Pieter Seelaar, the Netherlands captain, would love to have the services of Ryan ten Doeschate at next year's T20 World Cup even as the talismanic allrounder approaches his 40th birthday.

Ten Doeschate was Netherlands' top-scorer at the T20 World Cup Qualifiers in UAE - making 233 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 136.25, mostly batting in the lower order. Seelaar knew the importance of having a performer like that at an ICC event but insisted the decision would be "entirely Ryan's alone"

"There are no concerns, Ryan is one of the fittest blokes around in the change room," Seelaar said after their win over Papua New Guinea in the final. "I'm not sure what his decision is going to be, it's entirely upto him. He's got a contract extension at Essex which will keep him busy, but he's told me he'd like to play another World Cup. We've to see when we get there, but it will be helpful to have his experience and quality which we don't get very often.

"He's the sort of guy who can win you games at No. 5 from any sort of position. For me, he'll be quality to have in Australia. Having a guy like him helps not just on the field, but off it as well. There's a lot of knowledge you can turn to, take a lot of information from when he's out on the field. Having him out in a tough chase eases the nerves down a little because he's such a quality player. He's done it in tournaments around the world, so his quality and experience is invaluable not just for me but the whole team."

Seelaar also heaped praises on Roelof van der Merwe, another allrounder who delivered at crucial moments, most notably in the final with figures of 2 for 15 in four overs. "The fast bowlers as a whole have been good, but I have to single out Roelof van der Merwe," Seelar said. "Be it with the bat, ball or on the field, he always does something special."

Looking ahead to the next 12 months, the captain hoped Netherlands would be able to build a pool of 20-25 players, as compared to the "15 to 20" they have currently. He also hoped clarity of roles and clear communication would be the endeavor as they look to sustain this momentum going into next year's T20 World Cup.

"You can't go in depending on 15-16, we need a pool of 20-25 guys to choose from when we go to Australia," he said. "We've got a couple of players waiting in the wings, but this team has set high standards. It's upto them to live up to the standards. We've to keep working on our fitness. Tournaments like these break you down physically and mentally. We've got Pakistan up next at home, which is going to be tough. Generally, we should build a squad of 20-25 who all have an equal shot at going to Australia.

"We want the guys coming in to play a certain way. We want to pick guys suitable to roles, but it's not just about winning games, it's about coming from hard practice and having good solid plans so that everyone's clear and have the freedom to do something special. We've to create a hard working culture to make sure we maintain this success and bring it along by the time we get to Australia."

Of all the potential deals that were discussed leading up to this past Tuesday's trade deadline day, none was any more intriguing than Le'Veon Bell possibly returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers feared that running back James Conner's shoulder injury suffered Monday night vs. Miami was potentially serious, possibly even season ending, sources told ESPN.

With that in mind, the Steelers reached out to the New York Jets and jumped into the discussions for Bell, along with the Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers, according to sources.

Bell said this past week on The Uninterrupted's "17 Weeks" podcast that his agent informed him the Steelers were "in the mix of trying to trade for me."

Bell was not the only running back the Steelers pondered a trade for, but he easily was the most prominent, according to sources. But when the Steelers got word that Conner's injury wasn't as bad as they'd first thought and that he might miss only a couple of weeks, the talks with the Jets cooled, sources said.

With Conner inactive on Sunday, the Steelers will lean on Jaylen Samuels and Trey Edmunds against the Indianapolis Colts.

Bell, 27, played his first five seasons with the Steelers before missing all of 2018 because of a contract dispute. The three-time Pro Bowler signed a four-year deal with the Jets this past March.

Before they claimed wide receiver Josh Gordon on waivers Friday, the Seattle Seahawks had been doing their due diligence on free-agent receiver Antonio Brown, league sources told ESPN.

Even star quarterback Russell Wilson was pushing the Seahawks to sign Brown before they claimed Gordon, according to sources.

But now that the Seahawks have added another talented receiver in Gordon, his former Patriots teammate Brown will have to continue looking for work, with one more option off the table.

Brown's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said there are "a few teams that are very interested in signing Antonio once this process is over."

The process Rosenhaus is referring to is the NFL's investigation into accusations that Brown sexually assaulted multiple women. As of Sunday, the NFL hasn't interviewed Brown about the accusations, which would suggest that the league is not close to making a decision at this time.

NFL teams appear to be waiting for the league's findings before signing Brown. While the investigation continues, Brown waits for employment.

The Seahawks' acquisition of Gordon doesn't mean they can't revisit signing Brown if and when the investigation is over.

But, at least for the time being, Seattle is giving Gordon the shot it was considering for Brown. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll called Gordon a "special talent" Friday, saying that he is "a big-play guy" who can "really stretch the field."

Gordon, who had 20 catches for 287 yards and a touchdown in six games with the Patriots this season, will not play Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Royals have declined their half of Alex Gordon's $23 million mutual option for 2020, allowing the outfielder to become a free agent.

Gordon had exercised his part of the option but was allowed to go free Saturday. He will receive a $4 million buyout, completing a $72 million, four-year contract he agreed to in January 2016.

A three-time All-Star and six-time Gold Glove winner, Gordon helped the Royals win the 2015 World Series for their first title since 1985.

He batted .266 this year with 13 homers and 76 RBIs for the rebuilding Royals, who topped 100 losses for the second straight season. Gordon is a career .258 hitter with 186 homers and 738 RBIs.

Ashleigh Barty beat Elina Svitolina in a high-quality match to claim the WTA Finals title and pick up the biggest prize money ever offered in tennis.

The Australian world number one won 6-4 6-3 to take the season-ending title in Shenzhen and a record $4.42m (£3.42m).

Barty, 23, had lost all her five of her previous matches against the Ukrainian defending champion.

But she came through a testing second set, featuring five breaks of serve, to take victory when Svitolina netted.

Barty, who won her first Grand Slam title at the French Open in June, will end the season as the world number one, while 25-year-old Svitolina, who reached both the Wimbledon and US Open semi-finals, finishes a year without a title for the first time since 2013.

Barty ends stunning year with another major achievement

Whatever happened in the Shenzhen final, Barty's lengthy list of achievements in a spectacular season would not have been diminished.

But she made sure she capped an extraordinary year by becoming the first Australian to win the WTA Tour finals since her role model Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1976.

What makes her success even more remarkable is the fact Barty stepped away from the tour following the 2014 US Open, saying she felt tennis was a "lonely sport".

The Queenslander switched to cricket and played for the Brisbane Heat in the women's Big Bash.

After rising to the top 20 last year, Barty's unique mix of power and variety, intelligence and creativity, has taken her to the top of the women's game with titles on all surfaces.

Her 2019 achievements include:

"It has been a remarkable year tonight was about coming out and fighting to the end. I couldn't be prouder. It has been an incredible year," Barty said.

"I'm proud of myself and the team, we tried to put ourselves in the biggest situations and occasions and we managed to do that."

Event finishes on high with engaging final

An engaging final between the top seed and defending champion was a positive end to a season-ending finals which did encounter some problems on its debut in Shenzhen.

The slow speed of the courts was criticised, while crowds in the early part of the tournament were not as packed as organisers would have hoped.

But the major issue threatening the credibility of the tournament - and the tour itself - was the gruelling demands on the players over the course of the season resulting in four of the final eight withdrawing through injury.

Japan's Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka was the first player to pull out because of a shoulder injury, before US Open winner Bianca Andreescu also withdrew as her fitness issues continued with a knee problem.

Dutch alternate Kiki Bertens, Osaka's replacement, could not continue because of a viral illness and the lengthy list was rounded off by Swiss seventh seed Belinda Bencic quitting her semi-final against Svitolina with cramp.

Anderson aims for flying finale
By ELIZABETH BOTCHERBY – Squash Mad Correspondent

Warwickshire’s Lewis Anderson overcame top seed Max Forster (Northumbria) in a thrilling four-setter to reach his second consecutive Dunlop British Junior Championships (BJC) BU19 final on the all-glass show court at the University of Nottingham.

The 3/4 seed Anderson, the World Junior bronze medallist, came through a tight first game 13-11 and looked to be cruising towards the final after taking the second 11-5. Forster, who was still recovering after his quarter-final clash against Jack Mitterer which went to the wire, fought back and capitalised on Anderson’s lapse in concentration to force a fourth. But it was Anderson who prevailed 13-11, 11-5, 4-11, 11-6 to set up a final showdown with second seed Sam Todd (Yorks), the four-time BJC champion.

Commenting on his performance, an ecstatic Anderson said: “Last year I got to the final on this very court and I loved every second. It’s good to get back on here and I’ll try and win it in my last year as a junior.”

Meanwhile, Todd saw off a spirited [5/8] Simon Herbert (Leics) 11-2, 11-6, 13-11 to reach his sixth final.

Todd, 16, was keen to play down his position as favourite: “It’s very exciting to be in the final. I try to forget about the pressure of being the favourite and just play my squash. Hopefully the best man will win on the day.”

In the GU19, [3/4] Alice Green (Essex) avenged her semi-final loss to [2] Katie Malliff (Bucks) in the European Junior Championships in April after edging the 16-year-old in five tightly contested games. Malliff took an early 11-8 lead but couldn’t hold off the five-time finalist who rallied back to win 8-11, 15-13, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9.

“I feel great!” said a delighted Green. “Katie is one of those players where you have to go all out to win. It’s close every time we play so to get this win in the semis has given me real confidence for the final.”

Green set up a third consecutive final against Scottish top seed Georgia Adderley and will be hoping it’s third time lucky after losing on two previous occasions.

A composed Adderley, the World No.100, cruised into the final after overpowering [3/4] Kiera Marshall (Worcs) in three: 11-3, 11-3. 11-4.

Looking ahead to the final, Adderley said: “I hope to defend my title, that’s the plan, but Alice is playing really well so it will be tough.”

Meanwhile, in the GU17s, second seed Saran Nghiem (Lancs) came through a tough semi-final to reach her first BJC final against top seed Torrie Malik (Sussex).

Nghiem, who hadn’t dropped a game, was pushed hard by last year’s GU15’s runner-up [5/8] Emma Bartley (Suffolk). The match exchanged hands several times before Nghiem took a tight third game 12-10. Despite a 7-4 lead in the fourth, Bartley couldn’t hold off an animated Nghiem, who triumphed 11-9, 6-11, 12-10, 11-8.

“I’ve never been in a British final before and my opponent played really well so I’m just happy to get the win,” said a relieved Nghiem.

“I’ve been watching Torrie’s matches and she’s in good form but I’ll push her and see what happens.”

In the other semi, favourite Torrie Malik put in a dominant display to defeat [3/4] Alisa Sheikh 11-5, 11-4, 11-2 and reach her fifth consecutive BJC final.

Commenting on her performance, Malik said: “It feels really good to be in the final five times in a row, I’ll just push through the next one and hopefully I’ll finish in first place again!”

In the BU17, 15-year-old top seed Denis Gilevskiy (Ire) overpowered [4] Oliver Green (Essex) in straight games: 11-8, 11-8, 11-6.

“It was a tough semi,” said the Irish No.1. “It could’ve gone either way, or to five, but it feels great to get the win. I feel very strong and I’m hoping to get the win tomorrow.”

Gilevskiy goes on to meet [3/4] Khalil Hassan (Warks) in the final who overcame Alex Smith (Ire) in three close games: 11-8, 11-9, 11-9.

In the BU15 semis, [2] Abd-Allah Eissa avenged his 2018 BJC BU13 final loss to Essex’s [3/4] Yusuf Sheikh with a 3-1 victory: 11-4, 11-5, 4-11, 11-7.

Eissa, the current British Junior Open BU13 champion will meet [1] Jonah Bryant – in what will be a repeat of March’s Dunlop English Junior Championships in which Bryant prevailed.

Bryant, meanwhile, put on a clinical display to oust [9/16] James Carman (Middx) 11-5, 11-4, 11-3.

The GU15 went according to seed with [1] Asia Harris (Yorks) overpowering [3/4] Amy Campbell-Wynter (Dorset) 11-8, 11-2, 11-3. Elsewhere, [2] Amelia Hayworth (Hants) dispatched [3/4] Alyx Kelleher (Wales): 11-4, 11-8, 11-7.

One of the biggest upsets of the day came in the GU13 where sixth seed [6] Tala Abaza (Middx) shocked [2] Megan Light (Hamps) 11-9, 11-1, 11-3 to reach her first BJC final.

Abaza will face top seed Charlie McCrone (Lancs), the current English Junior champion, who overcame [3/4] Emily Coulcher-Porter (Bucks) 11-7, 9-11, 11-4, 11-8.

In the BU13s, top seed Alexander Broadbridge (Hants) edged Wales’ [3/4] Archie Turnbull 14-12, 11-1, 7-11, 11-3 to set up a final showdown with [3/4] Dylan Roberts (Kent). Roberts, meanwhile beat [2] Harry Bloomfield (Glos) 3-1: 11-7, 10-12, 11-7, 11-5.

In the GU11, [3/4] Harriet Broadbridge (Hants) upset [2] Fearne Copley (Yorks) 11-9, 11-8, 11-8 in a close fought semi-final at Nottingham Squash Rackets Club. The 10-year-old, who hadn’t dropped a game, will meet top seed Reka Kemecsei (Surrey) in the final. Kemecsei, meanwhile overcame 9-year-old 3/4 seed Ameerah Ismail (Warks) 11-4, 11-1, 11-0.

The Boy’s U11 semi-finals are yet to be played and will take place on Sunday morning. 

Dunlop British Junior Championships 2019, University of Nottingham, England.

Semi-finals results:
BU19
[3/4] Lewis Anderson (Warks) bt. [1] Max Forster (Nbria) 13-11, 11-5, 4-11, 11-6
[2] Sam Todd (Yorks) bt. [5/8] Simon Herbert (Leics) 11-2, 11-6, 13-11

GU19
[3/4] Alice Green (Ess) bt. [2] Katie Malliff (Bucks) 8-11, 15-13, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9
[1] Georgia Adderley (Scot) bt. [3/4] Kiera Marshall (Worcs) 11-3, 11-3, 11-4

BU17
[1] Denis Gilevskiy (Ire) bt. [3/4] Oliver Green (Essex) 11-8, 11-8, 11-6.
[3/4] Khalil Hassan (Warks) bt. [5/8] Alex Smith (Ire) 11-8, 11-9, 11-9

GU17
[1] Torrie Malik (Sussex) bt. [3/4] Aliza Sheikh (Essex) 11-5, 11-4, 11-2
[2] Saran Nghiem (Lancs) bt. [5/8] Emma Bartley (Sus) 11-9, 6-11, 12-10, 11-8

BU15
[1] Jonah Bryant (Sussex) bt James Carman (Middx) 11-5, 11-4, 11-3
[2] Abd-Allah Eissa (Warks) bt [3/4] Yusuf Sheikh (Essex) 11-4, 11-5, 4-11, 11-7

GU15
[1] Asia Harris (Yorks) bt. [3/4] Amy Campbell-Wynter (Dorset) 11-8, 11-2, 11-3
[2] Amelia Haworth (Hants) bt. [3/4] Alyx Kelleher (Wales) 11-4, 11-8, 11-7

BU13
[1] Alexander Broadbridge (Hants) bt. [3/4] Archie Turnbull (Wal) 14-12, 11-1, 7-11, 11-3
[3/4] Dylan Roberts (Kent) bt [2] Harry Bloomfield (Glos) 11-7, 10-12, 11-7, 11-5

GU13
[5/8] Tala Abaza (Middx) bt. [2] Megan Light (Hamps) 11-9, 11-1, 11-3
[1] Charlie McCrone (Lancs) bt. [3/4] Emily Coulcher-Porter (Bucks) 11-7, 9-11, 11-4, 11-8

GU11
[1] Reka Kemecsei (Surrey) bt. [3/4] Ameerah Ismail (Warks) 11-4, 11-1, 11-0
[3/4] Harriet Broadbridge (Hants) bt. [2] Fearne Copley (Yorks) 11-9, 11-8, 11-8

Watch live streaming of the finals from 9am via englandsquash.tv. For draws, results and live scores visit englandsquash.com/bjc 

Pictures by PETER HATTER courtesy of England Squash

South Africa's Rugby World Cup triumph in 2019 eclipses the side's success in 1995, according to former Springbok captain Francois Pienaar.

Pienaar was presented with the William Webb Ellis Cup by president Nelson Mandela in an iconic moment in the nation's post-apartheid history.

"This is bigger," said Pienaar.

"It is a transformed team with 58 million people watching in South Africa, all races wearing green, which wouldn't have happened in my time."

In the apartheid era, during which black South Africans were barred from opportunities and public facilities by a political system of racial segregation, rugby was seen by many as the sport of the country's minority white community.

The Springboks' opportunities were limited by an international boycott of the country, with their opponents often supported by the black majority population in the few fixtures they did play.

However, their victory over England on Saturday, led by captain Siya Kolisi who grew up in poverty in a Port Elizabeth township, was greeted by scenes of jubilation across South African society.

"We had an incredible moment with Mr Mandela but just the support from the nation for this and team and captain," added Pienaar.

"In South Africa we are tender. We have had bad leadership and our country needs to rebuild.

"They play together and it makes them a successful team and that is a beautiful story for life and for a country.

"As a country, to be world champion, you all need to work together."

Kolisi praise well deserved - Habana

Former Springboks wing Bryan Habana, who helped South Africa achieve World Cup glory in 2007, paid tribute to Kolisi.

"I told people the whole week of Siya growing up," he said. "He had some support, but he didn't have great role models. He was sometimes worried about where his next meal was coming from.

"He just wanted to get through some nights knowing that he could go to school and get a jam sandwich that would see him through the day.

"Knowing Siya a little bit more personally than the average person and being part of his journey, it has been absolutely fantastic. He deserves everything that comes his way."

Nationwide victory tour planned

The World Cup-winning squad and coaches are due to arrive back in South Africa on a number of flights on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Captain Kolisi, vice-captain Handre Pollard and head coach Rassie Erasmus will be among the first batch of squad members to arrive in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

There are plans for a nationwide victory tour from Thursday to Sunday taking in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Soweto, Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.

England's World Cup final defeat against South Africa was desperately disappointing.

The way England have played at this World Cup and the depth of players they have as a group, this was absolutely the right squad to challenge for the trophy.

England fans will all be feeling totally dejected but nowhere near as upset as the players and management will be.

They were so far off winning that game. There is a weird part of me that, even though I feel totally dejected, does not feel quite as bad as if South Africa had nicked it at the death with a last-minute penalty or drop-goal. England just simply were not good enough.

I never felt for one minute that England were in a position to score points then run away with it. It was going to be a battle to the death and unfortunately the Springboks seemed to be more capable of winning a World Cup final.

England have learned a big lesson. Those players are going to remember that for the rest of their lives and hopefully store it up to say they are never going to feel like that again, never going to make those mistakes under that sort of pressure again and they will come back as better players.

'England needed to change it up'

England head coach Eddie Jones has had a blinding tournament and, tactically, has been great throughout.

But on this occasion South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus was awesome. Wherever England attacked, the Springboks had defence.

They were very disciplined. They were tactically spot on. They played in the right areas. They had the balance of their kicking game opposed to when it was on to run - they chose the right time and made good decisions.

We have been praising Jones and waxing lyrical about how perfect England's build-up and preparation has been.

But ironically they lost because they looked like they did not have the ability to adapt on the field when South Africa were not playing the way that England expected.

It is very difficult to change on the field, but it has been a fairly common trait of England sides over the past 10 years of not being able to adapt under that type of pressure.

South Africa were fantastic in the set-piece, scrums and line-outs, and the breakdown. Faf de Klerk was running the show from scrum-half.

England very early on were chasing shadows rather than having a broader view that South Africa were playing in a different way so they needed to change it up.

Unfortunately they tried to play the same way against a team that were just lapping up the contact.

The senior England players should have stood up and realised what they were doing what was not working.

There were some key individuals who needed to stand up in a leadership role under that extreme pressure. In those environments, it really stands out what a difference it makes to have a captain in the forward pack.

Owen Farrell has been a great leader for England but it needed a vice-captain to step in up front, like Kieran Read or Sam Warburton would have done.

'The Springboks will be heralded as heroes'

There are millions of dejected England fans all over the world. Ordinarily, there would be no reason to reflect positively on that type of result.

But, looking at the larger picture that South Africa winning that game paints, I do not think any other final has a bigger political story to tell than this one.

You would have to not have any emotion in your body to look at the picture of Siya Kolisi - South Africa's first black captain - lifting the trophy and not understand the power of what he and his team have done; what he has done as an individual to effectively change the view of millions of people within sport.

Very few leaders in the world get that opportunity and he has just done it by being him and playing rugby. So there are huge positives to the outcome.

The game of rugby means so much to a lot of people, but on reflection the game has much more of a profound effect on a nation like South Africa than it does anywhere else in the world.

Rugby has done an amazing job and that South Africa team will be quite rightly heralded as heroes for more reasons than just winning a rugby game.

It started when the Springboks won in 1995, shortly after apartheid ended, when Nelson Mandela presented Francois Pienaar with the trophy.

But now, 24 years after that breakthrough, we are still talking about the inequalities that South Africans are trying to fix.

Back in 1995 you might have thought maybe within eight or 12 years, could there be a black captain of South Africa challenging for the trophy? It has taken 24 years.

Let's hope in another 24 years we are not in a similar predicament. Let's hope that this game has significantly moved the dial for the country, the politics and all the people that those guys represented today.

What next for Eddie Jones and his team?

People are going to be after Jones now but you cannot get away from the fact that he has done a magnificent job with that England team.

He has taken them to the brink of world domination. They have had a bad day at the office.

But one bad day compared to the many weeks of success he has brought to this England side means he should be congratulated and praised for what he has done.

Since he became coach in 2015, Jones has turned England from a team that could not get out of their pool at a home World Cup to a team that were in the final four years later.

So the time is right to give Jones a pat on the back and let him enjoy a few beers.

A lot of those players are going to be around in four years' time. Hopefully, Jones will stick around and help in some way so England can progress even further.

It is going to be a strange feeling for the players getting back home and understanding the euphoria that was going on back in the UK.

You have to get back into your club jersey and it is not quite as intense and a very different environment.

The players are going to make sure that they focus on all the positives collectively and that they keep themselves fit.

There is a danger that they get frustrated and go straight into the club season and pick up injuries.

Then if the Six Nations does not go well, it spirals instead of giving them rest and looking after them because they have been maxed out.

Whatever happens, it is going to be a while until the England players can pick themselves back up after this.

Matt Dawson was speaking to BBC Sport's Becky Grey.