New Zealand. Such a lovely place, right? The people, so friendly. The grounds, so picturesque. The players, such good guys. Just don't go there expecting any favours in Test cricket. Over the last six years, New Zealand have been ruthlessly efficient in home conditions, winning 10 series out of 12 and helping propel them to No. 2 in the ICC rankings.

The only two touring teams to buck the trend in that time are Australia and South Africa - the latter perhaps fortunate to emerge with a 1-0 win in 2016-17 after drawing in Hamilton when rain washed out the final day. And while the list of victories may be swelled by multiple victories over Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and West Indies, so too have New Zealand seen off India, England and Pakistan on their own patch.

England may have got the better of them in a couple of recent, high-profile limited-overs encounters, but New Zealand will be confident of extending their record against a side searching for their identity in the longest format (no Super Overs here). It was more than a decade ago, under Michael Vaughan, that England last won a Test series in Aotearoa, with their most-recent visit, in 2017-18, producing the horror of 58 all out in Auckland - their sixth-lowest total in Tests.

The fearsome threesome

One of the most-obvious strengths of New Zealand in their own conditions is the penetration offered by the three-man pace attack: Tim Southee and Trent Boult offering traditional seam and swing (from different angles of attack), while Neil Wagner relies on a viciously skiddy bouncer and an indefatigable work rate. Alongside a spinner - Mitchell Santner is first choice but missed all of 2018 with injury - and the allrounder Colin de Grandhomme, New Zealand can field a beautifully balanced line-up.

Since 2012, when Wagner became the last of the trio to debut, they have scooped up 378 out of 501 Test wickets (75%) taken by New Zealand bowlers at home. Over the last three years, with Kane Williamson as captain, the Boult-Southee-Wagner share rises to 206 from 266 (77%), with all three averaging less than 25 in that time.

Such has been their hegemony that the only other seamer Williamson has captained in home Tests is Matt Henry, who has deputised for the injured Southee or Boult on three occasions, as well as playing as part of a four-man pace attack against Bangladesh in Wellington last year. However, New Zealand have also signalled their intention to give Lockie Ferguson a debut over the coming weeks, with his extra pace potentially giving New Zealand's attack even greater potency.

Settled selection

New Zealand's strict adherence to their holy trinity of seamers is reflected in notably stable selection throughout the side. Over the last three years, it has been possible to predict 10 of the starting XI with near certainty. Openers Tom Latham and Jeet Raval have played 15 home Tests out of 15, as have Williamson, middle-order batsman Henry Nicholls and Wagner; among the rest, de Grandhomme has missed one game, Ross Taylor and BJ Watling two apiece, while Southee and Boult have each been absent for three.

Since Williamson's first home summer as captain, when de Grandhomme and Raval made their debuts against Pakistan, New Zealand have used just 20 players - fewer than any of the other major Test nations (although they have also played fewer matches). Had Santner been fit, the line-up would likely have been even more locked in; of the others selected, four were spinners (Ajaz Patel, Will Somerville, Todd Astle and Jeetan Patel).

Cash in with the bat

Although traditionally a good place for swing bowlers to ply their trade, New Zealand is also home to some benign batting strips. In those 15 Tests under Williamson, they have passed 400 on eight occasions - including scores of 520 for 9, 539, 578, 585 for 4 and a whopping 715 for 6 against Bangladesh in Hamilton last year. Only India have made more 400+ scores at home (15) in that time, and they have played five more Tests.

Individually, there have been a number of impressive contributions. Over the last three home summers, all of the top six average more than 40, with three players - Williamson, Taylor and Latham - recording double-hundreds. Overall, since the start of 2018, Williamson, Latham and Nicholls all average more than 60; among England's touring party, their best-performing batsman is Joe Root (36.17). Add in the lower-order resilience that enabled New Zealand to bat out more than 120 overs in the fourth innings for a draw at Christchurch on England's last visit, and you can see why they have been so hard to beat.

All in all, it is a pretty straightforward formula: bat big, apply scoreboard pressure and make use of a varied attack to cut through opposition resistance. Given that England, since winning in New Zealand in 2007-08, have only been less successful in the UAE, Chris Silverwood's task in his first Test series as head coach could scarcely be more challenging.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg denied a report Tuesday that he wanted to move quarterback Lamar Jackson to wide receiver.

"That didn't happen," Mornhinweg said in a statement released by the Ravens. "Never said that."

Former NFL general manager Mike Lombardi said on The GM Shuffle podcast Monday that Mornhinweg was not a believer in Jackson as a quarterback. According to Lombardi, Mornhinweg asked his coaching staff, "When are we gonna move him to receiver?"

Mornhinweg denied that he suggested a position change for Jackson, who is now a leading candidate for NFL Most Valuable Player.

"My thoughts before the draft, and even more when we started working with Lamar, was that this young man was going to be a special quarterback," Mornhinweg said. "Very early we saw that along with all of his throwing and escape abilities, he reads the field as well as any young quarterback I ever worked with."

Mornhinweg was the Ravens' playcaller during Jackson's rookie season. Baltimore promoted Greg Roman to offensive coordinator after the season, and Mornhinweg declined to remain on the coaching staff.

"Organizationally, we were on the same page with Lamar, and I thought Ozzie (Newsome) and Eric (DeCosta) did a great job to take him where we did," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "Marty was excited from the beginning to coach Lamar and was instrumental in helping him progress through his rookie season."

Jackson has led the Ravens (8-2) to their best start in seven years. He ranks No. 4 in the NFL with a 106.3 passer rating and No. 10 in the league with 788 rushing yards.

In Sunday's 41-7 win over the Houston Texans, Jackson became the first player in Ravens franchise history to produce multiple games with four or more touchdown passes in a single season.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Wide receiver Antonio Brown posted an apology to New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft on Instagram Tuesday.

Brown wrote: "Mr. Kraft I apologize sincerely to you and your organization! All I wanted to be was an asset to the organization; sorry for the bad media and the drama ! Thank you sincerely AB"

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Mr.Kraft I apologize sincerely to you and your organization! All I wanted to be was an asset to the organization; sorry for the bad media and the drama ! Thank you sincerely AB

A post shared by Boomin (@ab) on Nov 19, 2019 at 8:06am PST

The Patriots had released Brown on Sept. 20, just 11 days after signing him.

Two days later, Brown called out Kraft and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, comparing their legal issues with his own.

Brown referred to Kraft's ongoing case in Florida in which he was charged with solicitation for allegedly receiving a sex act at a massage parlor and Roethlisberger's four-game suspension in 2010 for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy based on a sexual assault accusation.

"Kraft got caught in the parlor AB speculations fired different strokes different folks clearly," Brown said in a now-deleted tweet.

Brown's apology Tuesday comes five days after he met with the NFL to address sexual assault allegations against him. That meeting lasted about eight hours, and there could be follow-ups before a decision is made about his future, a source told ESPN's Josina Anderson.

Brown has filed eight grievances against the Oakland Raiders and Patriots, a source told ESPN's Dan Graziano. He is seeking $39.775 million in lost salary, bonuses and guaranteed money.

DAVIE, Fla. -- The Miami Dolphins waived running back Mark Walton after he was arrested Tuesday morning on a charge of aggravated battery of a pregnant woman.

According to a police document released to ESPN, Walton is accused of pushing the woman into a wall and punching her several times in her face and head. Walton is currently being booked into Broward County jail.

The officer called to the scene observed swelling to the woman's left eye. The woman is five weeks pregnant, and Walton is the father.

The alleged aggravated battery occurred at 4:15 a.m. Tuesday in Davie, Florida, after an argument.

A message to Walton's agent for a response was not immediately returned.

Walton, 22, was through two games of a four-game league suspension for violating the NFL conduct and substance abuse policy relating to his three offseason arrests between January and March. He was released by the Cincinnati Bengals after these arrests, and the Dolphins signed him in May.

The Dolphins initially expected Walton back after he served his suspension, but they immediately released him when they said they were made aware of a police matter regarding the second-year player Tuesday morning.

"We hold our players to a high standard and take these matters very seriously. We will have no further comment at this time," general manager Chris Grier said in a statement.

The Dolphins are now likely in the market for a new lead running back starting in 2020. Kalen Ballage has assumed that role in Walton's absence with little success, averaging just 1.9 yards per carry. Patrick Laird and Myles Gaskin have received limited reps behind Ballage. The trio, along with De'Lance Turner, will carry the load for the rest of the season.

Walton, a 2018 fourth-round pick out of the University of Miami, leads the Dolphins with 201 rushing yards on a 3.8 yards-per-carry average. He also has 15 receptions for 89 yards. The league allowed Walton to be at the team facility and attend meetings during his suspension without pay.

Walton received six months of non-reporting probation as part of an August plea deal to resolve his three offseason court cases. Walton's probation was later vacated after he met the court's conditions. Walton's attorney, Michael Gottlieb, said in August that his client had his most significant charge of felony for carrying a concealed weapon from his March arrest reduced to a second-degree misdemeanor open-carry charge after pleading no contest. Walton was arrested after a car chase with police. The plea deal decreased the maximum length of his jail sentence from five years to 60 days.

Walton also pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and reckless driving and had a misdemeanor marijuana charge dismissed from that March arrest. As a part of the deal, Walton also had a drug charge from a January arrest and a battery charge from a February arrest dismissed. Walton also had to attend driving school after the reckless-driving plea.

Carmelo Anthony has been activated by the Portland Trail Blazers and is expected to play in Tuesday night's game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Anthony, 35, will wear jersey No. 00. The 10-time All-Star has not played since Nov. 8, 2018, with the Houston Rockets.

"Carmelo is an established star in this league that will provide a respected presence in our locker room and a skill set at a position of need on the floor," Blazers president Neil Olshey said.

Anthony hasn't played since a 10-game run with the Rockets that ended early in the 2018-19 season. Anthony will have a base salary of $2.159 million. The contract will become fully guaranteed if Anthony is not waived by 5 p.m. on Jan. 7.

He has career averages of 24.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.02 steals in 1,064 games over 16 seasons with the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston.

Among active players with at least 200 games played, Anthony ranks fourth in career points per game, and he has the second-most career points among active players, trailing only LeBron James.

Power forward was the position where the Blazers were most vulnerable, and a shoulder injury to Zach Collins amplified the void there.

Anthony could fit in well with the Blazers, who have struggled to get production from their forwards this season.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Bobby Marks contributed to this report.

World Squash Day success leads to new partnership 
By DONNA HELMER – Squash Mad Correspondent

England Squash has announced a new partnership with Karakal which will see one of the UK’s leading squash brands become title sponsor of the Premier Squash League (PSL), the world’s longest established and most successful national club competition.

The latest announcement follows a hugely successful partnership between Karakal and England Squash in relation to this year’s World Squash Day, which saw more than 150 squash venues open their doors to nearly 5,000 people throughout England.

Significant changes to the format of this year’s PSL have been introduced to provide more opportunities for leading British players as well as increased opportunities for female players.

Steve Gallienne, Global Sales and Marketing Manager at Karakal said: “Karakal are thrilled to be the title sponsor of the Premier Squash League. The PSL continues to grow from strength to strength and we are delighted to partner with England Squash on this exciting initiative to further grow its exposure, influence and reach.”

Keir Worth, England Squash CEO said: “We are thrilled to have Karakal as our PSL title sponsor and extremely grateful for their support. This will allow us to invest in the promotion of the league and development of our englandsquash.tv steaming platform, which will help raise the profile of the sport as well as showcase the finest players from around the world.”

Tesni Evans, a two-time British National champion and Karakal sponsored player added: “I have always enjoyed playing PSL, which has been a key part of my development by providing competitive opportunities against the world’s best players.

“I have really enjoyed being part of the Welsh Wizards team following our entry into the PSL last year and have loved playing in Wales in front of great crowds. Karakal have supported me throughout my career and it’s great to see them increasing their investment in the sport to help drive squash forward in the UK.”

The top two teams from this season’s respective 2019-20 north and south divisions will automatically qualify for the top division of a revised 2020-21 National League structure with further divisions to be introduced in subsequent seasons to increase accessibility and competitive opportunities.

The 2019-20 Karakal PSL final will be staged in May and will be streamed live via SquashTV and englandsquash.tv platforms to maximise reach for squash enthusiasts around the world. 

Report by DONNA HELMER (England Squash). Edited by ALAN THATCHER.

Coach Eddie Jones tells BBC Radio 5 Live that his mother phoned him after his Barbarians side lost to Fiji at Twickenham to ask why he did not win.

Speaking to Nihal Arthanayake, England coach Jones - who is part Japanese - spoke about his upbringing and his mother.

"She had great values," he said. "It was interesting because I never understood the Japanese values she put into us until I went to Japan to live."

Listen to the full interview on Headliners on BBC Sounds.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bill Auberlen’s record-tying 60th IMSA victory couldn’t have been more dramatic.

It came right down to the last lap of last month’s 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans. After stalking the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona race-leading No. 33 Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Felipe Fraga at the wheel for the final half-hour, Auberlen pounced on an opportunity on the white-flag lap just as Fraga’s car ran out of fuel.

“It was coming down to the wire, and on that last lap, he was running a real blocking line in (turn) 10, and then he opened up that we could now get aggressive with each other,” Auberlen recalls. “I gave him a little bump, he ran defensive into 12, I got under him in 1, and we bumped again. Then, if he looks, before he ran out of gas, I was under him in 4.

“So, at that point, I said, ‘Check. Mate.’ Because he can’t turn in anymore and we would have had contact and he would have abandoned left. But at that exact moment, I think he ran out of gas exactly there.

“Terrific. Unbelievable race. Not only that but then you figure out, Holy cow. So many people watched this race on TV. So many fans, because it was such an exciting finish that I was returning emails and phone calls and voicemails for weeks after that.”

At the end of the night, Auberlen found himself tied atop the all-time IMSA race winners list with the legendary Scott Pruett. And now, the Californian’s focused forward, beginning what he has dubbed the Race to 61.

He’d like to build a documentary around his chase to become IMSA’s winningest driver. Of course, if that win were to come in the 2020 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 25-26, Auberlen jokes, ‘It might be a short film.’

Returning to the Turner team and the No. 96 BMW alongside co-driver Robby Foley, Auberlen knows the ingredients are in place to get that victory sooner rather than later.

“How it’s going to happen is we’re just going to do the same thing we did,” he said. “Which is, now we have more knowledge, we have more understanding of the M6 and how to make it go fast, the same team, the same driver lineup, I don’t want to change a thing. I want to improve on what we’ve already done, ‘cause it was already really good.”

Auberlen and Foley scored two victories in 2019, at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in July and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Those victories were vital contributors to a runner-up result in the final WeatherTech Championship GTD standings.

He and the team are aiming for one spot better in 2020, although Auberlen realizes that championships are usually won through consistency rather than outright race wins.

“If you’re running for a championship, it’s a much more conservative approach,” he said. “You’re not always duking it out to get that top step of the podium at the end. But I think, with how good the BMW M6 GT3 is and how good my teammates are, a win throughout the year should come. Hopefully, on its way, it does. If it doesn’t this next year, maybe the year after or the year after. I’ve got a long way to go.”

Indeed, at the age of 51, Auberlen is showing no signs of slowing down.

“You know what? My happiness with racing has even gone up,” he said. “I’m at a new part of my career where I can still go fast, I can still win races, but I can also understand the gravity of what we’re doing within here. Right?

“In terms of life, we’re a blip on a radar, but in terms of what we do here, for me to be able to understand the level of what we’re doing and why we’re doing it at and the guy I’m going to war with every weekend, I can sit back and I can really enjoy it. I love it and appreciate it. That’s where I’m at now.”

JEFFERSON, Ga. — Gresham Motorsports Park will roar back to life next season for the first time since 2014.

The track will host a Southern Super Series super late model event on May 16-17. The event will be co-promoted by Speed51’s Bob Dillner and Tim Bryant of the Southern Super Series.

The track, which opened as Georgia Int’l Speedway in 1967, was also known as Jefco Speedway and Peach State Speedway before being acquired by Jim Gresham in 2009 and rebranded as Gresham Motorsports Park. The facility also underwent an extensive renovation after Gresham acquired it.

The half-mile track has played host to a number of major events, including two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races in the late 1960s. Cale Yarborough won the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series event at the track in 1968, with Bobby Isaac winning the second and final Cup race at the track the following year.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series raced at the track three times in the late 1980s, with Darrell Waltrip winning once and Larry Pearson scoring a pair of victories.

Following Gresham’s acquisition of the track, the NASCAR K&N Pro Series competed three times at the track. Ty Dillon, Max Gresham and Kyle Larson each collected victories from 2010 through ’12.

NASCAR’s Southeast Series held races at the venue from 1991 through 1996, with drivers like Jason Keller, Jeff Purvis, Rich Bickle and Jody Ridley visiting victory lane. The Hooters Pro Cup Series also visited the track on a regular basis from 1997 through 2010.

The most recent event held at Gresham Motorsports Park was the 2014 edition of the World Crown 300, which was won by Casey Roderick. Following that event, the track was listed for sale or lease. The track has sat vacant since.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Head Racing and Blake Alexander Racing will merge next season, with the team slated to field a Nitro Funny Car for driver Blake Alexander for the full NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

Alexander will work with car owner and crew chief Jim Head throughout the 20-race schedule, with sponsorship support coming from Pronto Auto Service Centers and Head Contractors & Engineers.

Alexander replaces Johnnie Lindberg as the driver of the Head Racing Funny Car.

“I enjoyed working with Jim when I drove his car in Bristol and I’m happy to say that we will be merging and beginning a business partnership,” Alexander said. “I am looking forward to a successful relationship with Jim and his group for many years to come. I really appreciate the Wilkersons’ kindness and dedication in helping a young race team flourish in 2019. Tim is someone that I look up to. Krista and him together are no doubt role models and people that I greatly respect. I look forward to seeing them, Daniel Wilkerson and my crew at the race track next season.”

Alexander, who was the NHRA’s youngest nitro team owner in 2019, will now combine his efforts with Head Racing. Head is an Indy winner in both Top Fuel and Funny Car and has been competing on NHRA’s tour since 1979.

“Firstly, I want to thank Jonnie Lindberg for his services since 2017,” said Head. “Ten years ago, Blake and his wife, Leah, came into my lounge at Pomona and asked me about driving my car. I told them I wasn’t looking for a driver – I was looking for a business partner. Blake has, no doubt, worked hard to get where he is now, and we are excited that our partnership will begin in 2020. Having an asset like Blake will help us succeed on and off the racetrack.”

The team will share liveries of Pronto Auto Service Centers and Head Contractors & Engineers at events held across the nation.

“We are excited to continue The Pronto Nitro Club promotion and hospitality area available for National Pronto Ass’n members and their customers in 2020,” said Robert Roos, president, National Pronto Ass’n. “Many of our members take advantage of the NHRA experience, and we see great value in the promotion with their respective customer bases. We started doing one NHRA event with Blake five years ago. The program and the support from all involved parties has grown and been phenomenal.”

”Working with National Pronto Ass’n and being a representative for their members has made a large impact on the lives of my wife and I,” Alexander noted. “We are extremely thankful to everyone at Pronto for letting us be a part of their family.”