Australia A went through the one-day leg of their tour unbeaten, but now things get really interesting with the red ball coming into focus and places in the Ashes squad to play for. They face Sussex and England Lions over the next couple of weeks before the selection showdown between two Australia teams in Southampton after which the squad will be confirmed. Here's what's up for grabs

Openers

There are two elements to this area: who is the first-choice to partner David Warner and whether Australia want to include a third opener in the squad or rely on Usman Khawaja to be back-up if needed. If there's only space from one then it's a three-way race between Marcus Harris, Joe Burns and Cameron Bancroft. Harris is leading the way after his promising performances against India and a prolific domestic season. Burns' chronic fatigue syndrome has set him back but he scored 180 last time out against Sri Lanka while Bancroft, who will continue playing for Durham, has made a timely return to the runs including a compelling duel with James Anderson in the latest round of County Championship matches. The selectors have previously talked about Matt Renshaw as well, but he scored just 118 runs in six innings for Kent earlier in the county season.

Locked in David Warner
In the mix Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, Joe Burns

Middle order

Kurtis Patterson should have a head start here after his maiden Test hundred against Sri Lanka. The decision around the other names could come down to how many positions the player needs to cover. Peter Handscomb, who has been called into the World Cup squad, the prolifically in-form Matthew Wade, and one-day gloveman Alex Carey could be back-up to Tim Paine; Marnus Labuschagne is an incumbent Test player and has churned out runs for Glamorgan, plus can provide some handy overs, while there may, again, been the debate about a seam-bowling allrounder. Then there's the Glenn Maxwell question. Does he have a Test future?

Locked in Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Tim Paine
In the mix Kurtis Patterson, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Peter Handscomb, Will Pucovski, Matthew Wade, Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell

Pace bowlers

Who will join the big three now that Josh Hazlewood is fit again? It seems certain that James Pattinson will and be earmarked to provide a cutting edge at key times in the series. Five Tests will be too much for him and, perhaps, a number of the fast men so the reserves will be vital. Four years ago Australia made the mistake of not playing Peter Siddle before it was too late, but has his time now passed? Jackson Bird can make the Duke ball talk and can bowl long spells. The selectors would have loved to include Jhye Richardson but he is still recovering from the shoulder injury sustained in March that ruled him out of the World Cup and, as it stands, there are no plans for him to join the A squad which would appear to leave him an unlikely option. Chadd Sayers is also in the UK playing for Gloucestershire having replaced Dan Worrall who has been ruled out with a back injury.

Locked in Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson
In the mix Peter Siddle, Chris Tremain, Jackson Bird, Michael Neser, Chadd Sayers

Spinners

Being the second spinner in the squad behind Nathan Lyon would likely be a drinks-carrying role and the selectors could gamble on not picking cover although that risks the morning-of-the-game injury scenario. Jon Holland, the Victoria left-arm spinner, is with the A squad and played against Pakistan in the UAE last year. It's a worthwhile debate to have whether Holland or Steve O'Keefe is the next-best first-class spinner in Australia, but it seems like Holland or no one.

Locked in Nathan Lyon
In the mix Jon Holland

Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon watched the final 5½ innings of his team's 11-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates from the clubhouse Thursday after getting tossed following an exchange with those in the opposing dugout over their insistence on pitching up-and-in.

Maddon appeared to take exception with Pittsburgh's Jordan Lyles pitching up and in to All-Star Javier Baez in the top of the fourth inning. After a 3-2 pitch just missed hitting Baez and fouled off the knob of his bat, Maddon had to be restrained by plate umpire Joe West while appearing to make his way toward the Pirates' dugout.

Following the game, Maddon said the Pirates have a reputation around baseball for throwing pitches up and in.

"I mean, pent up frustration is one thing, but when your guys keep getting thrown at their head that's another thing too," Maddon said. "It's an industry-wide concept that we know that they are into and I have it from really good sources."

Maddon walked onto the field pointing his finger in a direction where Pirates manager Clint Hurdle was standing. West and Kris Bryant, who was on deck, teamed up to hold Maddon back while Hurdle watched from just outside the Pittsburgh dugout.

Maddon said he wasn't directing his ire toward Hurdle but didn't identify his target.

"Well [West is] concerned that I am inciting something and I wasn't even yelling at Clinton," Maddon said. "I had direction."

Lyles didn't hit a batter in the game and Hurdle pointed out that he's hit just one batter all year.

"Nobody likes the ball up and in, so I can understand there is some angst involved," Hurdle said. "There's always going to be angst involved in the game of baseball. A manager is always going to try to protect his team and share his feelings."

Lyles shook off the criticism, pointing out going inside is part of his typical game plan.

"I throw a lot of heaters up at hitters' hands," Lyles said. "And then I think it was the foul ball, which created Joe to come out. But other than that, Baez said he was good. Everything was fine. Maybe he was trying to get the boys to get a little light up in them."

The inning following Maddon's ejection, Pirates reliever Clay Holmes hit Cubs third baseman David Bote in the head with the bases loaded -- a moment that didn't surprise Maddon given what was happening all series.

"It was getting way too out of control, culminating in David getting hit in the head," Maddon said. "I have no issues with pitching inside. I'm an advocate, but when you [throw] that many pitches, not just that tonight, but it's been that way somewhat during the entire series. They have their pitching philosophy which again I appreciate outside, I don't appreciate up and in. Neither do the rest of us, they just need to be careful."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, who has won 27 singles titles on the WTA Tour, is writing a column for the BBC Sport website during the championships at the All England Club.

The 29-year-old Czech, who before this week had not played since pulling out of the French Open in May with an arm injury, beat France's Kristina Mladenovic 7-5 6-2 in the second round on Thursday.

I now have some better memories of Court One at Wimbledon.

Last year, I lost to Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the first round on that court and I didn't want the same thing to happen again.

I started off a bit tired and nervous against Kristina Mladenovic, maybe because of last year, but I was happy that I was able to turn the first set around and that I kept playing well after that.

I was also reminded of some nice memories on my way to the court when I saw some photos on the wall from when I won my first Wimbledon in 2011, which I had not noticed before.

It's taken me a while to get into the third round here again. I haven't been here since 2015, which was before my 'second career' - as I call the time after the attack. I will do my best in the next match against Magda Linette, and I am just so glad to still be in the draw.

It will be a difficult match against Magda, who I beat three years ago in Montreal, and I just need to be ready and healthy. I will have another day off on Friday, where I will go to the gym but definitely not hold the racquet.

Strawberries and (a little bit of) cream

I always stay in Wimbledon village every year. I love going to the restaurants there and the shops.

I love sushi and eat a lot of it during tournaments, and I really like Italian too. If I have time, I will sometimes go for a manicure or pedicure in the village.

I rent a house rather than stay in a hotel, and I always stay in a different one. It's very nice and relaxing there; it's like staying at home. Sometimes my team have barbecues at the house in the back garden.

I have been to see Big Ben and had a walk near the London Eye.

One of the main traditions I like to do when I am here is to have strawberries and cream. And yes, I'm allowed the cream! Just a little bit, of course.

I've also been following some of the other tennis results, like Coco Gauff. She is playing very well and it's great to see someone so young going deep into the tournament.

'Matches are my way of training'

I'm a player who doesn't really need too many practice sessions at Grand Slams, especially when I've had a really big injury to my forearm that meant I didn't know if I could play here at all.

It is a good way to do it. I've done it many times in the Grand Slams, where I have days off with no hitting - I am used to it. And so I will have another day off on Friday.

For me, it's just enough to play in a match. Matches are training enough - the longer they go on, the better it is since I haven't trained as much.

When the match gets longer, I play better.

Petra Kvitova was speaking to BBC Sport's Sonia Oxley at Wimbledon.

This story appears in the July issue of Sprint Car & Midget Magazine and can be viewed at www.sprintcarandmidget.com. This story requires a print subscription to Sprint Car & Midget Magazine or online subscription to www.sprintcarandmidget.com to read.

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LONDON -- Frank Lampard revealed he did not speak to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich prior to being appointed the club's new head coach, adding that director Marina Granovskaia instead led the recruitment process.

Chelsea unveiled Lampard to the media on Thursday after securing him on a three-year contract from Derby County as the replacement for Maurizio Sarri, who left to take over at Juventus last month.

Lampard has a long-standing relationship with Abramovich dating back to his illustrious 13-year stint as a Chelsea player, but said the conversations that ultimately sealed his return to Stamford Bridge were held with Granovskaia, who oversees the day-to-day running of the club on the billionaire's behalf.

"I haven't spoken to him at the minute," Lampard said of Abramovich. "I have spoken a lot to Marina. We have spoken in detail and in depth because it is about how I want to work with the club and how they want me to work with them.

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"I will be speaking with the owner in preseason. I know he is a busy man and I know he is a very private man and I respect that completely so it won't be one where I come out explaining what has been said.

"I do think one of the benefits of me being here is that I don't need huge amounts of conversation. The conversations I had with Marina were exactly as I expected. We want to be competitive, yes we want to bring young players through but that is something I should look to do anyway -- it isn't a major part of the conversation and we want to win.

"I felt that from the minute the owner came in years and years ago. I remember him landing at Harlington, coming and speaking to us and for me the landscape of the club changed in an instant because of the desire for excellence.

"A desire for excellence in training facilities at the time, standards on the pitch at the time and I don't think the levels have dropped since then.

"It is not easy every year. Nobody can win the league year in, year out and have complete success. But for me that hasn't changed, so when I do speak to the owner I expect him to demand the same things I demand of myself and the team."

Lampard's return to Chelsea, with former academy coach Jody Morris as his assistant, has raised hopes that the club may finally be prepared to give their most talented homegrown prospects an opportunity to shine in the first team. But while he views it as a key part of his job to create a pathway for talented youngsters, Lampard was also keen to stress opportunities to play in his Chelsea team will need to be earned.

"The reality is we should be competing no matter what and my job is to try and find a balance between the players that think they are in the first-team squad and the players breaking through," he added. "There is no use me sitting here and saying I'm going to play all the young players. They have to show individually they can do it so the balance from me will be to remain competitive and bring them through.

"Every manager has their own idea. My eyes will always be open to the young players but they have to show they are good enough because we can't lower our levels too much.

"This is Chelsea, so I am not going to be doing young boys favours and put them in the team. They need to prove themselves to get in the team and if they can do that I will be proud because it will be what I see as a big part of my job this year."

Chelsea's inability to register new players due to a FIFA-imposed transfer ban may help provide further encouragement to their academy prospects, but Lampard does not believe it should be the deciding factor.

"Personally I think the motivation should be there [anyway], but I understand that if a door can seem locked for a long time then it can affect young players.

"I have spoken about it and I will make it very clear going in that the door is open if you prove that you are good enough, but I do think the motivation should be there."

Australia will continue to dip into their deep supply of former greats with former captain Steve Waugh joining the Ashes squad as a mentor.

Waugh will link up with the tour ahead of the first Test at Edgbaston on August 1 as Australia seek to win their first away Ashes since 2001.

Waugh played in nine Ashes series, losing just his first in 1986-87, and piled up 3173 runs in the contests at an average of 58.75. He captained two of the series, including 2001 on English soil.

Head coach Justin Langer has been keen to integrate the knowledge and experience of former players. Ricky Ponting has been an assistant coach during the World Cup while Matthew Hayden and Mitchell Johnson worked with the squad on the tour of India earlier this year.

"I know it is something that JL [Langer] and myself have been quite big on, that is to try and get some of our past legends in and around the team," Test captain Tim Paine told Nine. "I think to have someone like him around during a Test series is going to be great for our whole group."

"I know I will be trying to bounce off him as much as I can. As I said, coming to England at times, particularly with the pressure and scrutiny that is around the team at the moment, I think he is someone who is regarded for handling that sort of stuff really well."

Even prior to David Warner's barnstorming return in the World Cup, Marcus Harris knew the two opening spots available for Australia in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston would be reduced to one.

While Harris impressed in his first international summer against an outstanding India attack, he walked away without the defining innings to show for it. He reached 20 in six of his first seven Test innings but made only two half-centuries with a highest score of 79. Slim pickings against a comparatively gentler Sri Lanka attack left him frustrated but he knows no matter what he might have done, Warner's return was always a certainty.

"I'm not sure he's nipping at my heels, I'm pretty sure he's there," Harris said. "He's probably the best opening batter of my generation. Just to watch the way he played, how he took it on against other sides and how consistent he was."

Warner has been the most successful opener in Test cricket since 2013 with 5341 runs at 49.91 including 18 hundreds - seven ahead of the next best of M Vijay's 11 hundreds. However Harris, an incredibly pragmatic character, doesn't see Warner's return to the Test side as a door closing in his face.

"If I had the opportunity to play with him it will be a great learning experience to watch the way he goes about it and how he takes on other teams," Harris said. "I don't see it as a hindrance, I see it more as an opportunity to learn from someone who's probably the best, in my opinion, at that position. And I think the Australian cricket team will be better for having him back in the side."

Harris arrived in England earlier this week to join the Australia A team for the red-ball section of the tour in the lead up to the Ashes. While most of the potential Ashes squad have been playing cricket in England, either in the World Cup, with the Australia A one-day side or an English county, Harris has had to make do with the indoor centre at the Junction Oval in cold, wintery Melbourne, save for a week-long camp in Brisbane at the start of last month.

"You make the most of what you've got but it's not outdoor nets, out in the sun," Harris said.

He has spent his time wisely, working closely with Victoria coach Andrew McDonald and assistant coach Mick Lewis, recalibrating his batting rhythm after a lengthy spell following the best summer of his career. His specific focus has been the moving ball, playing under his eyes and not following the line.

"It's probably just trying to play the ball late with batting stuff," Harris said. "Going over to England that's probably the main focus. It can be hard on the indoor wickets with the way that they play. Just trying to hold my line which I've spoken about before."

He has vast experience playing league cricket England, spending two summers in Taunton, but none playing at first-class level.

Opting not to play county cricket, unlike Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Bancroft, has its pros and cons. He could have continued his sparkling form from the back end of the Sheffield Shield season, where he passed the magical 1000-run milestone for the season and was player of the Shield final with a fine century, but he also risked burn out.

"I'm quite aware that I might not walk out in the first game in England and come out straight away and blaze them," Harris said. "But if I give myself the opportunity to come out in the middle and occupy the crease for a little while, I think my form will hopefully carry through into England. It could have been quite easy to keep going but if I kept going then I could have been at the point now where I'd had enough and needed a break. I think having the break will work for me."

He learned some valuable lessons last summer about the demands of Test cricket.

"I was knackered after the Test series and even just to have a week off before BBL and Shield cricket was really good," he said. "To be able to have an extended break now to do some training and stay at home for a bit has been really good. I think it makes you hungry and to actually really want to go out there and play.

"It's one of those things where it wasn't so much physical exhaustion, it was more mentally, I think it was just such a big emotional rollercoaster of my first summer. I think from having the experience I'll be better for it. Obviously the Ashes will be another kettle of fish if I'm there but I think I'll be better for the run."

However, he knows he is no guarantee to make the Ashes squad let alone walk out to bat alongside Warner in the first Test. Joe Burns made 180 in his last Test as Harris' opening partner but has had the misfortune of coming home from his county stint with Lancashire to recover from post-viral fatigue.

Burns has recovered and was added to the Australia A squad after initially being left out. It appears that Harris and Burns will have a three-match shoot-out to partner Warner, but Harris is unperturbed.

"There's definitely still a bit of water to go under the bridge," Harris said. "But I felt like I finished off the summer in really strong form and did as much as I could. A couple of [Sheffield Shield] 90s I could have turned into a couple more hundreds but I feel like after my first couple of Test series I finished the summer strongly. It could have been easy to peter out and let it slip but I was really driven to finish off well. There's definitely competition for spots but I feel like I'm doing all the right things at the moment."