THE OBSESSION STARTED a long time ago, in a state far, far away, when they were just the size of Ewoks and not the Wookiee-sized big men they are today.

Brook and Robin Lopez grew up with a love of Star Wars. They were fascinated by the struggle between good and evil, the glow of lightsabers and a twisting storyline with unique characters (including twins!).

"There is a mythic quality of those movies that speaks to so many different people," Robin says. "Across generations, genders, race."

The Lopez brothers -- comic-book aficionados and self-proclaimed sci-fi geeks -- are, without a doubt, two of the biggest and proudest nerds in the NBA.

In July, Brook and Robin circled Dec. 5 on the calendar. The date was important, but there were obstacles in their way. They didn't know where they would be -- the NBA schedule had yet to be released. All they knew was that they'd be together.

For the first time since their days at Stanford, the two were playing for the same team, the Milwaukee Bucks. And they'll tell you: Living in the same city has its perks.

"I'm sure our mom just loves this," Brook says. "That we can get in more situations like this now that we're together. This is probably the one downside she didn't foresee."

This "situation" was a fixation since the NBA schedule was released in August. The twins hounded their people to secure transportation and VIP access to the park. Never mind that the city of departure couldn't be determined until a few days before (the brothers didn't know if there would be practice that morning). The important part was that a plane would be ready the moment they were free of their day jobs.

Sixteen hours earlier, on Dec. 4, Brook and Robin were in Detroit, locking arms with Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin and helping the Bucks to their 13th win in a row. And 31 hours later, on Dec. 6, they'll be taking on the LA Clippers in Milwaukee.

But right now, at 12:25 p.m. CT on Dec. 5, the identical twins are standing on the tarmac at Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, waiting to board a Bombardier Challenger 604. They have no luggage, and there is a 10:45 p.m. hard deadline to be back on the plane to ensure their participation in the Bucks' morning shootaround. But they have a mission: make the light-speed jump to Orlando to ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance on opening day, Walt Disney World Resort's newest attraction at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

"Out of season, we must have done something ridiculous like this at some point," Brook says. "I know we've gone to Tokyo Disneyland for a day and a half over the summer. We'll do stuff like that. But 14 hours for something this quick?"

He turns to Robin. "Can you think of anything?"

"I'm not often ridiculous," Robin deadpans.

Is renting a private jet for a few hours to join the Resistance preposterous?

"No," Robin says. "This feels perfectly natural."

READ: Who are the best siblings in sports?

THE BROTHERS DUCK their heads as they step into the 10-seater jet, pass the bar and see a table in the far corner between two leather benches. Laid out is a Star Wars Monopoly game, two Jawa Pop! Pez dispensers, two Star Wars: The Black Series collector mystery boxes, an Uno deck and two packs of Star Wars trading cards.

They study the Monopoly board of Star Wars universe properties. By Robin's count, they own four other versions of Star Wars Monopoly.

"I would want to own property in Bespin," Brook says as he inspects Cloud City, Lando Calrissian's home in "The Empire Strikes Back."

Robin tears into the Star Wars card packs and rates each card based on the film its scene is from. The twins are fervent fans of the original Star Wars trilogy, and there don't seem to be many cards from Episodes IV-VI.

"Bad movie, bad movie, bad movie, bad movie," Robin says, placing one card down after the other. "I sense a disturbing trend."

The lone flight attendant politely interrupts and points to the emergency exit.

"Don't worry," she says, assuring the brothers. "This looks larger than it is."

"I'm sure in an emergency it will be larger than it needs to be," Robin replies before ripping into one of the mystery boxes.

Without warning, the jet picks up speed and takes off. Brook grabs the Star Wars cards and other loose items to prevent them from sliding off the table. "We forgot about the takeoff thing," Robin cracks.

He pulls a First Order Elite Snowtrooper out of the mystery box. The "Rise of Skywalker" action figure reminds Robin of another character, and the younger Lopez brother pulls up a photo of Dark Helmet from "Spaceballs" on his phone to show Brook.

The brothers, 31 years old and born one minute apart, giggle at the comparison.

"Instead of bringing cheer, he's bringing tyranny," Robin says of his Snowtrooper. "God bless him, every one."

When the Lopez brothers are asked about each other, there is an illusion of major sibling beef that they revel in. In interviews, they deliver eyebrow-raising barbs. Their act is so polished that it's hard to tell if they truly can't stand each other.

"I don't know if it'll end," Brook says. "I just know [Mike Budenholzer] was like, 'Guys, you've got to take it easy on each other just a little bit.' Like, he took us in and had a meeting with us."

"He was like, 'Take it easy, you guys. I don't want you going too hard on each other.'"

Robin interrupts to remind Brook that he can't move his Chewbacca piece in Monopoly, which is stuck in Star Wars jail.

"You'll have to pay your way out," Robin says sternly.

"Geez," Brook says. "We're just having good conversation."

When Brook was playing for the Brooklyn Nets during the 2015-16 season and Robin was with the New York Knicks, the two said they couldn't live together because of their cats. Robin's cat, Prince Edward Zephyr, and Brook's cat, Poupin, despise each other.

"The cats wouldn't permit [it]," Robin says. "Pretty legitimate."

With the twins now on the same team, Robin lives downtown and Brook has a house in suburban Milwaukee.

"I don't know who started it, honestly," Brook says of the back-and-forth jabs. "I hate to go back to cats and dogs, but it's kind of like that. Like, who knows how that [rivalry] got started? Who threw that first barb? Who knows."

Robin says with a straight face: "Not me."

When asked to define their relationship, Robin throws down the gauntlet: "R2-D2 and C-3PO. And I'm R2-D2. ... Or [it's like] R2-D2 and BB-8. And I'm R2-D2. You're BB-8."

Brook shakes his head, stands from his leather chair and waves his hands in fake disgust. "This interview is over! You son of a ... I'll take C-3PO. The biggest dork of all time. I'm not going to take the BB-8 one."

"I mean, C-3PO, this guy," Brook says. "I love you, C-3PO. I love the original trilogy. But when R2-D2 runs away in the first Star Wars, instead of stopping him or going to tell Luke and Uncle Owen, he hides. It's so good. He hides! He has to wait for Luke to come and tell him R2-D2 ran away. What a dork!"

Robin is laughing.

"He's, like, literally and figuratively yellow," Robin says of C-3PO.

"People will talk about character arcs, but you look at the character arc of C-3PO from 'Star Wars' to 'Return of the Jedi,' and it's a complete 180 ... he's not so much of a coward and a fussbudget."

The jet touches down at sunny Kissimmee Gateway Airport shortly after 4 p.m. ET.

"I'm not losing my mind!" Brook excitedly blurts as he disembarks.

IF THE BROTHERS maneuver around Disney World like it's home, that's perhaps because Brook owns a house on the Disney World property that took years to build.

Brook and Robin go to the Disney parks stateside and overseas -- from Paris to Tokyo -- whenever they can. This ardor for all things Disney (Note: Disney is the parent company for both ESPN and Lucasfilm) was evident when the Nets did background research on Brook before taking him 10th overall in 2008. Shortly after the draft, the twins were seen buying stuffed animals at Adventureland in Walt Disney World Resort.

This year, they were spotted at Walt Disney World Resort during All-Star weekend in February and at Disneyland Resort at the end of May, when Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opened. They handed out candy on Halloween at NBA Experience, located at Disney Springs.

The two say they haven't been this excited about a new Disney attraction since they were first-graders riding Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland Resort for the first time nearly 25 years ago.

Back in Orlando, Brook and Robin are getting the VIP treatment, as their group is taken through several back doors and corridors to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Soon, the brothers walk into the first room of the attraction, which resembles a rebel hideout.

The 7-footers eventually walk onto a gigantic replica of a Star Destroyer hanger and immediately feel tiny. They ask a friend to take a picture of them with a garrison of animatronic Stormtroopers. Occasionally, a few of the Stormtroopers' heads move as if they are surveying the visitors.

"When I walked by, I wasn't sure, but it looked like one of the Stormtroopers' head followed me, so I walked back the other way, and it went back with me," Brook says. "That has to be just the biggest coincidence of all time, but I did it again, and it followed me. That is amazing attention to detail."

Cast members are in character, barking instructions as First Order officers. The twins, in awe and dawdling, are instructed to keep it moving as a second door opens. They walk through a couple of corridors of the Star Destroyer and line up to board.

A First Order officer sizes up the Chewbacca-sized brothers and wonders aloud whether the tallest rebels she has seen all day will be able to fit with two others in the same row.

"We'll fit," Brook says. He has heard this many times before at amusement parks.

Brook whispers something to Robin, who responds: "Never tell me the odds."

Later, two cars, each with two rows and helmed by a droid, arrive, and Brook and Robin get into the front row of the front car. A rebel lieutenant can be heard giving the droid directions on where to go to get to an escape pod inside the Star Destroyer.

After the attraction comes to an end, Brook, who had his camera out to take pictures, snaps a few more on the way out. The twins get off the ride and, as VIPs, are permitted to ride again. This time, they get in the rear car for a different perspective.

"Rock and roll!" Brook says.

When they're finished with their second ride, Brook is last to get off behind Robin, and he notices that his brother left something in the front pouch.

"Hey, Robin! Don't leave your Snowtrooper!" Brook says, grabbing the action figure Robin got from his mystery box on the plane. "You got his gun?"

WHEN MILLENNIUM FALCON: Smuggler's Run opened at Disneyland Resort on May 31, no one should have been surprised to see the twins roaming the attraction. Brook, though, wished he had been elsewhere.

"It was unfortunate because that was a couple of days after we lost to Toronto," the Bucks' starting center said of the post-playoffs park visit. "So it was the smallest of silver linings."

When the brothers take their seats this night on the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs, they look like they've already done it dozens of times. As the Falcon's hyperdrive malfunctions, dropping it into an asteroid field, Brook turns to Robin and yells.

"THEY TOLD ME THEY FIXED IT!" Brook shouts, quoting Han Solo. "I TRUSTED THEM!"

Soon after, the 7-footers are strolling past Droid Depot, and park guests can't help but notice the pair. One kid asks who they play for.

"I think Detroit," his dad replies, noticing Brook in a Miguel Cabrera Detroit Tigers jersey.

As the twins approach the entrance of Oga's Cantina, a galactic rest stop for crew members and guests, a father and daughter recognize the brothers. The girl asks her father which one is better.

"The short-haired one," he says, indicating Brook.

Another woman later in the night walks up behind Robin, who is talking to friends, and measures her height against his.

In Oga's Cantina, a server recognizes the brothers and approaches the booth to ask what they want. It's Phil Voyles, a classmate of theirs from San Joaquin Memorial High School. Brook goes on to tell everyone how he and Voyles were in several high school plays together, including "West Side Story" and "Footloose."

The twins order some nonalcoholic drinks -- Robin has the "Carbon Freeze," and Brook asks for the "Jabba Juice" and the "Blue Bantha" -- and after a brief reenactment of Han Solo shooting Greedo in the Cantina scene in "Star Wars," they notice that it's getting late. After all, Brook and Robin are set to play the Clippers in 24 hours.

"We should head back to Milwaukee," Brook says. "Alert my Star Destroyer!"

It's now 8:30 p.m. ET. The brothers have just over two hours before their deadline.

After grabbing a few slices of pizza, the twins start walking back toward Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, where Rey and X-wing fighter pilots ask if they want to meet Chewbacca.

Of course, the twins say yes. They are big Chewbacca fans, even presenting a Disneyland Chewbacca with a medal in 2016 because they were upset the Wookiee never received one from Princess Leia at the end of "A New Hope." Brook once tried to convince reporters that he should play Chewbacca in the Star Wars movies, though he admits that if only one brother could play the character, it should be Robin.

"With all his hair, that's really good for the part of a Wookiee," he says.

They both grin as Chewbacca comes over. When all three pose for a picture, a circle of onlookers forms to capture the moment. Another friend comes by to see them: Walt Disney World Resort's new president, Josh D'Amaro.

Soon after, the twins hear that Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which closed earlier in the day, has reopened, and they aren't going to waste the extra opportunity to ride.

At 9:30, their agent, Darren Matsubara, texts to remind them not to miss the plane. If they miss it, Matsubara says, there are no pilots who can be hired later in the night.

Brook and Robin are hardly sweating it, and as the clock approaches 10 p.m., they're back on the ride.

"I really feel like I'm an integral part of the Resistance at this point, I'm not going to lie to you," Robin says.

WITH FIVE MINUTES to spare, the Lopez brothers are on the tarmac and in front of their ride home.

The two bring aboard all sorts of new Star Wars toys and souvenirs. Wearing a backpack that looks like Yoda riding on his back, Robin has a blue lightsaber in his right hand, a droid in the other, a flickering blue Millennium Falcon hanging around his neck and a hat with Yoda ears. Brook has a red lightsaber, a droid and a bag with Disney Christmas decorations in his hands.

The door closes at 10:42 p.m., and the plane is back in the air less than 10 minutes later. The twins, surrounded by their souvenirs, pose for a video by pretending to be asleep.

Except Robin, his Mariners cap pulled low, eyes covered and tightly clutching a Yoda doll, has drifted off to actual slumber.

The Challenger 604 touches down at 12:26 a.m. CT in Milwaukee, and a black Suburban is waiting on the tarmac.

The brothers don't have any more one-day trips scheduled for at least six months. If their true mission goes as planned, they'll be busy until mid-June.

"That is correct," Brook says. "We are booked until then."

The decade is almost over but South African cricket has rewound back to the start. Graeme Smith, Mark Boucher, Jacques Kallis and maybe even AB de Villiers are back and the same man who was acting CEO in 2012, Jacques Faul, is acting CEO in 2019. In-between, a lot has happened. Here, ESPNcricinfo explains the goings-on at Cricket South Africa in the last few weeks.

How did we get here?

For the full picture, we have to go back to September 2017 when former CSA CEO Haroon Lorgat's tenure ended. Lorgat was forced out largely because he was unable to sell television rights for the Global League T20, and was replaced by Thabang Moroe, who was then CSA's vice-president. Moroe had little executive management experience and it showed almost immediately when he used his first media engagement to indicate that he wanted to change CSA's relationship with the South African Cricketers' Association (SACA), and essentially weaken its powers.

In Moroe's time in charge, CSA and SACA's relationship hit an all-time low which included a delay in the signing of the memorandum of understanding, which effectively lays out the terms and conditions of players' employment; a lack of consultation over a restructure of the domestic game and two violations of commercial rights agreements. CSA also projected losses of R654 million over the next four-year cycle, as a result of fewer high-profile incoming tours, among other factors. That's the behind-the-scenes side of the story.

Front and centre of the issues were how things played out on the field. Under Moroe, coach Ottis Gibson was first told his contract would only be renewed if he won the 2019 World Cup, then that he needed to reach the final, then that his deal would be extended to 2021 and then that he and his entire coaching staff were being let go. CSA announced a new structure, which consolidated power in the CEO's hands. A director of cricket (DoC) was to be appointed who would choose a team director, who, in turn, would choose his staff. The DoC would report to the CEO.

These changes were only put forward in August which left too little time for permanent appointments to be made by the time South Africa toured India in September. Instead, an interim director of cricket, Corrie van Zyl (who previously worked as CSA's General Manager of Cricket) appointed an interim team director Enoch Nkwe for the tour. South Africa drew the T20 series and were whitewashed in the Tests. At the same time, CSA conducted interviews for the DoC and other roles.

On their return home, amid mounting media pressure to explain everything from the domestic restructure to the appointment of the men's team's coaching staff to the financial issues, Moroe revoked the accreditation of five journalists which set in motion a chain of events that led to his suspension and the resignation of four board members. This included the withdrawal of a major sponsor and an ultimatum by another, as well as a chorus of former administrators including Ali Bacher and Norman Arendse calling on the CEO and board to resign.

On Friday, December 6, Moroe was suspended and Faul was appointed, Smith accepted the DoC job for three months and put a coaching staff in place. And here we are...

The National Team

What is the role of Smith as director of cricket?

Most urgently, to appoint the men's national team coaching staff, which has now been done. Over time, the DoC will oversee all cricket played under the CSA umbrella, which includes the national women's team, domestic cricket, and age-group cricket. The position requires someone well acquainted with all aspects of the game in South Africa and with a deep knowledge of international cricket. Smith, who captained South Africa for 11 years including nine years undefeated in Test series on the road and two World Cups, is familiar with varying conditions and expectations and is an expert on the landscape at home and abroad. He is well-respected abroad and brings gravitas to an organisation recently bereft of cricketing expertise.

If Smith has only signed on for three months, what does that mean for the future?

Smith's term is currently limited because of his commentary stint at the IPL, which was he signed up to do before being offered this position, but also because he wants to get a feel for the job before deciding if he will take it on permanently. A key determinant in whether Smith stays is the future of the CEO's position. Smith was initially approached by Moroe to take the DoC job but when weeks of negotiation yielded no outcome, Smith withdrew interest, citing lack of confidence in the leadership. It was only on Moroe's suspension that Smith signed on and then, Smith reiterated that he didn't think he could do the job under Moroe but has confidence in Faul.

What's happened to the title 'team director'?

It has been scrapped. Smith has decided to return to terms people know - head coach and assistant coach.

Who is the head coach, what are his credentials and how long has he been appointed for?

Mark Boucher, who played 147 Tests, 295 ODIs and 25 T20s for South Africa in a career that spanned 15 years. Boucher has a Level 2 coaching certificate and has been in charge of the Titans franchise since August 2016. They have won five trophies in that time. He has been appointed until after the 2023 World Cup.

How does Enoch Nkwe fit in?

Nkwe, who was made interim team director after one season as a franchise coach during which he won a trophy with the Jozi Stars and two with the Lions, is now the assistant coach. Nkwe has a Level 4 coaching qualification and worked in the Netherlands after his first-class career ended. Smith indicated the long-term plan is for Nkwe to succeed Boucher.

Who makes up South Africa's full support staff?

South Africa have a batting and bowling consultant - Jacques Kallis and Charl Langeveldt - who are contracted only for the 2019-20 summer. Kallis is expecting his first child in 2020 which may affect his availability in the future, while Langeveldt was poached from Bangladesh, where he had been signed on a two-year deal. He left after five months. Also in Bangladesh are former national coach Russell Domingo and batting coach Neil McKenzie, both of whom South Africa may want back. Fielding coach Justin Ontong has been retained from the Ottis Gibson era.

What happened to Gibson's other backroom staff like Malibongwe Maketa, Claude Henderson and Dale Benkenstein?

Maketa, like Nkwe, was appointed with a view to succeeding the head coach, but has found himself all but frozen out of the new regime. Maketa was named as an assistant coach to the South Africa A side but has not landed a permanent job on the local scene. His home franchise, the Warriors, have appointed Robin Peterson as their coach for this season and there is no room at any of the other five franchises either, including Boucher's Titans. Mandla Mashimbyi, who assisted both Boucher and his predecessor Matthew Maynard at the Titans, has been promoted to the job there.

ALSO READ: The crisis in South African cricket - full coverage

Henderson lives in Leicester and is coaching there. Benkenstein held a concurrent job at Hilton College, an elite school in Kwa-Zulu Natal, while working as South Africa's batting coach and has returned to that role.

What is Ashwell Prince's role?

He has been named coach of the SA A side and will continue to coach the Cobras. Sources claim Prince was offered the role of batting consultant to the national side but rejected it.

Does South Africa have a convenor of selectors and selection panel?

Not yet. Former convenor Linda Zondi has been brought back in until April 2020 as an independent selector. Part of Moroe's revamp was to appoint a full-time selection convenor, who would be a CSA employee. Zondi was interviewed for that role, alongside Monde Zondeki and Patrick Moroney, who Moroe was likely to appoint. However, this job has been put on ice until the end of the financial year in April because of budgetary constraints.

Who selects the South African team?

For now, Zondi, Boucher, Nkwe and captain Faf du Plessis.

Is du Plessis still going to lead SA in all formats?

If du Plessis could choose, the answer would be yes. He confirmed his interest in captaining in all three formats at the conclusion of the Mzansi Super League, where his Paarl Rocks team took the trophy. At the same time, du Plessis emphasised the need to give other players leadership experience so that South Africa don't find themselves in a captaincy vacuum when he calls it a day. Du Plessis indicated we may see some changing of the armband in shorter formats through the summer, something that has already happened. Du Plessis was left out of the T20 side to tour India in October and Quinton de Kock was named captain. At the time, the talk was that de Kock and Temba Bavuma were being groomed for future leadership roles. That could change under Smith.

Will things get better now?

The inclusion of past greats has gone a long way to restoring credibility to the South African set-up but their impact will only be seen in a few months' time. On-field results will be the most obvious way to judge the success of the new regime but there are many other markers. Commercial interest is one. Cohesion is another.

The legacy of South Africa's history of centuries of segregation and exclusion continues to be felt today and it has not gone unnoticed that the new regime consists of mostly white former players, including those who were accused of forming a clique that controlled South African cricket. The demotion of Nkwe and the sidelining of Maketa are being spoken of as an attempt to disenfranchise and disempower a section of South Africans.

The bottom line

Is CSA still projecting losses of R654 million and why?

The exact figure is not known at the moment, but it's safe to say CSA are in a financial crunch. R654 million was forecast in September 2018 for the four-year cycle which ends in 2022 and was based on South Africa's FTP, which is leaner than it has previously been. However, it did not include the losses from the MSL, which were calculated at R110 million for the 2018 edition and will likely be a little more in 2019, as well as the television rights deal, which will be renegotiated with pay-television broadcaster SuperSport in 2021 and is expected to fetch less than previous contracts. As a result, SACA put the projected losses at over R1 billion. CSA, however, claim to have taken austerity measures to bring this down to around R300 million.

What is CSA doing to cut costs?

Again, we don't exactly know but the organisation has had budget cuts (hence Zondi's short-term appointment). The domestic restructure was due to be the biggest cost-cutter with the removal of an entire tier of teams, and associated costs. It is worth remembering that none of the six franchises or 14 provincial teams are financially independent and all rely on CSA's money to function. Former ICC CEO Dave Richardson has been put in charge of a committee that will fully investigate and report back on the viability and need for a domestic restructure, given the financial landscape.

Does CSA have any sponsors?

Yes, for now. Standard Bank remain on board until April 2020, but have confirmed they will not renew their deal after that date. Momentum have issued an ultimatum that unless either the entire CSA board is dissolved or president Chris Nenzani and vice-president Beresford Williams step down, they will reconsider their sponsorship post April 2020. CSA were due to unveil Betway as a sponsor last Saturday but the details have not been finalised.

Does this mean South African players could risk smaller paycheques?

Maybe. Which is why South African cricketers will continue to seek opportunity abroad, especially if they can earn hard currency such as dollars or pounds. However, more seriously, SACA claim that if the domestic restructure goes ahead, 70 domestic cricketers could lose their jobs.

The administration

Who is Dr Jacques Faul and how long will he be CSA's Acting CEO?

Faul is from the west of Johannesburg and has been involved in cricket administration throughout his career. After working as a prosecutor and serving on the North West Cricket Board, Faul was made CEO of North West Cricket Union at the age of 35. He was previously acting CEO when Majola was dismissed in 2012 after the 2009 IPL Bonus Scandal. Faul holds an MBA and a doctorate in Economic Management Science and has been CEO of the Titans franchise since 2013. His latest role at CSA will not exceed six months, during which time Moroe will undergo a disciplinary process. If cleared, Moroe could return. Faul has not indicated if he would be interested in continuing in the job beyond that, but if he is, he is likely to have to undergo an application process.

Who appointed Faul?

The CSA board.

Who makes up the CSA board?

In theory, a president, vice-president, six provincial presidents chosen from the 14 affiliates, and five independent directors. The current president is Chris Nenzani, and the vice-president is Beresford Williams. Currently, there are only two independent directors, Marius Schoeman and Steve Cornelius, following the resignations of three others (Professor Shirley Zinn, Iqbal Khan and Dawn Mokhobo) and six provincial presidents along with president Chris Nenzani and Beresford Williams. Jack Madiseng of the Gauteng Cricket Board resigned last week. The remaining provincial presidents on the board are Zola Thamae (Free State), Tebogo Siko (Easterns), Donovan May (Eastern Province) and Angelo Carolisse (Boland)

Does that mean the board effectively appoints itself?

Just about. Almost half of the 14 provincial presidents that make up the Members Council are on the board. However, these presidents are obliged to act on the mandates of their respective provinces and at least three - Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal and Western Province - have issued directives to their president calling on the board to step down.

Who is Chris Nenzani?

A schoolteacher from the Eastern Cape and former Border president, Nenzani was elected CSA President in 2013. He has already served two terms, the second of which was extended by a year in September 2019 by constitutional amendment. At the time, Nenzani argued his prolonged stay was aimed at bringing stability to CSA in the face of major changes and challenges including the domestic revamp, the new coaching structure and looming debt. Nenzani said CSA needed "sensible" leadership, which he could provide.

What kind of relationship does Nenzani have with the players?

A poor one. SACA have made repeated calls for Moroe and the entire board to step down and have refused to negotiate with any CSA panel that includes board members over any issue. Most recently, SACA said they would not engage with the Richardson committee over the domestic restructure, because the matter is sub-judice and needs to be resolved in court first.

Is SACA's position likely to change with Tony Irish's departure to England's Professional Cricketers' Association from 2020?

No. Irish's successor Andrew Breetzke has been SACA's head of legal and player advocacy since 2012 and will continue to push for the same demands.

What does this mean for the players?

On a day-to-day basis, SACA acts as a buffer for the players when it comes to dealing with administrative issues. However, the extent of the animosity in recent months has had an effect on the field, according to Smith, Boucher, and du Plessis. While it's difficult to claim causality between these issues and results, South Africa's poor on-field performances have coincided with the crises at CSA and the strained relationship with SACA.

How badly has the South African team done?

2019 has been an annus horribilis for them with five straight Test defeats, including a first-ever loss to Sri Lanka at home. As a result, they now sit at the bottom of the World Test Championship points table. South Africa also fell way below expectations at the World Cup, and were effectively eliminated after just five group-stage matches.

Aryaman Birla, the Madhya Pradesh batsman, has taken an "indefinite sabbatical from cricket", citing "severe anxiety related to the sport for a while now". Birla, 22, has been through a number of injury setbacks and hasn't played competitive cricket since January this year. Rajasthan Royals, the IPL team he was part of for two seasons, released him in November.

"I've felt trapped. I've pushed myself through all the distress so far, but now I feel the need to put my mental health and wellbeing above all else," he wrote on Instagram. "We all have our own journeys and I want to take this time to understand myself better, open my mind to new and varied perspectives and seek purpose in my findings."

Birla, the son of the billionaire industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, left his hometown Mumbai as a 17-year old who was unsure of his immediate future as a cricketer trying to "fight for survival" in the city.

Not wanting to lose time, he decided to take the plunge by enrolling for district trials in Madhya Pradesh in 2014. Prior to that, he had a three-month stint in England under former Middlesex cricketer Paul Weekes, playing for West Hampstead Cricket Club and the London Schools Cricket Association.

Birla spent four years in the junior circuit in Madhya Pradesh before being handed a Ranji Trophy debut in October 2017. He has so far featured in nine first-class games, eight of which came during the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy. The highlight was his backs-to-the-wall maiden first-class century against Bengal at Eden Gardens in his third first-class game, which helped Madhya Pradesh salvage a hard-fought draw.

"When I first came to MP, I was known more by my last name," he told ESPNcricinfo last year. "I kept hearing 'I was Birla's son, Birla's grandson.' But through my performances, I changed perceptions, they started seeing me differently. That's been my biggest achievement so far. Recently someone came and told me 'you're so seedha saadha (simple and straightforward), we didn't even know you're from the Birla family.' That to me was a sign of change."

He further wrote on Instagram: "This phase has been difficult, but it has also helped me realise who my real friends and well-wishers are. I truly believe I'll emerge from this phase even stronger than before."

Mikel Arteta has been named the new Arsenal head coach on a 3½-year deal, the club confirmed on Friday.

"This is a huge honour. Arsenal is one of the biggest clubs in the world," Arteta said.

"We need to be competing for the top trophies in the game and that's been made very clear to me in my discussions with Stan and Josh Kroenke, and the senior people from the club.

"We all know there is a lot of work to be done to achieve that but I am confident we'll do it. I'm realistic enough to know it won't happen overnight but the current squad has plenty of talent and there is a great pipeline of young players coming through from the academy."

Sources had told ESPN that Arteta was set for the job at the Emirates, and he has now left his position as Pep Guardiola's assistant at Manchester City to take over from Freddie Ljungberg, who had been in charge as a caretaker following Unai Emery's sacking on Nov. 29.

Arteta's arrival brings an end to a frantic search for Emery's successor, with Carlo Ancelotti, Massimiliano Allegri, Mauricio Pochettino, Marcelino and Patrick Vieira among those considered. Allegri, though, has told ESPN he will not take on a new job until the summer following his exit from Juventus.

- Marcotti: Arsenal hung Emery out to dry, but he's not blameless

Emery was appointed as Arsenal head coach in May 2018, signing a two-year deal with the option of a third. But after a promising debut season ended with a 4-1 defeat to Chelsea in the Europa League final, Emery was sacked last month after the club's worst start to a season in 27 years.

Ljungberg was placed in temporary charge but has won just once in five matches. After a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City last time out in the league, Ljungberg called on the club's hierarchy to make a definitive decision over management.

Arteta will officially start work on Sunday, with Ljungberg taking charge of Arsenal's match at Everton on Saturday.

Josh Kroenke, speaking on behalf of the Arsenal board and owners Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, said in a news release: "We're delighted to be bringing Mikel back to Arsenal.

"He knows our expectations and those of our fans around the world are high and we are confident he can play a lead role in taking the club back to the levels we all demand.

"I also want to thank Freddie Ljungberg for skilfully guiding us through the last three weeks. He stepped up at short notice and has helped us through this difficult period with great professionalism."

Let's roll into the holidays with 10 NBA things:

1. A moment for the Point God

Any discussion of Chris Paul's place in history turns noisy, fast. For now, a moment to appreciate the Point God in Winter:

Paul might have the most diverse lob portfolio ever. (Professor Andre Miller, Ph.D., Point Guard University, would like a word.) That lob comes suddenly. There is no start-and-stop prodding into the paint. Paul pulls up off one foot, almost as if he is lofting a floater.

Something about it -- the distance, the cadence -- is just different.

Paul is one step ahead of everyone. He stole a win from the Timberwolves by demanding officials -- loudly enough to embarrass them -- enforce the untucked jersey rule. Paul is probably the only player both smart enough to remember that rule and petty enough to point out the infraction.

On Monday, the Thunder guard swiped another victory from the hapless Bulls with a combination of fiery 3-point shooting and classic Paulisms: sneaking up from behind Wendell Carter Jr. at waist level to poke the ball away after Carter had grabbed a rebound; and rip-throughs with Oklahoma City in the bonus. (Pro tip: Change the channel if Paul's team gets in the bonus early, unless you enjoy Rip-Through Theater.)

A few weeks earlier at a Clippers-Thunder game, referees paused the action as the Thunder were about to inbound from the sideline. Paul was badgering them. Everyone then trudged toward the opposite sideline; the Thunder inbounded there.

I assumed Paul realized the officials had chosen the wrong side. I asked him after the game. It was even more subtle. The preceding foul had occurred in the middle of the floor, and Paul knew the Thunder were entitled to pick their sideline. Paul preferred the other one. He might have been the only person in the arena aware of any of this.

His brilliance can be easy to miss:

Paul downloaded how corralling that sideways rebound had taken him far from his designated defender -- and into the path of a big man ill-equipped to guard him. He sprinted the ball up the court to solidify that mismatch.

You can understand why Paul grates on some teammates. He never stops searching for small edges -- and telling you about them. He is usually right. He will do anything to win. He is the WWE heel who hides a foreign object in his tights or exposes the turnbuckle when the officials aren't looking.

The league is more entertaining with Paul in it.

2. Yes, the Spurs' shot selection matters

A year ago, those wishing to cast San Antonio's shot selection as Gregg Popovich's noble fight against modern stylistic homogeneity could point to the Spurs' sixth-ranked offense.

Turns out, overcoming a willful mathematical deficit might have required unsustainable shooting. Last year's Spurs ranked first in 3-point shooting, second from midrange and fifth near the rim.

Their shooting has regressed (miss you, Davis Bertans!), and the midrange express now ranks 17th in points per possession. Their defense is still bad. Their offense can't save them anymore.

No one is asking the Spurs to become the Rockets -- to design their offense around the desired endpoint (a 3-pointer) and work backward. Stylistic diversity is good for the league.

But San Antonio's offense as is produces organic 3s, only their alleged stars (and some role players) -- with the tacit permission of their coach, indisputably one of the greatest ever across all sports -- opt out of them in favor of long 2s.

Like, these have to be 3-pointers:

On maybe a half-dozen possessions per game, LaMarcus Aldridge picks-and-pops toward the top of the arc or the corner. One more step and he is in 3-point range. Yes, Aldridge is more comfortable inside the arc. That comfort might impact his accuracy. But there is no way his shooting percentage from 12 inches inside the arc is so much higher than his mark from one inch behind as to justify forfeiting that extra point.

He does the same thing with trail 3-pointers -- a shot every star big man strolls into several times per game.

There is no basketball reason for this. You are not showing anyone. You are not proving old ways work better. You are just passing up one shot for a worse one.

On some of these possessions, the Spurs still end up with a good shot. That can happen when five talented players have 15 seconds to cut and pass and drive. The old-man-yelling-at-cloud crew highlights those plays.

That same crew ignores the possessions that sputter -- when DeMar DeRozan catches the ball behind the arc, no defender within 15 feet, dribbles into a brick wall and bonks an 18-foot fadeaway. We are good at remembering how a possession ends, not how it could have ended.

There are lots of ways to win over 48 minutes. In a game of finite possessions, the extra point isn't everything; teams with different underlying philosophies can overcome that extra point by being good at other stuff.

But San Antonio's best players are voluntarily turning down healthy, open 3s.

By the way: Opponents have blitzed the Spurs by eight points per 100 possessions with DeRozan and Aldridge on the floor. That is a horror show. It's not entirely new; the Spurs were merely neutral in such minutes last season.

The 11-16 Spurs have a run in them. They always do. They are only one game out of the playoffs. But they are searching more than ever.

3. The paint patience of Jaylen Brown

Brown has developed a knack for screeching to a halt in the paint, holding his pivot foot, and faking and pivoting as defenders drift by like crashing waves:

Brown will take every bit of the allotted three seconds. (Domantas Sabonis also is a wizard at this, only he finishes with more violence.) It is a useful display of patience from a guy who came into the season known as a full-speed-ahead straight-line driver.

Brown has flashed more nuance and craft in making a mini-leap toward All-Star status. He is shooting a career-best 57% on 2s.

Boston's refusal to include Brown in trade talks for Kawhi Leonard was a fork-in-the-road moment. It looked dumb as Leonard led the Raptors to the championship. Boston in the aggregate has probably acted too cautiously -- and with too much confidence last season in its plan to lure Anthony Davis.

But Toronto gave up nothing near Brown's level of long-term importance in trading for Leonard. The Raptors barely got through the second round. Milwaukee shoved them to the brink of a 3-0 deficit in the conference finals. Leonard left. Was he always leaving? Boston bet he was.

Brown is doing what he can to help Boston live with its choice. He won't become a franchise-level star unless he improves his playmaking, but he is growing across the board.

4. Trae Young's defense

Young can be a special offensive player, but Atlanta will go nowhere serious until he buys in on defense.

There is too much of that: Young upright, flat-footed, arms at his side. That stance makes him slow snapping into action away from the ball. He can be late scurrying around screens, and he often just smacks into them. He is a piece of floating tissue everyone else just shoves away.

Atlanta has allowed 117 points per 100 possessions with Young on the floor -- and 103 when he sits, per NBA.com. Lots of factors beyond Young go into those numbers, but his play contributes. He ranks 435th among 437 players in ESPN's defensive real plus-minus after finishing dead last a year ago.

For years, Young has been compared to Stephen Curry. When Curry is a liability on defense, it is only because of his skinny frame. Curry is a fighter. He gets in a stance, spreads his arms and executes Golden State's scheme. He didn't make the Warriors' defense, but he didn't break it, either.

5. Cover your eyes, the Nets bench is in!

I don't even know whether this is a "like" or "dislike," because damn is it riveting watching Brooklyn -- in the absence of both Kyrie Irving and Caris Levert -- try to survive when Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris rest. Kenny Atkinson actually has run out a lineup of Theo Pinson, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, David Nwaba, Rodions Kurucs and DeAndre Jordan. Like, in real games. Previous incarnations involved Dzanan Musa and Iman Shumpert.

Remarkably, the Nets win those minutes some nights. It is NBA MacGyvering. Someone makes two random 3s. Pinson coaxes in a couple of ugly long 2s. Nwaba goes coast to coast for a dunk, steals the inbounds pass and lays the ball in. (Nwaba is a thrill to watch. His torn Achilles tendon -- just as he was solidifying a role -- is such a bummer.) They buy time. The Nets are 11-5 without Irving, and the sample size of Irving's teams winning when he is injured is growing beyond "hot take" territory.

Still: That bench feels so rickety. When Atkinson senses it going off the rails, he slides Garrett Temple back in early. Wilson Chandler's return from his suspension might help. But overall, opponents have outscored the Nets by 58 points in 208 minutes with both Dinwiddie and Harris off the floor since Irving's injury.

The only real solution is to perhaps take Harris out a little earlier and bring him back to prop up non-Dinwiddie lineups. That comes at the cost of breaking up Harris and Dinwiddie -- probably Brooklyn's two healthy best players. I can understand maximizing the Harris-Dinwiddie minutes.

Until everyone gets healthy, Atkinson just has to close his eyes and hope.

6. The Joe Ingles pass back

This is such an Ingles pass:

When an offense gets the other team scrambling, the ball usually continues around the horn; the next logical pass is to the left corner. No Jazz man is there. Even so, the Magic clearly did not expect Ingles to touch the ball back to Royce O'Neale.

Ingles would make that same pass even if Utah had an open shooter in that corner. He is clever playing against expectations.

The Jazz have looked more like themselves on offense with Ingles starting again. The way he plays -- extra passes, ball fakes, instant decisions -- is woven into the DNA of Quin Snyder's "advantage basketball" system. The Jazz are prone to stagnancy without him. (Ingles also didn't get as many minutes with an elite pick-and-roll finisher coming off the bench.)

Snyder will face an interesting decision once Mike Conley returns. Utah's original starting lineup -- with O'Neale in Ingles' place -- has fared well. The Ingles version plays a little smaller on defense; O'Neale guards a lot of opposing power forwards, and with him on the bench that job falls to Bojan Bogdanovic.

Snyder could toggle lineups based on matchups, but that is hard for players who crave routine.

7. Oh crap, Anthony Davis can do this?

Around this time every season, Davis does something that makes you gasp: Uh oh. He added that? Two seasons ago, he started busting out crossovers and in-and-out dribbles. Almost exactly a year ago -- right before things went haywire in New Orleans -- he scored 80 combined points on 34-of-58 shooting in back-to-back games against Dallas and flashed an endless reservoir of post moves. (Those games were legitimately terrifying.)

This -- from the Lakers' Dec. 6 win at Portland -- was such a moment:

An effortless lefty jump hook? Yikes.

The volume of Davis post-ups -- no one has posted up more, per Second Spectrum data -- is a concession to the Lakers' roster construction. It is harder to run the LeBron James-Davis pick-and-roll with a traditional center -- JaVale McGee or Dwight Howard -- on the floor. Defenders on James and Davis in those scenarios are typically close enough in size to switch. (Cut to Kevin Love nodding.) If Davis rolls, he barrels into a cluttered lane.

The James-McGee/Howard pick-and-roll relegates Davis to spot-up duty. He is too good for that. That leaves a ton of post-ups. Even then, there often is a giant help defender -- the guy guarding McGee or Howard -- lurking just across the lane.

Davis has made the most of those chances. He doesn't need much room to score or draw fouls. He crouches low, explodes through tight corridors along the baseline and outraces those help defenders to the rim

At some point, the Lakers will need to lean into their Davis-at-center lineups. But so far, the trade-off -- shooting for size -- has been worth it, mostly because the Lakers' two superstars thrive in any ecosystem.

8. Mitchell Robinson, hips open

Psst ... Robinson has committed only 17 fouls in 191 minutes over New York's past seven games -- about 3.2 per 36 minutes. The Knicks would probably sign up for that over Robinson's remaining career.

On switches, Robinson isn't leaping at pump fakes and trying to block every jumper. He'll sometimes open his hips and concede a driving lane -- something Draymond Green does a lot. It looks like a mistake, but it is really Robinson showing faith in his ability to bother shots from behind:

Robinson has been more careful to avoid bumping and reaching with his off arm.

New York is two years into a spirited debate over how often Robinson should switch on pick-and-rolls. No one is better at blocking 3-pointers. There is power in that. Possessions peter out as guards dance with Robinson, only to find themselves smothered.

But he also bites on fakes, and he fouls a lot. With Robinson 30 feet from the hoop, the Knicks are vulnerable on the glass.

David Fizdale overdid the switching. He dabbled in a bizarre scheme in which the Knicks would go under picks and switch anyway -- defeating the entire purpose of ducking screens:

Mike Miller has kept Robinson closer to the rim without totally excising switches. That feels like a proper balance. Variety is important. It keeps offenses on edge. The threat of a Robinson switch might spook ball handlers. Deployed properly, switching with Robinson can be a weapon -- not an act of surrender.

9. Is Philly answering one big question?

The Sixers are so weird, it is easy to get lost fretting about the little things within possessions: Where is everyone standing? Is Ben Simmons in the dunker spot? How is Brett Brown's facial hair?

Some of those are real problems, as the Heat highlighted in zoning Philly to death on Wednesday.

The Sixers have scored only 105 points per 100 possessions with Joel Embiid and Simmons on the floor, equivalent to a bottom-five offense. They are searching for a crunch time identity.

Zoom even further out and Philly had one fatal weakness last season: They were horrible when Embiid rested. A lot of Philly's offseason -- including signing Al Horford -- was aimed at fixing that. Horford and Simmons now play every meaningful minute Embiid rests, and the Sixers are plus-94 in 374 such minutes, per NBA.com data.

Brown has mostly (and wisely) played those minutes without a traditional point guard, making such lineups gigantic and ultra-switchable. Brown can go heavy on shooting: Simmons/Horford/James Ennis III/Mike Scott/Furkan Korkmaz. For more defense, he can slide Matisse Thybulle in. Tobias Harris floats in when Philly needs more shot creation.

These groups push the pace and jack tons of 3s -- precisely the way lineups built around Simmons should play. Simmons' scoring and free throws are down. He has taken only five 3s. That frustrates. But he is having a fine all-around season -- and is really grinding on defense.

Simmons and Embiid might never really complement each other. The Sixers are making the best of it by going all-in on defense and optimizing around their centerpiece stars whenever one sits.

10. Detroit's maligned red uniforms

These seem to be wildly unpopular:

I like 'em. So there. Motor City is cool. Colors are fun, and the Pistons have a classic red-and-blue scheme. These are miles better than last year's gray-on-black version, which barely registered from any distance greater than an arm's length -- let alone on television.

One downside: The striping -- meant to mimic highway lanes (ugh) -- resembles tread marks, as if a truck has run over the prostrate Pistons. That is perhaps not the best imagery for an 11-16 team.

11. Carmelo Anthony, pick machine?

One reason Melo has fit in Portland: He is setting almost 23 screens per 100 possessions, by far the highest rate of his career, per Second Spectrum. That makes sense given he is a full-time big man screening for two star guards

Portland often empties one side of the floor for Anthony's two-man game; and when opponents switch, Anthony can hold office hours against smaller players. Anthony going one-on-one is still a low-efficiency play, but if he's going to do it, it might as well be against mismatches.

Anthony has been smart headhunting for screens in semi-transition, and Damian Lillard is killing teams out of double-pick actions:

There might not be anyone better at squeezing through that teensy space between defender and the screener -- in effect going before using any pick. (Kemba Walker might be Lillard's only competition.)

The Trail Blazers are scoring almost 1.08 points per play directly out of Melo screening actions -- 19th among 141 players who have set at least 100 picks, per Second Spectrum.

Premiership side London Irish have signed versatile back James Stokes from Championship club Coventry.

The 28-year-old full-back, who can also play on the wing, has scored 35 tries in over 80 appearances during a three-and-a-half-year spell with Coventry.

"James has good experience and will add more depth to our back three for the remainder of the season," Exiles director of rugby Declan Kidney said.

Stokes has been named on the bench for Sunday's game against Bath.

ST. LOUIS – Shannon Babb was the overall fast qualifier among 86 dirt late models on the opening night of the Gateway Dirt Nationals Thursday inside The Dome at America’s Center.

Babb led the way thanks to his 11.098-second lap on the temporary fifth-mile dirt oval, which allowed him to top the second qualifying group. Scott Ward and Patrik Daniel were second and third in the second qualifying group, respectively.

Freddie Carpenter paced the first qualifying group thanks to an 11.174-second lap. Mike Spatola and Billy Moyer followed in the first qualifying group.

By leading their respective groups, Babb and Carpenter earned poles for their heats on Friday at the Gateway Dirt Nationals. Friday’s late model program includes heats, last chance races and two 20-lap features paying $5,000.

The top-three finishers in each feature on Friday will lock themselves into the redraw for Saturday’s $30,000-to-win finale.

ST. LOUIS – Levi Kissinger pocketed $3,000 for winning Thursday’s modified preliminary feature during the Gateway Dirt Nationals inside The Dome at America’s Center.

Josh Harris and Derek Losh led the field to the green flag, with Harris taking the initial led before a caution flag on the third circuit slowed the action.

Harris retained the lead on the restart while Losh and dirt late model veteran Bobby Pierce battled for second. Losh won that battle and began challenging Harris for the lead while Pierce fell into a battle for third with Nick Hoffman, who took third on lap six.

The caution waved again on lap nine of the 20-lap feature when several cars got stacked up in the third turn on the fifth-mile temporary dirt circuit.

When racing resumed Harris maintained the top spot, but behind him things went sour for Pierce. The two-time dirt late model winner of the Gateway Dirt Nationals spun in turn one and caught a rut, sending his modified on its lid to bring out the red flag. Pierce was unhurt in the crash.

Meanwhile, Kissinger found himself near the front of the field as Harris continued to lead the way during the restart. Kissinger managed to work his way alongside Harris during the restart, taking the lead at the start/finish line on the next lap.

Kissinger led the remainder of the distance, but not without a challenge from Losh, who chased Kissinger down and was right behind him at the checkered flag. Harris faded to third. The top-three finishers earned guaranteed starting positions in Saturday’s modified finale.

Jeffrey Ledford and K.C. Burdette completed the top-five.

The finish:

Levi Kissinger, Derek Losh, Josh Harris, Jeffrey Ledford, K.C. Burdette, Mike McKinney, Chad Sellers, Kyle Strickler, Jim Black, Robbie Eilers, Ray Bollinger, Eric Perry, Rodney Standerfer, Bobby Pierce, Michael Altobelli Jr., Darron Fuqua, Kyle Steffens, Will Krup.

ST. LOUIS – Thomas Meseraull converted a last-gasp pass into victory for RMS Racing during Thursday’s opening preliminary night of the Arizona Sport Shirts Gateway Dirt Nationals inside The Dome at America’s Center.

Meseraull, who ran second to polesitter and race-long leader Justin Grant for virtually the entirety of the 20-lapper, turned up the wick in the waning moments with his Envirofab No. 7x Spike-Speedway Toyota.

The California gasser slid Grant once on the penultimate lap but couldn’t maintain enough momentum to keep Grant from getting back past. Meseraull then traded the top spot three times with Grant on the final revolution of the temporary fifth-mile dirt oval, making the winning pass coming to the finish line.

It was a full-circle win of sorts for Meseraull, who won indoors in his very first start for owners Dave and Matt Estep last December at the Southern Illinois Center during the Junior Knepper 55.

Thursday night, he took the checkered flag again, albeit in even-more thrilling fashion.

“Wow. My guys told me I had the fastest car on the track while I was running second, and I was thinking, ‘Man, were they lying to me?’” Meseraull noted in victory lane. “I didn’t feel like I was the fastest guy on the track. Sometimes, though, you just have to go where they’re not. It’s easy to follow the leader because he’s leading, and I had to do my best to do something different in that one.

“I dialed on the shocks and put her up on the lip, and it worked out,” he added. “Justin (Grant) is a badass, so you’re not just going to drive around him unless you’re better. But I think we were better.”

Meseraull found a different line in the second half of the feature, diamonding turns one and two to get a straighter shot down the backstretch and make some momentum against Grant.

The strategy paid off, netting Meseraull a $3,000 payday.

“I was going for (the straight shot off),” Meseraull explained. “I was just trying to make some straightaway out of it, because I think he (Grant) and I were about equal.

“I like to say I’m an indoor specialist, but I’ve got a full USAC deal going, so I probably need to stop saying that,” he added with a laugh.

Grant finished second after leading the first 19 and three-quarters laps, with Blake Hahn completing the podium after racing forward from sixth on the grid.

Those three – Meseraull, Grant and Hahn – locked themselves into Saturday’s grand-finale main event.

Past USAC sprint car and Silver Crown champion Chris Windom was the first man out of the lock-ins in fourth and Logan Seavey crossed fifth in his first outing at the wheel of the Swindell SpeedLab No. 39.

NASCAR Cup Series star Ryan Newman struggled in his first dirt-midget start in 19 years, coming home 11th after a night that started against the inside wall during hot laps on Thursday.

RESULTS: Gateway Dirt Nationals; The Dome At America’s Center; Dec. 19, 2019

Qualifying (best of two laps): 1. Thomas Meseraull, 7x, RMS-11.306; 2. Chris Windom, 17bc, Clauson/Marshall-11.347; 3. Logan Seavey, 39, Swindell-11.368; 4. Justin Grant, 4a, RAMS-11.420; 5. Karter Sarff, 08k, Dave Mac-11.495; 6. Andrew Felker, 11a, Felker-11.546; 7. Christopher Bell, 84, Tucker/Boat-11.552; 8. Blake Hahn, 52, Hahn-11.574; 9. Jason McDougal, 4, Klatt-11.598; 10. Tyler Courtney, 7bc, Clauson/Marshall-11.608; 11. Sam Johnson, 72, Johnson-11.673; 12. Anton Hernandez, 19h, Hayward-11.683; 13. Daniel Robinson, 57, McCreery-11.778; 14. Paul Nienhiser, 9x, Neuman-11.824; 15. Austin Brown, 17b, Factory Boss-11.867; 16. Tim Crawley, 117, Washburn-11.929; 17. Ryan Newman, 6bc, Clauson/Marshall-12.026; 18. Ace McCarthy, 28, McCarthy-12.218.

Heat One (10 laps): 1. Thomas Meseraull, 2. Logan Seavey, 3. Karter Sarff, 4. Sam Johnson, 5. Christopher Bell, 6. Daniel Robinson, 7. Austin Brown, 8. Ryan Newman, 9. Jason McDougal.

Heat Two (10 laps): 1. Chris Windom, 2. Justin Grant, 3. Blake Hahn, 4. Paul Nienhiser, 5. Andrew Felker, 6. Anton Hernandez, 7. Tim Crawley, 8. Tyler Courtney, 9. Ace McCarthy.

Feature (20 laps): 1. Thomas Meseraull [2], 2. Justin Grant [1], 3. Blake Hahn [6], 4. Chris Windom [4], 5. Logan Seavey [3], 6. Anton Hernandez [12], 7. Tyler Courtney [16], 8. Andrew Felker [10], 9. Paul Nienhiser [8], 10. Austin Brown [13], 11. Ryan Newman [15], 12. Tim Crawley [14], 13. Ace McCarthy [17], 14. Sam Johnson [7], 15. Christopher Bell [9], 16. Karter Sarff [5], 17. Daniel Robinson [11], 18. Jason McDougal (DNS).