It was never going to be an easy job for Wayne Pivac following Warren Gatland as Wales coach.

Back-to-back Six Nations defeats and a trip to London to take on Eddie Jones' England next mean Pivac has quickly become aware of the rigours of top-flight international rugby.

A 24-14 defeat by Ireland was followed by a 27-23 home loss against France, leaving Wales facing the prospect of relinquishing their Six Nations title.

Life is not about to get much easier with England - who were comfortable winners over Ireland on Sunday - to come on 7 March, with Wales having last won a Six Nations game at Twickenham in 2012.

There has been talk of a new playing style being given time to bed in and a transitional period under Pivac, but all that is alien to Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones.

"It [the new style] can be very pretty but it is not winning," said Jones.

"Ultimately Test rugby is about winning and we need to do that pretty quick.

"People say a lot has changed but that's an excuse.

"Change is just an excuse and we had enough ball to capitalise and get enough points against France, but we are on the receiving end.

"You can take an element of pride with how we finished the game, but there is no consolation."

Number eight Taulupe Faletau echoed his captain's sentiments by insisting victory over England will not eradicate the memory of earlier losses.

"A win over England isn't going to define our championship - as a group of players we are better than that," said Faletau.

"Winning the championship would have been good, but that is probably too far-fetched now.

"We've got England next up and I don't think we are going to need any motivation going into that game."

There were a few murmurings starting to surface following Wales' first loss to France in Cardiff since 2010 as Shaun Edwards returned to haunt his former side.

Pivac knows the levels of expectation but believes there are signs of progress.

"I think as disappointing as it is to lose games of rugby, the matches against the French in recent times have been very close," said Pivac.

"It could have gone either way on numerous occasions and on this occasion it's a very frustrating loss, but we have to keep working on the positives and believe we're heading in the right direction.

"For this team it's all about improving but we're heading in the right direction.

"We're putting in long hours and working very hard and if one or two things had stuck, we'd have been very happy with this performance."

Injury issues

There will not be any panic in the Wales camp with no thoughts of wholesale change following consecutive defeats and little chance of defending their title.

The first task will be to assess the walking wounded after wings George North and Josh Adams were both forced against France.

North failed a head injury assessment after a heavy challenge by Gael Fickou, while Adams suffered an ankle problem. North has a well-documented history of concussions but there was no indication Pivac would take the wing out of action himself.

"That's for the medical people to decide," said Pivac.

"We'll use the best people available as we always do and they'll make the decision on that."

Teenage wing Louis Rees-Zammit is waiting for his first cap, while Liam Williams was training with Wales before the defeat by France after being sidelined since October with an ankle problem.

Pivac believes only minor tweaks are required.

"There were a lot of positives to come out of that France performance and there were a few things out of our control which we weren't too happy with, but to panic and make wholesale changes would not be the right thing to do," said Pivac.

"We've spoken in the changing room about the positives which came out of the game.

"We had a makeshift back-line to finish the game and I thought we were still creating opportunities to win the game. Young Jarrod (Evans) coming on I thought looked dangerous and Nick (Tompkins) went out on to the wing.

"There was a bit of disruption there with George going off early too. There were lots of positives, it's just disappointing about the decisions we feel aggrieved over."

Dubious decisions?

Back to gripes about refereeing decisions. Pivac's frustrations were aimed at a penalty try not being awarded in the second half for what he deemed a deliberate knock-on by France lock Paul Willemse as well as the officiating at the scrum.

There was one particular scrum where Demba Bamba won a penalty with Wales feeling the France replacement tight-head had not scrummaged straight.

So how does Pivac hammer home this message over scrum unhappiness? A call to World Rugby maybe?

"That's out of our control," said Pivac.

"We work very hard to try and improve our performance and I just think when they (the referees) look back at one or two decisions from this game they might agree with us."

Wales had wound France up before the game with prop Wyn Jones predicting that the visiting scrum would aim to "chase and cheat" in the set-piece.

France coach Fabien Galthie responded by saying Jones had shown a lack of respect to the nation while there was an altercation between the two teams after the final whistle.

Wales' captain believes the verbal jousting had little impact on the game.

"It was all hot air," said Jones.

"We knew they were going to be like that because they were a young French side coming to play in one of the best stadiums in the world."

New Zealand's fast bowlers are unmatched when it comes to using the short ball as a defensive option, particularly in home conditions. For the best part of India's second innings at the Basin Reserve, the hosts' expert use of shorter lengths on a two-paced pitch with spongy bounce turned the contest into one where both teams were playing the waiting game.

It suited New Zealand perfectly, given they had a 183-run first-innings lead. Could India have batted more proactively, and tried to put the bowlers off their plans? Their captain Virat Kohli certainly thinks they could have.

"You have to try and get into a positive frame of mind," he said, after New Zealand had completed a ten-wicket win inside the first session of day four. "I think in Test cricket in general, you have to be in a clear state of mind. At home also, you can't really play a lot of shots. You can't just say that I will smash it from ball one. You have to choose which balls to hit even on turning tracks but you also have to maintain that intent when you are putting the boundary balls away.

"Also, we have to understand and accept that New Zealand bowled really, really well in this Test match in both innings, although in first innings there was a bit more assistance, but in the second innings, that's been their strength. They set fields accordingly, get into the mind of the batsmen, and make the batsmen do something that they don't want to.

"I think that's a very thin line and a very delicate balance of when to attack and when to put bowlers under pressure, which we failed to do in this match, and there is no harm in accepting that. We have done that on many occasions but this was a Test match where we were not able to do it. That has got to do with partly good bowling from New Zealand and partly us not pressing that momentum on to them when required.

"It was perfect for them because they bowled well and we allowed them to bowl well for longer periods rather than doing something about it in a partnership. When Jinx (Ajinkya Rahane) started, the plan was to go positive. If we both add 70 to 80 positively, then the game changes. You have to take chances. Sometimes they don't come off, but if you try and do that for longer periods they do tend to come off and the situation changes, which we have addressed already and something that we will keep in our mind going forward."

According to ESPNcricinfo's data, India's batsmen scored 126 runs off 301 short and short-of-good-length balls across their two innings in Wellington, at a rate of 2.51 per over. New Zealand went after short and short-of-good-length balls more often, and ended up with 130 runs off 150 such balls, at 5.20 per over. They lost a wicket once every 32.5 balls with this approach, while India lost one every 75.25 balls, but the averages - 32.50 for New Zealand, 31.50 for India - ended up more or less identical.

And because they found runs so hard to come by against the shorter ball, India ended up losing wickets off errors they may not otherwise have made against fuller-length balls.

Much of India's short bowling was to New Zealand's lower order, who could afford to go after the bowling with their team already in the lead. When India batted, they were in situations where survival was of utmost importance. And India's struggle to score against the shorter ball also had a lot to do with the skill of New Zealand's bowlers in their own conditions, and an unusual pitch.

"We have faced attacks in the past as well, with a lot of variety. We played in South Africa with Morne [Morkel], [Dale] Steyn and [Vernon] Philander all in the side. So we've faced those kind of attacks," Kohli said, when asked about the difficulty of a New Zealand attack containing a left-arm quick (Trent Boult), a right-arm swing bowler (Tim Southee), a 6'8" fast bowler with steep bounce (Kyle Jamieson) and a medium-paced metronome (Colin de Grandhomme).

"But it was a strange pitch. I was talking to Kane [Williamson] as well. It wasn't seaming around, wasn't troubling us with swing. But it was slow, on the drier side. So you were not able to get the shots away. And I think to be honest, lack of pace is something that cost us more than something like being intimidated or being bowled out by an attack.

"It played perfectly into their plans because they feed off bowling on one spot for long periods and having fielders close in, and unless you take them on, that field is not going to change. I think the way they bowled was very accurate and the pace of the pitch also allowed them to keep bowling there because it wasn't easy to get those shots away.

"To be honest, they did not give us any room, on the front foot or the back foot, so we have to accept that they outplayed us this game and they bowled much better than we did, and put enough pressure on us, understanding the wicket well, which you expect them to do, playing in their conditions. But I think going forward we understand what they would like to do and it's our job as batsmen to try and disrupt it so that as soon as possible we put enough runs on the board."

Between now and the second Test in Christchurch, which begins on Saturday, Kohli said India would try and work on ways to put New Zealand's bowlers under pressure with a more proactive approach.

"I don't think there is anything technical [the batsmen need to do]," he said. "It's all about clarity of mind and taking responsibility individually when you walk out to bat. I feel as a batsman you should not wait for a message from outside to execute something in the middle. I think it's about understanding what you want to do as a batsman, and if that doesn't come off then you say fine, I did not do it in this innings.

"But if six-seven people can think like that, for sure two-three people will come good. So if we go with a bit of hesitation whether to play our shots or not, rather than just going for shots, then you know, analysing the execution later on, that's a better balance that we have stuck to in the past, especially playing in away conditions.

"We are very clear with what we want to do as batsmen, that we get off to a start and we keep that momentum, we start leaving well, we start defending well, we start dropping and running well so these are things that are an outcome of a clear head. We will definitely be much more positive.

"There's no doubt about it, especially in the first innings. We will try and put their bowlers under pressure and try and make them do something different rather than them making us do something different. I think as international cricketers, we are good enough, and that's why we are here, and we should be able to find that balance and we definitely take this as a challenge to put in a better batting performance next time."

The ICC has banned Oman player Yousuf Al Balushi from all cricket for seven years after he accepted four charges of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code. The charges relate to attempting to influence team members to engage in corruption during the 2019 T20 World Cup Qualifier, played in the UAE.

Balushi had been suspended last month for the same offence, and has now been formally slapped with the sanction after he "chose to admit the charges and agreed the sanction with the ICC in lieu of an Anti-Corruption Tribunal hearing," an ICC release said.

While Alex Marshall, the ICC's general manager for Integrity, called Balushi's offence "very serious", he also revealed that the ban could have been "significantly longer" had Balushi not cooperated with the investigation and admitted his guilt.

"This is a very serious offence where a player attempted but failed to get a team mate to engage in corrupt activity in high profile games and this is reflected in the severity of the sentence," Marshall said in the ICC statement. "Without Mr Balushi's admission of guilt and full cooperation throughout our investigation, the ban could have been significantly longer. The player has also indicated that he is willing to contribute to future integrity education programmes on our behalf to help younger players learn from his mistakes."

The ACU had charged Al Balushi for breaching its code on the following four counts:

Article 2.1.1: Being party to an agreement or effort to fix or contrive in any way the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of matches in the ICC World T20 Qualifiers 2019.

Article 2.1.4: Attempting to solicit, induce, entice, persuade, encourage or intentionally facilitate a Participant to breach Article 2.1.

Article 2.4.4: Failing to report the approaches or invitations that you received from three different individuals to be a party to an agreement or effort to fix matches in the ICC World T20 Qualifiers 2019.

Article 2.4.7: Obstructing or delaying an investigation carried out by the ACU in relation to possible Corrupt Conduct under the Code, including by concealing or tampering with information that may be relevant to that investigation and/or that may be evidence of or lead to the discovery of evidence of Corrupt Conduct under the Code.

The ICC's investigation found that Balushi had been approached in August 2019 by someone he knew from playing in an unsanctioned Arabian Carnival League match in Bahrain. The individual, referred to as Mr X by the ICC, asked Balushi if they could "do some work together", asking for Balushi's help to fix matches in the 2019 T20 World Cup Qualifiers.

Subsequently, Mr X introduced Balushi to two other men (Mr Y and Mr Z) who told him he needed to get a particular Oman player on board. The fix would involve this player getting out for less than a pre-agreed amount of runs. To show that the fix was on, the player would have to use an orange or black coloured grip on his bat, and he would then have to act on a signal from Mr Y and Mr Z, who would be in the stands.

Balushi messaged the player and put the offer to him, but the approach was immediately rejected and reported to the ICC's anti-corruption unit. Balushi learned of the approach being reported, and on being told that the ACU would interview him and also look at his phone messages, he deleted the messages. Balushi did not report the approaches made to him and accepted he had deleted incriminating messages on his phone, which then led to the punishment.

Lunch Bangladesh 351 for 3 (Haque 119*, Rahim 99*, Tshuma 1-58) lead Zimbabwe 265 by 86 runs

Bangladesh raced into the lead with a batting masterclass from Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim on the third morning. Haque raised his ninth Test century, his first as captain, and the first by a Bangladesh batsman in more than a year. Rahim followed close behind him, cruising to 99 not out as their partnership quickly assumed ominous proportions. By the time lunch was called, they had added an unbroken 179 in concert, with 111 coming in the first session at virtually a run a minute, and Bangladesh's lead had swelled to 86.

Haque had done much of the hard work yesterday afternoon, and this morning his first task was to get himself back into the zone. It didn't take too long, and after conceding a couple of overs to the bowlers he joined Rahim in launching an assault on left-arm spinner Ainsley Ndlovu, his rasping cover drive the coda to an over that brought 15 runs.

Rahim was soon scoring freely on both sides of the wicket, but he favoured the glide through gully as he found both the pace of Zimbabwe's bowlers and the benign nature of the pitch very much to his liking. With the third-man boundary left invitingly open, Rahim twice dabbed Ndlovu down to the boundary there early on, and then repeated the dose against Victor Nyauchi to bring up his own fifty and raise the century stand.

At the other end, Haque took his team ahead of Zimbabwe's first-innings effort with a controlled push through point - with only three wickets down, Bangladesh well and truly had a platform set from which to greatly extend their lead. The visitors took the new ball as soon as it was available, but if anything the hardness of the ball served only to galvanize the set batsmen.

Haque slotted the cleanest of drives through extra cover to raise his ninth Test ton, drawing level with Tamim Iqbal in that regard, and also equalling Craig Ervine's captain's knock: this is the first time in Tests that two players have made their first hundreds as Test captains in the same game. The feast of runs continued unabated with a boundary in virtually every over before drinks, and without much let-up in the scoring rate thereafter.

While Haque focused his attentions on scoring in the "V", Rahim profited further still from the late cut and punished Zimbabwe's bowlers whenever their line strayed. A powerful sweep off Ndlovu in the final over before lunch took him to 99 not out, but he was content to play out the remaining two deliveries and make everyone wait, knowing there would be plenty of time to gorge himself this afternoon.

More than 20 overs passed without a single maiden in the session, and with Haque and Rahim looking imperious Zimbabwe have been left increasingly bereft of options. The spectre of a mammoth stand this afternoon looms large.

New South Wales 7 for 294 (Hughes 103, Gilkes 83, Mennie 4-82) v South Australia

Daniel Hughes struck his first Sheffield Shield hundred of the season and Matthew Gilkes made an eye-catching maiden first-class fifty, but New South Wales suffered a late wobble against South Australia. From 4 for 272, they lost 3 for 21 as Chadd Sayers made inroads with the second new ball including the scalp of Gilkes who was caught in the gully 17 short of a century having hit nine fours and three sixes.

Hughes dominated the first part of the day with a controlled hundred to give New South Wales a solid base as they looked to bounce back from their defeat against Victoria. Joe Mennie chipped away for South Australia, including a brace of terrific deliveries to bowl Daniel Solway and Jason Sangha, then added Hughes shortly after he brought up three figures when the opener skewed a back-foot drive to gully.

Western Australia 6 for 291 (Green 105*, Philippe 63, Whiteman 53) v Tasmania

Cameron Green made his third hundred of the season as Western Australia overcame a tricky start to enjoy a solid day against Tasmania in Hobart. Green, the promising allrounder who is currently unable to bowl due to a back injury, and Josh Philippe added 121 for the fifth wicket to turn an uncertain position into one from where they will expect to take control of the match against a brittle Tasmania batting line-up.

Tasmania had made early inroads after opting to bowl first with Sam Rainbird finding the edge of Cameron Bancroft and Shaun Marsh in the space of three deliveries as the new ball nibbled. Gabe Bell then had Jake Carder flashing another edge to Tim Paine to leave Western Australia 3 for 43. Sam Whiteman started to steady things alongside Green before he became a maiden first-class wicket for Jake Doran with just the fifth delivery he had bowled in the format.

Cricket's global governors risk increasing the rate of player drain from internationals to the domestic Twenty20 league circuit should they push ahead with an ICC proposal to pack the cricket calendar with at least one major men's event every year from 2023 to 2031, according to the global players' body FICA.

After the boards of India, England and Australia all expressed varying degrees of reservation about the proposal, details of which were revealed by ESPNcricinfo last week, FICA's chief executive Tom Moffat has questioned how discussions about the future schedule of the game "appear to be taking place purely through the commercial lens".

Ahead of a critical round of meetings for the game's governing body next month where a host of scheduling and governance issues are to be thrashed out, Moffat also queried whether the proposed creation of a new Twenty20 "Champions Cup" to be played over 48 matches by 10 teams would detract from the World Cup as the game's foremost international white-ball event.

"We question the way that this is being done. Simply adding events to the calendar without looking at the global playing schedule in a holistic way isn't going to solve many of the existing incoherencies and imbalances," Moffat told ESPNcricinfo. "That requires looking at ICC events, but also at the rest of the game, including the leagues landscape, bilateral cricket, and how they balance with one another. We are supportive of measures that are taken with a view to protecting and growing the global game in a holistic way.

"The game desperately needs an easier to follow global structure. At the moment it's difficult to see how it's all going to fit, particularly when all of these discussions appear to be taking place purely through the commercial lens, and without the proper engagement of the players collectively. We question why the ICC and Boards aren't sitting down with us/the players and developing some fundamental principles, agreed with all key stakeholders, which should underpin the global cricketing calendar, before proceeding to fill it up.

"Decisions made by players, especially in regard to club v country, are a key factor in driving the future direction of the game, and yet the players aren't included in the discussion. FICA also won't be supporting proposals, which only look after the interests of a few of the bigger countries."

As for the Champions Cup, which alongside a smaller, 50-over equivalent of similar dimensions to the defunct Champions Trophy, is geared at creating a more stable flow of ICC events revenue to member nations in each year of the broadcast rights cycle, Moffat said that specific player feedback was being sought.

"We will be getting player views on that specific issue," Moffat said. "The devil is in the detail and we need to understand what these may look like in order to have informed discussions with them on this. We know that players want events that mean something, have relevance and importance, so if additional events don't do that, or detract from events that do, that needs to be looked at.

"We have been engaged in a pretty token way. We have had some surface level discussions but haven't been provided with the detail of proposals. The players should be properly engaged and a critical part of these discussions. They are ultimately the ones who put on the performances that make the game great. Their views should be taken seriously. We will be continuing to get player views, including on how they want us to approach these issues in light of the way the ICC continues to approach them."

While numerous key administrators have cited player workload as among their thoughts during this round of discussions - which have also featured debate over whether or not to move to mandatory four-day Test matches to clear additional room in the calendar - Moffat said that the game needed a more rigorous approach to the matter. He also stated that the ICC and its members needed to look closely at stronger measures to retain players in international cricket, including the possibility of revenue pooling for more equitable player pay from country to country.

"We have seen some comments around player workload as a potential reason not to have additional ICC events," he said. "We question whether that is in fact a genuine concern of either the boards or the ICC. If it is a genuine concern for them, they would proactively work with us/players to develop enforceable global minimum standards around player health, safety, and security, which would include player workload.

"One of the key risks for the global game, which we have identified over a number of years, is flight of talent away from the international game, now that there is an alternative domestic leagues market for players to play in. There are numerous ways to address that, including looking at more coherent scheduling, and scheduling windows to prevent scheduling overlay, as well as ensuring an economic ability for more countries to retain their best talent, and keep international cricket strong and growing. There is scope to introduce many more collective global measures that benefit both the players and the game."

There is some sympathy among the players for the complexity of the task facing administrators over the next month and beyond. David Warner, the Australia opening batsman, pondered the challenges during his side's current limited-overs tour of South Africa.

"I've got no idea how we're going to fit that in every year," he said. "You've got to find time to play all the other stuff around the World Cup in a World Cup year let alone trying to fit something else in. That's obviously for the ICC to think about that and then the boards all have to agree. That's going to be a challenge and one where I'm glad just being a player."

CHICAGO -- After back-to-back losses to Central Division teams, Washington Wizards coach Scott Brooks was fed up following Sunday's 126-117 defeat to the Bulls.

"Well, we're playing soft. That's pretty simple; we're playing soft, and we're playing -- just comfortable. And it's disappointing," Brooks animatedly said to reporters following the Bulls loss. "Two nights ago, we gave up seven and-1s; tonight we gave up nine and-1s. It's unheard of.

"I don't know if I've ever been on a team that gave up 16 and-1s in two nights; it's disappointing. We talk about growing and playing with toughness -- last two games, wasn't the case. We talked about it going into the game; they ended up having four. And their and-1s are about as soft as you can get. The guys don't even know he gets fouled; they're that soft. It's embarrassing, and we gotta step up and play with some toughness and some pride, and it's disappointing."

Despite Wizards star Bradley Beal erupting for a career-best 53 points -- including 21 in the fourth quarter -- the Bulls were able to snap an eight-game losing streak with the latest win.

Beal's 53 points were the most in a game by a Wizards player since Gilbert Arenas on Dec. 22, 2006, against the Suns. It was also the second-most points in a loss in Wizards franchise history. Earl Monroe once scored 56 in 1968 against the Lakers.

Beal moved into second place on the Wizards' scoring list with his 34th point, passing Jeff Malone, but Brooks was displeased with the overall team effort.

"Give them credit -- they've lost eight in a row. They were gonna come out with urgency -- we knew that," Brooks said. "But we gave them everything they wanted, and it's disappointing."

Washington's loss also clinched a playoff spot for the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in just 56 games -- the fastest postseason clinching in league history.

"It's disappointing. It's on me; I gotta do a better job to get these guys ready to play with some toughness, some physicality, some determination, some heart, some passion," Brooks said. "It's embarrassing the last two nights. It's not embarrassing to lose against an NBA team, but it's embarrassing not to compete like an NBA team."

Brooks wasn't done.

"Your job is so easy; this is the easiest job in the world. I have the second-easiest job, you guys [in the media] have the third-easiest job -- we get to cover basketball, watch basketball, play basketball, teach basketball," Brooks said. "Your job is easy as a player. You play as hard as you can, and you play for your teammates, and if you do that your minutes will come. If you don't do that, you don't get minutes -- it's as simple as that. And it's disappointing we haven't had that the last two nights."

A memorial service celebrating the lives of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna will be held Monday, Feb. 24, at Staples Center in downtown L.A. The date reflects the basketball jersey numbers worn by Kobe (No. 24) and Gianna (No. 2).

The service will be held just under a month after Bryant, 13-year-old Gianna and seven others died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Jan. 26.

Fans were asked to register to purchase tickets, and the proceeds will benefit the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation.

A Celebration of Life for Kobe and Gianna Bryant will air live on ESPN, the ESPN app and ESPN Radio at 1 p.m. ET.

The Pelicans are expected to have 3-4 players, head coach Alvin Gentry, GM Trajan Langdon and VP of business operations and player development Swin Cash attend "A Celebration of Life for Kobe and Gianna Bryant" at Staples Center tomorrow morning in LA, @TheUndefeated has learned.

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) February 24, 2020

Klay Thompson is also expected to be in attendance. https://t.co/8szbhfOrWN

— Logan Murdock (@loganmmurdock) February 24, 2020

Fans with tickets please note the street closures and allow additional time to arrive. Doors open at 8am and the program will start at 10am. pic.twitter.com/uGhw48jK3w

— STAPLES Center (@STAPLESCenter) February 24, 2020

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People closest to Kobe Bryant share the stories they're looking back on ahead of Monday's memorial.

The quiet moments from an emotional night for the Lakers

The Lakers' first game after Kobe Bryant's death was full of consoling and catharsis. -- Baxter Holmes

Kobe Bryant's greatness was both beautiful and maddening

Kobe had the skill and knowledge to be any kind of player he wanted to be. -- Zach Lowe

Tales of the greatest Kobe pics from the man behind the camera

From his first NBA media day to his phenomenal final game, we reveal the untold stories behind the most legendary images of the Black Mamba.

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CHANDLER, Ariz. – Two weeks after sitting out the season-opening race of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, reigning Top Fuel champion Steve Torrence returned to his winning ways.

Torrence piloted his CAPCO Contractors dragster to victory in the Top Fuel portion of the 36th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in front of a sold out crowd.

Tommy Johnson Jr. (Funny Car) and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) also took home wins in their respective categories.

Torrence picked up his 37th career win and his second at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park after going 3.679 seconds at 321.27 mph in his CAPCO Contractors dragster. Torrence defeated Jim Maroney, Shawn Langdon and dad Billy Torrence to advance to the final round, where he out pedaled Doug Kalitta for the win.

“First round I had a little bit of the jitters,” said Torrence. “We missed Pomona so you came here and this is the first round of the first race of the season for us and I was a little bit nervous to go up there. We’re just going to see how the races go and what the weather throws at us. I think that we’ve always had a good hot weather tune-up. We’re just going to try to develop cool track conditions. We’re easing up to it. We’ll just see how it goes and that’s something that we really need to try to put our thumb on.”

In an all Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car final, Johnson went 3.883 seconds at 326.40 mph to defeat teammate Jack Beckman during the final round of Funny Car competition in his MD Anderson Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. He defeated Paul Lee, Bob Tasca ll and Ron Capps to advance to the finals during Sunday’s event.

“We had a good car,” said Johnson. “The last qualifying run showed us that we have a solid car. Coming up here today, we had a lot of confidence. We went out first round and laid down a solid number. We weren’t low (elapsed time) but we were close. We came out second round and sat low ET so we knew we had a solid car. As a driver, going into each round knowing you have a car that’s going to perform makes your job a little easier. It gives you a little less stress. The guys did a great job. Even in Pomona we a had a good car, just dropped a cylinder second round and event had a little issue with that in qualifying here.”

In Pro Stock, three-time champion Enders grabbed her first win of the season and the 26th of her career with a 6.531-second pass at 210.44 mph in her Melling/Elite Performance Chevrolet Camaro. Sunday’s win moves Enders into the top-10 for all-time wins in the Pro Stock class. Enders knocked off Fernando Cuadra Jr., Chris McGaha and Jason Line to advance to the final round where she defeated Bo Butner.

“I’d have to say today was excellent,” said Enders. “Coming in here off of Jeg’s (Coughlin) dominating performance in Pomona, we knew that we just had to get my car happy because we share data obviously. There’s no reason why my shouldn’t run the same as Jeg’s Our objective coming in was to just get my car as happy as possible. We tested in Tuscan on Wednesday, so coming in we were definitely optimistic and finally got our act together for that one fun on Saturday. The guys gave me a tremendous race car today. Very consistent, very fast and we just crushed the competition today and it was really fun.”