Are we sleeping on this year's New York Mets?

About a year ago at this time, the Mets were the darlings of a historically stagnant offseason. The top two players on the free-agent market -- Bryce Harper and Manny Machado -- had yet to sign. The trade that sent star catcher J.T. Realmuto to the Phillies had yet to come together. The Mets aside, the closest thing to a blockbuster move we'd seen was the deal that sent Paul Goldschmidt to the Cardinals.

In that context, the Mets' offseason was positively frenzied. They hired a new general manager in former agent Brodie Van Wagenen. Van Wagenen swung a deal with the Mariners, sending Jarred Kelenic, Gerson Bautista, Jay Bruce, Justin Dunn and Anthony Swarzak to Seattle for a couple of Proven Veterans in Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz. Cano was the leading hitter of the decade (by hits) and Diaz had just won the Mariano Rivera Award as the American League's top reliever. The Mets later filled out the roster with other name veterans such as reliever Jeurys Familia, Rajai Davis and Wilson Ramos. They traded for more useful vets in catcher Kevin Plawecki and outfielder J.D. Davis. Later, they capped their roster makeover by signing infielder Jed Lowrie.

Coming off two consecutive losing seasons, the Van Wagenen-led offseason splurge created a lot of positive waves among Mets critics. In an industry replete with stagnation, here were the Mets ... actually doing something. A run at an National League East crown seemed in the offing, despite the depth and toughness of the division. The betting markets had the Mets at around 16-1 to win it all, the same odds as the Braves and Nationals, who all trailed the Phillies' 10-1 indicator of undue optimism.

In the end, it was all about right. The Mets were better. They went 86-76, an improvement from 77-85 in 2018. They missed the postseason but hung in the NL wild-card race into the final week. They featured one of the season's great stories in Rookie of the Year Pete Alonso's record-breaking 53-homer campaign.

Yet it was a rocky season in Queens, one born of trajectory. New York not only failed to capitalize early on its heightened expectations, it more or less belly-flopped out of the gate, even after a hot opening week. The Mets bottomed out on July 12, the first game after the All-Star break, losing 8-4 to the wretched Marlins and falling to 11 games under .500. Their record ranked 14th of the 15 NL clubs, better only than those Marlins.

With the trade deadline approaching, a fire sale seemed likely, with front-line starters Zack Wheeler and Noah Syndergaard leading the rumor mill. Say what you will about arbitrary endpoints, but from that point forward, only the Dodgers won more often or put up a better run differential in the NL. New York went 46-25 after reaching its nadir, led by a 3.48 staff ERA following the break to rank fourth in the majors during that span.

GIBSONTON, Fla. — Garrett Green charged from the eighth row to win his first East Bay Raceway Park feature in Thursday night’s Top Gun Sprints season opener at the third-mile dirt track.

Defending series champion A.J. Maddox took the early lead from outside the second row with Brandon Grubaugh giving chase.

Shane Butler was on the move early, taking second spot on lap three. Butler passed Maddox on lap eight to take the lead, but Maddox moved back to the front one lap later.

Meanwhile, Green was on the move, working his way to third spot.

The red flag waved when Tim Fricke flipped after tangling with Brandon Grubaugh on lap 23.

On the restart, Green, who had moved to third, stuck the nose of his No. 82 between the front runners for a three-wide challenge.

As the field came down to the checkered flag, it was Green grabbing his first East Bay Raceway Park feature win.

Maddox finished second with Butler, Danny Sams and Robbie Smith rounding out the top five.

Collin Kruse scored a wire-to-wire triumph in the V-8 Warrior/Thunderstocks feature.

The finish:

Garrett Green, A.J. Maddox, Shane Butler, Danny Sams, Robbie Smith, Justin Webster, Luke Hill, Andrew Griffin, Joe Zuczek, Larry McVay, Kyle Connery, Billy Bridges, Jeff Bye, Matt Kurtz, Bryan Eckley, Brandon Grubaugh, Tim Fricke, Scott Baldwin, Bruce Durden, Cole Nichols, Nathan Barouch.

GIBSONTON, Fla. — Randy Weaver was surprised to be in victory lane with his B&M Concrete CVR on Thursday night at East Bay Raceway Park after the finish of the 30-lap Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series Winter Shootout race.

Weaver only led one lap of the race, but it was the one that counted.

Weaver found himself the leader on a last lap restart after early race leader Max Blair in the Murphy’s Logging Rocket was penalized for a restart violation. Blair was ticketed for brake checking the field on a restart and was sent to the tail of the field. That gave Weaver the lead for a one lap dash to the checkered flag.

“I hate to win races this way, and I feel bad for Max because I had a second-place car tonight,” Weaver said. “I’m coming back to race after a couple of years off, and we’re having fun again. It doesn’t matter if we win or finish 24th. We’re having fun.”

Weaver was off for two years after suffering a head injury during a race. Weaver took the time off and let his head heal properly. He got a doctor’s green light to return to the cockpit of a dirt late model and he put together a deal with CVR Race Cars to return to competition this season. It didn’t take long for Weaver to wear off the ring rust.

Keith Nosbisch finished second in the Adams Used Auto Parts Rocket and Freddie Carpenter drove the Nevin Gainey Race Cars Kryptonite to a third-place showing. Steve Mathis Jr. and Walker Arthur rounded out the top five.

The finish:

Randy Weaver, Keith Nosbisch, Freddy Carpenter, Steve Mathis Jr., Walker Arthur, Cruz Skinner, Pierce McCarter, Joseph Joiner, Jake Knowles, Drew Kennedy, Clay Harris, Derrick Shaw, Jeremy Shaw, Nevin Gainey, Bruce Harvey, Jamie Carter, Marcus Minga, Travis Varnadore, Max Blair, Devin Dixon, Todd Hurst, Jody Knowles.

The St. Louis Blues' Stanley Cup victory last season has affected the NHL as if someone poured hallucinogens into its water supply. It has created delusions of grandeur, making any team that's seemingly out of it by the end of January feel as if, theoretically, it could be very much in it by mid-April.

On Jan. 31 last season, the Blues were 22-22-5, for 49 points. That's one more than the Sharks and one fewer than the Rangers currently have. So although neither of those teams scream "playoff bound," the Blues have lit the path for hope.

No hole is too deep from which to claw out! No cause is lost until the math says it is! Then, as they went deeper in the playoffs, the Blues adopted another hockey cliché: If you're in it, you can win it!

"Anything can happen," Canucks forward J.T. Miller told me this week.

He speaks from experience, having watched a team that qualified for the playoffs in the final hours of the regular season sweep his Lightning, one of the best regular-season teams in a century, out of the postseason in the first round.

"Something I've been preaching this year to this team is that we need to play well and just get in the playoffs. Just play our games," he said. "Don't stress too much, you know? Just try to get in and anything happens when you get there."

The Canucks are one of a handful of teams that appear playoff-bound, but their championship credentials are yet to be determined. So as the NHL passes through the All-Star break into the stretch run, we decided it was time for a contender tier heat check.

The cream of the crop

Boston Bruins
Colorado Avalanche
Pittsburgh Penguins
St. Louis Blues
Tampa Bay Lightning
Washington Capitals

The Bruins, Capitals and Blues have been in cruise control for most of the season. In the case of the Blues, that they've done it without Vladimir Tarasenko might be the most underappreciated story of the season.

The Penguins' defense (third in expected goals against at 5-on-5) elevates them into this tier, although their permanent residency depends on their health. The Lightning have figured themselves out. The Avalanche are the best 5-on-5 team in the league by leaps and bounds, with a goal difference per 60 of 1.06, which is the second-highest number in that category in a decade.

These are the best of the best, your top Cup contenders.

The imperfect suitors

Calgary Flames
Dallas Stars
Florida Panthers
New York Islanders
Toronto Maple Leafs

All of these teams (except Toronto) were in a playoff seed heading into Thursday night's games, and all have some flaw that keeps us from elevating them to the elite. The Flames have played .667 hockey under Geoff Ward, but are 28^th in goals per 60 at even-strength (2.01), while the Stars are 29^th (2.00). The Panthers are the only playoff team with sub-.900 goaltending (.898). The Islanders might not score enough to win in the playoffs. The Leafs might not defend well enough to win in the playoffs.

Despite the flaws, all have the stuff to contend.

The secret juggernauts

Carolina Hurricanes
Vancouver Canucks

The Hurricanes are the best possession team in the NHL, and don't get enough attention for their defensive acumen: fourth in goals-against average (2.64) through 50 games. Their plus-27 is the best goal differential for any team not in a divisional seed. There's a much longer list of reasons why they could win the Cup vs. why they couldn't.

Vancouver, meanwhile, has a plus-18 goal differential built on strong goaltending (tied for ninth in save percentage) and an offense (3.27 goals per game) that scores just enough. The Canucks are young in some key areas, but they're also carried by one of the best high-end cores in the conference. If they stay healthy -- and fingers remained knotted on that -- they could make the playoffs and then make more than a little noise.

The bubbling contenders

Arizona Coyotes
Edmonton Oilers
Philadelphia Flyers

These are teams teetering on the bubble. The Coyotes need good health, a few more goals and someone to burn a sprig of sage in the locker room to cleanse it of the Taylor Hall playoff jinx. The Oilers ... well, they need a lot, but mostly need to spend as much time on the power play (where they convert 29.6 percent of opportunities) as possible. Philly just keeps chugging along, average in almost every way but finding ways to win.

The Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas Golden Knights

They earn their own category, because this season has been bizarre. Their underlying numbers are tremendous -- an expected goals-for percentage of 54.7, second in the league behind Tampa -- yet consistency has been as fleeting as a stack of chips at the craps table. The Gerard Gallant firing was odd. The goaltending has been subpar. Something feels off, and yet if they get in, would anyone be shocked to see them roll?

The new Blues?

Chicago Blackhawks
Columbus Blue Jackets
Minnesota Wild
Montreal Canadiens
Nashville Predators
New York Rangers

The Blackhawks have the sixth best goaltending in the NHL and are much closer to the playoff bubble than anyone expected. But they're going to have to be better than 3.00 goals per game, and the same holds for Montreal at 3.02 goals per game. The Habs are basically in the same spot the Blues were at this time last season. They've been missing Brendan Gallagher and continue to miss Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron. Their underlying numbers are outstanding, including being third in expected goals percentage (53.07). We're not saying they will make up a double-digit deficit in the East. But we're saying there's a slight chance they could.

We're putting the Blue Jackets here because we might be in the midst of their Blues moment. They were 11-14-4 on Dec. 7. They've gone 16-2-4 (!) since, with separate winning streaks of five and six games. Don't pretend that you haven't considered whether "Elvis Merzlikins" is Latvian for "Jordan Binnington" ...

As for the Predators, their path back to contention was always rather clear. New coach John Hynes had to get a bit more out of the top-end talent, pray to the hockey gods that the special teams improve and assume Pekka Rinne and Juuse Saros could give him two solid months. If that happens, and they get in, there's a lot to like there.

Then there's the Wild. They have the best expected goals against at 5-on-5 in the NHL (1.99), and yet they're 27^th in goals against average this season (3.28) thanks to ghastly goaltending (.894 save percentage). They have the consistency of watery oatmeal ... and yet still have a shot at snagging a playoff spot.

Finally, the Rangers get a mention for two reasons: Artemi Panarin and goaltending. The Rangers have three netminders capable of dominating. They have, in Panarin, a player who would be in the MVP discussion if they get within sniffing distance of the wild card. To put it in recent playoff-miracle terms: All they need is for Panarin to be Taylor Hall and have Lundqvist or either of the Russian kids become Keith Kinkaid for a few weeks.

Trending down

Buffalo Sabres
San Jose Sharks
Winnipeg Jets

The Sabres have been a colossal disappointment while the Rangers are the tantalizing, young team we'd figured the Sabres would be. Any hope of a Sharks rally was lost to injury. The Jets are a tough one to put here, because a good month of Connor Hellebuyck could mean they're a playoff team. But the more you squint, the more you see the Anaheim Ducks of last season, carried by elite goaltending until it couldn't carry them any further.

Not even the 2018-19 Blues could pull this off

Anaheim Ducks
Detroit Red Wings
Los Angeles Kings
New Jersey Devils
Ottawa Senators

Give them 100 Craig Berubes and 100 Jordan Binningtons and they're still in the lottery.

Jersey Fouls

From P.K. Subban fandom in the Garden State:

"WHAT ARE THOSE!?"#WeAreTheOnes | #NJDevils pic.twitter.com/Jv0K565FJC

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) January 28, 2020

There are so many Fouls going on here that we're just going to throw our hands up and declare this the Jersey Fouls version of Tommy Wiseau's "The Room." There's just so much bad that it can't help but add up to good. Hi, doggie.

Three things about the NHL All-Star Weekend

1. It's an annual event to tear down the annual event. Critics opine about the NHL All-Star Weekend being a waste of time, because the players don't show up or because the game itself doesn't resemble competitive hockey. (Something, frankly, that the new international format next season could remedy on both counts. Well, that and the parties in South Beach.) But the weekend isn't for those critics. It's for the host city, which greets the All-Star Weekend with excitement and treats it as a gathering of its hockey tribe. And specifically, it's for the kids in those host cities who show up and get their minds blown by the stars, the skills and the traveling circus. One memorable moment for me at the FanFest: a father pointing to the Selke Trophy and telling his son, "You see that? That's the one Ryan O'Reilly won last season." And his son, wearing an O'Reilly All-Star jersey, was marveling at it. That's the connection with the game that the event brings to audiences that appreciate it. That's my All-Star Game.

2. The best story you might not have heard at the All-Star Game: Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom was actually pitching a shutout during one of the Pacific Division team's victories Saturday. During a TV timeout, assistant coach Wayne Gretzky -- perhaps you've heard of him? -- told Markstrom that "it's extra money" if he has a shutout in the game. This was ... bad advice. "I let in every shot after that," Markstrom said, with a laugh. "I didn't want to tell him he jinxed me, but I think he did."

3. The NHL is still working out details of its new All-Star Game format. We know there will be a Canadian team and an American team, but it's still to be determined how the European teams will be laid out. Whatever happens, it'll be a fun twist on the "North America vs. The World" gimmick, which led to such luminaries as Mariusz Czerkawski, Petr Buzek and Espen Knutsen becoming All-Stars because their NHL teams needed representatives and because they were all from "The World."

Listen To ESPN On Ice

Listen to Emily Kaplan, guest Stephen Whyno and yours truly break down all the hits, misses and news from NHL All-Star Weekend on the latest ESPN On Ice podcast. Subscribe, rate and review here.

Winners and losers of the week

Winner: Zack Kassian

Quite the week for the Oilers' ruffian. First, Ken Holland gives him a four-year contract extension worth $3.2 million against the cap for being an off-brand Tom Wilson. Then he gets his moment of catharsis against Matthew Tkachuk in the Battle of Alberta grudge match Wednesday, ducking a punch and then rag-dolling him. He argued that Tkachuk needed to answer the bell, and "The Code" won in the end.

Loser: Matthew Tkachuk

Dude, what kind of heel are you? Why give anyone the satisfaction of fighting Kassian? You threw two legal checks. Kassian responded by attempting to beat the stuffing out of you, for which -- as you noted in your postgame interview -- he was penalized, allowing Calgary to score the winning power-play goal. It was a perfect pest moment. You owed him nothing. You owed every single ex-NHL player bemoaning your perceived lack of honor nothing. This bit could have carried on to the last game of the season against Edmonton, or even beyond. Instead, the steam is released, the heat is turned down and we're left with the undeniable fact that Ryan-Nugent Hopkins and Sean Monahan put on a better show on the undercard than you and Kassian did in the main event.

Winner: TMNT

? Its the lean, g̶r̶e̶e̶n̶ ????, ninja team
On the scene, cool teens doin' ninja things ?@TomasHertl48 | #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/IqeD19BfDW

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) January 30, 2020

Huge week for the heroes in a half-shell. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were prominently used by Edmonton fans to mock turtling Matthew Tkachuk. And, for the first time in NHL history, the classic 1980s cartoon theme was used as a goal song, as chosen by Tomas Hertl (who else?) of the Sharks.

Loser: The Evil Shredder

Alas, that will be the last time the theme is used to celebrate a Hertl goal this season, as the Sharks' All-Star tore his ACL and MCL and is out for the season. Horrible news for Sharks fans, horrible news for lovers of the unbridled joy of Hertl ... but not the worst news in the world of the Ottawa Senators, if we're honest. (They own the Sharks' first-rounder for those who have somehow forgotten.)

Winner: Kraken

Here's what I know about the Kraken as the nickname of the NHL's Seattle franchise. I heard the name is without question one of the finalists. I heard they had a marketing plan cooked up around the nickname last year, and liked what they saw. (Although the same process was no doubt applied to other potential names.) And trademark watchdog Clark Rasmussen noted that KrakenYouthHockey.com had been registered anonymously, as have other potential Seattle team name-adjacent sites. Personally, I love the name, though not as much as Sockeyes or Sasquatch. If only because of how many variations on "Krak" we'd see from the fans (i.e. they play in the Krak House, the fan club is the Krak Addicts, etc.)

Loser: Journalism

So a Devils parody account spoofed a bunch of media people on Twitter with this news, but this Las Vegas CBS affiliate reeeeeallllly took the bait. Wow. pic.twitter.com/3kMs5eRoY7

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) January 30, 2020

A New Jersey Devils parody Twitter account fooled a bunch of people on Thursday with a report that Gerard Gallant had been hired by the Devils as their new coach. None were fooled harder than 8 News Now in Las Vegas, which reported the news as true. Hours later, they published a correction: "8 News Now regrets the release of the information and/or any inconvenience it may have caused."

Winner: Kobe Tributes

The two things about Kobe Bryant I learned this week: First was how much he meant to Los Angeles, which is something I never understood as an East Coaster during his playing days. To that end, this tribute from the Kings -- that included all the victims of that horrific helicopter crash, including Gigi Bryant -- was well done.

Remembering our friend and @Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna & all of those we lost.
?? Alyssa Altobelli
?? John Altobelli
?? Keri Altobelli
?? Christina Mauser
?? Payton Chester
?? Sarah Chester
?? Ara Zobayan
?? Gianna Bryant
?? Kobe Bryant pic.twitter.com/TKN24IpsEe

— LA Kings (@LAKings) January 30, 2020

I also didn't realize what he meant to other professional athletes, such as Alex Ovechkin, for example. His jersey tribute, wearing Kobe's No. 24 in warmups, was one of those transcendent moments where a generational talent acknowledges the respect of another generational talent in a different genre. To hear athletes from nearly every sport talk about the "black mamba" mentality, the work ethic and the perfectionism is that rare glimpse at the connective tissue between elite athletes. It was fascinating. (Bryant was, of course, not without his faults.)

Loser: Angels-Ducks crossover jerseys

These are legit horrendous. They look like a printing error at the pro shop. Here: Duck with a halo. That's literally all you needed to do. Duck with a halo. pic.twitter.com/YHtC1Cevpo

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) January 30, 2020

Also in SoCal this week: One of the single worst hybrid jerseys ever committed to thread. And I like cross-sports NHL gear. For the record: I think the NHL is leaving money on the table by not creating a line of team-branded soccer jerseys that hockey fans can wear in the summer.

Puck Headlines

Everything you need to know about the current state of the Buffalo Sabres is summed up in this epic rant from caller Duane to WGR 550. "When you screw up for the fans as much as this team has for the last five years, and just don't hold yourself accountable and go hide in your house in Florida ... get in front of the camera and let us know we matter to you!" he said of owner Terry Pegula.

The Kunlun Red Star is playing home games in Russia due to the coronavirus outbreak.

NHL goalies on the rise of the lacrosse goal: "Not very happy about that being a goalie. I've got in my mind how I'd like to play that next time and I hope it doesn't happen again to me."

A guide to becoming a Seattle hockey fan.

The life of an NWHL player. "Playing professional hockey requires Emma Ruggiero to practice twice weekly and play a pair of games most weekends. Coaching commitments bring Ruggiero back to the rink up to six days a week. She balances the ice time with a manager's job at IHOP and graduate school at Buffalo State."

An 88-year-old woman gets star treatment at her first hockey game.

Lengthy interview with Mike Gillis by Craig Custance ($), including this passage: "There were media people who openly referred to the Sedins as sisters. You know? They were the best players in the league that year and that's how they got referred to by certain media people. I didn't handle that correctly. None of us handled that correctly."

Hockey tl;dr (too long; didn't read)

Attendance issues are hitting college hockey. What can be done to reverse the trend?

In case you missed this from your friends at ESPN

Emily's reporting from Moscow has been tremendous, and this story on what the NHL can learn from the KHL on women's hockey was incredibly insightful.

Lunch Sri Lanka 293 and 105 for 1 (Oshada 46*, Mendis 46*) trail Zimbabwe 406 and 247 for 7 dec (Taylor 67, Wiliams 53*, Fernando 2-43) by 256 runs

On the fifth morning of the second Test in Harare, Sri Lanka ticked off 105 runs from their target of 361 for the loss of just one wicket. At lunch, Oshada Fernando and Kusal Mendis were at the crease, both on 46, and their partnership 79.

Zimbabwe earlier declared their second innings on 247 for 7 after just one ball today: an uncharacteristic leg-stump half-volley by Suranga Lakmal that Sean Williams flicked over the deep square leg boundary for six.

The shot brought up Williams' third Test fifty, but more importantly, Zimbabwe got the chance to use the heavy roller once more on a dry Harare deck. The idea presumably being to widen some of the cracks on the pitch, and give their bowlers - Sikandar Raza in particular - a better chance of bowling out a team in the fourth innings of a Test for just the seventh time in their history.

The history books don't bode too well for Sri Lanka either, with the highest fourth-innings total in Harare being 310 by Zimbabwe in 2002 in a lost cause; the highest successful chase has been 192 by Pakistan in 1998.

For the first half of the morning session, Sri Lanka didn't look the least bit interested in challenging that record; in a match where they have scarcely gone beyond three runs an over, here they were barely touching two.

Zimbabwe for their part weren't being overly aggressive with their tactics, sticking more or less to what had worked for them in the first innings - spin at one end, probing seam outside off at the other. Donald Tiripano was miserly as ever, bowling four straight maidens at the start of the innings.

It was this discipline that brought the first breakthrough for Zimbabwe, with Carl Mumba coaxing Dimuth Karunaratne into a false stroke outside off. The batsman tried to pull out at the last moment but not before the ball took the outside edge and went into the wicketkeeper's gloves.

The period following the wicket was Zimbabwe's most threatening with both Fernando and Mendis looking uncomfortable against a buoyant home attack. However, in the 24th over Mendis looked to shift gears, picking off Victor Nyauchi for back to back boundaries through midwicket. Fernando joined the party in the next over, taking Williams for three fours - two lofted over mid-on, the third drilled through the covers.

That period had coincided with a change in the tactics from Zimbabwe, the hosts bowling more aggressive lines at the stumps as they looked to force the batsmen to play more.

This brought forth arguably the most intriguing passage of play in the Test, with Mendis and Fernando unafraid to attack when given the chance, and Nyauchi constantly testing them, beating the outside edge on a few occasions and inducing it at other times - twice resulting in boundaries down to third man, with another bouncing just in front of first slip.

The first two knockout games of the Big Bash League season have brought to light the opportunity for innovation in the field made possible by a law change in 2015.

In Friday's qualifier between Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Stars, Moises Henriques was dismissed, caught at short fine leg, after Adam Zampa had taken several steps outside of the 30-yard circle immediately after Marcus Stoinis' point of delivery. Henriques was visibly frustrated by the decision, and eventually walked off after a long third-umpire review.

Similarly, in Thursday's eliminator between Sydney Thunder and Hobart Hurricanes, Alex Hales backtracked from his position at mid-off, as one of four fielders inside the 30-yard circle, though Simon Milenko's shot fell just short of him.

Hales' attempt initially led Ricky Ponting, commentating on Channel Seven's broadcast, to suggest that such an action "is actually cheating", adding that "anyone of us who have played the game, we know we're not allowed to walk back in the field. It's not against the rules but it's against the spirit of the game".

But such innovation in the field is not only permitted, but actively encouraged by the MCC's Laws of Cricket following a change made in 2015.

According to the updated Law 28.6, which governs "movement by any fielder other than the wicketkeeper", any movement by a fielder between the point of delivery and the ball reaching the striker is unfair except for the following: (28.6.1.1) minor adjustments to stance or position in relation to the striker's wicket; (28.6.1.2) movement by any fielder, other than a close fielder, towards the striker or the striker's wicket that does not significantly alter the position of the fielder; and (28.6.1.3) movement by any fielder in response to the stroke that the striker is playing or that his/her actions suggest he/she intends to play.

The change was made to encourage "intelligent fielding" and "skilful anticipation", according to MCC's head of cricket John Stephenson. Previously, that movement would have resulted in a dead ball being called. The ICC had previously introduced a change into their own playing conditions in September 2014, which meant that a catch taken in an ODI by Steven Smith - which had him move from slip to leg slip in anticipation of a paddle sweep - was deemed legal.

Since the BBL's playing conditions dictate that the fielding restrictions only apply "at the instant of delivery", Hales and Zampa were both permitted to move outside as soon as the ball had left the respective bowlers' hands.

Despite Ponting's initial response following the catch last night, Hales defended his actions, saying: "I don't think it's bad sportsmanship at all.

"I don't think there is anything wrong with trying to anticipate and trying to get one step ahead of the batter. Once the ball is let go and you see the batsman swing, you can react in the field and come forward or back. I think it's fine: it's part-and-parcel of fielding, trying to anticipate."

Interesting that walking in with the bowler to cut off a single is absolutely fine, but walking back on to the ring when they're teeing off is cheating?Never heard anyone talk about that in regards to the 'spirit of the game' in my entire career https://t.co/XdEhNKbii2

— Alex Hales (@AlexHales1) January 31, 2020

Glenn Maxwell, speaking on the player mic, agreed with that verdict following Zampa's catch, saying it was "very good fielding".

"As soon as you see a guy go to lap, he's taken off straightaway, the batter's probably predetermined that he's going," Maxwell said.

The third umpire was unable to confirm precisely where Zampa was stood at the instant of delivery, due to a lack of a camera angle, which panned away from where he was positioned at short fine leg just as Stoinis entered his delivery stride. That meant that the on-field soft signal stood, and Henriques was given out.

At the end of the innings, Zampa told Fox Sports that he couldn't be sure where he was at the point of release: "It's hard to say honestly. I saw him go back to ramp so I started sprinting. I actually wasn't even watching the ball [in the bowler's hand] I just watched the batsman and went back, so I don't know. It would be hard to tell to be honest."

Maxwell termed it "smart fielding" on Zampa's part. "They couldn't find enough video evidence, I think, to overrule it. But I think it's smart fielding. We do the same thing at cover and point, when you're trying to read the batter and his footwork, you're always running in the direction where you think the ball's going. If Zamps is bowling a shorter ball, I'm looking to go squarer. It's just anticipation - I thought it was really good fielding."

Ponting, too, appeared to have changed his verdict since Thursday's incident.

"What Glenn Maxwell's said there is exactly right," he said. "You are moving after the ball's released. As long as you're moving after the ball is released, then it's fine."

Paul Stirling, the Ireland top-order batsman, has joined Northamptonshire for part of the T20 Blast as an overseas player, despite the fact he is a British passport-holder and was born in Belfast.

He will provide cover for Kieron Pollard, who will play eight games for Northants in the middle of their campaign, filling the club's second overseas slot. Faheem Ashraf, the Pakistan allrounder, is the primary overseas player, and will be available until the end of the Blast's group stages.

ALSO READ: Stirling to leave Middlesex after committing to Ireland

Stirling has become the second Ireland player to sign a contract in county cricket as an overseas player, after Boyd Rankin's brief stint at Derbyshire last season.

An ECB rule change meant that Irishmen, who had previously qualified as local players in county cricket, would no longer be able to play as non-overseas players following Ireland's ascent to Test status in 2017. Those who already held county deals were given a grace period which ran until the end of the 2019 season.

Rankin's deal last year was the first overseas contract signed by an Ireland international - he was a new registration, so did not fall under the grace period - while Stuart Poynter and Tim Murtagh have both ended their international careers in order to extend their stays at Durham and Middlesex respectively.

But with a view to extending his international career, Stirling left Middlesex in September, telling the Telegraph that he found his situation "baffling", but that he had no intentions to challenge the ruling legally.

"The powers that be have made the decision to change the regulations but I can see it is a strange scenario when you are born British and have entitlement to work as a local in your own country, so I can see why it could be challenged and it would be interesting to see how far it would go if someone did challenge it," Stirling said.

"It is an ECB rule and I can understand it. Cricket Ireland have Test status and if you want to play Test cricket for Ireland then why should the ECB let someone play in their local tournaments if they are not looking to play for England?

"I get it from their point of view but it is slightly more complicated than that in our case. Middlesex has been my home for so long so it does feel baffling to have to go but hopefully I will be able to play in some capacity in the future."

David Ripley, Northants' head coach, said: "Paul brings great experience, skill, and firepower to our line-up. He has a reputation as a great team man and we are looking forward to welcoming him into our dressing room.

"He'll dovetail with Pollard and be available down the road should we qualify for the quarters and beyond. A special thanks to Cricket Ireland for their assistance in allowing Paul to play a role for us."

"I'm thrilled to be playing for the Steelbacks in this year's Blast, "Stirling said. "It's a good wicket and the boundaries are small so I'm excited to entertain the people of Northampton.

"I know a few of the guys very well and in Rosso [Adam Rossington] and Cobby [Josh Cobb] they have good leaders as captains at the club. I would like to thank David Ripley for showing faith in me and I'm hoping we can win the trophy come September."

Sydney Sixers 7 for 142 (Philippe 34, Zampa 3-21) beat Melbourne Stars 99 (Abbott 3-23, Hazlewood 2-14, O'Keefe 2-22) by 43 runs

The Sydney Sixers will host the Big Bash League decider at the SCG and consequently the celebrity bushfire relief fundraising game that will precede it, after the Melbourne Stars fell into an almighty heap at the MCG to maintain their nine-year history of struggling in the tournament finals.

In a match conspicuous for its distinct lack of boundaries - only 15 fours or sixes were struck all night - the Sixers' measly 7 for 142 proved far too many for the Stars as they were pressured into chaos by Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Steve O'Keefe and Sean Abbott, returning their lowest ever score in a BBL game. A small crowd was left to sing forlorn renditions of Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline as the match petered out, thrusting the Stars into an elimination final at home on Thursday night that they must win in order to face the Sixers again.

The Stars' failure to stay in the game for long enough to have a chance of chasing down their target rendered meaningless an outstanding spell by Adam Zampa, who had succeeded in defeating Steven Smith while reaching 16 wickets at 16.06 for the tournament - his best ever tally for a domestic Twenty20 competition - and conceding only 6.76 runs per over, his best economy rate for any event in which he has played 10 matches or more.

Sixers unscathed after Powerplay

On a decidedly dry, straw-coloured surface, the Sixers were sent in by Glenn Maxwell and seemed intent, with a shortened batting line-up that featured Abbott as high as No. 7, on building steadily rather than swinging for the fences. In truth they were not given much opportunity to do so by the Stars, who bowled commendably tight lines in the early overs, meaning that even without losing a wicket, Josh Philippe and James Vince were still fighting to take control of proceedings.

Nevertheless, a tally of 46 after the Powerplay was enough of a platform if some further acceleration could be found soon afterwards, and the introduction of Zampa when the fielding restrictions lifted had Philippe and Vince looking visibly intent upon clearing the boundary. Philippe charged his first ball and collected a single from the second, before Vince swung across the first delivery he faced from the wrist spinner and skied a simple catch. This turned out to be less the end of the beginning than the beginning of the end.

But picked apart by Zampa after it

Taking after the lead of Callum Ferguson for the Sydney Thunder in Hobart, Maxwell used his bowlers freely and frequently, handing the ball to no less than eight members of his XI. These frequent changes - even allowing Marcus Stoinis his first over of the tournament, from which he succeeded in coaxing Moises Henriques to flick errantly to short fine leg - denied the Sixers much chance to get into a rhythm.

The controversies of Henriques' dismissal, where it was unclear whether Zampa had been outside the fielding circle at short fine leg when the ball left Stoinis' hand, and also Smith's evident annoyance at being given out caught behind, caused more than a few shaking heads in the Sixers' camp. However, there could be no debate that the innings was wrapped around Zampa's fingers, as he delivered another exemplary spell for the Stars in a year where he will be bowling for Australia in the T20 World Cup on home soil. His last wicket, a delectable leg break zipping past Abbott for Seb Gotch's second stumping, was a sight to please any spin bowler, past or present.

Sixers give themselves a chance

Early wickets were mandatory for the visitors given the paltry total they were defending, and there was a collective yelp of delight when the tournament's leading scorer Stoinis clipped Ben Dwarshuis tamely to a straight mid-on in the third over. Five balls later Nick Larkin flicked Abbott straight to short fine leg, signalling greater anxiousness among the Stars, and when Hazlewood scythed through Peter Handscomb in the manner that has more or less ensured the end of the Victorian's Test match career, the game was wide open.

Nic Maddinson had been the only Stars batsman to even hint at enduring, and for a little more than three overs he and Maxwell tried to rebuild. The run rate was far from outrageous, and in Maxwell the Stars had perhaps the best middle-order player in the competition at their disposal. But the brief calm was interrupted by more mayhem when Maddinson leaned back to cut Lyon and could only slice a catch to gully. Maxwell was suddenly alone as the last of the specialist batsmen.

And juggle their way into a home BBL final

Even now, the Stars had a reasonable chance, provided Maxwell could find someone to stay with him. But a remarkably low boundary count - only four fours for the innings entering the 11th over after the Sixers had only managed six fours and one six in their innings - meant that the required rate was creeping up quickly. In search of a circuit-breaker, Maxwell aimed to launch O'Keefe over long off, and struck it cleanly.

But O'Keefe's low arm action meant the ball travelled flat and low off the bat, within the reach of Vince on the boundary. He fumbled his first attempt and the ball sprang free, before recovering admirably to snatch the chance in one hand and send Maxwell on his way. That, more or less, was that, condemning the Stars to their fourth consecutive defeat and delivering the Sixers a home tournament decider at the SCG next Sunday. The Stars must regroup to host the Strikers or Thunder in order to force a rematch in Sydney.

Even as they pushed for a first ever Test win against Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe's cricketers did so knowing their salaries would be cut after the two-Test series. Zimbabwe had been defeated in the first Test by 10 wickets, though they fought well in the first half of the match.

Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani said "it can't be business as usual" given the financial crunch the team faced, and indicated that this was being done to ensure better long-term financial health.

"It's an on-going process," Mukuhlani was quoted as saying by Associated Press. "But yes, we will have to cut back. It can't be business as usual.

"Obviously it's a bit of a touchy subject. But I will assume that everyone will accept it. We will rather make sacrifices today and survive tomorrow. It's bring and take, a bargaining process."

Zimbabwe have faced monetary troubles for several years. On occasions, these have led to players threatening strikes, while more regularly, several promising cricketers have left Zimbabwe to carve out cricket careers elsewhere.

Last year, the ICC had banned all Zimbabwe teams from participating in any international competitions citing government interference in running the national board. During the ban period, the ICC had also stopped all funds to Zimbabwe Cricket. The government had fired the board amid allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement, sparking the ban. The cricket board was later reinstated and the ICC lifted its ban in October 2019.

However, the ban stopped Zimbabwe from playing in the qualifiers for the T20 World Cup that will be held this year in Australia.

ALSO READ: 'The smaller teams want to play more, but they can't because the cash is not there' - Alistair Campbell

Former Zimbabwe captain Alistair Campbell had recently told ESPNcricinfo in an interview that playing the Test series against Sri Lanka would leave a big hole in the budget for Zimbabwe Cricket.

"That's going to make a big hole in the budget," Campbell had said. "But it's a sort of catch-22 isn't it? You know that you're making a loss, and it might impact some of your further tours, but you're eager to play Test cricket. These opportunities don't arise [often], so you can't cancel it. You have to go ahead and try to make a plan."

Zimbabwe were allotted a grant of USD 94 million from the ICC for an eight-year period from 2017. But Mukuhlani, who is part of the ICC board as a representative of a Test-playing nation, said there has been reduced financial help from the ICC in other areas for many countries and that's exacerbated the problems in Zimbabwe.