Match organisers in Taunton were forced to turn to the press box when it became apparent they were missing a scorer for the World Cup match between Pakistan and Australia.

Moments before the toss, James Emmerson - a stewardship officer with the Church of England - was asked to deputise when it became apparent that one of the official scorers wasn't going to arrive. The original choice claims he had no knowledge he was expected to score the game.

Emmerson is no stranger to scoring. His detailed scorecards and knowledge of statistics make him a popular figure in the press box, where he has worked from time to time as the media's scorer, while he has previously deputised as an official scorer for two Tests and an ODI at Old Trafford when the Lancashire scorer has been busy on county duty. In one of those Tests he demonstrated the unflappable temperament which served him so well in Taunton by somehow managing not to miss a single delivery despite his fellow scorer vomiting heavily over both him and his scorebook during play.

Remarkably, Emmerson managed not just to fulfil his duties as official scorer in Taunton (alongside Gloucestershire stalwart Keith Gerrish, who was the other official scorer) but fulfil his original role keeping the media updated on any items of statistical interest as they arose.

"He did an amazing job in tough circumstances," Sally Donoghue, the Chief Operating Officer at Somerset told ESPNcricinfo. "It was all very last minute, but he was very calm and seemed to enjoy every minute of it."

Emmerson said: "I did enjoy it. It was a great honour to score such a prestigious match and I hope I gave a good account of myself."

Dan Evans clearly doesn't want to dwell on his much-discussed past.

The British number three knows he "lost time" and is well aware he has no one else to blame for serving a 12-month ban from April last year for testing positive for cocaine.

Why waste energy on what's gone when the present makes much more pleasing reading for the 29-year-old?

Since returning to the tour, Evans has spent 14 months steadily climbing the world rankings and is just a strong summer away from getting back into the top 50.

Victory in the Surbiton Trophy earlier this month shows his game is in very good health at the start of the grass-court season.

"It really couldn't have gone any better," Evans told BBC Sport on Wednesday as he awaited his first outing at this year's rain-soaked Nature Valley Open in Nottingham.

"It was great to get a lot of tennis under my belt. I played five matches and got better and better with each round, and I am really happy with my form.

"The grass courts suit me and my game. I like to get into the net. I enjoy playing on grass, and winning in Surbiton was a great start."

The stats back that up. Last year saw Evans reach the semis in Surbiton - his first tournament after his suspension - before shining in Nottingham, where he made it all the way to the final.

His run ended with defeat in a tight match against Australian teenager Alex de Minaur.

But his form has remained impressive and Birmingham-born Evans is back up to 70 in the world following his success in South West London, not far from the more prestigious surroundings of Wimbledon.

It still feels like Evans has much more to give. And while he "doesn't want to put numbers" on a ranking target, he wants to "get higher than I was" - namely the 41st place he attained in March 2017.

Things looked to be pretty rosy around that time, but even before his drugs ban, Evans had spent much of his career fending off accusations of wasting his talent and not putting in the required amount of work to really break into the sport's elite.

He has twice been stripped of his Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) funding and had numerous run-ins with former coaches over his off-court attitude and a lack of discipline.

But he sees any past troubles as just that - past troubles.

He did not have a world ranking in April 2018, but was 189th in January 2019 and 70th after winning in Surbiton.

"I don't think about what has happened now," he said, with more than a tinge of irritation. "It has gone. It's behind me.

"I have worked hard to get back where I am in the top 100 and am playing well. I don't think about where I could get to at Wimbledon, but if I make it to the fourth round then who knows."

Analysis

Russell Fuller, BBC tennis correspondent

I've felt for several months now that Dan Evans was going to be a very dangerous man to face on the grass this summer.

He's worked very hard for the past 12 months, and his ranking is nearly where it was before the ban.

If you look at his results for 2019 alone, he is a top 50 player, with Cameron Norrie the only British player above him.

Evans has beaten John Isner and Frances Tiafoe, and came very close to beating Stan Wawrinka in Indian Wells in March.

He has a lovely touch and a great slice, and so will always be very comfortable on the grass.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova is a doubt for this year's tournament after she withdrew from the Birmingham warm-up with an arm injury.

The 29-year-old world number five, who lifted the singles title in 2011 and 2014, pulled out of her first-round French Open match last month.

"Unfortunately Birmingham is too soon," she wrote on Twitter

"I'm working really hard to get back as soon as possible and keeping everything crossed for Wimbledon."

Kvitova beat British number one Johanna Konta on her way to a successful defence of Birmingham's Nature Valley Classic title last year.

Her 2017 victory at the event was her first title since she was stabbed by an intruder in her home the previous December.

"I have the best memories of Birmingham," she added. "It was the first place that I won a title after I came back from my injury. I always have the best time there and I hope next year I will see you on the beautiful grass courts."

However Kvitova's fellow Czech Karolina Pliskova will be in the draw.

The world number three joins Australian and US Open champion Naomi Osaka and newly-crowned French Open winner Ashleigh Barty among the field.

It is the first time the Edgbaston tournament has featured the world's three best-ranked players. This year's event begins on 15 June.

Warren Gatland has categorically ruled out succeeding Eddie Jones as England coach and plans to return to his native New Zealand after leading the British and Irish Lions in 2021.

Gatland was confirmed on Wednesday as Lions boss for the tour of South Africa, his third in charge.

He says he then plans to return home, and expects Jones to extend his stay at Twickenham.

"I can promise you 100% I won't be coaching England," he told BBC Sport.

"My understanding is Eddie is going to re-sign isn't he for a bit longer.

"My future is going to be the 2019 World Cup [with Wales], look at a few things in between, and then the start of my [Lions] role in August 2020.

"I'll focus 100% on the Lions for those 12 months and then hopefully have an opportunity to go back to New Zealand and pick up something and then take it from there."

Gatland has been coaching in the northern hemisphere for the best part of thirty years, and has held roles with Connacht, Ireland, Wasps, as well as his current position with Wales.

But he plans to call an end to his stint in Europe after the Lions tour, and has eyed up a job in Super Rugby.

"I would love to be involved with Super Rugby and to challenge myself with that," he added.

"I want to go back. I have been head coach with Waikato and won a championship there, and I want to challenge myself with Super Rugby."

Lions Job - 'Best in the world'

Shortly after the tour of New Zealand, Gatland stated he was "done" with the Lions, stung by an "orchestrated campaign" of criticism from the Kiwi media.

However he insists coaching the Lions is the best job in the world, and says he would have regretted not taking the opportunity to resume the role.

"When I thought about what the Lions meant to me personally, it would have been hard to say no," he said.

"The approach came and I thought to lead three Lions tour and to try and go undefeated as a head coach in a Test series, I couldn't walk away from that."

BRISTOL, Tenn. – A stretch of four straight race weekends during June can be a tall order for the drivers in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

For Ron Capps, though, it’s not hard for him to get excited, especially when he knows one of those dates includes a trip to Bristol Dragway, which is the site of this weekend’s 19th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.

Capps loves every aspect of racing in Thunder Valley and its shows on his resume, as the former Funny Car world champion has back-to-back wins at the picturesque facility in his 11,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat.

He’ll try to make it three straight on Father’s Day weekend, but Capps’ love of Bristol Dragway also includes much more than his Funny Car-best five victories at the track.

“Bristol is such a cool and historic place, and it starts with the people there,” said Capps, who has 63 career wins. “There’s so many cool people at this race, and it’s just a fun place to go. Every single driver is at the fan fest with all the fans, and that doesn’t happen very often. When someone asks me about what race they need to go to, Bristol is in my top three. You’re in Thunder Valley and the sound is echoing off the hills. It’s just a wonderful facility and a lot of fun there.”

Bristol is the 11th of 24 events in the NHRA season, and the action includes a Friday night primetime qualifying session starting at 7:30 p.m., with fireworks to follow.

Those marquee moments get Capps motivated to perform in Bristol, especially as it comes as the third race in a grueling four-race stretch. Warmer conditions make staying mentally strong even more important, but Capps has proven to be a top competitor in that regard.

Capps posted back-to-back wins last month in Richmond and Atlanta, currently sits fourth in points, and he likes how his team – led by crew chief Rahn Tobler – has performed over the last handful of races.

“We really feel like we’re in the sweet spot of the schedule as a team,” Capps said. “As a crew chief and a team, you want to find your happy spot and what your overall tuneup package is throughout the summer. It can be demanding on a team, but we always look forward to this stretch. You have to pay attention to the parts attrition, but I’ve always been super proud of the way Rahn runs the car. He’s methodical about the decisions he makes, and I never want to be mentally or physically at a disadvantage as a driver.

“I don’t want to be the weak link when it gets late in the day on Sunday.”

Capps and the entire Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car team, a group that also includes Jack Beckman, Matt Hagan and Tommy Johnson Jr., have dominated at Bristol in recent years, claiming six of the past seven wins.

While Capps is responsible for two of those, he’ll also have to deal with current points leader Robert Hight, defending world champ J.R. Todd and John Force, who is seeking his milestone 150th career win.

But Capps is well aware of what it takes to win in Thunder Valley, as well as the significance of a Father’s Day victory.

“If you can stand in the winner’s circle after a win like Bristol and it’s a battle of attrition, you feel like you accomplished a little more than normal,” Capps said. “It’s one of the most demanding races we have, but you want to do well on Father’s Day. I was able to give a trophy to my dad after the win last year, and it’s always fun to do that.

“It was pretty neat to pull off a win and dedicate it to him, and hopefully we can again.”

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – Road America and Henry Repeating Arms have reached an agreement that will make Henry Repeating Arms the new landmark sponsor of Road America’s Turn 10 Bridge.

“We are thrilled to launch this new partnership and we are proud to be associated with a company as involved and committed to expanding its brand presence in racing as Henry Repeating Arms,” said Mike Kertscher, President and General Manager of Road America. “America’s National Park of Speed is a premier destination for everyone and we are proud to have a wonderful American brand, displayed on one of our most prominent landmarks – now appropriately named the Henry Rifles Bridge.”

Henry Repeating Arms – headquartered in Bayonne, N.J., but with a large manufacturing facility in Rice Lake, Wis. – is the leading lever-action firearm manufacturer and one of the top-five long gun manufacturers in the country.

“All of us at Henry Repeating Arms are excited to expand our presence at Road America. Racing fans in the upper-Midwest are very brand-loyal outdoor enthusiasts, and the Henry Repeating Arms brand fits perfectly with their interests and passions at our home track in Wisconsin,” said Anthony Imperato, President of Henry Repeating Arms.

Along with over 500 events held seasonally at the 640-acre facility, 10 major weekends are open to the public, which include the NTT IndyCar Series, the MotoAmerica Series, three vintage racing events, numerous Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) events, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

ABRAMS, Wis. – As excitement for the upcoming season builds, Midwest Off Road Racing officials have announced a starting list of contingency sponsors for the new year.

BFGoodrich, a preferred tire provider for off-road racing teams, returns to the 2019 track by providing contingency-level sponsorship for the majority of the MORR classes.

Racers meeting the contingency requirements will be eligible for cash rewards upon completion of their respective races.

Long-time MORR supporter and distinguished buggy partner PDank Performance also returns to the contingency sponsor partnership. Racers donning the PDank decals will appreciate a discount on all purchases for the 2019 race season.

Another team favorite, Rugged Radios, is also on the list of 2019 contingency sponsors. Rugged Radios is offering a generous product credit for winners of this contingency award.

“We’re elated at the partnerships that have been formed by these contingency sponsors,” said Dan Vanden Heuvel, the MORR Board President. “Our racers are proud to represent them on and off the track and we are excited to see our racers take advantage of the various rewards offered by these popular partners.”

It’s a sight that’s hopeful, sad and downright troubling all at the same time.

The race car hauler that carried the U.S. Army banner for 19 years, that represents eight NHRA Top Fuel championships and that has been emblazoned with a 10-foot graphic of Tony Schumacher has sat idle in Don Schumacher Racing’s Brownsburg, Ind., shop since last November.

It’s pointed toward the massive garage doors, ready to roll onto Northfield Drive, out to I-74 and beyond, if only it had someplace to go and the funding to send it there.

Since the Army informed DSR last July that it was ending its highly successful recruiting program, the sport’s largest team hasn’t been able to secure a replacement sponsor.

But the 84-time winner remains committed to company strategy to find the right sponsor, and Schumacher continues to insist he’s eager and clearly qualified to return to the cockpit of the 11,000-horsepower dragster.

“As soon as a sponsor comes through, we will be on the road. My dad and I are working hard together to make this happen. Nothing weird is going on. It sucks that I am not racing, but my life didn’t end,” Schumacher wrote on a social-media site in mid-April as he was about to miss his sixth race. “Nothing weird happened with my dad and I or anything else. We just need a sponsor. We are ready. If you don’t believe me, cut us a check and we will prove it.”

The fact no one has cut DSR a check to back Tony Schumacher has sent disturbing waves throughout the drag-racing community.

It begs the question: What does that say for the appeal — for the future — of the NHRA when its record-setting driver in the headlining class can’t find sponsorship?

“This is not a panic thing. It literally just takes time,” Schumacher said. “It’s not a cheap sport. And I hope we’re not just going to randomly take whatever’s thrown at us. I like to pick the right thing. I want somebody I can be a team with.

“The business-to-business (aspect) is the most important part of it. It’s the reason I’m here. I’m not here to show off. What we do is make businesses grow. That’s why these companies are here. We help Matco recruit people. We help NAPA sell stuff and grow their business,” Schumacher explained. “Then we work with them together. So whoever steps in and does this contract will be privy to Shell and Dodge and Mopar and NAPA and Matco. It just takes somebody who says, ‘I never thought of it that way. I thought it was just about racing.’

“We’re on the track, literally, for six minutes a year — it’s the fastest sport in the world. But the build-up is what it’s about, the business part of it. That’s what we’re all about,” Schumacher said of DSR’s mission.

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WEST ALLIS, Wis. — After an absence of five years, stock car racing returns to the famed Milwaukee Mile at Wisconsin State Fair Park on Father’s Day, June 16, with the ARCA Midwest Tour late model series highlighting the afternoon’s action.

The event marks the first time in four years that automobile racing will be held at the historic, one-mile paved oval.

With auto racing returning to the track where racing dates back to 1903, the Midwest Tour super late models will be joined on Sunday by the Vintage Indy Registry, Midwest Truck Tour, Mid-American Stock Car Series and Upper Midwest Vintage Series.

The stars and cars of the ARCA Midwest Tour will battle in a 75-lap feature race. With one series win to his credit already in 2019, Casey Johnson of Edgerton, Wis., leads the current Midwest Tour point standings.

Current NASCAR Cup Series racer Erik Jones won the last ARCA Midwest Tour race at Milwaukee, capturing a 150-lap chase on June 8, 2014.

Tuesday evening races were held in 2012 and 2013, with Travis Sauter winning a 150-lap contest in 2012 and NASCAR star Kyle Busch capturing a darkness-shortened 115-lap race in 2013. Previously, Busch had also won a tour race in 2008.

Back in the day, the Milwaukee oval was a hotbed for stock car racing. The journey started in 1948 when Minnesota’s Paul Bjork, driving a 1948 Kaiser, won a 100-lap race on August 22, taking home just over $1,800 for his winning effort.

Illinois open-wheel racer Emil Andres had fast time that day with a lap of 53.24 seconds around the one-mile dirt oval.

Milwaukee resident Myron Fohr, known for his exploits in open-wheel cars, including competing in the Indianapolis 500, won stock car races there in 1949 and 1950.  Fohr’s 1950, 150-mile, win was the first AAA-sanctioned stock car race at Milwaukee.

Racing out of Racine, Wis., Norm Nelson, who competed in the first stock car contest in 1948 and took fourth place, won a AAA 100-miler in August of 1950.  Nelson, who started out in midgets, won eight career stock car races at Milwaukee.

Illinois’ Don Odell, in a Packard, won the last stock car race (a 200 miler) on the Milwaukee dirt on September 20, 1953. With the track being paved before the 1954 season, Tony Bettenhausen, Frank Mundy (twice) and Marshall Teague won AAA races in 1954.

Bettenhausen garnered three stock car victories at Milwaukee during his career.

USAC stock cars raced at Milwaukee beginning in 1956, drawing large crowds for an annual four-race schedule. Troy Ruttman won the first USAC race on July 15, 1956. Fred Lorenzen won back-to-back USAC races in 1958 on his way to his first of two USAC stock car titles.

Record crowds and record purses were part of the tradition with the track seeing the likes of Nelson, Parnelli Jones (seven wins), A.J. Foyt (six), Butch Hartman (nine), Jack Bowsher (five), Roger McCluskey (five) and Eddie Sachs (two) win USAC stock car contests.

Iowa’s Don White is the all-time winningest stock car driver at Milwaukee, with the USAC driving ace winning a record 14 times, his last coming in 1975.

The American Speed Ass’n visited the Milwaukee Mile for the first time on May 7, 1978, with Michigan’s Bob Senneker winning the first annual Superamerica 150. A year later, short track legend, Wisconsin’s own Dick Trickle captured the Superamerica 150 on May 6.

Mark Martin won the ASA 150 lapper in 1980. Joe Shear, Rusty Wallace, Alan Kulwicki, Butch Miller, Mike Eddy, Scott Hansen and Jim Sauter are among others that claimed ASA victories at Milwaukee.

NASCAR racing made its first appearance at Milwaukee in 1984 with Sam Ard capturing a 200-lap Busch Grand National event on May 13, 1984. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the winner of a Grand National contest in 1998, with Wisconsin’s Johnny Sauter winning one in 2005.

Carl Edwards won the last two NASCAR Busch/Nationwide Series races in 2008 and 2009.

The NASCAR Truck Series came to Milwaukee for the first time in 1995 with Mike Skinner scoring the victory. Jack Sprague, Ron Hornaday Jr., Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch and Ted Musgrave, with two wins, are among former NASCAR truck series winners at Milwaukee.

Johnny Benson Jr. won three consecutive Milwaukee truck races from 2006 through 2008.

The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) has been part of the stock car racing history at Milwaukee, dating back to 1958 when USAC and ARCA co-sanctioned races.

Multi-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel won the last ARCA race at Milwaukee, a 200 miler, on August 26, 2007.

Indy car racing is a whole other chapter of Milwaukee Mile history, with the last professional auto race at Milwaukee held on July 12, 2015 and Sebastian Bourdais winning a 250-lap Verizon (now NTT) IndyCar Series race ahead of Helio Castroneves and Graham Rahal.

Thanks are necessary to the late Al Krause, who was an official and historian at the Milwaukee Mile for many years, for providing some of the above information.