Mark Boucher, South Africa's new head coach, would welcome the availability of Kolpak players and recent retirees, including AB de Villiers, as he plots the national team's way forward.

Having worked in the franchise system for the last four seasons, Boucher has first-hand knowledge of the calibre of players available to the national side and acknowledged that the country's talent pool could do with deepening. Asked whether he would like to be able to select players based abroad, Boucher said: "If I can answer from a coach's perspective, absolutely. If you look at rugby, the way the Springboks won the World Cup, the experience they got from players playing overseas was invaluable. From a coach's perspective, I'd love to have the opportunity to deepen and strengthen the squad. It will keep everyone on their toes and will bring more excellence into the game in this country."

While Boucher is not in control of the regulations around Kolpak, he may be able to have a say among recent retirees, especially those whom he has a close relationship with. Boucher played with de Villiers and currently coaches him at the Tshwane Spartans, who will play in the Mzansi Super League final on Monday. De Villiers is fourth on the tournament run-charts and has demonstrated strong strokeplay and innovation throughout the tournament. His white-ball form remains consistent and his ability unmatched.

De Villiers retired from all formats of international cricket in May 2018, citing a heavy workload, but with a T20 World Cup 10 months away, Boucher was not averse to trying to convince de Villiers to come back. "When you go to a World Cup, you want your best players playing for you," Boucher said. "If I feel he is one of your best players, why wouldn't I want to have a conversation with him? I've only just got into the job, I might have conversations with quite a few players and see where they are."

He also indicated players may be allowed greater flexibility if they can add value to South Africa cricket. "You want your best players playing in the World Cup and if there's a couple of issues you need to iron out, with media, with team-mates, and if it's for the good of South Africa, why not, let's do it."

Mark Boucher began his tenure as South Africa's national coach with his usual bullishness as he issued a warning to their next opposition, England, ahead of the first of four Tests starting in under a fortnight.

"They've been saying quite a few things in the media but I've got one thing to say to them: Beware a wounded buffalo, especially in Africa," Boucher said.

Having spent much of the last seven years since his international retirement involved in nature conservation projects, Boucher knows a thing or two about buffaloes. He also knows about overcoming adversity. Boucher had to put his life back together after losing sight in his left eye in a horrific injury that ended his career three Tests short of 150, before moving on to a successful career as a coach.

In four seasons with the Titans, Boucher won five trophies and could add a sixth to his name when the Tshwane Spartans play in the Mzansi Super League final on Monday. He has also overseen the elevation of Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi and Heinrich Klaasen to international cricket.

Now, another difficult task lies ahead. Boucher has been put in charge of rebuilding a South Africa side that has suffered reputational damage and several defeats and now sits at the bottom of the World Test Championship points table. He believes he can do it, because he has seen it done before.

"I've been involved in sides over the years where we have had some tough times. One of the toughest times was the Hansie Cronje saga and straight away after that, we beat Australia," Boucher said, referring to a 2-1 ODI series win in April 2000 after Cronje admitted to his involvement in match-fixing.

Boucher scored a match-winning 55 not out in the decider to underline his ability to perform under pressure, as well as his immense self-confidence. He wants the South Africa team of 2019 to do the same.

"I think we've got a good chance of turning it around," he said. "Sport is an amazing thing. It can be turned around in a couple of days but I understand there is a lot of work to be done before that.

"Our confidence is a bit down. We need to get our confidence back. There's a wealth of knowledge in this country that can get utilised so we need to get consultants in to try and get the confidence up, get as much information going in the right direction and give the players the space to try and perform at their best.

"We've got the talent in this country. It needs to be nurtured a bit and given the opportunities for information to come through. In the right environment and with the right sort of communication channels, I think we can get the best out of our players."

His assistant, Enoch Nkwe, echoed those ideas, especially after seeing first-hand the struggles of the national side in India. Nkwe was put in charge for the tour, in which South Africa drew the T20 rubber but lost the Tests 3-0.

"We felt the T20 went well and created a good foundation," Nkwe said. "The Test series, we knew it was going to be a challenging one. There are lot of lessons to take away. We identified that we need a bit more leadership in the team. It was going to be part of a plan to tap into some great minds around the country to see how we can build the confidence of the team and the players."

Boucher is hopeful the restoration of stability at CSA, where Graeme Smith has been appointed acting director of cricket and Jacques Faul is interim CEO, will lay the foundation for the national side's recovery.

"When you lack leadership from up top, it does tend to seep into the lower sections of the whole train and guys start getting away with murder at the bottom," Boucher said. "If we get the right leadership at the top, it is going to filter down and I am very confident we have got the right leadership at the top at the moment."

He also believes a stronger structure will help deepen a talent pool that currently appears shallow, as aspiring cricketers turn to other professions or countries.

"The talent pool has probably got a little less over the years, which is a concerning factor but if we get the right leadership in place, I think we can sort that out very quickly," Boucher said. "If you have a look around at the moment, on social media, the game has been hurt. Myself and Enoch have been put in place to get the Protea team doing well. If we look after that space, I think we will get the crowds and fans behind us again and things will start to change."

GRANVILLE, Australia – California’s Carson Macedo collected a handsome payday on Saturday during the Hi-Tec Oils Ultimate Speedway Challenge at Valvoline Raceway.

Macedo became just the third driver in the 42-year history of the .285-mile Australian dirt track to win both sprint car and midget A-mains on the same night, joining fellow American Ron Shuman and Australian icon Garry Rush in that category.

By doing so, he earned a $10,000 bonus for car owners Sean and Felicity Dyson.

“I can’t thank this team enough, the cars I’ve driven tonight are two of the best in the world,” said Macedo, the reigning World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series rookie of the year. “I can’t thank Sean and Felicity and their entire team enough. The cars were better than I was a lot of times and I made a few mistakes but it’s great to get these wins for the team and a great way to start off our season here in Sydney.”

Macedo started alongside Matt Jackson on the front row of the midget A-main, and once he took the lead from Jackson for good on the sixth round he was never headed again.

Kaidon Brown finished second in the midget feature, followed by Jackson, Nathan Smee and Todd Wigzell.

Smee attempted a huge slide job on Macedo during a late-race restart, but despite his best efforts Macedo was able to maintain command out front and pull away in the end.

The sprint car feature saw Macedo come from the fourth row to claim victory, dropping back as far as 10th on the opening lap before carving his way through the 20-car field.

Macedo’s winning pass in that race came with five to go, when he got around race-long leader Sam Walsh and drove off to victory.

Marcus Dumesny made a last lap pass of Walsh to finish second, while Jackson Delamont and Ben Atkison completed the top five.

The finishes:

Midgets (30 laps): Carson Macedo, Kaidon Brown, Matthew Jackson, Nathan Smee, Todd Wigzell, Darren Vine, Dan Biner, Dave Lambert, Braydan Willmington, Rusty Whittaker, Bob Jackson, Paul Murphy, Jamie Hall, Domain Ramsay, Rod Francis, DJ Raw, Cameron Ware.

Sprint Cars (30 laps): Carson Macedo, Marcus Dumesny, Sam Walsh, Jackson Delamont, Ben Atkinson, Troy Little, Daniel Sayre, James Thompson, Michael Stewart, Ryan Jones, Ben Atkinson Jr., Warren Ferguson, Mick Saller, Daniel Cassidy, Jordyn Brazier, Danny Reidy, Max Dumesny, Jessie Attard, Andrew Scheuerle, Blake Skipper.

SAVAGE, Minn. – JDC-Miller Motorsports has revealed the driver lineup for its No. 85 Cadillac DPi-V.R, with Brazilian Matheus Leist joining the squad from the NTT IndyCar Series.

Leist, 21, is a multiple race winner in Indy Lights and drove the last two years for A.J. Foyt Enterprises in the IndyCar Series. He will join Juan Piedrahita in the No. 85 car for the four endurance races at Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen and Petit LeMans.

Chris Miller will join the team in the No. 85 for the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

“To be honest I could not be happier to join JDC-Miller MotorSports in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship for 2020,” said Leist. “I have driven for Chevrolet for the last two years in IndyCar and I am super excited to stay in the General Motors family and to now drive a Cadillac DPi-V.R. prototype. I can’t wait to get to Daytona.”

Colombian Juan Piedrahita will return to the No. 85 car and JDC-Miller MotorSports in 2020 to again contest the four endurance rounds of the Michelin Endurance Cup.

Piedrahita is also planned for additional races in the No. 85 entry in 2020.

“2019 was a first step to get into endurance racing with the Michelin Endurance Cup races. For 2020 the plan is to also do some addition sprint races and ideally the entire season with JDC-Miller Motorsports,” said Piedrahita. “For sure the goal is to run the full schedule by 2021. Running in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship is very complex, there is a lot of stuff going on during those races especially the long endurance races but I love the challenge and how competitive it is.

“It’s great to have Matheus joining us this year. We already know each other from when we raced against each other in Indy Lights, so it will be good to have him as a teammate in 2020.”

The duo will be joined by long-time JDC-Miller Motorsports driver Chris Miller. Miller won the Rolex 24 at Daytona with the team in the PC class in 2016 and also was part of the team’s overall win at the Six Hours at Watkins Glen in 2018.

Miller, who usually runs with the team in the endurance rounds, is currently only scheduled for the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2020 due to other commitments.

“I’m very happy to return to Daytona with Juan and Cadillac, and to have Matheus join us as well. 2019 was a challenging year learning a new car but the team did a great job continuing to make progress throughout the season,” said Miller. “I’m excited to see us take another step forward after all the hard work everyone has put in over the last few months.”

“We are very excited about our driver roster for the Rolex 24 and the whole season,” said JDC-Miller MotorSports team owner and managing partner, John Church.  “We’re thrilled to have Matheus joining us in the No. 85 entry and know he will be a great addition to our line-up. I’m also happy to welcome back Juan and Chris to try to build on what we learned together last season. We feel we have strong line-ups in both of our entries for 2020 and it certainly will be an advantage running two cars again.”

INDIANAPOLIS – Leverich Family Racing has hired veteran drag racer Joe Morrison to pilot the team’s Top Fuel Dragster during the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

Morrison is a second-generation drag racer, currently licensed in NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster, Nostalgia Funny Car, AA/Fuel Altered and Advanced ET.

The native of Flemington, N.J., will attempt to earn his Top Fuel license in mid-January and the team is planning a six-race schedule for 2020.

“We are extremely excited to introduce Joe Morrison as our new driver at Leverich Racing,” said team owner Gary Leverich. “He brings a wealth of knowledge, tons of driver experience and an understanding of modern motorsports marketing that, quite frankly, will help us grow as a team. More than that, Joe’s a great guy who races for the right reasons – because its fun.

“It’s our goal to bring back fun in NHRA Top Fuel racing and we look forward to starting Joe’s license upgrade process in Florida soon.”

The team, which most recently fielded a Top Fuel dragster for Smax Smith, is planning to compete at Gainesville Raceway during the Gatornationals, the Four-Wide Nationals at North Carolina’s zMAX Dragway, Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, New England Dragway in Epping, N.H., Virginia Motorsports Park and Maple Grove Raceway in Pennsylvania.

“I can’t thank the Leverich Family enough for the honor they’ve just given me,” said Morrison. “To drive their Top Fuel dragster in the NHRA Mello Yello series next season is a dream come true. This has been a goal of mine since I was a kid attending the Summernationals at E-Town and racing with my dad in the 70’s and 80’s. When he lost his battle with COPD, I made it my mission to eventually drive the kings of the sport in his honor.

“Thanks to Bob, Gary, Dan and the entire Leverich team, I’ll have that opportunity.”

Liverpool kept their Premier League title push going strong as they overcame a resilience Watford side to win 2-0 at Anfield. The Hornets caused plenty of problems for the hosts from the first minute until the very last, but a goal in either half from Mohamed Salah moved the Reds one step closer to becoming the Champions of England.

Positives

There's a certain composure to this Liverpool team that allows them to remain calm even under immense scrutiny. That gets them out of a lot of tricky situations and could be the key to their title surge. When moving forward, there's a diverse nature to their build-up play that also ensures that Watford could never really anticipate what was coming next.

Negatives

The Reds put forward one of their most bizarre defensive displays of the season as they showed the Hornets far too much respect, left gaps open at the back and often struggled to get their foot on the ball. They tend to get away with it most of the time but at points, they really were living on the edge and could have easily conceded a goal or two.

Manager Rating (out of 10)

7 -- It felt like Jurgen Klopp's hand was forced ever so slightly when it came to his team selection, but the best thing about the popular German is that he doesn't second-guess himself. He stuck with a formation that works, made the necessary changes as and when they came, and the passion and intensity we usually see from his team was there as always.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Alisson, 6 -- Had a few questionable moments of timing and judgement, but did what he was required to do when called upon.

DF Trent Alexander-Arnold, 6 -- Always provides a wonderful cross when required and looks great going forward, but defensively speaking he'll continue to provide his side with a few issues.

DF Joe Gomez, 7 -- Was lucky with a handball decision in the first half but when it came to putting in the challenges and blocks that would preserve Liverpool's lead, he came up with the goods.

DF Virgil van Dijk, 7 -- Solid as always but certainly needs to improve on the communication between both himself and Gomez and himself and Alisson.

DF James Milner, 6 -- Got dragged into an uglier game than he would have liked and struggled with both his vision for passes and pace of the contest.

MF Xherdan Shaqiri, 7 -- Required cover too many times in the first half but improved in the second and knocked in a lovely cross for Mane's disallowed header.

MF Jordan Henderson, 7 -- Lets his emotions get the better of him at times, but does the gritty work in the middle of the park that others just won't.

MF Georginio Wijnaldum, 6 -- Went missing in the first half and while his bursting runs forward are usually positive, many believe Keita offers more to the starting XI.

FW Mohamed Salah, 9 -- Had one of those games where he proved why he's such a valuable asset. The Egyptian's first goal was delightful and the second was as cheeky as it was inventive.

FW Roberto Firmino, 7 -- Started the move for the opening goal but his reputation for being a bull in a china shop often costs Liverpool possession.

FW Sadio Mane, 8 - Produced a great pass for Liverpool's opener and always serves as one of the most notable thorns in any opposition team's side.

Substitutions

DF Andrew Robertson, 7 -- Provides so many options down the wing, and continues to thrive both in an attacking and defensive sense.

MF Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, 6 -- Always seems to have the ability to produce moments of magic from out of nothing, and will serve as a consistent threat whenever he's in the team.

FW Divock Origi, NR -- Set up the second goal for Liverpool without even realising what he was doing and continues to improve his cult hero status.