope of securing a big chase against Victoria as he ended the third day unbeaten on 89, his highest Sheffield Shield score of the season, as the home side closed on 1 for 134 in pursuit of a hefty 355. Burns and Bryce Street added 124 for the first wicket before Scott Boland struck late in the day when Street hooked to long leg.

Victoria had resumed on 3 for 73 and pushed towards their declaration through Travis Dean's 96, his highest first-class score for two years, which ended when he fended a brute of a delivery from Cameron Gannon to slip. Nathan McSweeney, complete with the unusual sight of bowling in a cap, claimed his first two first-class as his 15 overs helped ensure Victoria's scoring rate did not race away

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Toss West Indies chose to bowl v Sri Lanka

West Indies won the toss and chose to bowl first in the second ODI, in Hambantota, perhaps expecting their quicks to get something out of a surface that has at times been one of the fastest in the country.

Only one change was made to their XI - left arm spinner Fabian Allen coming in to displace legspinner Hayden Walsh Jr, who was expensive on Saturday.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, were unchanged, allowing their wristspin pairing of Wanindu Hasaranga and Lakshan Sandakan to remain in tact, despite their having gone wicketless in the first ODI. Hasaranga had later played a crucial finishing innings in that game, however. Thisara Perera continues to keep Dasun Shanaka out of the XI, following a good all-round performance on Saturday.

The weather is expected to remain good for the duration of the encounter, though wind may pick up through the course of the afternoon.

West Indies: 1 Sunil Ambris, 2 Shai Hope (wk), 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Roston Chase, 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Kieron Pollard (capt.), 7 Jason Holder, 8 Fabian Allen, 9 Keemo Paul, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Sheldon Cottrell

Sri Lanka: 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt.), 2 Avishka Fernando, 3 Kusal Perera, 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Isuru Udana, 10 Lakshan Sandakan, 11 Nuwan Pradeep

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Seventh-ranked Duke allowed 113 points in a double-overtime loss to Wake Forest on Tuesday night, tying the most points a Mike Krzyzewski team has ever allowed in his coaching career and also tying the second most allowed by the Blue Devils in any game.

Brandon Childress missed his first 10 shots before hitting a tying 3-pointer with 15.5 seconds left in regulation. And once the game went into a second extra period, Childress buried another on the first possession to put the Demon Deacons ahead to stay, sending them to their first win -- 113-101 -- against the Blue Devils in nearly six years.

Duke was an 11-point favorite at Caesars Sportsbook.

Childress finished with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists. He made six of his last 10 shots and scored 13 points in the two overtimes. Isaiah Mucius came up with a dunk with 14.7 seconds left to finally punctuate a huge victory for Danny Manning's club.

"I don't care about percentages,'' Childress said of his 0 for 10 start. "I'm satisfied with the shots I take. I practice those. It might not have went as much as I'd like to. But I just wanted to find the right moment to take over the game, and I did that.''

When it was over, Wake Forest fans stormed the court to celebrate their first win against Duke since March 2014. Childress got carried around the court on shoulders and fought back tears through a postgame interview.

"I was ready when my number was called," the senior said. "I was 0-for-10 at first, but I stayed with it, and I hit shots when it mattered and we won the game.''

The Demon Deacons became the first team to score 100 points against the Blue Devils after losing to them earlier that season since Maryland in 1989-90.

"The second overtime, they just took over,'' Krzyzewski said. "Obviously, the total game, they were the team that was deserving of winning, and they did.''

It marked the second time in a week the Blue Devils fell on the road to an unranked, in-state opponent. They lost by 22 points at North Carolina State last week, a game that ended with another court-storming celebration.

Krzyzewski was frustrated by his team's lack of competitive edge in that one, saying the Blue Devils were "never there'' during the defeat in Raleigh. He wasn't particularly pleased with the way his team handled this one, either.

A few turnovers opened the door for Wake Forest.

"I'm disappointed in our group,'' Krzyzewski said. "I didn't think we came the way we should and the way we've practiced. We show our youth so much. ... This is our 28th game. You'd hope that we'd be older by now, but we were not tonight.''

Wake Forest's 113 points are the fourth most by an unranked team in a win against an AP top 10 team in the poll era.

Freshman Wendell Moore Jr. had a season-high 25 points to lead the Blue Devils, and Tre Jones added 24 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. But star big man Vernon Carey Jr. had 10 points before becoming one of three Blue Devils to foul out in a game they appeared to have under control, having led 78-69 with 1:21 remaining in regulation.

Olivier Sarr scored a career-high 25 points before fouling out to lead Wake Forest, which shot 52% from the floor and helped itself by getting to the line repeatedly. The Demon Deacons made 37 of 50 free throws, including 13 of 15 in the overtimes to finally wrestle control.

"I thought that was an unbelievable college basketball game,'' Manning said.

BIG PICTURE

Duke: It's a costly loss for the Blue Devils, who fell a game behind league-leading and sixth-ranked Florida State in the ACC standings with three games to play.

"We didn't make the right plays really at the end,'' Jones said, "and we let them back into it."

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons had lost four of five coming in, sitting a game ahead of last-place North Carolina in the ACC. Now they have their first wins against both Duke and UNC under their sixth-year coach, both coming in the past month, with Krzyzewski saying Wake Forest was "the team that was deserving of winning.''

UP NEXT

Duke: The Blue Devils visit reigning national champion Virginia, which has won four straight and seven of eight, on Saturday.

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons host Notre Dame on Saturday.

ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The NFL moved closer to labor peace for another decade early Wednesday, when player representatives voted to send a new deal already approved by the owners that includes a 17-game season to the full union membership.

A simple majority of some 2,000 players must accept the agreement for it to go into effect this year.

After nearly four hours of meetings between player reps and members of the NFL's negotiating committee on Tuesday in Indianapolis, the 32 team reps spent several more hours discussing the deal. They then gave the nod for all NFL Players Association members to make the final decision.

The NFLPA announced the move on its Twitter account after 1 a.m. ET Wednesday.

pic.twitter.com/OfW2iPkvBm

— NFLPA (@NFLPA) February 26, 2020

There was no immediate word of when that vote would occur.

The new CBA calls for a 17-game regular season, which is expected to begin in 2021; more roster spots; a shortened preseason; a higher percentage of revenue for players; and upgraded pensions for former players. The owners approved it on Thursday, though not unanimously.

It seems certain that the players will accept the deal or else their leadership would not likely have made this move.

The NFLPA's executive committee voted 6-5 against the contract on Friday. The 32 player reps postponed any action while seeking a meeting with the league, which occurred Tuesday in Indianapolis.

The current collective bargaining agreement expires in March 2021, but the owners are eager to get a new contract in place as soon as possible. That would enable them to begin looking toward new, lucrative broadcast deals with a decade of labor peace assured.

The players didn't appear to be in a rush to approve the new agreement that is the result of 10 months of negotiations between the sides. Indeed, on Friday night, several player reps were adamant that more negotiating is needed.

The diciest topic has been a 17-game schedule. Players have been firm and loud in opposition for years, dating to before the 2011 lockout that ended with an agreement on the current labor deal. Mainly, the players have been citing safety reasons for not extending the regular season.

Owners have offered, among other things, two more roster spots, which some players believe isn't enough, and a reduction of the preseason from four games to three. Players also would have significantly fewer requirements in the offseason and in training camp.

This agreement, which would run through the 2030 season, includes a boost in payment of overall revenues to the players. The amounts would depend on whether the season is 16 or 17 games.

Expansion of the playoffs by one team in each conference is not a bargaining issue, but the owners would prefer player approval of a new CBA before instituting it. Still, that could occur for the upcoming season; the NFL has discussed a 14-team postseason field for years, and as far back as 2014, commissioner Roger Goodell spoke of it happening.

Other items in the deal the owners approved include:

• A cap on the number of international games and that there would not be a full week of such contests. More likely is a continued mix of games in England (and other European sites) and Mexico. Most team schedules will have nine home games and eight road games in alternating years.

• Training camp padded practices would be reduced from a total of 28 to 16. A five-day acclimation period would precede summer practices. There would be more days off during camp -- eight instead of five -- and a limit on joint practices.

• No extra bye week in the regular season, something that had been discussed. However, teams would basically have two weeks to prepare for the season opener, with the elimination of the fourth preseason game.

• Rosters would expand from 53 to 55, with 48 players able to dress for games rather than the current 46. Practice squads would go from 10 players to 12 and eventually to 14, probably by 2022. There would be more flexibility for protecting practice squad players from becoming free agents.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

CHICAGO -- With a winter storm watch underway Tuesday night, Oklahoma City floor general Chris Paul dressed quickly after leading the Thunder past the Chicago Bulls 124-122 to escape with their ninth consecutive road win.

"I've gotta see my family," Paul said, strolling out of the United Center visitors locker room into the family area to connect with his mentee, Bulls rookie Coby White, and White's mother, Bonita, and brother, Will.

White scored a career-best 35 points against Oklahoma City. But Paul, who is White's former AAU coach and a fellow North Carolina native, came up big down the stretch and tallied 19 points and nine assists on the night.

White also became the first rookie -- and third different player overall -- to score 30 points in three straight games off the bench since starters were first recorded in 1970-71, according to Elias Sports Bureau research.

"It's still surreal for me to see Coby and Wendell [Carter Jr.] after having the opportunity to coach them in my AAU program," Paul said. "I'm happy for him, and I told Coby he wasn't going to score 33 tonight, but he scored 35, which I didn't know until he told me at the end of the game."

"I told him he only had like six or something on me, though," Paul continued. "I watch him play just about every time we don't play, so I'm happy to see him doing well."

Zach LaVine also went off, collecting a game-high 41 points, as he and White became the first NBA duo this season to score 35 points each in a loss.

Paul defended LaVine on his final 3-point attempt that didn't fall and said he tried to make it as hard as possible for LaVine.

"I may not be able to guard him all game long, but down the stretch, I always want the opportunity to guard them guys," Paul said.

White considers his relationship with Paul to be bigger than basketball. Paul was there to comfort him after his father, Donald, died of liver cancer in August 2017.

Despite White's hot streak in a reserve role, Bulls coach Jim Boylen reiterated that he has no intentions of using him as a starter for now. Boylen wants to "keep him in a good place."

Witnessing White's scoring ability wasn't surprising to Paul, he said, but he will help White work on other areas of his game in the offseason.

"That's what he do. He shoots lights out," Paul said of White. "I'm glad to see him playing with that confidence and all that. In the summer, we'll get in the gym, and we'll go to work."