Leicester Tigers have allowed Matt Toomua to make an early return to Australia to link up with new club Melbourne Rebels.

The Wallabies centre was originally scheduled to play in Leicester's final game of the season, against Bath on Saturday, before joining the Rebels.

But, with their Premiership status already secured, the Tigers agreed to release the 29-year-old a week early.

Toomua could make his Super Rugby debut for the Rebels as early as Friday.

He spent three years at Welford Road and, despite a serious knee injury in his first season, made 41 appearances for the club.

Leicester go into Saturday's game 11th in the table, but victory could lift them above Worcester Warriors in the final standings.

Every NHL postseason produces indelible, memorable images. Mobs of teammates celebrating an overtime goal. Players finally hoisting the chalice over their heads after years of chasing it. Tearful loved ones watching it all from the stands, in victory or defeat.

But if there were one image that captured the spirit of the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs, it would be this:

Two referees and two linesmen, huddled up on the ice after a controversial call, attempting to suss out what they just witnessed or to conjure up the justification for a specious decision. Players are puzzled. Fans are restless. Confusion reigns.

This has happened countless times during the past month. Sometimes it's after a goal has been waved off. Sometimes it's after a penalty was called on a bang-bang play. There was even one time in San Jose when officials called a major penalty because someone saw copious amounts of blood on the ice and assumed a player had been cross-checked in the head. The NHL had to apologize for that one.

But on several occasions during this year's playoffs, these officials conspired together before speaking to the NHL Situation Room about a play that left everyone baffled about what was called (or not called) and why it was called (or not called).

This entire postseason has felt like a series of pop quizzes about subsections of the rulebook, and a referendum on whether they make sense.

Here's a look at several moments in the postseason that required explanation, and whether we should just go ahead and cancel those bylaws.

April 28: Behind the net kick

Devon Toews scores a wild one from behind the goal line, but it's ruled a kicking motion and called off. Good goal? ���� pic.twitter.com/OtEG3H4G9S - Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 28, 2019

The ruling: No goal. Devon Toews of the New York Islanders scores in Game 2 of their second-round matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes, knocking the puck off his skate, and then off goalie Petr Mrazek and into the net. The officials decided that Toews used a "distinct kicking motion" and ruled it no-goal, leaving coach Barry Trotz exasperated on the bench.

The confusion: Was that a distinct kicking motion? What if Toews wasn't trying to kick the puck to the net? And what if the puck deflects in off the goalie? Said Toews: "I was trying to kick the puck to my stick, and it ended up in the net. I don't know the ruling, but I trust they made the right call."

The rule: We've all known that goals are disallowed "when the puck has been kicked using a distinct kicking motion, i.e. when the player propels the puck with his skate into the net." Did you know that goals could be overturned "even if the puck, after being kicked, deflects off any other player of either team and then into the net?"

Cancel the rule? Were it up to me, players should be able to score goals by any means necessary. Look at what Toews did! Kicking the puck into the net actually required a great bit more skill than, say, having the puck deflect off one's face. But I understand I'm in the minority, and that the bogeyman of 10 skaters wearing knives on their feet kicking their legs around the goalie is an image that's hard to overcome. So we'll say no, don't cancel the rule. He kicked the puck in, by the letter of the accepted law.

April 30: Continuous play

GOOD GOAL! Jake DeBrusk gets the B's on the board! #NHLBruinspic.twitter.com/WQO3JZBiXF- Binge Sports (@BingeSports) May 1, 2019

The ruling: Good goal for Boston. Jake DeBrusk of the Bruins shot the puck and it appeared the play was dead before the puck crossed the goal line. In fact, the referee standing right behind the net emphatically waved his arms to indicate that there was no goal scored.

The confusion: Given the timing of the whistle and the fact that the referee waved off the goal, it appeared to be a classic case of "intent to blow," i.e., the referee ending the play in his mind before blowing the whistle and before the puck crossed.

The rule: The Situation Room initiated the review, and "The ruling was made in accordance with Rule 38.4 (ix), which reads in part, 'The video review process shall be permitted to assist the Referees in determining the legitimacy of all potential goals ... include situations whereby the Referee stops play or is in the process of stopping the play because he has lost sight of the puck and it is subsequently determined by video review that the puck crosses (or has crossed) the goal line and enters the net as the culmination of a continuous play where the result was unaffected by the whistle (i.e., the timing of the whistle was irrelevant to the puck entering the net at the end of a continuous play).'"

Cancel the rule? No. "Intent to blow" is a scourge on the NHL, and any rule that upholds good goals -- which the DeBrusk goal certainly was -- is only a good thing.

May 2: The netting

Puck hits the netting but nobody notices, Panarin capitalizes to get the Jackets on the board pic.twitter.com/2KyTDHE0RB- Heart of NHL (@HeartofNHL) May 3, 2019

The ruling: Good goal. Artemi Panarin of the Blue Jackets scored after the puck hit the netting. After the puck hits the netting, Oliver Bjorkstrand corralled it and put a shot on net, and the rebound slid to Panarin, who put it past Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask.

The confusion: A puck going into the netting and then resulting in a goal would seem like a rather cut-and-dry thing for video review to overturn, no?

The rule: "Video review shall only be permitted on goals that hit the spectator netting if the puck is directed immediately into the goal. For pucks that hit the spectator netting undetected by the On-Ice Officials, 'immediately' shall mean the following: a) When the puck strikes the spectator netting and deflects directly into the goal off of any player; b) When the puck strikes the spectator netting and falls to the ice and is then directed into the goal by the player who retrieves the puck. In both of the above scenarios, the NHL Situation Room must have definitive video evidence of the puck striking the netting in order to disallow the goal."

Cancel the rule? Of course. The puck left the playing surface. Were it not for the netting, the puck would be in the crowd. This isn't like playing Wiffle ball in your front yard, and your buddy hits the ball into a tree and you have to still play it as it bounces off the branches. This is an easy, simple loophole to fix.

May 5: The Bishop injury

Ben Bishop takes a slapper to the collarbone and the Blues score while he's down pic.twitter.com/AFVhPPUCcE- Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 5, 2019

The ruling: Good goal. A Colton Parayko shot injured Dallas goalie Ben Bishop, who was down on the ice when Jaden Schwartz of the Blues scored into a gaping net. There was no whistle for the injury.

The confusion: Why wasn't the play whistled dead when Bishop was clearly shaken up, especially when one considers how the officials usually err on the side of overprotecting the goaltenders?

The rule: The refs can stop play if they feel the injury to a player is severe. Otherwise: "When a player is injured so that he cannot continue play or go to his bench, the play shall not be stopped until the injured player's team has secured control of the puck." The Bishop injury didn't rise to the level of "severe."

Cancel the rule? No. Without the benefit of an on-ice MRI machine, the refs had no idea what the extent of Bishop's injury was in that moment. Plus, he remained in the game for another 33 seconds before getting pulled for "performance reasons," so the refs would have looked rather bad had they whistled down the play.

May 6: The McAvoy hit

Bruins' McAvoy lays out Blue Jackets' Anderson with a controversial hit late in the second period of Game 6

Thoughts on the minor penalty call? �� pic.twitter.com/zSMqrhLOKM- Hockey Night in Canada (@hockeynight) May 7, 2019

The ruling: Charlie McAvoy gets a two-minute minor penalty for an illegal check to the head of Josh Anderson of the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game 6.

The confusion: The principal point of contact was the head, and McAvoy drove into Anderson. The idea this was just a minor penalty was a joke -- this called for a five-minute major.

The rule: Welp, turns out there is no five-minute major for an illegal check to the head, only a minor penalty or a match penalty (which would have included a five-minute major), to which this play did not rise in severity.

Cancel the rule? Yep. This play should have resulted in a major penalty. According to former referee Kerry Fraser, "When the rule was implemented, the NHL Officials Association wanted it this way given the inconsistency of suspensions in this area and rescinded game misconducts that the refs called. We preferred to let Department of Player Safety handle it." Great! Player Safety ended up suspending McAvoy for one game, which in no way helped the now-eliminated Blue Jackets. Let the officials call a major for this rule when applicable.

May 8: The Landeskog thing

Deboer and the #SJSharkspic.twitter.com/PDxwkUtq73- Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) May 9, 2019

The ruling: No goal for Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 vs. San Jose. Colin Wilson's goal that would have tied the game was overturned via a San Jose coach's challenge. It was ruled that Gabriel Landeskog was offside while standing near the Colorado bench door, waiting to complete a change. "I would say it's pretty rare," Colorado coach Jared Bednar said with an exasperated laugh. "In a Game 7, even more so."

The confusion: Aren't players that are changing basically non-playable characters? The "too many men on the ice" rule applies to players during a change that actively play the puck or hit an opponent. Landeskog had no bearing on the play at all. He was scenery. This was like overturning a goal because of an ad on the boards.

The rule: "After reviewing all available replays and consulting with the Linesman, the Situation Room determined that Gabriel Landeskog did not legally tag up at the blue line prior to the puck entering the offensive zone," the NHL said. "The decision was made in accordance to Rule 83.3 (i), 'All players of the offending team clear the zone at the same instant (skate contact with the blue line) permitting the attacking players to re-enter the attacking zone.'" Basically, Landeskog's skate touched the blue line to kill the delayed off side, but then he stepped back into the zone before the puck arrived. Or at least that's what the C-grade-quality pixelated video indicated.

Cancel the rule? No. Landeskog himself admitted that he needed to hustle faster to get over the boards, or be more cognizant of the play. "It's a clumsy mistake, you know? 'Get off the ice.' If I could have done something different on that play, I would have jumped the boards a lot quicker," he said. The real issue here is the egregious, myopic use of the coach's challenge for offside plays. Landeskog leaving on a change had no impact on what should have otherwise been a good goal. Video review of offside was supposed to eliminate the egregious offenses, not have the War Room count pixels. This was less an indictment of the rulebook -- it's further evidence that the offside review is what needs cancellation.

This last offense is a reminder that for all the frustration over these myopic readings of the rulebook and time wasted looking at an iPad near the penalty boxes, some good can come from these debates. The offside video review has never been less popular than it is now, and it takes high-profile incidents like the Landeskog one to rally opinion makers toward its abolition. Which is exactly how we got into this pickle in the first place with that Matt Duchene offside in 2013, when everyone saw an injustice and declared it necessary to correct future ones. Now we can correct the correction.

The fact is that the playoffs are like a magnifying glass for the rulebook. We see what works. We see what needs to be refreshed, changed or outright canceled. Like the Brett Hull "skate in the crease" situation in the Dallas Stars' Stanley Cup win over Buffalo in 1999, which was a controversy so torrid that it helped end video review of crease violations that summer and eventually the entire "skate in the crease" rule. Did it help the Sabres that night? Nope. Did some good come from it? Upon further review, yes. Such are rules controversies in the playoffs.

The Premier League now knows it will be sending Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur to the Champions League next season after they finished in the top four.

Arsenal could yet make it five English clubs in the UCL should they win the Europa League final against Chelsea on May 29.

But where will the clubs be placed in the Champions League group-stage draw pots, when it takes place on Thursday, Aug. 29?

Tottenham might have another reason to hope Arsenal lose the UEL final if they are to avoid Pot 3 and another tough group.

MANCHESTER CITY
UEFA rank: 6th
Pot: 1 (seeded)

City will be in the strongest pot as the champions of England. That pot also includes the Champions League and Europa League titleholders, plus the champions of Spain (Barcelona), Italy (Juventus), France (Paris Saint-Germain), Germany (Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund) and Russia (Zenit St Petersburg)

LIVERPOOL
UEFA rank: 11th
Possible pots: 1 (seeded), 2

Liverpool can only be seeded if they win the Champions League. Otherwise they will definitely be in Pot 2.

CHELSEA
UEFA rank: 12th
Possible pots: 1 (seeded), 2

Pretty much exactly the same as Liverpool, in that they can only be seeded if they win the Europa League. It's Pot 2 if they don't.

TOTTENHAM
UEFA rank: 17th
Possible pots: 1 (seeded), 2, 3

Spurs are the one Premier League team with a bit of a complicated situation. Of course, if they win the Champions League they will be in Pot 1.

However, if they lose to Liverpool then, as it stands, they are going to need some help to avoid being in Pot 3 and the prospect of a tougher group draw.

To be in Pot 2, Spurs would need two of the following to happen:
- Arsenal lose Europa League final
- Sevilla fail to qualify
- FC Porto fail to qualify
- Roma fail to qualify

How likely is this? Well it looks like Sevilla only have a slim chance of making it, two points adrift with one game to play and an inferior head to head record on those above them (Getafe, Valencia). Roma are a point outside the top four with two games left. FC Porto will be in the Champions League but seem set to go through qualifying.

It could be the case that Tottenham have an extra reason to hope Arsenal are beaten in the Europa League final.

ARSENAL
UEFA rank: 9th
Possible pots: 1 (seeded)

Arsenal can only qualify for the Champions League as Europa League winners, which would put them in Pot 1.

So, how are the Champions League pots looking?

It's a little early, but if the top-seeded teams still in contention for a Champions League spot make it through, we're looking at this for the top two pots. There are guaranteed to be three English clubs seeded.

POT 1: Liverpool or Tottenham (UCL winners), Arsenal or Chelsea (UEL winners), Barcelona, Manchester City, Juventus, Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Zenit St Petersburg

POT 2: Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, FC Porto, Liverpool (if lose UCL final), Chelsea (if lose UEL final), Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund, AS Roma

All other qualifiers would fill out Pots 3 and 4. Should Sevilla, FC Porto, Liverpool, Chelsea and/or Roma not need their place in Pot 2, it will be filled (in order of priority) by Napoli, Shakhtar Donetsk, Tottenham and then Ajax.

Does it feel like the lease is getting shorter for Major League Soccer head coaches? Three managers have already been fired in 2019, with two teams -- FC Cincinnati and New England -- making changes just this past week.

Added to Colorado's dismissal of Anthony Hudson, that means the three teams at the bottom of the standings have changed coaches before the second week of May. That kind of accountability feels new in a league where coaches often get until the summer to sort out a playoff push before the axe comes down.

So what does this mean? It's hard to say, but at the very least coaches should try to avoid dropping into those bottom three spots. It's treacherous down there.

Previous rankings: Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1

1. LAFC (8 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss)

Previous ranking: 1

Next MLS match: Thursday, 10 p.m. vs. FC Dallas, ESPN2

You know things are probably going to go your way when: A pass from Mark-Anthony Kaye somehow eludes the goalkeeper and ends up in the back of the net; a gift of a chance from a bad defensive error clangs off the crossbar, only to bounce to the feet of your substitute striker; you have Carlos Vela on your team.

2. Seattle Sounders (6-4-1)

Previous ranking: 4

Next MLS match: Wednesday, 10.30 p.m. ET vs. Orlando, ESPN+

So Cristian Roldan just scores wonder-goals now? That doesn't seem a sustainable source of scoring moving into the summer -- especially if Roldan gets the call for Gold Cup duty -- but good teams get their goals from all over the field. The Sounders busted a four-game winless run with the victory.

3. Houston Dynamo (6-1-2)

Previous ranking: 2

Next MLS match: Wednesday, 8.30 p.m. ET vs. Portland, ESPN+

No goals, but consider the Dynamo's trip to Seattle successful when it came to earning respect. There's a gap between LAFC and the rest of the league, but Houston proved that they can hang on the road in front of a big crowd against one of the best teams in the Western Conference.

4. Philadelphia Union (7-2-3)

Previous ranking: 5

Next MLS match: Saturday, 7.30 p.m. ET vs. Seattle, ESPN+

A PSA for all you MLS fans still catching up on the Union and their exploits, ones that have Philadelphia atop the Eastern Conference: Kacper Przybyłko is best pronounced by American tongues as "Casper Sha-bil-ko". You might want to learn the name: the German has three goals and an assist in his last four appearances.

5. LA Galaxy (7-1-3)

Previous ranking: 3

Next MLS match: Sunday, 9 p.m. ET vs. Colorado, ESPN+

Is it fair to say the Galaxy choked away three points at home? It's certainly fair to wonder what punishment is coming for Zlatan Ibrahimovic and whether the Galaxy can manage without Jonathan Dos Santos in midfield if and when the Mexican is missing, be it due to injury or international duty.

6. D.C. United (6-2-3)

Previous ranking: 6

Next MLS match: Wednesday, 8 .p.m. ET at Toronto FC, ESPN+

For a team that once-upon-a-time needed Bill Hamid's heroics just to stay somewhat competitive in the Eastern Conference, the work the goalkeeper is doing for the club in 2019 feels like a bonus. This is a better team than past season, so Hamid's work in goal might be difference between a good season and a great one.

7. New York City FC (4-6-1)

Previous ranking: 10

Next MLS match: Saturday, 3.30 pm ET at Chicago

Dome Torrent's team is one of three in MLS with just a single loss on the season but a rash of early draws kept the club from the top of the standings. With four wins in the last five matches, NYCFC is now making a charge in the East. Saturday's win in LA over the Galaxy was an impressive brick in the "NYCFC is good again" wall.

8. Toronto FC (5-1-4)

Previous ranking: 7

Next MLS match: Wednesday, 8 p.m. ET vs. DC United, ESPN+

A rough week for the Reds. The good news is that Alejandro Pozuelo remains in red hot form and that Jozy Altidore made his return as a sub in Saturday's loss against Philadelphia. The bad news is that a couple of other injuries have hit the squad, complicating the job for Greg Vanney during a busy stretch of the schedule.

9. FC Dallas (5-2-4)

Previous ranking: 8

Next MLS match: Thursday, 10 p.m. ET, at LAFC, ESPN2

Luchi Gonzalez's squad got a taste of their own medicine when the Red Bulls rolled in with a young team for Saturday's match at Toyota Stadium and rolled out with a 3-1 win. Big questions swirl around the Texans, including whether Pablo Aranguiz is truly the heir to Mauro Diaz.

10. Montreal Impact (5-2-4)

Previous ranking: 11

Next MLS match: Saturday, 1 p.m. vs. New England, ESPN+

Remi Garde is tres en colere. Not only did the Impact have a seemingly good goal waved off five minutes before half-time in Cincinnati on Saturday, but the schedule is stressing the Frenchman out. Garde declared a stretch that had Montreal play Wednesday-Saturday-Wednesday, with the last two on the road, was "disrespect."

11. New York Red Bulls (4-2-5)

Previous ranking: 14

Next MLS match: Sunday, 5 p.m. vs. Atlanta

The soccer writer's code requires that we use the word "wholesale" to describe the changes Chris Armas made with his lineup for the trip to Frisco on Saturday. Armas' changes -- he swapped out 10 of the 11 that played against Montreal on Wednesday -- not only bought his first-choice team a bit of rest, but it gave several depth players crucial confidence.

12. Atlanta United (4-2-3)

Previous ranking: 16

Next MLS match: Wednesday, 10 p.m. at Vancouver, ESPN+

The Pity Party is officially on. Gonzalo Martinez's first MLS goal was the game-winner for the Five Stripes in a tense, physical victory over Orlando City on Sunday. Will the goal unleash Pity on the rest of MLS and help Atlanta continue the climb up the Eastern Conference standings?

13. Minnesota United (4-3-3)

Previous ranking: 9

Next MLS match: Saturday, 8 p.m. vs. Columbus, ESPN+

The Loons' one-step-forward-one-and-a-half-steps-back routine is in the "step back" phase again following a 2-0 loss in Chicago. Minnesota certainly didn't take the upper hand in the post-breakup period with Francisco Calvo, who now gets to say "nanny nanny boo boo" at the Loons until the two teams meet again.

14. Columbus Crew (5-1-7)

Previous ranking: 12

Next MLS match: Saturday, 8 p.m. at Minnesota, ESPN+

The Crew learned the difference between the two LA clubs first hand in a span four days. Wednesday's win over the Galaxy broke a five-game losing streak, but Saturday's home loss against LAFC proved just how far behind the best in MLS Columbus still is.

15. Real Salt Lake (4-1-6)

Previous ranking: 15

Next MLS match: Saturday, 3 p.m. vs. Toronto, ESPN+

Who knows if Sam Johnson got enough of the ball to make the striker happy after his postgame comments last week -- Johnson probably won't be making that mistake again -- but the Designated Player did get the winning goal in the first Rocky Mountain Cup game of the year. That should salve some wounds.

16. Vancouver Whitecaps (3-3-5)

Previous ranking: 21

Next MLS match: Wednesday, 10 p.m. vs. Atlanta, ESPN+

A couple of things: Fredy Montero is in good goalscoring form. The 'Caps have a winning streak now, their first of the year. Vancouver pulled into the playoff places in the Western Conference. All of that is in jeopardy in midweek, when Atlanta United arrives with a four-game shutout streak and a rapidly improving attack.

17. Portland Timbers (3-1-6)

Previous ranking: 17

Next MLS match: Wednesday, 8.30 p.m. at Houston, ESPN+

The undisclosed nature of transfer fees in MLS probably robbed the Timbers of the spotlight last week when they secured the signing of Brian Fernandez for a significant fee. It still doesn't feel like Portland's season has really started, with Fernandez not yet integrated and the club still yet to play a home game.

18. Chicago Fire (3-4-4)

Previous ranking: 18

Next MLS match: Saturday, 3.30 p.m. at San Jose

The Fire still play in Bridgeview, which is where they took down Minnesota United 2-0 on Saturday. Whether or not it's more coincidence than his actual impact, Chicago hasn't given up a goal since acquiring Calvo from the Loons on May 3. That's a big reason why the club has its first winning streak of the season.

19. Orlando City (3-3-5)

Previous ranking: 13

Next MLS match: Wednesday, 10.30 p.m. at Seattle, ESPN+

Missing a couple of big names ahead of a midweek trip to Seattle, the Lions fought and failed on the road in Atlanta on Sunday. Orlando is typical MLS in a lot of ways: Good enough to threaten better teams, even on the road, but not good enough to make good on that threat.

20. San Jose Earthquakes (3-2-5)

Previous ranking: 19

Next MLS match: Saturday, 3.30 p.m. vs. Chicago

The "Almeyda-lution" (working title) might have to be put on hold after a chastening defeat to New England this weekend. It's never good for morale when you go 3-0 down to the worst team in the East and have only a late consolation goal from Valeri Qazaishvili to show for the long road trip.

21. Sporting Kansas City (2-4-4)

Previous ranking: 20

Next MLS match: Saturday, 8.30 p.m. vs. Vancouver, ESPN+

Sporting hasn't won a game in six matches, which feels like a problem for a team that walks into every season with first-place aspirations. It's tempted to believe that Peter Vermes brought the injury situation in Kansas City on himself (SKC was only able to dress 15 players in the loss to DC on Sunday night), but bad luck has two-footed his side.

22. FC Cincinnati (3-2-7)

Previous ranking: 22

Next MLS match: Sunday, 3 p.m. at Orlando, ESPN+

Things you can do in 527 minutes, the amount of playing time between FC Cincinnati's last two goals, the second of which helped the club to a win over Montreal in Yoann Damet's coaching debut on Saturday: Smoke a brisket. Knit at least two scarves. Drive from Nippert Stadium to MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus and back four times. Read a really long novel.

23. New England Revolution (3-2-7)

Previous ranking: 23

Next MLS match: Saturday, 1 p.m. at Montreal, ESPN+

The Revs got that good old new coach bump this week, beating San Jose at home in the first game since Mike Lapper took over for Brad Friedel. It's tough to know what it means considering the Quakes' strange season to date, but any signs of life should be coddled and cared for in New England.

24. Colorado Rapids (0-2-9)

Previous ranking: 24

Next MLS match: Sunday, 8. p.m. at LA Galaxy, ESPN+

Worst. Start. Ever. Literally. No team has ever started an MLS season worse than the 2019 Colorado Rapids.

James Anderson is in doubt for Lancashire's County Championship return after suffering a blow to his knee while bowling last weekend.

Anderson was due to feature in Lancashire's Division Two home fixture against Northamptonshire, starting on Tuesday. However, the club said he was no certainty to play after being struck on the inside of his knee while bowling to Hampshire's James Fuller, who hit the ball sharply back during the closing stages of Sunday's Royal London Cup semi-final, won by Hampshire.

Anderson collapsed on the ground immediately after being hit and took some time to get up. When he did, he was unable to complete his spell.

Lancashire coach Glen Chapple said after the match: "He was nearly able to bowl but it is a bad spot and as soon as there's any swelling in there it can restrict your movement and limit your strength. I would imagine it would be very painful for a couple of days. I think a lot of us have had a similar blow in a similar area and it's just at the edge of the joint."

Lancashire expect to be without Alex Davies, who is nearing a return after breaking his thumb during their seven-wicket win over Middlesex in last month's season opener.

Opening batsman Joe Burns is set to make his debut, becoming the third Australian to represent Lancashire this season after Glenn Maxwell - who recently left to prepare for the World Cup - and Jake Lehmann, whose half-century offered some resistance to an excellent performance by Hampshire's bowlers in the one-day match.

Northamptonshire expect to have two month-long loan signings available to them. Jamie Overton has joined from Somerset as he seeks to build his match fitness after a back injury, while the 23-year-old left-arm pace bowler Luke Wood has joined from Nottinghamshire. It is Wood's second loan spell with Northants this season after he played in their first match, against Middlesex, which ended in a draw.

Jasprit Bumrah "is the best bowler in the world at this stage", declared Sachin Tendulkar, the Mumbai Indians icon, after the paceman had returned 2 for 14 to star in their IPL 2019 final win over Chennai Super Kings on Sunday.

His returns - not a boundary hit off his 24 balls, and 13 dot balls thrown in - were incredible all right, making him a straight pick for the Man of the Match award too. Chatting with Tendulkar for IPLT20.com after the match was Yuvraj Singh, who played a few matches early on in the season for Mumbai but was subsequently benched.

"Let me go on record and say that he is the best bowler in the world at this stage" TENDULKAR ON BUMRAH

Asked by Tendulkar what made Bumrah so difficult to face, Yuvraj said that apart from an "awkward" action, it was "very tough to understand at what pace he is coming".

"I think he is bowling the best I have seen in his career," he added, and Tendulkar agreed: "Let me go on record and say that he is the best bowler in the world at this stage. And the best is yet to come, hopefully."

Bumrah was the toast of the Mumbai team, and their fans. Not for the first time either. Forget the past, just this year, Bumrah came on at the toughest of moments for Mumbai, and delivered almost without fail. Among bowlers to have sent down at least 60 overs, only Rashid Khan had a better economy rate for the season - 6.28 - than Bumrah's 6.63.

For two fewer wickets - Bumrah ended with 19 and Rashid 17. Expand that list to bowlers who have bowled at least 40 overs, and Bumrah's economy rate stands at No. 4, with Ravindra Jadeja (6.35) and Chahar (6.55) slotting in between Rashid and Bumrah. Bumrah still ended with the most wickets among them.

"Just trying to be calm, trying to execute, trying to keep things simple whenever I'm trying to bowl … so that's probably it" JASPRIT BUMRAH

Let's look at more numbers.

Bumrah bowled 172 balls in the death overs (17 to 20), 52 more than the next on the list: Kagiso Rabada. And how did he do in them? His economy rate in that period was 7.67, by far the best among bowlers to have sent down at least ten overs at the death. Next on the list is Chris Morris, with an economy rate of 8.61. And Bumrah's 13 wickets at the death was also second only to Rabada's tally of 17.

But Bumrah was - is - more than just his numbers. It's the effect he has had on opposition batsmen, coming it at crunch moments and making sure liberties were kept to a minimum. "Phenomenal", Zaheer Khan, the Mumbai director of cricket, called Bumrah - he's been doing it year in and year out, for Mumbai and for India.

"Just trying to be calm, always learning from all the legends of the game that we have over here, trying to execute, trying to keep things simple whenever I'm trying to bowl … so that's probably it," Bumrah told Zaheer about his agenda out in the middle.

Those are words one hears often - not much there. But Zaheer did give away a bit of inside information about Bumrah: he is "stubborn", and he takes "a lot of convincing" when new plans are discussed. But, at the same time, chatting about bowling with Bumrah can make for "great conversations".

One such conversation - more than once, actually - was apparently with MS Dhoni, who, Bumrah revealed, had been after the paceman to bowl his outswingers more and more. Three balls Bumrah got to bowl at Dhoni on Sunday night in the final. The first was an awaygoing delivery, angling in and holding its line, leaving Dhoni poking at it.

"He's been behind [after] me for the outswingers since the tournament's beginning," Bumrah said. "I told him I'd bowl it, but he was behind me all the time 'you should bowl it more often'. So after bowling it today he was very happy."

UFC star Conor McGregor is no longer facing criminal charges in Florida for allegedly smashing and stealing a man's phone in March.

Miami prosecutors dropped one charge of felony robbery and one of misdemeanor criminal mischief during a hearing on Monday, ESPN confirmed. According to the Miami Herald, prosecutors said in court that the charges were dropped after the victim stopped cooperating.

Last month, the accuser in the incident, 22-year-old Ahmed Abdirzak, dropped a civil suit against McGregor. The London-based man had sought more than $15,000 in damages.

McGregor, 30, was arrested on March 11 after police said he grabbed Abdirzak's phone while the man was trying to take his picture outside a Miami hotel. Police said McGregor then stomped on the phone several times, before picking it up and leaving with it. McGregor was released that same day on $5,000 bond.

Later that month, the New York Times reported McGregor was under investigation for an alleged sexual assault in his native Dublin in December. McGregor has not been charged with a crime in that matter.

McGregor (21-4) remains the most popular fighter in the UFC, despite just one appearance in the past two years. He abruptly announced his retirement in March, but has since dropped hints he intends to fight again. He suffered a submission defeat to lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in October in Las Vegas.

University of Michigan coach John Beilein has agreed to a five-year contract to become the Cleveland Cavaliers' coach, league sources told ESPN.

On Monday, the school and Beilein acknowledged he is leaving Michigan without saying where he is going. Beilein offered his thanks in a tweet.

Beilein reached a deal with the Cavaliers on Sunday and informed Michigan's administration of his decision to leave for the NBA on Monday morning, sources said.

The Cavaliers have been using the term "culture driver" internally when discussing the possibility of hiring Beilein, sources said. He's considered one of the elite offensive tacticians and teachers in basketball, a coach who has never been an assistant and climbed almost every level of basketball -- coaching high school, junior college, Division III, II and I. The final step in an odyssey that has brought him an 829-468 college record has been the NBA, and now Beilein makes the leap.

Thanks to everyone at the Univ of Michigan for their incredible support these last 12 years. Our fans , alums , leaders, players and students are AMAZING It has been a heck of a ride and I hope you enjoyed our teams and staff as much as I did !Go Blue Forever ! #GoBlue

— John Beilein (@JohnBeilein) May 13, 2019

He led Michigan to two Final Fours and four Big Ten tournament and regular-season titles in his 12-year run in Ann Arbor.

Beilein, 66, has entertained thoughts about the NBA for several years and had detailed discussions with two franchises -- the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons -- last year before deciding to return to Michigan.

Beilein didn't want to move himself and his wife far from Michigan, and the Pistons' borderline playoff roster with little financial flexibility to make changes made staying in-state less appealing. Cleveland's rebuild status, with point guard Collin Sexton and a 14 percent chance -- along with New York and Phoenix -- to earn the No. 1 pick in Tuesday's NBA draft lottery appealed to Beilein.

He is expected to join the Cavs' front office and ownership in Chicago for the draft lottery and combine this week.

Beilein replaces Larry Drew, who finished last season after Tyronn Lue was fired six games into the campaign. Lue won a title with the team in 2016, but LeBron James left in free agency before last season, prompting an accelerated rebuild.

Cleveland general manager Koby Altman had long been intrigued by Beilein, and his assistant GM, Mike Gansey, has a close relationship and history with Beilein. Gansey played under Beilein at West Virginia, advancing to the Elite Eight with him as a player. Owner Dan Gilbert lives and works in Detroit and, despite his Michigan State loyalties, has long admired Beilein's work. Beilein has been assured -- even encouraged -- that the franchise wants him to install his value system with the Cavaliers.

Talks with the Cavaliers had been running concurrently with the franchise's search, which culminated with four final first-round interviews on Saturday in Denver, sources said.

The Cavaliers plan to surround Beilein with an experienced staff of NBA assistants, sources said.

Beilein has run model programs in college, free of scandal and impropriety. In recent years, he has become increasingly frustrated with the nature of college basketball recruiting and the retention of top players. The impending loss of Michigan freshman Ignas Brazdeikis along with senior Charles Matthews and sophomore Jordan Poole to the NBA draft dented what might have been a national championship contender.

Beilein's son, Patrick, was recently hired as the coach at Niagara University, which is about a 3½-hour drive from Cleveland.