OSWEGO, N.Y. – Using a season of consistency which included two wins and nine top fives in twelve main events, 52-year-old Otto Sitterly put together another tremendous campaign that earned him his ninth Oswego Speedway supermodified title.

Just a season ago, Sitterly had surpassed legends Bentley Warren and Jim Shampine for most supermodified titles of all-time at eight. This year, Sitterly outdid the great Nolan Swift, who also earned eight titles between both modifieds and supers, securing the right to be known as the grand champion of Oswego. Now, nobody in 69 years has won more titles than Sitterly.

“It is obviously very meaningful to have my name mentioned with those guys,” Sitterly said. “I think winning all of these championships shows consistency, but more importantly the level of commitment from the Nicotra Racing team. I can’t say enough about all of those guys.”

Sitterly’s season began with two Shampine Memorial wins on opening day. Otto became the first driver to see victory with the track’s new rear wing package, while teammate Alison Sload broke the gender barrier that same day becoming the first female Supermodified winner in a car prepared by Sitterly.

“I guess it was kind of nice to have a new challenge this year,” Sitterly added. “We won the first two races with the new wing and got a third win in June which was my second of the year and no one else did that, so I guess the seven car won twice as many races as everybody else.”

Sitterly, who won on May 25 and again on June 22, is in fact correct. Sitterly was one of eleven different Supermodified winners in 2019; joining the likes of Sload, Abold, Gruel, Bellinger, Shullick, Shampine, Danzer, Gosek, and Thompson, who all won no more than one regular race.

“The cars are very, very even,” Sitterly commented. “We started out good at the beginning of the year, but slowed down at the end. “We actually come with a different setup every week and did learn a few things, but later in the year was a struggle. Fortunately we got a big lead early.”

What got Sitterly that huge lead over championship runner-up Jeff Abold; who was essentially his only challenger, is again consistency. Through the first seven features, nobody passed as many cars as Sitterly, and the No. 7 car never finished worse than fifth place.

“I think winning championships certainly shows a lot of consistency,” Sitterly reiterated. “It is all about the (Nicotra) team though. Nobody in the whole pit area works as hard as these guys for all these years and it shows winning multiple titles.”

Bringing up an excellent point was car owner John Nicotra, who mentioned that Sitterly not only broke the record for most titles in Oswego history this season, but has also now won ten of the last fourteen Supermodified championships as either a driver or mechanic.

“This is very special to our team,” offered Nicotra, who is now the second winningest car owner in Oswego history behind only Shampine. “Counting the years 2006 to 2019, that’s fourteen seasons and ten titles out of Otto’s personal garage and I think that is absolutely incredible.”

Nicotra, who began fielding cars in 2007 for Sitterly and Davey Hamilton, has now amassed a grand total of 46 wins between Sitterly, Hamilton, Sload, and Shullick, along with nine titles between Sitterly and Dave Shullick Jr., which is an all-time Oswego record as well.

“Sitting in the stands as a kid, I never thought I would even be involved let alone run for so many years and win multiple championships,” Nicotra added. “Otto always told me ‘don’t be expecting it’ and I told him ‘Why not? If you can get one, you can get ten,’ and here we are pretty close.”

The common thread that Sitterly and his car owner attribute to the longstanding success of Nicotra Racing is Nicotra’s dedicated crew who along with Sitterly, prepare three race cars to hit the track each and every Saturday night.

“The guys Otto has assembled are a great bunch of people,” Nicotra stated. “They all volunteer and work so hard and that means a lot to me. Nobody gets paid, everybody pays their way in, they supply all their food, and pretty much do everything. They are a loyal, dedicated bunch.”

What most may not realize is that despite all those years of having an extra car at his disposal, Sitterly never used more than one enroute to winning a title. Now, the Nicotra stable will have one less piece with 2020 on the horizon as the backup No. 6 was sold to Connors Racing.

“We’re starting to wind our inventory down,” Nicotra admitted. “I would have liked to do a deal to run the full ISMA tour one year and go for that title, but I don’t see it at this point. I think Otto and I are on the same page and we are going to play this Oswego deal out and see what happens.”

So, what’s next for Nicotra Racing? An attempt at that 10th title sounds pretty likely, as Nicotra recently announced an agreement to welcome Sload back as a full-time commitment car in 2020, leaving little doubt that Sitterly will again do the same.

“Alison and her team have committed for next year and we pretty much plan on doing the exact same thing that we did this season,” Nicotra confirmed. “If we were ever able to secure a tenth title, it would really be like that crystal ball we were staring into once upon a time.”

Hong Kong 150 for 7 (Shah 59*, Barkat 27) beat Canada 118 for 9 (Cheema 20, Rana 3- 25, Christie 2-23) by 32 runs

An unbeaten half-century by Kinchit Shah and a three-wicket haul by Nasrulla Rana helped Hong Kong to a 32-run win over Canada in the Group B of the T20 World Cup qualifiers.

This was Canada's first defeat in four games and they are now second on the points table, with the net run rate separating them and table-toppers Oman. Despite their victory, Hong Kong stay at the second spot from the bottom with four points from five games.

Hong Kong captain Aizaz Khan opted to bat after winning the toss and they found themselves on 24 for 3 in the fourth over. Left-hand batsman Shah, batting at No. 4, though took control and with Waqas Barkat added 39 for the fourth wicket to stabilise the innings.

Barkat fell to the offspin of Nitish Kumar for a 23-ball 27 but Shah carried on. He and Haroon Arshad took the side close to 100. The two added 35 in just 25 balls to keep the scoreboard moving but then Shah cut loose as Hong Kong plundered 51 runs from the last five overs. Shah brought up his fifty with a six off Dillon Heyliger in the final over and overall struck three sixes and two fours in his unbeaten 59 off 48 balls to help his side reach 150.

Canada's chase never really took off. Medium-pacer Rana dented them early by dismissing opener Rodrigo Thomas for 12. From the other end, Haroon Arshad bowled Navneet Dhaliwal, the other opener and Canada captain, to leave them 17 for 2.

Nitish and Ravinderpal Singh ensured Canada didn't lose further wickets till the halfway stage but by that time the asking rate had climbed past ten. Rana broke the stand with Ravinderpal's wicket in the 11th over. The incoming batsmen tried to provide increase the scoring rate but Canada kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Wicketkeeper Hamza Tariq scored a 13-ball 17 before becoming Rana's third victim, and on the next ball, Rizwan Cheema was run-out for 20 off 19. At 88 for 6 in the 17th over, the result was all but decided.

It was not that the Canada batsmen didn't get the starts. Seven of their batsmen reached double figures but none could go past 20.

Three ground-breaking days have made Shakib Al Hasan not only the face of Bangladesh cricket but also potentially the architect of its future. He has taken the mantle of players' leader in the strike that ended on Wednesday, a movement that has shaken up Bangladesh cricket and brought the debate over the board's governance, functionality and performance to the fore.

Even though more than 100 professional cricketers - including Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah - also joined the movement, Shakib's stature gave it heft and credibility. There was, however, one huge legend-sized hole in the scenario: Mashrafe Mortaza, whose very low profile was a huge surprise given that he has always had an active role in helping the players' cause in big and small matters.

It's a vacuum that Shakib filled capably but what made him take the lead?

He was, actually, the trigger for the strike. Three days after he signed for Rangpur Riders for the 2019-20 BPL, the BCB said that the move couldn't be endorsed since the tournament's seventh edition comes under a new four-year cycle, and none of the franchises had signed on to the new deal.

It was a strange decision given that the BCB's chief executive had sent a letter months earlier to the same franchises to begin preparation for the next season. With that in mind, some franchises made signings. Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim had reportedly made similar moves, but now that the BCB had cut off Shakib's deal, automatically all the other deals were off the table.

"Whatever the demands, if it had Shakib Al Hasan in the front row, it would affect the BCB in a major way"

The board wasn't bothered when Tamim or Mushfiqur changed allegiance but the moment Shakib moved out of Dhaka Dynamites, the franchise owned by Beximco where three of BCB's high-ups are employed, they became suspiciously keen to redo the franchise contracts.

Shakib hasn't yet commented on how he felt with the deal falling through or the BCB announcing last month that they will run a special BPL without the franchises - a situation that heavily reduced salaries of most Bangladeshi players. This came on the back of other financial issues faced by domestic cricketers.

Shakib and the rest of the country's top players were always aware of these issues. The strike on October 21 however needed someone to take lead, and it had to be Shakib. Whatever the demands, if it had Shakib Al Hasan in the front row, it would affect the BCB in a major way. The players have known this for years but Shakib too needed to be convinced. This time, somehow, he took the lead.

Perhaps the explanation lay in Mashrafe's staying away from the agitation.

ALSO READ: Nazmul Hassan's aggression leaves cricketers 'rattled'

For many years Mashrafe had represented his team-mates to the board officials, taking forward their demands and requests and getting things done. It hardly ever made news because Mashrafe did it quietly. Repeatedly, and particularly after he became the ODI captain in 2014, players relied on Mashrafe as their leader on and off the field.

So this must have been the most tricky decision for the striking players. The only reason that could come close to an explanation is Mashrafe's current role as an MP prevented him from taking a stance directly against the BCB, a national sports body. We still don't know what Mashrafe would have done or said but, to his credit, he did take the players' side, expressing as much in a Facebook post on the evening of October 21, after he saw the strike on TV.

Mashrafe said that he too wondered why the players didn't ask him to join, but said that he not just understand their demands but was with them. It was also reported that on the following days he got engaged in solving the impasse after the country's prime minister asked him about it. But he didn't do anything publicly.

Without Mashrafe in the movement, Shakib was the highest-profile cricketer standing in front of the cameras on that Monday afternoon. He didn't just read out two demands and answer two questions, his presence itself was huge. With Tamim, Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur alongside him, it made a formidable team.

The presence of Shakib and the rest of the top cricketers also made sure that there was no emotional reaction from any cricketer after Nazmul Hassan's verbal attack on the second day of their strike. What many felt was the BCB's best opportunity to sort out the crisis instead became a narration of an uneasy relationship between the two parties.

The rest of the players, who numbered more than a hundred as they met in a Dhaka hotel on Wednesday, seemed to fully place their trust in Shakib's leadership. The appointment of a spokesperson, barrister Mustafizur Rahman Khan, seemed unnecessary to some, but the experienced lawyer and cricket enthusiast elucidated their stance in proper terms. He also impressed upon the players their importance in the scheme of things, as was evident in the addition of a crucial demand, that of asking for revenue sharing. If the BCB can earn a lot of money because of the cricketers' performance, then why can't they have a bite out of that cake?

"Even though more than 100 professional cricketers - including Tamim, Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah - also joined the movement, Shakib's stature gave it heft and credibility"

Shakib was one of the few vocal players when they took the demands to the BCB officials, despite the latter's aggressive stance from the very beginning. This is where Shakib makes the difference with the rest of the cricketers in Bangladesh. His pedigree forces the BCB to take him seriously.

Now, though, with Shakib announcing the end of the strike, his and the players' real work begins. They must first hold the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) elections quickly so that their elected current players' representative could have regular discussions with the board about their issues, many of which will be these demands.

Shakib also must be aware that everything that they do from this point onwards will become ammunition for those who they have opposed. Their on-field performance, particularly against India, will be put under the microscope but, once again, it will be Shakib who could make a big difference in both the performance and attitude. He will need the full support of the rest of his team, all of whom were by his side during these three days of strike. It has the potential to galvanise the team, with Shakib being their lynchpin.

Northern 167 for 5 (Umar Amin 60, Mohammad Nawaz 31*, Amad 2-19) beat Balochistan 115 all out (Imran Farhat 32, Tanvir 3-27, Nawaz 2-10, Shadab 2-23) by 52 runs

A half-century from Umar Amin and a frugal bowling display saw Northern thump Balochistan in the National T20 Cup final in Faisalabad. These two sides had finished top two in the group stage, with Northern edging Balochistan in the standings. It was much the same today, except Northern didn't edge it so much as romp home, such was their domination from the moment they set Balochistan 168 to win.

That said, it wasn't always clear Northern would go on to pose as steep a total as that, particularly when they slumped to 109 for 5 with five overs to go. A splendid 38-ball 60 from Umar had done much of the heavy lifting in getting them there but not out of the woods yet. Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz combined for 58 off the last 32 balls, each unbeaten by the end, to put their side on course. It was Umar Gul who bore the brunt of the onslaught, conceding 45 runs in his allotted four, but in truth, Balochistan simply weren't as tight as their counterparts would be in the second innings. Only Amad Butt, who registered figures of 4-0-19-2, seriously halted Northern's charge.

Balochistan's chase stalled before it had even begun thanks to two wicket for Sohail Tanvir in the third over, putting paid to both skipper Imam-ul-Haq and Bismillah Khan. That left the veteran Imran Farhat alongside Awais Zia to stabilise the innings, and though their 44-run partnership did that, the asking rate continued to climb.

A lack of power hitters in the Balochistan line-up meant getting that down was always going to be a tough ask, and with Imad Wasim and Nawaz habitually stingy in the middle overs, the wheels began to come off. Shadab, too, put in a much improved performance that may bode well for his international prospects in Australia, conceding just 23 runs in his four while removing Haris Sohail and Imran Farhat.

Northern would continue to puncture Balochistan's chances with routine wickets, with no one looking like they might hold up one end and drag their side closer to the finish line. Amad Butt struck an enormous six, but it was very much out of keeping with how his side were progressing. Northern's bowlers were canny enough to bamboozle a long-ish tail, and Balochistan would lose their last four wickets for 12 runs. They were bowled out 11 balls short of the full quota as the game, and Balochistan's campaign, whimpered to an uninspiring finish.

WASHINGTON -- Vice President Mike Pence took a swipe at Nike and the NBA in a speech criticizing China's record on trade and human rights.

Pence singled out the shoe company for removing Houston Rockets merchandise from stores in China after the team's general manager angered the Chinese government with a tweet supporting protesters in Hong Kong.

Pence said the NBA was acting like a "wholly owned subsidiary of the authoritarian regime" for failing to stand up to the Chinese government's criticism of Rockets general manager Daryl Morey.

Pence spoke Thursday at the Wilson Center in Washington as the Trump administration and the Chinese government try to negotiate a trade deal.

He sounded an alarm about China's influence campaigns and its crackdown on free speech and other rights in Hong Kong.

New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks will have Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow next week and is expected to miss eight to 10 months.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman announced Thursday that Hicks will have the operation next Wednesday.

Cashman also revealed that right-hander Masahiro Tanaka recently underwent arthroscopic surgery to have bone spurs removed from his pitching elbow and that first baseman Luke Voit had surgery to repair a core muscle injury.

Tanaka and Voit are expected to be ready for spring training, according to Cashman.

The Yankees' expected timeline is not as optimistic for Hicks, who missed nearly two months near the end of the season with what the team described as a flexor injury near his elbow.

Hicks and the Yankees both said at the time that Tommy John surgery was a possibility, but the veteran outfielder opted against the operation and returned to the club for its American League Championship Series matchup against the Houston Astros.

He went just 2-for-13 in the series against the Astros, but his three-run homer against Justin Verlander in Game 5 helped the Yankees avoid elimination and force a Game 6 in Houston.

Hicks, 30, batted .235 with 12 homers in 59 games this season as he struggled with injuries to his back and elbow. The 2020 season marks the first year of a seven-year, $70 million extension Hicks signed in February.

London library to house 4,000 items at the Southgate club
By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad International Correspondent

While Squash looks forward, with new generations enjoying this great sport and new champions crowned on the latest club and showcourts, the sport also has a long and rich heritage.

Being passionate about preserving this extensive history, Andrew Shelley is launching the World Squash Library (WSL) as an independent ‘not-for-profit’ initiative to ensure that books, magazines, championship programmes, results, images and other information can be brought together in one place to respond to enquiries from current players, media, federations, students – simply anyone wanting information on the long or near past.

“I believe that our history must not only be easily accessible now, but safeguarded for future generations,” said Shelley (pictured above), who recently concluded his term as CEO of the World Squash Federation.

“By giving my time and energy to develop and manage WSL, I am able to give something back to the sport that has given me so much.”

The Library will be housed at the Walker Ground in North London, home of Southgate Squash Club.

“There are approaching 4,000 items catalogued now, stretching back to 1890, and although there are gaps to be filled, a great many of the handbooks and magazines along with many World Championship and other major event programmes are in place so that questions can be answered and researches mounted,” Shelley added.

Initial WSL information is at www.squashlibrary.info with future projects for the Library including digitalisation of key materials, regular social media sidelights, articles and posters that Federations can use, looking back at advertising, court development and other facets of our sport. Spotlights and features will be added to the site regularly.

For those with questions, keen to offer appropriate historical materials to WSL, or even keen to support the running costs, Andrew Shelley can be contacted at [email protected]

“WSL can never be complete, but over the coming years we will be getting as close as possible!” Shelley concluded.

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Andrew Shelley is a highly-respected figure in world squash, who began his 43-year association with the sport in 1976 when he joined the (then) Squash Rackets Association, now England Squash.

Managing championships such as the British Open (20 times) and eventually becoming the Association’s Operations Manager, Shelley left in 1994 to run the Women’s International Squash Players’ Association (WISPA) – which later became the Women’s Squash Association (WSA) before merging with the Professional Squash Association (PSA).

Over 15 years, he oversaw a 300 per cent growth in the women’s pro tour before being appointed the WSF CEO in 2010.

WSL is an independent organisation registered in England as a Community Interest Company (CIC), a specific category for charities and those on a similar plane who operate to benefit their community – in this case the world of squash – and can raise support funding, but cannot make a profit.