Nobody likes a 0-0 draw, let's be honest - and that's just in football matches.

So when a rugby game ends 0-0, well. . . the only question to ask is 'just how did that happen?'

But in the case of Coventry-based Pinley's Midlands 2 West (South) meeting with Sutton Coldfield side Spartans at Wyken Croft last Saturday, they are still shaking their heads.

A 0-0 draw has happened at a higher club level, and twice in international matches - and once before in Coventry when an England rugby trial game back in the 1960s at Coundon Road was scoreless.

But at a level of rugby not usually covered in great depth, the seventh tier in the English rugby pyramid, this game has made headlines at both local and national level.

There were six missed penalties - one from in front of the posts - a sin-binning and a knock-on from one poor butter-fingered winger five metres from the line just when he looked poised to cross the whitewash.

Pinley president Gary Marks was still struggling to explain it when he spoke to BBC Coventry & Warwickshire's weekly Rugby Show - and was adamant that the match was a lot more entertaining than the scoreline might suggest.

Marks out of 10? 'Not a bad game'

"The game had everything except points," he said. "We had a yellow card, all those missed penalties and one hit the post.

"The conditions weren't actually that bad. It was cold but the rain held off and our pitch held up well. It was just that the two defences won the day.

"The people on social media saying it was dull obviously weren't there."

Already this season, English club rugby has served up one unlikely scoreline, when, in a fifth-tier Midlands Premier game, Bromsgrove cashed in on a two-man numerical advantage to run in 36 tries and beat visiting South Leicester 240-0

But Pinley v Spartans was at the other end of the scale.

With similar scoring records, they each averaged 13 points per game going into the match at Wyken Croft. So how they managed to go 80 minutes without scoring remains a mystery.

"It wasn't a bad game at all," said Marks. "But, if they'd played on for another 30 minutes, nobody would have scored. It was that kind of day.

"Spartans had three penalties in the last 15 minutes and missed them all. The last one hit the post and bounced back.

"It has to be said though, there was a lot of laughing at the final whistle among both sets of players and a good spirit."

There was also a happy ending too. "The draw lifts us out of the relegation zone," added Marks.

Other pairs of spectacles

Hackney Marshes, 2018 Old Streetonians 0-0 London Welsh

Port Talbot, 2015: Aberavon 0-0 Pontypridd

Murrayfield, 1964: Scotland 0-0 All Blacks

Twickenham, 1962: England 0-0 Wales

And let's not forget the very first international match ever played, Scotland v England in Edinburgh in March 1871, which ended in a 1-0 win to the home side.

How is that possible? Because in that game a try counted for nothing, except to give the teams the chance to kick a goal, worth one point - and only one of three kicks attempted was successful.

Pinley president Gary Marks was talking to BBC Coventry & Warwickshire's Alec Blackman.

Not all heroes wear capes -- and most heroes barely get the recognition they deserve. There are plenty of stars shining in this league that don't get proper spotlight.

For this week's ESPN NHL Power Rankings -- voted on as always, by our panel of experts -- we identified an unsung hero on every team.

How we rank: The ESPN hockey editorial staff submits selections ranking teams 1-31, and those results are tabulated to the list featured here. Teams are rated through Tuesday night's games, taking into account overall record, recent success and other factors such as injuries. The previous ranking for each team is its spot in last week's edition.

1. New York Islanders

Previous ranking: 4

When we talk about the Islanders, we often credit their success to Barry Trotz's stingy defensive system. The coach deserves praise, but so do his two top blueliners Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock (both just 25), who began this season right where they left off last: serving as the perfect pieces for Trotz.

2. Washington Capitals

Previous ranking: 1

Jakub Vrana has taken a strong step forward this season. The 23-year-old has 10 even-strength goals, trailing only Brad Marchand and Leon Draisaitl for the league lead. Vrana is on pace to smash his career high for goals (24) and points (47).

3. Boston Bruins

Previous ranking: 3

How about some love for Jaroslav Halak? Tuukka Rask has been excellent this season, in large part because of his managed workload. Halak has started eight games, going 4-1-3 with a .924 save percentage.

4. St. Louis Blues

Previous ranking: 2

Robert Thomas' statistics aren't there yet (three goals, two assists in 17 games) and the Blues' offense has been stagnant lately, but the 20-year-old is playing well. He leads the Blues in expected goals for percentage at even strength.

5. Colorado Avalanche

Previous ranking: 6

Both of the Avalanche goaltenders are back from injuries, which is welcome news. Though Philipp Grubauer is the unquestioned No. 1, Pavel Francouz has been a solid backup, going 4-2 with a .915 save percentage and 2.82 goals-against average.

6. Edmonton Oilers

Previous ranking: 5

Defense was a concern for the Oilers this season, and Edmonton was hoping prospect Ethan Bear would be NHL-ready. Bear has over-delivered, taking on a big workload (21-plus minutes per game).

7. Arizona Coyotes

Previous ranking: 7

Conor Garland is the most surprising player on the team this season, in a good way. Raise your hand if you would have guessed the unheralded Garland (once deemed too small for the NHL at 5-foot-8) would be leading the Coyotes in goals with 10.

8. Florida Panthers

Previous ranking: 9

When we talk about Panthers forwards, it's often do-it-all No. 1 centerman Aleksander Barkov. But Barkov's linemate, Jonathan Huberdeau, is on pace for a career year, with 28 points in his first 21 games.

9. Carolina Hurricanes

Previous ranking: 16

Perhaps a little under the radar, Martin Necas is putting together a solid rookie campaign. As the Canes battled through injuries to key forwards, the 21-year-old Necas consistently produced. He has 15 points in 21 games.

10. Montreal Canadiens

Previous ranking: 8

The Habs just got hit by the injury bug, and they'll be without Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron for some time. Tomas Tatar (20 points in 22 games) earned his spot back on the top line because of his offense, and should stay, as long as he's defensively responsible and limits silly penalties.

11. Dallas Stars

Previous ranking: 23

Just like last season, the veteran Stars shouldered the blame for a poor start. And just like last season, when Dallas found its stride, a rookie has been part of the success. Keep an eye on 22-year-old Denis Gurianov, who is playing as if he belongs.

12. Winnipeg Jets

Previous ranking: 19

As Patrik Laine has evolved into a more complete (pass-first) forward, his good buddy Nikolaj Ehlers is lapping him in the goal-scoring department. Ehlers leads the Jets with 10 goals through 22 games (Laine has five, but an impressive 14 assists).

13. Pittsburgh Penguins

Previous ranking: 13

Plenty of Penguins have stepped up in the face of Pittsburgh's long list of injuries, but Jared McCann has perhaps been the most impressive. Since arriving last February, McCann ranks third on the Pens in points. Only Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel have scored more.

14. Vancouver Canucks

Previous ranking: 10

Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser look fantastic, but so does J.T. Miller. Miller brings out the best in both young players, and has chipped in 20 points (including eight goals) to boot. When those three are on the ice, they dominate the shot attempt share.

15. Philadelphia Flyers

Previous ranking: 12

The Flyers' young defensemen are often in the spotlight (for reasons both good and bad) but veteran newcomer Matt Niskanen has been steady on the top pairing, and has helped Ivan Provorov get back on track.

16. Vegas Golden Knights

Previous ranking: 17

Despite tying for the team lead in goals (10), it still feels as if Reilly Smith isn't getting the credit he deserves. He's one of three Knights players with 20-plus takeaways, and has coughed up the puck only nine times.

17. San Jose Sharks

Previous ranking: 24

Tomas Hertl and Evander Kane have been San Jose's best forwards, but Barclay Goodrow has been underrated while playing a big role. Barclay is the most-used Sharks forward on the penalty kill, and is on pace to more than double his career highs of seven goals and 17 points.

18. Tampa Bay Lightning

Previous ranking: 18

After the Rangers bought out Kevin Shattenkirk this summer, the Lightning took a flier on the defenseman. It has paid off big time. Shattenkirk is fourth on the team in scoring while manning the top pairing with Victor Hedman.

19. Chicago Blackhawks

Previous ranking: 25

As a unit, the Blackhawks' blueliners absorb a lot of criticism, which means Duncan Keith usually doesn't get much praise. But there's nobody Chicago trusts more to gobble up minutes than Keith, who is looking solid in his age-36 season.

20. Calgary Flames

Previous ranking: 11

Calgary hasn't been able to build off last season's success, leading to frustration. One player who has matched the high bar set last season: Elias Lindholm. He's important on the penalty kill, mans the first power play, and should set a career high in goals for the second straight season after 27 in 2018-19.

21. Nashville Predators

Previous ranking: 14

Captain Roman Josi leads the team with 20 points. More underrated, but just as impressive (especially with offensive production) is Ryan Ellis. He has been on the ice for 28 goals at even strength, trailing only Leon Draisaitl for most in the league.

22. Buffalo Sabres

Previous ranking: 20

It's often the Jack Eichel show in Buffalo. This season, Eichel's top sidekick isn't Jeff Skinner, but rather Sam Reinhart, who has recorded a point in all but nine games this season.

23. Toronto Maple Leafs

Previous ranking: 15

While the offense isn't producing fireworks quite as we imagined, one player who is sparkling is rookie Ilya Mikheyev. He's relevant in the Calder Trophy conversation, with 12 points in 23 games.

24. Anaheim Ducks

Previous ranking: 21

While John Gibson (once again) stole the headlines early, it actually has been 39-year-old backup Ryan Miller who has been the Ducks' more reliable goaltender lately. Miller has yet to suffer a regulation loss.

25. Columbus Blue Jackets

Previous ranking: 26

Since his disastrous NHL debut in Pittsburgh, Elvis Merzlikins has been quite good (four starts, nine goals allowed, .919 save percentage). He's the unsung hero because he's giving the Blue Jackets a sliver of hope.

26. New York Rangers

Previous ranking: 22

It has been mostly about the kids in New York, but 26-year-old Ryan Strome is quietly having a very good season (on pace for his best as a pro) as he stepped up nicely for No. 1 center Mika Zibanejad, who has now been out for nearly a month.

27. Ottawa Senators

Previous ranking: 29

The Senators are exceeding our (very low) expectations. The penalty kill and Jean-Gabriel Pageau have both been terrific, but don't overlook Anders Nilsson. With Craig Anderson's contract expiring this summer, Nilsson is proving he could be the No. 1 goaltender moving forward.

28. Detroit Red Wings

Previous ranking: 27

We're not saying Robby Fabbri saved the Red Wings' season but since his arrival, Detroit has looked like a better team, going 3-1-2. Fabbri adds some talent to the second line while averaging more than a point per game as a Red Wing.

29. New Jersey Devils

Previous ranking: 28

The Devils traded for P.K. Subban because they felt they needed a true No. 1 defenseman. It hasn't worked out as well as planned, and neither has the season in general. The best blueliner for the Devils has actually been Sami Vatanen, with eight points thus far while skating 21:37 per game.

30. Minnesota Wild

Previous ranking: 30

There's not much going right for the Wild. One guy who is having a decent season is defenseman Brad Hunt. He's one of the few Minnesota players on the ice for more 5-on-5 goals for (15) than against (11).

31. Los Angeles Kings

Previous ranking: 31

The unsung hero is whoever decided to take down that Taylor Swift banner. At least it gave us a brief silly distraction from this bummer of a season.

Real Madrid's Lucas Vazquez could miss El Clasico after a freak gym accident saw him drop a weight on his foot.

The winger was doing extra gym work on Wednesday when the incident happened, sources close to the player have told ESPN FC.

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The club say medical tests have confirmed Vazquez has a broken bone in the big toe of his left foot.

The recovery time is still being assessed, but sources told ESPN FC that Vazquez will be absent for between a month and six weeks.

That will see the 28-year-old unavailable for a series of games both domestic and European in one of the busiest periods in the calendar.

Real Madrid play Real Sociedad on Saturday in La Liga before hosting Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Those games are followed by matches with Alaves, Espanyol, Club Brugge and Valencia before the re-arranged Clasico with Barcelona on Dec. 18.

Real Madrid have suffered a string of injuries this season, with Gareth Bale only just returning to fitness having been out since October.

James Rodriguez is another recent victim, picking up a knee ligament injury on duty with Colombia during this international break.

Atletico Madrid have joined AC Milan in the race to sign Nemanja Matic from Manchester United in January, sources have told ESPN FC.

The Serbia midfielder, who completed a £40 million move to Old Trafford from Chelsea in July 2017, has fallen out of favour under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this season, making just five appearances in all competitions, and is ready to seek a move away from the club during the transfer window.

United rejected interest from AC Milan in the 31-year-old this summer, but Matic remains a target for the Italian club. Atletico have now emerged as a rival for Matic's signature, however, with the Spanish club seeking experienced reinforcements in midfield. Matic's eligibility to play in the Champions League, having only played in the Europa League this season, is regarded as a key factor.

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Having signed a three-year deal following his move from Chelsea, Matic's contract is due to expire at the end of this season and United have yet to trigger their option to extend his stay at the club for a further 12 months.

Solskjaer's decision to favour Scott McTominay, Andreas Pereira and Fred in midfield has left Matic on the sidelines, however, and the former Benfica midfielder could be offloaded in January if United receive a suitable offer.

EuroMillions lottery winner Colin Weir has completed his takeover of Scottish Championship side Partick Thistle and said he intends to hand over ownership to supporters in 2020.

Weir -- a lifelong Thistle fan -- has bought a majority shareholding and a holding in land at Firhill Stadium, where his team play, but will give the land back to the club.

The 71-year-old will also give his 55% shareholding to a fan group that is in development, with the free transfer of shares taking place "no later than March 30 2020," according to Weir.

Weir, who won the lottery in 2011, has already invested approximately £2.5 million of his £161m prize money in the Glasgow club.

He previously pledged £6m towards a new training ground before withdrawing his support in August due to "uncertainties" about a potential takeover by a foreign consortium.

An interim board "comprising of a mix of experienced business people and fan representatives" will be formed and a working group is to be established jointly by the PTFC Trust and Thistle for Ever organisations. The move will create a body to receive the shareholding.

"Thistle for Ever planted the thought of fan ownership as a real option in my mind," Weir said in a statement.

"But this has all happened quicker than anyone might have anticipated. That's why I have offered a three-to-four-month window for fans to get everything in place before handing over shares.

"They want to get it right and I want to be sure that when the new entity is operational, there is a structure that will allow for a smooth transfer of ownership. This is a major financial commitment on my part as fan owners will not need to repay a penny -- but I believe this gives fan ownership the best possible start."

Weir also said there would be a future announcement on plans for funding the Thistle's youth academy.

Guyana pacer Ronsford Beaton has been suspended from bowling by Cricket West Indies with immediate effect after his action was deemed illegal by an independent assessor at Loughborough University, an ICC accredited testing centre for suspect bowling actions. Beaton's action was found to be in breach of the permitted 15 degrees under the playing regulations.

The pacer was reported during Guyana's game against the United States last Monday in the Super50 Cup, and he will now undergo remedial work under the supervision of the franchise, following which he can apply for a reexamination.

Curiously, this isn't the first time Beaton has faced suspension over a suspect action. After only his second ODI appearance against New Zealand in December 2017, the pacer was reported and later suspended after failing an independent assessment of his action. But he successfully remodelled his action in the subsequent months, and was cleared to bowl again in late August 2018.

Beaton has played two ODIs for West Indies, both in December 2017.

At the end of every baseball season, the MVP and Cy Young voting do a reasonable job of distinguishing the elite of the elite in Major League Baseball. In terms of a position-by-position breakdown, though, the sport's only recognition comes from All-Star voting in the middle of the year. Following their seasons, the NFL offers an All-Pro team and the NBA names an All-NBA team. Baseball does no such thing.

Since there's no good reason for that gap, we took it upon ourselves to solicit the input of media members from around the country and name ESPN's first All-MLB team -- something we expect to be an annual happening. Sixty-eight people participated in the voting, choosing first-, second- and third-team players at 10 positions. Every player was assigned a specific position to cut down on cross-positional voting. A first-team vote was worth 5 points, a second-team vote 3 points and a third-team vote 1 point. Only two players -- American League MVP Mike Trout and AL Cy Young runner-up Gerrit Cole -- were unanimous first-team choices.

Here are the results, along with a chance for you to vote for your choice at each position:

Jump to All-MLB: First Team | Second Team | Third Team

By position and your turn to vote: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | DH | UT | SP | RP

ESPN's All-MLB First Team

C: J.T. Realmuto, Philadelphia Phillies
.275 AVG, 25 HR, 4.4 WAR

1B: Pete Alonso, New York Mets
.260 AVG, 53 HR, 5.0 WAR

2B: Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves
.295 AVG, 24 HR, 4.8 WAR

3B: Alex Bregman, Houston Astros
.296 AVG, 41 HR, 8.4 WAR

SS: Marcus Semien, Oakland Athletics
.285 AVG, 33 HR, 8.1 WAR

OF: Mike Trout*, Los Angeles Angels
.291 AVG, 45 HR, 8.3 WAR

OF: Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers
.305 AVG, 47 HR, 9.0 WAR

OF: Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers
.329 AVG, 44 HR, 7.1 WAR

DH: Nelson Cruz, Minnesota Twins
.311 AVG, 41 HR, 4.3 WAR

UT: DJ LeMahieu, New York Yankees
.327 AVG, 26 HR, 6.0 WAR

SP: Gerrit Cole*, Houston Astros
20-5, 2.50 ERA, 326 K's

SP: Jacob deGrom, New York Mets
11-8, 2.43 ERA, 255 K's

SP: Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals
11-7, 2.92 ERA, 243 K's

SP: Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals
18-6, 3.32 ERA, 251 K's

SP: Justin Verlander, Houston Astros
21-6, 2.58 ERA, 300 K's

RP: Aroldis Chapman, New York Yankees
37 SV, 2.21 ERA, 13.4 K/9

RP: Josh Hader, Milwaukee Brewers
37 SV, 2.62 ERA, 16.4 K/9

RP: Liam Hendriks, Oakland Athletics
25 SV, 1.80 ERA, 13.1 K/9

RP: Taylor Rogers, Minnesota Twins
30 SV, 2.61 ERA, 11.7 K/9

RP: Kirby Yates, San Diego Padres
41 SV, 1.19 ERA, 14.9 K/9

(* = unanimous first-team selection)

ESPN's All-MLB Second Team

C: Yasmani Grandal, Milwaukee Brewers
.246 AVG, 28 HR, 2.5 WAR

1B: Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves
.295 AVG, 38 HR, 4.4 WAR

2B: Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
.298 AVG, 31 HR, 3.7 WAR

3B: Anthony Rendon, Washington Nationals
.319 AVG, 34 HR, 6.3 WAR

SS: Xander Bogaerts, Boston Red Sox
.309 AVG, 33 HR, 5.2 WAR

OF: Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves
.280 AVG, 41 HR, 5.5 WAR

OF: Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox
.295 AVG, 29 HR, 6.8 WAR

OF: George Springer, Houston Astros
.292 AVG, 39 HR, 6.2 WAR

DH: Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros
.313 AVG, 27 HR, 3.7 WAR

UT: Max Muncy, Los Angeles Dodgers
.251 AVG, 35 HR, 5.7 WAR

SP: Shane Bieber, Cleveland Indians
15-8, 3.28 ERA, 259 K's

SP: Jack Flaherty, St. Louis Cardinals
11-8, 2.75 ERA, 231 K's

SP: Zack Greinke, Houston Astros
18-5, 2.93 ERA, 187 K's

SP: Charlie Morton, Tampa Bay Rays
16-6, 3.05 ERA, 240 K's

SP: Hyun-Jin Ryu, Los Angeles Dodgers
14-5, 2.32 ERA, 163 K's

RP: Nick Anderson, Tampa Bay Rays
1 SV, 3.32 ERA, 15.2 K/9

RP: Ken Giles, Toronto Blue Jays
23 SV, 1.87 ERA, 14.1 K/9

RP: Seth Lugo, New York Mets
6 SV, 2.70 ERA, 11.7 K/9

RP: Will Smith, San Francisco Giants
34 SV, 2.76 ERA, 13.2 K/9

RP: Brandon Workman, Boston Red Sox
16 SV, 1.88 ERA, 13.1 K/9

ESPN's All-MLB Third Team

C: Mitch Garver, Minnesota Twins
.275 AVG, 31 HR, 4.0 WAR

1B: Matt Olson, Oakland Athletics
.267 AVG, 36 HR, 5.1 WAR

2B: Kolten Wong, St. Louis Cardinals
.285 AVG, 11 HR, 4.7 WAR

3B: Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies
.315 AVG, 41 HR, 5.7 WAR

SS: Trevor Story, Colorado Rockies
.294 AVG, 35 HR, 6.4 WAR

OF: Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies
.260 AVG, 35 HR, 4.2 WAR

OF: Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
.329 AVG, 32 HR, 6.9 WAR

OF: Juan Soto, Washington Nationals
.282 AVG, 34 HR, 4.7 WAR

DH: J.D. Martinez, Boston Red Sox
.304 AVG, 36 HR, 3.3 WAR

UT: Howie Kendrick, Washington Nationals
.344 AVG, 17 HR, 2.6 WAR

SP: Walker Buehler, Los Angeles Dodgers
14-4, 3.26 ERA, 215 K's

SP: Patrick Corbin, Washington Nationals
14-7, 3.25 ERA, 238 K's

SP: Lucas Giolito, Chicago White Sox
14-9, 3.41 ERA, 228 K's

SP: Lance Lynn, Texas Rangers
16-11, 3.67 ERA, 246 K's

SP: Mike Soroka. Atlanta Braves
13-4, 2.68 ERA, 142 K's

RP: Zack Britton, New York Yankees
3 SV, 1.91 ERA, 7.8 K/9

RP: Brad Hand, Cleveland Indians
34 SV, 3.30 ERA, 13.2 K/9

RP: Will Harris, Houston Astros
4 SV, 1.50 ERA, 9.3 K/9

RP: Roberto Osuna, Houston Astros
38 SV, 2.63 ERA, 10.1 K/9

RP: Hansel Robles, Los Angeles Angels
23 SV, 2.48 ERA, 9.3 K/9

Position-by-position breakdown

Catchers

1st: J.T. Realmuto

2nd: Yasmani Grandal

3rd: Mitch Garver

The first- and second-team choices of the Phillies' J.T. Realmuto (49 first-team votes) and the Brewers' Yasmani Grandal were overwhelming. The Twins' Mitch Garver was awarded for his tremendous offensive season and buoyed by 28 third-team votes.

Who got snubbed or just missed? Cleveland's Roberto Perez came in fourth, nine points back of Garver. The Cubs' Willson Contreras, who, like Perez, drew one first-team vote, was fifth.

ESPN Stats & Information says: J.T. Realmuto posted 9.48 Catcher Fielding Runs Above Average, the fifth-highest total of the decade (best since Salvador Pérez had 10.79 FldRAA in 2016). He also led all primary catchers with 64 extra-base hits and ranked among the top five (minimum 300 plate appearances) in batting average (.275, fourth) and slugging percentage (.493, fourth).

First basemen

1st: Pete Alonso

2nd: Freddie Freeman

3rd: Matt Olson

The Mets' Pete Alonso ran away with the voting, appearing on 66 of 68 ballots and gathering 45 first-team votes. In a late surge, Oakland's Matt Olson won third-team honors by one point.

Who got snubbed or just missed? Poor Carlos Santana. The Cleveland first baseman looked like the sure third-teamer. He actually got more votes than Olson (26 to 23). But Olson's three first-place votes gave him 47 points to Santana's 46.

ESPN Stats & Information says: Alonso might have gotten all the headlines for breaking the home run record for rookies, but Freeman closed out a full decade in the league by belting a career-best 38 long balls. Freeman (227, tied for 20th) cracks the top 20 across MLB for homers in the 2010s, despite never hitting 40 home runs in a single season.

Second basemen

1st: Ozzie Albies

2nd: Jose Altuve

3rd: Kolten Wong

Positional classification skewed this vote. With Ketel Marte at outfield, Gleyber Torres at shortstop, and DJ LeMahieu and Max Muncy at utility, voters went with Atlanta's Ozzie Albies, Houston's Jose Altuve and St. Louis' Kolten Wong.

Who got snubbed or just missed? Honestly, nobody. There's a reasonable argument that if Marte, Torres, LeMahieu and Muncy weren't so versatile, none of the three second basemen would have even been on the team.

ESPN Stats & Information says: Albies showed power from both sides of the plate in 2019, hitting 13 homers left-handed (54% of his 24) and 11 right-handed (46% of his 24). Over the past 20 seasons, only one other switch-hitter has had at least 20 home runs and that close of a split: In both 2011 and 2013, Matt Wieters hit 22 homers, 11 from each side of the plate.

Third basemen

1st: Alex Bregman

2nd: Anthony Rendon

3rd: Nolan Arenado

Houston's Alex Bregman matched Oakland's Marcus Semien with 55 first-team votes, Washington's Anthony Rendon was even better than Boston's Xander Bogaerts with 49 second-team tallies, and a few late first-place votes pushed Colorado's Nolan Arenado onto the third team.

Who got snubbed or just missed? What late voting giveth to one Matt in Oakland, late voting taketh away from another. Matt Chapman was primed to give the A's three-quarters of their infield on the All-MLB team ... and instead, he settled for a fourth-place finish.

ESPN Stats & Information says: Bregman and Rendon became just the sixth pair of third basemen in MLB history to each post an OPS north of 1.000 (the previous pair to do so was Chipper Jones and Alex Rodríguez in 2007).

Shortstops

1st: Marcus Semien

2nd: Xander Bogaerts

3rd: Trevor Story

Oakland's Marcus Semien was an overwhelming first-team choice with 55 votes, Boston's Xander Bogaerts received more than half the second-team votes, and Colorado's Trevor Story easily outpaced the rest of the field.

Who got snubbed or just missed? Francisco Lindor is the third Cleveland player already to finish fourth. Ouch. Special mention: Gleyber Torres, the Yankees' dynamic 22-year-old, played 12 more games and 112 more innings at shortstop than he did at second -- and the positional depth here got him.

ESPN Stats & Information says: It was an incredibly deep season for MLB shortstops. Eleven primary shortstops posted season WAR totals of 4.0 or higher, the most in any season in MLB history. Those 11 include Semien (8.1), Bogaerts (5.2) and Story (6.4).

Outfielders

1st: Mike Trout, Cody Bellinger, Christian Yelich

2nd: Ronald Acuña Jr., Mookie Betts, George Springer

3rd: Bryce Harper, Ketel Marte, Juan Soto

The easiest category of all. The Angels' Mike Trout (68 of 68 votes), the Dodgers' Cody Bellinger (63 of 68) and the Brewers' Christian Yelich (59 of 68) dominated. Arizona's Ketel Marte received more second-team votes than Houston's George Springer but lagged behind in total votes, separating the two.

Who got snubbed or just missed? The Yankees' Aaron Judge was the 10th man on a nine-man unit. He received one first-team vote, two second-team and a dozen third-team. The volume of Bryce Harper's supporters -- one second-team and 26 third-team -- edged out Judge.

ESPN Stats & Information says: All but one of these outfielders was in their 20s for the entirety of the 2019 season (Springer turned 30 in September). Youth is the theme of this group from top to bottom.

• Mike Trout became the second-youngest player to win three MVP awards (only Stan Musial was younger at the time of his third award).

• Cody Bellinger became the fourth player to win MVP, Rookie of the Year and a Gold Glove before turning 25.

• Ronald Acuña Jr. became the youngest player in MLB history to have 40 homers and 30 stolen bases in a single season.

• Juan Soto's 56 home runs before his 21st birthday is tied for second in MLB history (only Mel Ott has more, at 61).

Designated hitters

1st: Nelson Cruz

2nd: Yordan Alvarez

3rd: J.D. Martinez

Bomba Squad captain Nelson Cruz dominated with 53 first-team votes. Houston's Yordan Alvarez joined Alonso as the only rookies on the offensive side of the All-MLB team, while Boston's J.D. Martinez sat comfortably in third place.

Who got snubbed or just missed? Lead the AL with 48 home runs, and the reward for Kansas City's Jorge Soler is ... a fourth-place finish. He did get one first-team vote, as did the Angels' Shohei Ohtani.

ESPN Stats & Information says: Fourteen times in the designated hitter era (since 1973) a player has slugged at least .600 in a season as a primary DH (minimum 300 at-bats). Yordan Alvarez (22 years old) was the youngest ever to do it, and Nelson Cruz (now 39) was the second-oldest, behind only David Ortiz (40 in 2016).

Utility men

1st: DJ LeMahieu

2nd: Max Muncy

3rd: Howie Kendrick

The Yankees' DJ LeMahieu got 58 first-team votes and appeared on 66 ballots. The Dodgers' Max Muncy was nearly as clear a second-team lock, with 52 votes there. A pair of first-team votes helped secure Washington's Howie Kendrick the third-team spot.

Who got snubbed or just missed? Third-team utility man voting was wild. Everyone on the ballot except LeMahieu received at least one third-team vote. The closest to Kendrick: St. Louis rookie Tommy Edman, who appeared on 23 of 68 ballots.

ESPN Stats & Information says: DJ LeMahieu and Max Muncy were two of only three players this past season that played at least 30 games at three different infield positions (the other was David Fletcher of the Angels). According to Elias Sports Bureau research, LeMahieu became the first player to do that while hitting .300 with 20 home runs. Muncy, meanwhile, became the first player to do it while hitting 35 home runs.

Starting pitchers

1st: Gerrit Cole, Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Justin Verlander

2nd: Shane Bieber, Jack Flaherty, Zack Greinke, Charlie Morton, Hyun-Jin Ryu

3rd: Walker Buehler, Patrick Corbin, Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Mike Soroka

There was unanimity on the Astros' Gerrit Cole and near-first-team-consensus on the Mets' Jacob deGrom (66 of 68) and Justin Verlander (65 of 68). Two Nationals starters, Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, were far ahead of the rest of the group, too.

Who got snubbed or just missed? There was intrigue at the back end of the second team. Cleveland's Shane Bieber (115 points) and Houston's Zack Greinke (114 points) are on the second team, Texas' Lance Lynn (112 points) is a third-teamer. The final three cuts: the Rangers' Mike Minor, the Reds' Sonny Gray and the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw.

ESPN Stats & Information says: Volume is more scarce than ever with starting pitching. Just 15 pitchers threw at least 200 innings this past season, tied for the second-fewest in a non-strike-shortened season in the modern era (since 1900). That's down from 34 such pitchers just five years ago in 2014.

Relief pitchers

1st: Aroldis Chapman, Josh Hader, Liam Hendriks, Taylor Rogers, Kirby Yates

2nd: Nick Anderson, Ken Giles, Seth Lugo, Will Smith, Brandon Workman

3rd: Zack Britton, Brad Hand, Will Harris, Roberto Osuna, Hansel Robles

San Diego's Kirby Yates was the closest to unanimous, with 67 of 68 first-team votes (and one third-team vote). Milwaukee's Josh Hader, Oakland's Liam Hendriks, the Yankees' Aroldis Chapman and late-surging Minnesota closer Taylor Rogers round out the first team.

Who got snubbed or just missed? Pour one out for the Mets' Seth Lugo, who looked like a first-teamer until Rogers bumped him. But save some for the Rays' Emilio Pagan. He was in third-team position when the value of first-team votes pushed the Yankees' Zack Britton ahead of him. Other just-misses: the Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos and the Yankees' Adam Ottavino.

ESPN Stats & Information says: Eight pitchers struck out at least 100 batters in relief this past season, tied for the most in a season in MLB history. Josh Hader led the way with 138 strikeouts, the most ever by a pitcher who also allowed 15 or more home runs in relief.

‘I want to improve and explore different parts of my game’ says top seed ElShorbagy 
By ELLIE MAWSON – Squash Mad Correspondent

Egypt’s World No.19 Mazen Hesham upset the seedings on day two of the Channel VAS Championships at St. George’s Hill after he took out Peru’s World No.7 Diego Elias to reach the quarter finals of this PSA World Tour Gold event.

The 25-year-old had not secured a win over a player ranked inside the top ten since 2015, but Hesham proved he was getting back to his best form as he produced a formidable performance against an out-of-sorts Elias at the tournament in Weybridge, England.

Hesham displayed his natural flair with the racket to take an entertaining first game, before Elias battled back to level the scores in the second. It was the Egyptian who kicked on another gear though as he took full advantage of a fatigued Elias by varying his shots and setting a fast pace to unsettle the Peruvian player and claim an 11-6, 5-11, 11-8, 11-6 win.

“I feel great, I don’t want to jinx it, but I am injury free, and very happy on court,” said Hesham afterwards. Because I play more and more matches, I am able to control my emotions better and when I’m about to close a match.

“I used to play so many errors because I was getting so excited, but now I’m able to control and finish my matches, playing the important points better.”

Hesham will face compatriot and World No.8 Mohamed Abouelghar in the next round after the Egyptian swept aside England’s World No.22 Declan James in straight games.

The last time the two players met, James recorded a surprise victory against the Egyptian at the DPD Open in Eindhoven earlier this year. However, he came up against a much more consistent Abouelghar who was in strong form to power past the tall Englishman.

Abouelghar only recently made his return to the tour following a shoulder injury but has endured a disjointed run of form. However, the 26-year-old ensured he was back to his best as he produced a consistent display to take an 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 victory.

“I’ve always had tough matches against Dec, he’s such a great player,” said the Egyptian afterwards. “I knew how crucial the third game was and I’m very happy to close this one out.”

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Egypt’s World No.2 Mohamed ElShorbagy ensured his campaign got up and running with a win after he defeated compatriot Youssef Soliman in four games.

ElShorbagy, who got his hands on the title back in 2017, was comfortable on the St. George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club court, which he practices on regularly, as he stepped up and constantly kept Soliman pinned behind him to take a 2-0 lead.

Soliman had been struggling with a shin problem throughout the week and it looked to have caught up with him once again as he took a short injury break after the second. Following that the 22-year-old seemed to enjoy a resurgence to catch ElShorbagy off guard with the elder Egyptian producing uncharacteristic errors to aid Soliman in taking the third game.

The 28-year-old came back strongly in the fourth, however, as he managed to get back to the game plan that was serving him well in the first two games to close out a hard fought 11-7, 11-8, 10-12, 11-7 win.

“I’m the kind of person who wants to improve and always likes to explore different areas of my game and see different thoughts of the game,” said ElShorbagy afterwards. “I think everyone brings something different to the game and I have only one career, so I want to learn as much as I can.

“Sometimes things can work, sometimes they can’t and sometimes it’s quickly or it takes a bit longer but at the end of the day I have to keep a positive mindset.”

ElShorbagy will face India’s World No.11 Saurav Ghosal in the quarter finals tomorrow (Friday November 22) after he produced an immaculate performance to down local favourite Tom Richards.

Ghosal delivered a masterclass in speed and accuracy as he moved around the court freely to punish any loose shots from the racket of Richards and take an 11-3, 11-5, 11-5 victory in 37 minutes.

“He can fire shots from anywhere in the court, he’s got a good racket on him, so I was trying to keep it away from the middle and use the four corners, as deep as I could,” said Ghosal.

“I think I did pretty well with my game plan, but against a player like him playing in his adopted club, you have got to be wary about him going to come out and play out of his skin, so I tried to stay as focused as I could. But I’m happy with a good length and depth, and happy to take it 3-0.”

The second round of the Channel VAS Championships continues today (Thursday November 21) at 17:30 local time (GMT) when the bottom half of the draw – including former World No.1 Karim Abdel Gawad and PSA World Championship runner-up Paul Coll – start their tournaments. Coll meets Daryl Selby while Gawad tackles George Parker.

2019 Channel VAS Championships at St George’s Hill.

Second Round (top half):
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt Youssef Soliman (EGY) 3-1: 11-7, 11-8, 10-12, 11-7 (54m)
[7] Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt Tom Richards (ENG) 3-0: 11-3, 11-5, 11-5 (37m)
[5] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bt Declan James (ENG) 3-0: 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 (44m)
Mazen Hesham (EGY) bt [4] Diego Elias (PER) 3-1: 11-6, 5-11, 11-8, 11-6 (52m)

Second Round (bottom half) today:
[3] Paul Coll (NZL) v Daryl Selby (ENG)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) v [8] Joel Makin (WAL)
[6] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) v Eain Yow Ng (MAS)
George Parker (ENG) v [2] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)

Quarter Finals (top half) tomorrow:
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v [7] Saurav Ghosal (IND)
[5] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) v Mazen Hesham (EGY)  

Report by ELLIE MAWSON (PSA). Edited by ALAN THATCHER.

Pictures courtesy of PATRICK LAUSON (www.patricklausonphotography.co.uk)

Tonga women are out of the Oceania Championship in Fiji, a route to qualify for 2021 World Cup, after an outbreak of measles in their country.

They were scheduled to play Australia A on Tuesday, but will instead remain in quarantine for 18 days.

Tonga's health ministry last week reported 251 confirmed or suspected cases in the country.

A Fiji health ministry official said Tonga's participation could have spread the disease internationally.

"There's a risk that the teams they play against and any other people they come into contact with during the infectious period of the disease could be exposed and develop the disease," said Dr Aalisha Sahukan.

"And those who potentially develop the disease could spread it to other people in Fiji, and overseas when the national teams return home."

World Rugby are expected to make a statement on Tonga's possible qualification for the 2021 World Cup. They are yet to make an appearance at the tournament.