Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui will become New Zealand's ninth Test venue after being awarded the opening match of the two-Test series against England in November.

A regular and popular fixture on the limited-overs scene, the ground has now been handed the marquee match ahead of established venues Wellington and Christchurch who will host the two-Test series against India in February and March. The second Test of the England series will be held at Seddon Park in Hamilton.

New Zealand Cricket confirmed their home fixture list on Friday with the international season beginning on November 1 with the first of five T20Is against England in Christchurch.

After the visit of England, the men's team head over to Australia for a three-Test series which takes in the Boxing Day and New Year Tests before returning home for a full tour by India which includes five T20Is and three ODIs alongside the two Tests.

The men head back across the Tasman in mid-March for a three-match one-day series which had originally been penciled in for January following the Tests before a Cricket Australia fixture crunch involving the BCCI meant it had to be moved to the back end of the season.

Australia then make a trip over for three T20Is which conclude the New Zealand season.

The women's team will face South Africa in January and February across three ODIs and five T20Is, the latter providing preparation for the T20 World Cup in Australia.

Subject to final approval, Eden Park in Auckland will host four consecutive limited-overs matches across four days in late January with the men facing India in T20Is on January 24 and 26 and the women playing South Africa in ODIs on the Outer Oval on the 25th and 27th

"We're simply delighted with the way it's all fitted together," David White, the NZC CEO said. "We're particularly thrilled for all those involved in securing Bay Oval as New Zealand's ninth Test venue. A lot of people have worked hard for this recognition and I'm sure the venue will continue to go from strength to strength."

"We take our hats off to Eden Park," he added. "They've really come to the party; obtaining resource consents, offering compelling commercial terms and a reduction in match-day costs, and consistently preparing high quality wickets and outfield".

"This is a notified consent process and I'd really encourage the cricket community to make submissions in support of the game - which is scheduled for India's Republic Day and is shaping up to be a wonderful occasion."

New Zealand's home summer

Men's series v England

November 1: 1st T20I, Christchurch
November 3: 2nd T20I, Wellington (Westpac)
November 5: 3rd T20I, Nelson
November 8: 4th T20I, Napier
November 10: 5th T20I, Auckland
November 21-25: 1st Test, Mount Maunganui
November 29-December 32: 2nd Test, Hamilton

Men's series v India

January 24: 1st T20I, Auckland
January 26: 2nd T20I, Auckland
January 29: 3rd T20I, Hamilton
January 31: 4th T20I, Wellington (Westpac)
February 2: 5th T20I, Mount Maunganui
February 5: 1st ODI, Hamilton
February 8: 2nd ODI, Auckland
February 11: 3rd ODI, Mount Maunganui
February 21-February 25: 1st Test, Wellington (Basin Reserve)
February 29-March 4: 2nd Test, Christchurch

Women's series v South Africa

January 25: 1st ODI, Auckland (Outer Oval)
January 27: 2nd ODI, Auckland (Outer Oval)
January 30: 3rd ODI, Hamilton
February 2: 1st T20I, Mount Maunganui
February 6: 2nd T20I, Hamilton
February 9: 3rd T20I, Wellington (Basin Reserve)
February 10: 4th T20I, Wellington (Basin Reserve)
February 13: 5th T20I, Dunedin

Men' series v Australia

March 24: 1st T20I, Dunedin
March 27: 2nd T20I, Auckland
March 29: 3rd T20I, Christchurch

The Philadelphia Eagles have signed franchise quarterback Carson Wentz to a four-year extension through the 2024 season, the team announced Thursday.

The extension is for $128 million and includes guarantees of over $107 million, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter, and it can escalate to a max of $144 million. Wentz's total deal is now six years for $154 million and can grow to a max of $170 million.

The #Eagles and Carson Wentz have agreed to terms on a four-year contract extension through 2024.

?: https://t.co/2SuuznqaoX pic.twitter.com/8ze1NlcWt2

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) June 6, 2019

The extension is similar to the one the Seattle Seahawks gave Russell Wilson, who signed a four-year, $140 million extension with $107 million in guarantees in April.

The Eagles have been open about their desire to lock Wentz into a megadeal. Howie Roseman, the executive vice president of football operations, said at the owners meetings in March that "having Carson here long-term is our goal" and the organization will "work toward that." Chairman/CEO Jeffrey Lurie added he would "absolutely" be comfortable extending Wentz this year, even though Wentz is coming off two significant injuries and was under contract through 2020.

The price for premium quarterbacks is only going to go up, and with Patrick Mahomes eligible for a contract after this season, the cost could soon skyrocket. By extending Wentz now, the Eagles assume some significant risk but will save millions on the back end if Wentz returns to MVP form, as they expect him to.

Wentz said in a video posted on his Twitter account that he was excited to re-up with Philadelphia.

"I can't even explain to you how excited I am right now to be a part of this great city for this many more years," Wentz said. "From the moment I got drafted here, I knew this place was special."

Grateful for this opportunity and excited for the future! ?? #FlyEaglesFly #AO1 pic.twitter.com/1Cxn12lciD

— Carson Wentz (@cj_wentz) June 6, 2019

The second overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft, out of North Dakota State, Wentz has been dynamic when on the field, but his short NFL career has been marred by injuries. After playing in all 16 games as a rookie, he has missed eight games over the past two seasons, including five last year.

In December 2017, Wentz tore his ACL and missed the team's final three games of the regular season and entire postseason run to a Super Bowl title. The injury also forced him to miss the first two games of 2018.

Wentz returned in Week 3 to put up a 5-6 record in 11 games before suffering a stress fracture in his back that forced him to miss the final three games of the season. He finished with 3,074 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions with a 69.6% completion rate.

Wentz was a full participant in OTAs and hasn't looked this healthy since 2017. He is no longer in the knee brace that restricted his movement last season and does not plan to wear one during games this season. Neither Wentz nor coach Doug Pederson would say whether the stress fracture in his back has fully healed, but Pederson said he was not putting any limitations on his quarterback for this portion of team activities.

Prior to his injury in 2017, Wentz was having an MVP-caliber season. He led the team to an 11-2 record and finished the year with 3,296 passing yards, a single-season team record 33 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He was named a Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro and finished third in MVP voting behind Tom Brady and Todd Gurley II.

As a rookie, Wentz threw for 3,782 yards and 16 touchdowns and had 14 interceptions. He set an NFL rookie record with 379 completions.

ESPN's Adam Schefter and Tim McManus contributed to this report.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green said players feel "vulnerable" on the floor during games, in the wake of an incident between Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry and Warriors investor Mark Stevens at Oracle Arena during Wednesday night's Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

"I think players are definitely vulnerable," Green said Thursday. "Any time you're in a situation where you can do no right, like in defending yourself, you're vulnerable. So if a fan says whatever they want to you and then you say something back, you're fined. If Kyle was to then hit back, a lot more than a fine would have then happened to Kyle.

"In a situation where you're essentially helpless, you're always going to be vulnerable in anything in life. So it's not just on the basketball court. In any situation you can't help yourself, you're vulnerable. So I think as players we definitely are."

Green's commentary came on the heels of Stevens pushing Lowry after the Raptors guard jumped into courtside seats to attempt to save a ball from going out of bounds. Lowry confirmed Thursday that Stevens also made derogatory comments toward him in the midst of the exchange. Green and several other Warriors players said they appreciated the way Lowry handled the situation, noting that members of a team's ownership group, like players in the league, should be held to a higher standard.

"When you're speaking of players, we are held to a different standard," Green said. "Coaches are held to -- anybody in the NBA circle, you're held to a different standard. So I think it's no different when you start talking of anybody in any ownership group in the league. You're held to a different standard. You can say it's unfair or not, like whatever your opinion is on it, whether you're one way or the other, that's just the reality of it. We're all held to a different standard, and that's not going to change.

"This game continues to grow. That standard continues to grow. A player in 2019 is held to a different standard than a player was in 1999. That's just the reality of where our game is today. We're all held to a different standard."

Warriors players and coach Steve Kerr spoke prior to the NBA's announcement that it had banned Stevens from attending games and participating in team activities for a year and fined him $500,000. Veteran Warriors guard Shaun Livingston echoed Green's commentary.

"What's fair is fair, right?" Livingston said. "It sounded like the league suspended him, and it seems to be the right move. If one of our guys was in a different arena -- we were up in Toronto and a fan did that -- we'd be calling for the same action. Regardless of if he's an owner or a fan just coming to the game for the first time. Credit the league for doing the right thing. What's right is right. What's wrong is wrong."

Livingston also made a compelling point in regard to why there seems to be more of these incidents in the public eye recently.

"I think it's because of how social media has taken off," he said. "There's more media coverage throughout the games; there's more exposure to these types of incidents. So there's more of a fan base; there's more of a forum to talk about it. So I think that's kind of what builds up the momentum when these things happen."

Kerr said that Stevens' behavior was "unacceptable" and he would personally apologize to Lowry and the Raptors on the Warriors' behalf. Warriors guard Stephen Curry called the situation "unfortunate," while noting a similar message to that of several of his teammates.

"I don't necessarily think it was a reflection of how we handled business here as a Warriors organization and franchise," Curry said. "We have a high standard and we do things with class and professionalism. And I know Mark is apologetic and whatnot, but we'll handle that situation -- like I said, the organization's going to do that.

"And just want respect for the game all the way around -- fans, owners, team, players, coaches, everybody -- because there's so much good happening on the court that we want to keep the spotlight on that."

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Oakland Athletics canceled batting practice at Angel Stadium after a pesky swarm of bees took the field.

The A's could have hit despite the bees Thursday, but manager Bob Melvin decided to skip it, saying he didn't want anybody to get stung before the series finale.

The grounds crew in Orange County removed the bees shortly after they gathered around one of the pitching screens on the field.

The Los Angeles Angels already had decided to skip batting practice after the teams played the longest nine-inning game in Angel Stadium history Wednesday night.

The Anaheim swarm was just the latest bunch of bees to affect a big league game this season.

Bees swarmed into Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park last month, delaying the start of a game between the Reds and San Francisco Giants.

Just last weekend, a swarm of bees in San Diego landed on a field microphone and caused a 28-minute delay in a game between the Padres and Miami Marlins. A pest control company killed the bees instead of relocating them, prompting criticism.

CHICAGO -- Cubs manager Joe Maddon is projecting how to use Craig Kimbrel, even before Chicago announces a deal with the free-agent closer.

Maddon said Thursday he thought the 31-year-old right-hander might be ready to pitch in about three weeks.

"I would imagine in the position that's he's been in, he had some kind of a strategy of program mapped out," Maddon said. "The first thing you do is find out and then set up program. You think about a three-week window, normally it sounds right. Think about relief pitchers in spring training. Conventionally it would be like that kind of a window. But you've got to talk to the guy first and see what he's been doing."

Kimbrel, who has 333 saves and a 1.91 ERA over nine major league seasons, turned down a $17.9 million qualifying offer from Boston last November and remained a free agent. Starting this week, a team could sign him without the loss of amateur draft picks or international signing bonus pool allocation.

Chicago's bullpen has 11 blown saves this season. Brandon Morrow has not returned from offseason elbow surgery, and Pedro Strop came back Tuesday from a hamstring injury that had sidelined him since May 6. Strop and Steve Cishek have shared the closer's role.

"When you get a guy like Kimbrel, whoever was being utilized [as closer], who was in that role easily steps aside," Maddon said. "When the whole group realizes this makes us better, then everybody falls in line."

CLEVELAND -- Max Kepler has homered three times against the Cleveland Indians.

Kepler, who entered Thursday night's game in an 0-for-21 slump, connected in the first, third and seventh innings against Indians starter Trevor Bauer. Kepler walked in the fifth.

Only 18 players in major league history have homered four times in a game. J.D. Martinez did it with Arizona on Sept. 4, 2017. The last AL player to do it was Josh Hamilton for Texas on May 8, 2012.

It is Kepler's second career three-homer game. He also had one against the Indians on Aug. 1, 2016.

The Twins have had 10 three-homer games in their history, most recently by Eddie Rosario on June 3, 2018.

No Minnesota player has ever homered four times in a game.

The Atlanta Braves have agreed to a deal with free-agent left-hander Dallas Keuchel, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan, confirming a report by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The veteran starter will receive a one-year deal that will pay him $13 million, which is prorated from a figure closer to $20 million, sources said, confirming a Yahoo report.

Atlanta is 33-29 this season and entered Thursday night two games back of the first-place Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.

Atlanta also had interest in signing All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel but wasn't willing to be as aggressive as the Chicago Cubs were. Chicago and Kimbrel on Wednesday agreed to a three-year deal worth $43 million that includes a fourth-year option, sources said.

The Braves have an abundance of talented young starters -- such as Mike Soroka, Max Fried, Kevin Gausman and Mike Foltynewicz -- but Keuchel could be a stabilizer in their rotation.

Keuchel, the 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner, went 12-11 with a 3.74 ERA and 153 strikeouts in the 2018 regular season for the Astros and made two postseason starts with a 3.60 ERA and no record. He made $13.2 million.

The 32-year-old turned down a $17.9 million qualifying offer by the Astros after the season.

Keuchel is particularly reliant on the ground ball. Though his ability to change speeds and the movement of his slider are what propelled him to ace status, both his change and slider were below-average pitches in 2017. This at times necessitated an over-reliance on the cutter, now his best pitch, which got Keuchel into trouble in 2018, as he lost eight of his first 13 starts.

He rebounded with a 3.23 ERA over his final 20 starts.

"He got back to being himself," Astros manager A.J. Hinch told reporters during the postseason. "He knows who he is, what he does best -- attacking the game plan, improvising as the game goes along. He gets the ball on the ground. He gets soft contact. He got ultra-focused on just getting back to his strengths and being himself."

Keuchel earned his second All-Star nod in 2017 and was 14-5 with a 2.90 ERA in 23 regular-season starts, helping lead Houston to its first World Series title. He struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings to get the win in the opener of the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees and won Game 2 of the AL Division Series against the Boston Red Sox.

In seven seasons with the Astros, Keuchel was 76-63 with a 3.66 ERA. He was 20-8 with a career-best 2.48 ERA in 33 starts in 2015 and set a major league record by going 16-0 at home. He was the starting pitcher for the AL in the 2015 All-Star Game and won three Gold Gloves.

He also dazzled the Yankees over six shutout innings to win the 2015 AL wild-card game after helping Houston reach the playoffs for the first time since 2005.

Keuchel, a seventh-round pick in the 2009 amateur draft, made his major league debut in 2012, when he posted a 3-8 record in 16 games while striking out 38 batters.

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – In his 43 year driving career, Rich Bickle Jr. has raced at a staggering 225 paved race tracks across America.

He has cataloged more than 500 race victories in his storied career. It may be hard to believe, but the 58-year-old is still in pursuit of his first win at the famed Milwaukee Mile oval.

For Bickle, winning on Wisconsin short tracks against the likes of his hero and friend, Dick Trickle, made him a top caliber racer in Wisconsin. He won the 1990 Red, White and Blue State Championship, he owns four Slinger Nationals titles and several weekly track championships.

Getting the opportunity to race at The Milwaukee Mile starting in the late 1980’s helped propel and prepare him for 218 NASCAR national series starts between 1989 and 2005.

With determination and talent, Bickle was hired by NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip at some point to drive for their NASCAR teams, and fielded his own entries in what is now the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

“I first saw Don White and Roger McCluskey racing in USAC stock cars at the Mile in the 1960’s with my mom and dad, and I knew from that day that I just had to race there,” Bickle said. “I had the same feeling after going to the 1976 Daytona 500 with my parents and witnessing the famous Richard Petty and David Pearson crash.  I just knew I had to race there someday.”

Bickle raced twice in the Daytona 500, and began chasing the checkered flag at The Milwaukee Mile in 1988 in a 60-lap ARTGO-sanctioned race, in which he finished 12th.

“I’ve raced in just about every kind of stock car at The Mile, but something has always bit me there,” Bickle shared. “I’ve led laps in NASCAR Trucks and XFINITY Series there, had a shot at winning a couple races in my Miller-sponsored late model there, too.”

In total, Bickle raced in five ASA National Tour races held at The Milwaukee Mile, led in two of the three NASCAR Xfinity Series races he competed in there, and in five NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series races, his best result was a third place finish in 1997, the year he finished second in the series championship points.

Flash forward to 2019 and Bickle is back home on the Wisconsin short tracks, and he’s not just making laps.  He’s already finished third at the Dells Raceway Park in a 100-lap race, and second in the 200-lap Joe Shear Classic at Madison Int’l Speedway. He feels he had a shot to win both races had it not been for bent suspension components from race altercations in each event.

Bickle and Tony DeAmbrose of T1 Racing have been “trying to put better stuff together for 2019,” including long hours preparing their race car in recent weeks for Milwaukee.  Bickle offered that the speed in his car can be credited to DeAmbrose and what the pair have worked on and fine-tuned down south.

Bickle competed in December at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., the track where he’s won the prestigious Snowball Derby race a record five times.  He also competed in January in a 250-lap race in Cordele, Ga., against some of the same national traveling stars he’ll face on Father’s Day Sunday.

After two top-10 finishes in the first two ARCA Midwest Tour events this year, he enters The Milwaukee Mile race third in series points. He is confident he will be among a handful of drivers who have a real shot to win the 100-mile race on June 16th.

Bickle has ten top-five finishes in 39 ARCA Midwest Tour races since 2007. He raced a full season in 2013, including an abbreviated run to a 33rd place finish due to an engine failure at The Milwaukee Mile that season.

“I think it’s the only track I’ve raced at in Wisconsin that I have not won at,” he exclaimed. “Winning at Milwaukee would top off my career.”