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It's all up for grabs now! As if we haven't found it hard enough to separate England and New Zealand on the field in recent months, so it has fittingly come to pass that the first five-match T20I series between senior Test nations is coming down to a winners-takes-all tie-breaker as well.

England 2, New Zealand 2. And only the decider at Auckland to come. You can't say you haven't been entertained by these two teams of late.

Okay, so it's not the World Cup final. But there's a special jeopardy attached to games such as these - with a series on the line and that extra pressure to perform - that will doubtless encourage the matchwinners on either side to tap into their A-games. With the World T20 only a year away, performances in contests such as these may be precisely what both captains are looking for as they finalise their 15s and separate the contenders from the also-rans.

And England, all of a sudden, are the team that is seemingly on a roll. Momentum is a fickle and over-rated thing at the best of times, particularly in the shortest format, but the bug-squashing dominance that England's batsmen exerted on Napier's short boundaries on Friday was a sight to behold.

In Dawid Malan, they were presented with a statement performance - a century of stunning power and no little frustration, as a man who has been flitting around the fringes of the white-ball squad for three years seized his chance to shine in the absence of the big three, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler.

Remarkably, his innings of 103 not out from 51 balls may not yet be enough to guarantee a starting berth in England's full-strength line-up. But in taking his T20I record to five fifties and a hundred in nine innings, he is making the sort of unanswerable case that Jonny Bairstow compiled in the 50-over squad prior to the World Cup. And that, more than anything, is what England were looking on this trip.

Can they now close it out and seal the silverware that remains the aim of every touring side, regardless of developmental priorities? New Zealand never really regrouped after their beasting in the field on Friday, but just as Malan and James Vince had hinted at their form in the earlier matches, so too do the Kiwis have a raft of players who've got their eye in in the course of the first four matches. Martin Guptill is getting there, Colin de Grandhomme can never be discounted, Tim Southee's savage range-hitting also hit the spot.

But on the bowling front, England will have been every bit as encouraged by the progress they have made on this trip. Chris Jordan's know-how with new ball and old has been a stand-out feature of every game he has played, and while Matt Parkinson's legspin endured a few lusty blows over the leg-side, Eoin Morgan is sure to have been encouraged by his wicket-taking gumption - five in six overs in his career to date.

Auckland's awkward dimensions promise another batsman's game - in particular the short fine-leg/long-off boundary that turns any error in line and length into a freebie. And if it's anything like the tri-series bunfight against Australia 18 months ago - 243 v 245 - we are in for a treat. And for England fans with nothing better to do this weekend, it's almost worth getting up in the middle of the night to pay attention...

Form guide

England WLLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)

New Zealand LWWLL

In the spotlight

It's been a promising first tour from Tom Banton but Malan's exploits in Napier have raised the bar for those who hope to crack into the full-strength team in time for next year's World Cup. He is one day shy of his 21st birthday, so to say that time is on his side is an understatement - and a return of 49 runs from 31 balls in two innings is significantly better than par - but as he showed in seizing the Royal London final for Somerset last summer, there's more to come from this one. No time like the present to show it.

Where's he really at then? Martin Guptill endured a hellish World Cup, not remotely helped by his cruel role in the decisive moment in the Super Over, but in the course of this series, he's been swinging back into the zone. The runs haven't come in a torrent, but the tap looks ready to be turned back on again - as his 27 from 14 balls in Napier hinted. His levers can make a mockery of Auckland's dimensions, given half a chance.

Team news

It was a chastening day at Napier for New Zealand's bowlers, not least Daryl Mitchell, whose solitary over was dispatched for 25 runs, and the temptation to mix things up will be extreme. But with Lockie Ferguson's wicket-taking menace now concentrating on red-ball cricket with a view to a possible Test debut, New Zealand may opt for a return to Scott Kuggeleijn's extra pace, or the crafty all-round seam option of Jimmy Neesham.

New Zealand (possible): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Tim Seifert (wk), 4 Colin de Grandhomme, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Tim Southee (capt), 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Blair Tickner /Scott Kuggeleijn

After his second TFC of the series, Lewis Gregory might be sweating on his role as England's designated finisher, although England may be loath to change a winning side, especially if the circumstances offer a chance to truly test his mettle if an opportunity arises. James Vince probably deserves one more chance to show what he's got after a couple of classy cameos, but the allure of silverware may limit the tinkering. Malan certainly hoped he had given Morgan a "headache", having only expected to play in the first four games.

England (possible): 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Tom Banton, 3 Dawid Malan/James Vince, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Sam Billings (wk), 6 Lewis Gregory, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Tom Curran, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 Matt Parkinson, 11 Pat Brown

Pitch and conditions

Known locally as the "postage stamp", Auckland offers another drop-in wicket of indeterminate quality, and little respite for error.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand have won just one of their last seven T20I matches at Auckland, against Sri Lanka in January.

• England have won each of their two previous T20Is at the ground too, by 32 runs in 2008, and by 40 runs in 2013, when Eoin Morgan and Jonny Bairstow made 84 runs from 48 balls between them.

• Tim Southee requires one wicket to become the eighth man to claim 75 T20I wickets.

• Colin Munro requires five runs to draw level with Kane Williamson's run-tally of 1,505 for New Zealand in T20Is. Munro has played two more games (59 to 57), though Williamson has batted once more often.

Quotes

"I don't think you can let there be any scarring. You don't completely sweep it under the carpet and you've got to learn from these experiences, but also you dust yourself off and there's a series to be won in Auckland." New Zealand's captain, Tim Southee is looking ahead rather than back

"That's probably why I chanced my arm; I thought if this is the last one I'd better make it count. Thankfully it came off, a few mis-hits went for six and a couple of them just landed in gaps so it worked out really well."
Dawid Malan vowed to go down swinging after fearing Napier was his last outing of the tour

Rishabh Pant has been the topic of a lot of debate in recent times and Rohit Sharma, for one, feels the young wicketkeeper-batsman must be "allowed to do what he wants to do on the field" and be left alone.

After criticism about his shot selection, Pant the wicketkeeper came under scrutiny after he fluffed a chance to stump Liton Das in the second T20I when he collected the ball marginally in front of the stumps, which resulted in the delivery being called a no-ball.

"There's a lot of talk happening about Rishabh Pant, every day, every minute," Rohit said on the eve of the third T20I in Nagpur. "I just feel that he needs to be allowed to do what he wants to do on the field. And I would request everyone to just keep your eyes away from Rishabh Pant for a while.

He is a young guy, probably 21-22 now, trying to make his mark in international cricket, every move he makes on the field, people start talking about it."

While that might be Rohit's position on Pant, other senior members of the Indian team set-up haven't shied away from speaking about the youngster in the recent past. Ravi Shastri had called for a "rap on the knuckles" for Pant for his reckless batting, Vikram Rathour had spoken about the importance of being fearless without being careless, and captain Virat Kohli had called on him to read situations better.

"I think it's not fair, I think we should just allow him to play his cricket, which he also actually wants. And yes, focus on him a lot more when he is doing good things also, not just the bad things," Rohit said. "He has kept well, he is learning every game, and yes, he is just doing whatever the team management wants him (to do). He is a very fearless cricketer, and we want him to have that freedom. And if you guys just keep your eyes a little bit away from him, it will allow him to perform even better."

Since the start of the year, Pant has scored just one half-century across limited-overs internationals, making 195 runs in 12 matches at an average of 21.66 in T20Is and 188 runs in nine games at 23.50 in ODIs. He played all three formats in the West Indies in August, but though he was retained in the T20Is against South Africa, he was replaced by Wriddhiman Saha for the Tests.

While former players including Yuvraj Singh have backed Pant, India's selectors have also made it clear that they want to persist with him across formats.

On being asked what would be his piece of advice to youngsters like Pant - and Shreyas Iyer - Rohit said: "Both of them (are) very talented, have great abilities in whatever they do, and yes, definitely the future of Indian cricket, for sure. And they have proved it whenever they have played for their franchise, domestic cricket. They are just trying to make their mark in international cricket.

"All I would tell them is (to) just understand their game, which is very, very important in whatever format you play, and feeling confident about yourself is very important. I think they are working hard towards their game, and I don't see any reason why they can't get the results on the ground. They have everything that is required to be successful at the international level. They work really hard on their games and yes, at the same time they are learning also. They are very new to this set-up. They are learning every game and with experience in a year or two, you will see them batting differently.

"All we want them to do is to just go out there and enjoy, and be fearless. That would be the message from my side. Because as a young player when you are coming into the side, that is what you look forward to, having that freedom from the management. That is what we are here to assure them, that 'you have all the backing that you need, you have all the freedom that you need, so just go out there and express yourself'. That is when players like these give you the best performance."

Over to the bowling unit, and while India have been attempting to give more and more players a chance in the lead up to the T20 World Cup next year, not all of them have grabbed their chances yet. Khaleel Ahmed, for one.

"This is the time for youngsters to learn. We always say that playing domestic cricket is important and learn more. Till you don't play international cricket you won't know where you stand as a bowler," Rohit said. "I think this is a good challenge for our bowling group because you're playing against an international team. They will always challenge you, batsmen will play shots and challenge you. You won't know where is your bowling until you're put under pressure. I think for these bowlers it's a good time to know where they stand."

Alabama coach Nick Saban expects quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to play in Saturday's key SEC West matchup with LSU, barring any issues during pregame warm-ups, he told ESPN's College GameDay.

"If he feels good in pregame and we don't have a setback, I think he'll be able to play," Saban said.

Tagovailoa, who has passed for 2,166 yards, 27 touchdowns and two interceptions this season for the No. 3-ranked Tide, underwent a "tightrope" surgical procedure Oct. 20 after suffering a high ankle sprain on his right ankle against Tennessee. He missed a 48-7 win over Arkansas two weeks ago, and Alabama had an open date last week.

The quarterback had the same procedure on his left ankle last season after injuring it in the SEC championship game win over Georgia and returned to play less than a month later against Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff semifinal.

On Wednesday, Saban told ESPN's Chris Low that if there were some type of setback during the game, Alabama would not take any chances with Tagovailoa, who was also dealing with a sprained knee a year ago when he injured his ankle.

Mac Jones played in Tagovailoa's place against the Razorbacks, going 18 for 22 for 235 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. It was his first career start.

Ohio State expects star defensive end Chase Young to be handed a four-game suspension for accepting a loan from a family friend, sources told ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit.

The Buckeyes are hopeful that an appeal of Young's case with the NCAA will yield a reduction in the number of games, sources said.

The length of the suspension is tied to the monetary value of the loan Young said he took out in 2018, a loan he says he has since repaid.

Sources confirmed to ESPN that money from Young's loan was used to help fly his girlfriend to attend the Rose Bowl.

The Athletic first reported the reason for Young's loan.

Ohio State hopes to hear by next week the decision on Young's appeal.

Young leads the FBS with 13.5 sacks and is tied for second with 15.5 tackles for loss.

He tied Ohio State's single-game records for sacks (four) and tackles for loss (five) in the Buckeyes' last game, a 38-7 win over Wisconsin on Oct. 26. He needs a half-sack to tie Vernon Gholston's single-season team record set in 2007.

Young, a native of Maryland, will sit out Saturday's game against the Terrapins. The top-ranked Buckeyes' final three regular-season games are against Rutgers, Penn State and Michigan.

At 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, Young is considered a potential No. 1 pick in next spring's NFL draft if he decides to forgo his final season of eligibility with the Buckeyes. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Young as the No. 1 player available for the 2020 draft on his latest Big Board.

Younger sister of two-time Olympic champion Valerie Adams breaks world record for victory at World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai

Lisa Adams impressed on her international debut as the New Zealand thrower joined her older sister, two-time Olympic champion Valerie, in becoming a global shot put gold medallist.

Throwing 14.70m in the first round and then 14.80m from her final attempt on the third day of the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai, Lisa twice improved her own F37 world record, with a mark of 14.60m in the third round also bettering her previous best of 14.52m set in March.

She won by almost two metres, with China’s Mi Na securing silver with 12.95m and Russia’s Irina Vertinskaya claiming bronze with 11.78m.

“I have been training maybe for a year and a half and this is my international debut. I feel relieved and also really happy. There is more confidence after this event,” said Lisa, who is coached by four-time world gold medallist Valerie.

“My sister knows a lot about shot put, we are really good at keeping things professional in the gym. It is a professional relationship of athlete-coach and then she’s my sister.”

Having switched rugby for athletics, Lisa, who has cerebral palsy, added: “It’s quite different. In individual sports, you have to be more disciplined and you have to take everything by yourself. Physically it has been hard as well, but really rewarding.”

She will next compete in the discus on Tuesday.

GOLD for Lisa Adams in the shot put F37 with a World, NZ & Oceania Area Record throw of 14.80m in the final round at the World Para Athletics Champs in Dubai ??

Series: 14.70 13.15 14.45 14.60 X 14.80

? Getty Images pic.twitter.com/YAgGQVWwoE

— Athletics NZ (@AthleticsNZ) November 9, 2019

Other winners on the third morning of action in Dubai included Germany’s Irmgard Bensusan in the women’s T64 200m as she broke the championship record with a time of 26.93, plus China’s Zhou Guohua in the women’s T11 long jump (4.92m), Algeria’s Lahouari Bahlaz in the men’s F32 club throw (33.89m) and Apostolos Charitonidis of Greece in the men’s F37 shot put (15.43m).

Full results can be found here, while further Dubai 2019 news and coverage can be found here.

PERRIS, Calif. – It took Brady Bacon 27 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series starts at Perris Auto Speedway to earn his first victory at the California track on Thursday night.

It only took him one more start to get his second.

“Last night was more my style of track than the one tonight, which was something I don’t necessarily excel at,” Bacon admitted.  “It was really rewarding, so I believe we’re prepared for whatever tomorrow night throws at us.  I’m proud of my guys for working hard.  We weren’t very good the last time we came here last year.  We put our heads together and remembered as much as we could and put it with what we learned this year and it’s obviously a pretty good package.”

Bacon was originally slated to start third on the grid during night two of the 24th annual Budweiser Oval Nationals presented by All Coast Construction, but a wild opening lap sequence would ultimately play into his favor.  After the initial start was called back, the ensuing complete restart saw outside front row starter Tyler Courtney rip to the lead while pole sitter Damion Gardner slotted into second.

Exiting turn two, seven-time USAC/CRA champ Gardner ramped the K-Rail, up to the billboards, landed on his left side wheels, then bounced backward to a stop on the back straightaway.  Steve Hix clipped Gardner’s front end with his right rear wheel, signaling an end to the night for Hix and forced Gardner to the work area where repairs were made before sending him back into the fray, albeit four laps down when he returned.

The outside front row spot vacated by Gardner moved Bacon to the outside of the front row.  Bacon got the upper hand of Courtney on the first try before a three-car melee between turns three and four involved fast qualifier Chris Windom, National point leader C.J. Leary and Jace Vander Weerd.  Vander Weerd restarted while Leary took on new left rear rubber on his damaged mount in the work area.  Windom, however, was not able to resume.

The third complete restart was the charm with Grant diving to the bottom and going three-wide alongside Courtney and Bacon down the front straight with Grant poking ahead into one briefly before Bacon blasted off the top to secure the lead exiting the second turn.

Grant was Bacon’s closest pursuant throughout the 30-lapper where he maintained a presence about two to three car lengths back of Bacon on the topside.  Bacon ably pushed forward to a near one-second advantage at the halfway point with lapped traffic drawing nearer and nearer.

On the 18th lap, an opportunity presented itself for Grant as Bacon installed his navigational tactics on the lapped car of Bill Rose.  Bacon was briefly caught up, and while Grant was able to reel in and catch Bacon, he wasn’t in the position to perform the pick and roll past both.

The track was quickening down the stretch with both Bacon and Grant reeling off their fastest laps of the race on the white flag lap.  Bacon corralled the lapped car of Hunter Schuerenberg in the waning laps but could only stay stride-for-stride with him as Schuerenberg logged his fastest laps as well.

The narrow strip of rubber right through the middle proved succulent and any mistake that pushed a driver out of the groove could prove costly track position wise. In the end, Bacon raced to a .649-second victory over Grant.

“I tried to start feeling around, but the rubber was getting so heavy,” Bacon explained.  “I figured if I couldn’t pass a lapped car, they probably couldn’t pass me, and I just tried not to slip up out of the rubber or anything.  I tried entering above it and turning down to try and get a run, but it was just so narrow, you had to stay in the rubber the whole time.  We took care of our tires and our car was hooked up, so I wasn’t spinning (the tires).  We had plenty left, which is a testament to how hard they’ve been working and hopefully we can continue this the rest of the year.”

Grant finished second after starting fourth. Tyler Courtney was third, followed by Chase Stockon and Austin Williams.

Heats were won by Richard Vander Weerd, Bill Rose, Austin Liggett, Courtney and Bud Kaeding. Chris Windom won the B-Main.

With his second-straight victory, Bacon easily locked himself into Saturday’s Oval Nationals finale as the top point earner during the first two days of the event. Also locking themselves into the feature by being among the top-six in points are Courtney, Grant, Vander Weerd, C.J. Leary and Stockon.

For complete results, advance to the next page.

CHICAGO – Northwest Indiana dirt track racer Eddie Leviner of Hebron, Ind., passed away Friday at the age of 53.

Leviner was a six-time track champion at the old Southlake Speedway in Crown Point, Ill., winning three titles in the street stock division and three in the hobby stock class.

Leviner got started in racing helping an uncle with a street stock car at Raceway Park in Blue Island, Ill., around 1984, driving a few times himself.  In 1985, he started racing at Southlake and finished second in the points as he wheeled a 1971 Chevelle.  Leviner won his first street stock championship at Southlake in 1987 and repeated in 1988 and 1989 to give him three-straight division titles.

Racing out of Black Oak area of Gary, Leviner was the hobby stock division champion at Southlake in 1990, winning seven feature races in his No. 21 stocker.  He bested Dale Lomax and Mike Kingma in the final points tally.  He came back in 1996 and won another hobby stock title, winning 13 feature races.  Leviner was again Southlake’s hobby stock champ in 1998.

Leviner moved up into Soutlake’s late model ranks in 1991 and was the track’s rookie of the year, finishing 18th in the points with three heat race wins.  He won two more hobby stock titles before permanently joining the late model division around 1999.  Leviner scored a late model feature win at Southlake on June 5, 1999.

Over the years, Leviner, now calling Merrillville home, raced at most area dirt tracks.  He won a late model feature race at Kamp Motor Speedway, near Boswell, Ind., on Aug. 16, 2003, defeating Bob Pohlman Jr. and Michael Bradley.  Livener’s No. 21, sponsored by Southlake Dodge, was a familiar site at various dirt ovals.

During the last few years of racing at Southlake, which had been renamed Crown Point Speedway, Leviner finished fourth in the late model standings in 2004 and third in 2005 – the final year of racing at the Crown Point raceway

After his racing days were over, Leviner, known as “Big Poppa,” liked to “throw the bags” in bean bag/cornhole competition.

SHIGA, Japan – Local favorite Ai Suzuki shot a bogey-free 7-under 65 to take a three-stroke lead after the second round of the LPGA’s Toto Japan Classic on Saturday.

Suzuki had seven birdies at the par-72 Seta Golf Course for a 12-under 132 total. Gaby Lopez shot a 67 and was in second place in the final event of the LPGA tour's Asia swing.

''I have to shoot more than 3 under to win the tournament,'' Suzuki said. ''Usually winner scores low. Especially this week with this course, I think I have to play and score 5 to 6 under. That will be my target score tomorrow.''

Lopez finished birdie-birdie to secure a position in the final grouping on Sunday.

''It's key to be below the hole on every single green,'' Lopez said. ''Everything slopes back to front. The more you are putting uphill the more aggressive you can be.''

Australian Hannah Green, who held a share of the lead with Suzuki after the opening round on Friday, shot a 69 and was tied for third with Hyo Joo Kim (68).

''The back end of the round I felt a lot more confident and I pushed myself to make sure I finished under par,'' said Green who had three birdies on the back nine. ''It was nice to finish birdie-birdie today because I didn't do that yesterday.''

Defending champion Nasa Hataoka struggled with her game and finished with a 76 that included five bogeys and a double bogey, after an opening-round 71.

Lexi Thompson, making her first start since the Indy Women in Tech Championship in September, shot a 68 to move up the leaderboard after a first-round 74 and was 10 strokes behind Suzuki.

Patrick Reed’s year was mostly non-descript, beginning with the start of the 2018-19 PGA Tour campaign until it’s regular-season conclusion.

And then a switch flipped.

Reed won the first FedExCup Playoff event at The Northern Trust. In four Tour starts since, including two in the new season, he’s finished no worse than T-19.

Reed is on the European Tour this week, competing in the Turkish Airlines Open, but his improved form has traveled well. Thanks to a 7-under 65 in the third round, he’s tied for second place and just three shots off the lead entering the finale.

The 29-year-old American opened the event in 71, but after being named by captain Tiger Woods as one of the four U.S. wild-card selections for the Presidents Cup, he’s gone 65-65.

As good as those scores have been, however, they could have been lower – at least in Reed’s mind.

“Honestly, it was OK. I missed way too many putts today,” he said Saturday. “Actually, hit the ball a lot better than I have the last couple of days, but the flatstick seemed to not cooperate as much as I wanted it to.”

Reed said he missed “five or six putts” that he felt he should have made in Round 3 but didn’t. That included a three-putt from 5 feet, turning birdie into bogey at the par-5  13^th.

There were eight birdies on the day, though, and that was thanks to adhering to his game plan.

“I’m being aggressive, but I’m being careful. I’m not getting so aggressive that I’m playing reckless out there,” he said. “I’m attacking at most of the flags, but attacking at the right spots, where if I’m missing a green, missing in the correct spot and able to get up and down.”

With Matthias Schwab out front at 18 under, the tournament record of 24 under could fall. It wouldn’t shock Reed, who believes a magnificent finish may be in order to win this event.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if someone could go shoot 60, 59, 61 out here. It’s out there,” he said.

Reed’s just hoping he’s the one who can author it.

“We did what we had to do [today],” he said. “Go out and shoot another low one tomorrow.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has ruled out a move for Kylian Mbappe by the European champions, insisting that no club in the world could afford to sign the Paris Saint-Germain striker.

"Buying this calibre of player is difficult," Klopp told reporters ahead of Sunday's crucial Premier League clash with Manchester City.

"I don't see any club at the moment who can buy Kylian Mbappe from PSG. I don't see any club, that is how it is. And we are involved in the clubs that cannot do it. It is as easy as that.

"OK, from a sporting point of view, there are not a lot of reasons to not sign him. What a player he is, but it is about the money of course. No chance. Absolutely no chance. Sorry for killing that story."

Mbappe, 20, was one of world football's most coveted players when he emerged as a teenager at Monaco, and it was PSG who beat clubs such as Real Madrid and Liverpool to his signature in 2017.

The World Cup winner has remained consistently linked with a move to Real Madrid since his transfer to PSG. Former Monaco vice president Vadim Vasilyev said earlier this week that he believes Mbappe will move to the Bernabeu eventually, while PSG sporting director Leonardo responded angrily after Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane spoke about the France international's childhood dream to play for the Spanish giants.

Despite his insistence that a move for Mbappe is out of his club's grasp, Klopp said he remains confident that Liverpool can attract the right calibre of player to strengthen his squad when required.

"I don't think we struggle with convincing players," he said. "When you speak to a player you can feel it, this year, last year, even three years ago, you can see in the eyes of a player -- I am not sure if honour is the right word -- that it is good that we speak to them.

"The club is in a very good position. Image-wise, it maybe always was, but now I think it is easier to live the life of a Liverpool supporter and that means automatically being in a situation to sign the players you want to sign."