England batsman Joe Denly has been sidelined after damaging a ligament in his ankle during practice. The 33-year old picked up the injury on Thursday, prior to the first of the five T20Is against New Zealand, and will play no further part in the limited-overs series. The England management has not named a replacement for Denly, who is also part of the squad for the two Test matches that start on November 21 and round off the tour.

Denly arrived in New Zealand after helping England to a share of the Ashes series earlier this year, scoring 94 as a makeshift opening batsman. His continuing in that role will now depend on how he pulls up after rehabilitation, although England do have Dominic Sibley as back-up. The 24-year old Warwickshire batsman is a specialist at the top of the order and was the only one to score more than 1000 runs in the 2019 Championship season. He has been compared to Sir Alastair Cook for the manner in which he grinds out his runs.

"He's been the standout batsman in the 2019 County Championship and has proven that he doesn't just have the ability to score hundreds but dominating hundreds," Warwickshire director of cricket, and former assistant coach of England, Paul Fabrace said of Sibley when awarding him a contract extension until 2022.

Outside of keeping his Test place, Denly might have also been hoping to break into England's first XI in T20 cricket. With a view to building for the the World Cup next October, they saw the five-match series against New Zealand as a testing ground for new talent, coming to the country having rested "seven players" according to their captain Eoin Morgan. With the likes of Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Jason Roy given time off, Denly had the chance to impress the team management but with the injury ruling him out, he has to wait his turn.

England won the first match of the series on Friday with another batsman on the fringes, James Vince, scoring a stroke-filled half-century.

Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Za'Darius Smith has been cited for speeding and possession of marijuana or synthetic marijuana, according to documents filed in Wisconsin Circuit Court in Racine.

The violations occurred Sept. 29, according to the documents, and a hearing date is scheduled for Thursday. The charges are not criminal charges, and Smith is not required to attend the hearing.

"The Packers are aware of the matter involving Za'Darius Smith," the team said in a statement. "We will refrain from making any further comment as it is a legal matter."

Smith, who signed a four-year, $66 million free-agent contract in the offseason, leads the Packers with eight sacks this season.

According to incident reports from the sheriff's office obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Smith and teammates Rashan Gary and Kingsley Keke were returning from a trip to Chicago when they were stopped for going 81 mph in a 60 mph zone. The officer who stopped them smelled marijuana and told the three men to get out of the car. They were briefly handcuffed.

According to the records, none of the men appeared to be high, and no marijuana was found on any of the men. The car was searched, however, and a duffel in the trunk was found to contain three hollowed-out cigars containing marijuana and a vaping device. Smith, who was the driver, took responsibility. The three were released after he was cited.

The NFL is likely to investigate any legal violations involving marijuana.

ESPN's Rob Demovsky contributed to this report.

AUSTIN, Texas – Lewis Hamilton powered his Mercedes to the top of the practice charts on day one of United States Grand Prix weekend Friday at Circuit of the Americas.

Hamilton paced the overall charts thanks to a best lap of 1:33.232 during Friday’s second practice session, which put him three tenths clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the end of the day.

The likely Formula One champion took particular notice of how bumpy the 3.426-mile Circuit of the Americas track is this year.

“It was pretty cold out there on the track today, but at least the sun came out,” Hamilton said. “The first session was interesting as we tried the 2020 tires. FP2 was more of a normal session and it actually went quite smoothly. The track is very bumpy this year – bumps can add character to a circuit, so I’m not a fan of completely smooth circuits, but the bumps here are just massive.

“The problem for the drivers is that we don’t have really much suspension, it doesn’t really move very much, so it feel like sitting straight on the floor and your spine takes a lot of compression. The bumps felt pretty bad in FP1, but we made some changes to make it feel a little bit better for the afternoon session.”

Another driver who took particular notice of the bumps was Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who was third fastest overall Friday.

“The track seems to be getting bumpier every year but luckily the bumps aren’t really in braking areas but it’s something that probably needs looking at before next year,” Verstappen said. “I don’t mind bumps on a street circuit but some of these are quite severe and more like a jump so the wheels actually come off the ground.”

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was fourth fastest overall despite ending the day with a spin in turn 13. Valtteri Bottas’ was fifth fastest, .813 seconds behind his Mercedes teammate Hamilton to close the day.

Vettel was far from the only driver who spun throughout the course of the day, with Carlos Sainz Jr., Antonio Giovinazzi, Romain Grosjean and Daniil Kvyat.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The sputtering Chicago Blackhawks could take a look at another one of their top prospects when they face the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.

Adam Boqvist practiced alongside Duncan Keith on Friday and worked with the team's second power-play unit. The 19-year-old defenseman was selected by Chicago with the No. 8 pick in the 2018 draft and was recalled from the minors Thursday.

Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton would not guarantee Boqvist would make his NHL debut against the Kings, but added: "The lineup today is probably pretty close to what you were going to see tomorrow, but I just hate to commit to that."

"He's a dynamic player, great skater," Colliton said of Boqvist. "That mobility can be a benefit to us, and we just want to see where he's at. He's got the potential to be on the power play and provide an element there, and our power play hasn't been good."

Boqvist could become the second top prospect to debut for the Blackhawks in the past two weeks. Kirby Dach, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 draft, has one goal and one assist in six games after making his NHL debut on Oct. 20.

"Of course it was a dream come true to get the call," Boqvist said. "I didn't expect it, but it's nice to be here now."

Boqvist played with Keith, a 15-year veteran, each of the past two preseasons. Colliton says he believes Keith will be able to help the 5-foot-11 Boqvist, a native of Falun, Sweden, get up to speed quickly.

"It's not necessarily set in stone, but it's one way to get some familiarity right away, some comfort for Boqvist because they have played together in the past," Colliton said.

The Blackhawks are 1-4-1 in their past six games. Their only win in that span was against the Kings, 5-1 on Sunday.

The real drama in Saturday’s final round of LPGA Q-Series won’t be about who wins the two-week marathon at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina.

It will be about who successfully navigated their way inside the top 45 and ties to earn LPGA playing privileges for next year.

Dramatic runs from the back of the pack to the middle of the pack will be as rewarding in the final round as anything that happens at the top of the leaderboard.

Muni He continued her strong run out front with a 1-under-par 71 in cold, tough conditions at Pinehurst No. 9, with only three players posting scores in the 60s. He is at 19 under, overall, through seven rounds, three shots ahead of Hee Young Park (72) and seven ahead of Yealimi Noh (71).

“This is not about who is going to win this event,” Park said. “I want to keep my card, and get done with this golf tournament . . . [that’s] my goal. I'm really happy with little less pressure than any other girls so far, and I’m going to keep playing safe. Fairways, greens, and if I make par, I'm just really happy with that every single hole.”

There were several big moves Friday inside the magic line of top 45 and ties. At day’s end, there were 48 players at 5 over or better.

Christina Kim, a three-time LPGA winner looking to improve her status next year, shot 70 to climb 23 spots, into to a tie for 28^th. Kim is 117^th on the LPGA money list this season. She can play out of Category 16 for LPGA tournament winners next year, but she’s looking to improve that status by moving up into Category 14, for players who advanced through Q-Series.

Louise Ridderstrom (69) and Alana Uriell (69) each climbed 27 spots into a tie for 28^th.

Of the five collegiate amateurs in the field, three are sitting inside the top 45 going into the final round. USC’s Jennifer Chang (72) and Stanford’s Albane Valenzuela (71) are at T-5. Stanford’s Andrea Lee (77) is at T-35. Florida State’s Frida Kinhult (80) has some work to do at T-66, as does Florida’s Sierra Brooks (78) at T-69.

A complete list of scores can be found here. 

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Miguel Angel Jimenez birdied the final two holes Friday for a 6-under 66 and a share of the first-round lead in the Invesco QQQ Championship, the second of three events in the PGA Tour Champions' Charles Schwab Cup playoffs.

Coming off a victory two week ago in Virginia in the playoff opener, Jimenez joined Billy Mayfair and Woody Austin atop the leaderboard at Sherwood Country Club. The 55-year-old Spaniard had eight birdies and two bogeys, rebounding from a bogey on the par-3 15th with birdies on the par-3 17th and par-4 18th.

Jimenez has two victories this season and is 10th in the season standings, with the top 36 advancing to the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship next week at Phoenix Country Club.

Mayfair is 46th in the standings, leaving him fighting to get into his hometown event.

''Obviously, I need to play real good the next two days to have a chance to get to Phoenix, a hometown event, next week,'' Mayfair said. ''So that's on my mind, but I've just got to go out tomorrow and just start with one and play the next two days the best I can.''

Mayfair birdied Nos. 14-17 and closed with a par. The five-time PGA Tour champion is winless on the 50-and-over tour.

Austin, fifth in the standings, also birdied Nos. 14-17 and closed with a par. He has four senior victories.

Gene Sauers and Tom Gillis shot 67, and Retief Goosen, Chris DiMarco, Tommy Tolles and Kirk Triplett followed at 68.

Sauers played a five-hole stretch in 6 under, highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 13th. Gillis eagled the par-5 11th. Sauers is 41st in the standings, and Gillis 38th.

Charles Schwab Cup leader Scott McCarron opened with a 70. Second-place Jerry Kelly, playing alongside McCarron with the players grouped by the standings, had a 72.

Five-time Schwab Cup champion Bernhard Langer, fourth in the standings, shot 70.

Defending event champion Scott Parel also opened with a 70.

John Daly was the last player to get into the field and was last among the 51 starters at 78.

CHICAGO -- An offseason of change for the Chicago Cubs began in earnest earlier this week when the team introduced David Ross to replace Joe Maddon as its manager. The news conference Monday worked to allay the fears of fans on two fronts: Ross' ability to manage his former teammates and his lack of prior coaching experience.

On the first point, Ross made it clear he wasn't always the lovable "Grandpa Rossy" he became known as in the late stages of his career as a player, so there's no reason to believe that's who he will be as a manager.

"If I would have been mic'd up for some of those conversations on the mound, they were rarely friendly conversations," Ross said Monday. "The Grandpa Rossy thing is a little bit overblown."

To point No. 2, regarding Ross' lack of coaching experience, perhaps there's a misconception by some that he has been "dancing with the stars" for the past three years. In fact, his work as a special assistant in the Cubs front office, combined with his duties as an analyst for ESPN, have been important in his training for this position.

Ross was in the dugout for 15 years -- retiring after hitting a Game 7 home run in the Cubs' World Series win in 2016 -- and was practically a bench coach his final couple of seasons with Chicago. Ross has seen plenty from that perch. Besides, this is 2019. Learning how the front office utilizes information -- and how it's acquired -- is critical for a manager these days. And Ross isn't the only one. NL manager of the year candidate Craig Counsell took the same path as he joined the Milwaukee Brewers' front office in 2012 before becoming their manager in 2015 -- with no prior coaching experience.

"The biggest thing that helped me was being in the front office for three years," Counsell said. "I became more well-rounded as a thinker and someone that was going to be a leader."

Add Ross' job for ESPN, in which he traveled the country while observing how other organizations operate, and he almost assuredly has had a better training ground than he could have had wearing a uniform.

"I've been in the dugout and know what that's like from a player and coaching standpoint," Ross said. "It was a long list, that when I took the special assistant job that [president of baseball operations] Theo [Epstein] presented to me, of things he would like me to check off, and I checked almost all those boxes. ... I sat in more meetings than I can talk about."

The offseason

Will Ross take over an NL favorite in 2020? Hardly. The first thing is the Cubs' budget: Tamping down offseason spending expectations has become an annual rite of winter. There was a time when the Cubs spent to augment a contending roster, but now the costs are catching up with them, in the form of some questionable signings as well as players entering the later stages of arbitration. Plus, the owner doesn't believe big spending is all that important.

"The correlation between how much you spend and how many games you win isn't high enough," Tom Ricketts said on ESPN 1000 in Chicago this week. "It isn't going to solve your problem. If you look at this season, we spent more than every other team that made the playoffs."

The irony of that statement is if the Cubs spent just a little bit more -- on a closer in January instead of June -- they very well might have made the postseason. Besides, if money had been better spent over the past couple of years, Ricketts' argument wouldn't hold water. It comes down to better decision-making, not necessarily spending less. Still, the team has gotten little help from its farm system, so it's understandable that ownership might look in that direction for some fixes.

"We have to refocus on developing players," Ricketts said. "We have to draft better. We have to be able to develop players that we bring up because over the next couple years we are going to lose some of the guys. There's no way that everyone can stay on this team forever because they're all going to become free agents around the same time. We have to manage that."

This is the reality the Cubs face: No less than four key players become free agents at the same time, after the 2021 season. That list includes Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Kyle Schwarber and Anthony Rizzo. Catcher Willson Contreras is one year behind them. That's the bulk of their championship core.

"Whenever you don't make [the playoffs], it's horrible around here," Epstein said. "That's not something we want to experience again. Next year is a priority. We have to balance it with the future and that's probably more important now than it was a year ago because we're now just two years away from a lot of our best players reaching their end of the period of club control with the Cubs.

"The goal is to do everything we can to win the World Series next year, but we also have to pay attention to the long term and maximize this window while also putting in a lot of good work to open a new one as well."

Ricketts was even more blunt about windows of opportunity, saying he'd rather just have sustained contention than windows opening and closing over time. The owner also mentioned the benefits of getting under the luxury tax threshold, so it's going to be very difficult for the Cubs -- at least on paper -- to look like a World Series contender when spring training opens in February. Many are expecting a retooling year, though the team would never use such terms.

"There are examples of teams that go right up to the end of their contention window with their players and then all of a sudden face a long-term, painful rebuild," Epstein said. "That's not something we're interested in. The art of it will be to maximize all the talented players that we have now and also make sure we're in really good position for the long term."

Who stays and who goes?

The Cubs' strategy is a simple one, as Epstein laid out for all to hear and see. And, no, it doesn't involve bidding for the elite free agents.

"We're very likely to engage certain [Cubs] players in discussions about long-term contracts, see if there is a way to extend players' windows, as Cubs, that way," he said. "And if that's not possible, that might make you open-minded about trades. There's more than one way to take full advantage of a player's value."

In other words, those players who want to stay in Chicago and play ball with the front office have a good chance of getting a contract extension -- albeit probably a team-friendly one. Those who indicate free agency is in their future have a good chance of being traded. It doesn't have to be more complicated than that. That strategy should also serve to restock the farm and turn over the Cubs' position players, a part of the team that needs an overhaul anyway.

"I don't believe in untouchables," Epstein said. "We're open to change. We're open-minded about this roster."

Why change the roster? Chicago's offense was too susceptible to certain kinds of pitchers. Simply put, those who had great spin would stymie Cubs hitters, though they could mash fastball pitchers. It produced an uneven offense and the front office has finally seen enough.

The three players with the most trade value are Bryant, Baez and Contreras. It's very possible two of those three will not be on the Cubs next season. And don't expect a star-for-star deal. This is how the Cubs could retool for 2021 and beyond, by trading for young pitching and position players who might not be major league ready but will be soon.

Of course, if any of those players want to sign a team-friendly contract, the Cubs can be creative and look to make other moves. It's not that Schwarber and Rizzo aren't tradable, but both might be more valuable to the team than in the open market, based on the positions they play and the skill sets they possess. In fact, signing both those guys to extensions could give the Cubs some certainty without completely breaking the bank.

It's the early days of a Cubs offseason bound to make headlines, though not necessarily ones that include Gerrit Cole or Anthony Rendon. Instead, the Cubs will try to fix lingering problems with an eye on the future -- and a rookie manager with whom to grow.

"The real key for us is to focus on developing the players that will be our future because you just can't buy your way into a championship," Ricketts said. "Teams that signed the big free agents really didn't move forward this year."

Rafael Nadal stayed on course to finish the year as number one after he saw off Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 to reach the Paris Masters semi-finals.

The Spanish 19-time Grand Slam singles winner, who now faces Denis Shapovalov, needs to win the event to guarantee top spot heading into 2020.

Earlier, number one seed Novak Djokovic thrashed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-1 6-2.

He will face Grigor Dimitrov on Saturday after the Bulgarian defeated Chile's Cristian Garin 6-2 7-5.

Djokovic, winner of 16 Grand Slams, took only 58 minutes to overcome the Greek player.

The Serb, who will lose his number one ranking to Nadal next week, said: "I played one of the best matches of the season.

"I lost to Stefanos about three weeks ago in Shanghai. And obviously I went through the videos and understanding on what I did well, what I didn't do so well, what I can do better."

In Friday's other quarter-final, Canada's world number 28 Shapovalov ended Frenchman Gael Monfils' hopes of playing at the ATP Finals with a 6-2 6-2 win in just under an hour.

Italian Matteo Berrettini, who reached the US Open semi-finals, takes the last berth in the final event of the season, which begins on 10 November in London.