INDIANAPOLIS — It isn’t difficult to identify the major players in IndyCar today — Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi and Michael Andretti. Their teams are the nucleus of the sport and they command a significant audience when they speak.

Lately, all three have mentioned the need for NTT IndyCar Series regulars to have a guaranteed starting spot in the Indianapolis 500.

They make their case with a solid argument: Failing to make the starting field at Indianapolis Motor Speedway creates instability that could cause a prominent corporate sponsor to leave the sport.

Like it or not, that’s a legitimate concern. Every form of racing needs sponsors and we want those companies to feel secure in their investment. If a company writes a seven-figure check and misses the biggest event of the season, that’s not a healthy situation.

However, the leaders of the sport need to hold firm: just say no to guaranteed starting spots at Indy. Because a guarantee would make it far more difficult for new, smaller teams to enter the sport and survive.

Teams don’t just compete on the track; they compete for sponsors, as well. In the competitive marketing arena, companies evaluate proposals from teams of all sizes. Landing a large, long-term marketing partner is usually the key breakthrough that brings life and growth to a small team.

Large teams already have a significant advantage in the sales process, based on name recognition, size and stature. Imagine the advantage a larger team gains when its marketing proposal includes a guaranteed starting spot at Indianapolis.

IndyCar has made great strides in recent years to build stability and get back on a growth trend. Lots of good things have happened. They have a solid core of just over a dozen teams and that’s about right for their events throughout the season — except Indy.

At Indianapolis, we need more teams. Not just more cars; more teams.

The Indianapolis 500 is still a dynamic, once-in-a-lifetime event. Race day is one of the most exciting and memorable sports experiences in the world. But we have to be honest: Some of the competitive elements surrounding the race have been difficult to maintain in recent years, particularly Pole Day and Bump Day.

IMS is in a bit of a tough spot: The very nature of bumping — one of the most dynamic and thrilling elements of the 500 — involves somebody experiencing crushing disappointment. That somebody includes the sponsors of any car that fails to make the race. If the 500 can someday return to the days of 40-plus competitive cars, no doubt some sponsors will be disappointed when their car is bumped.

But the alternative is much more concerning. It’s disheartening to hear the leaders of the sport say things such as “11 rows of three are not acts of God,” and “33 is just a number.”

Forgive me, but 33 is much more than just a number. It’s a cherished tradition dating back several generations, and you ignore that at your own peril. One of the things NASCAR was guilty of in its rise to prominence a few years ago was throwing out a lot of important traditions; that hasn’t worked out well over the longer haul.

I don’t want to eliminate bumping at the Indy 500 because it’s not convenient for team owners and sponsors. If you offer those owners — and sponsors — a guaranteed spot, there’s a good chance bumping could truly be a thing of the past.

Guaranteed spots at Indy? Just say no. Please.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Already established as a featured attraction during both Daytona Bike Week and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, American Flat Track is preparing to become a part of another of the largest, most historic two-wheeled events to its calendar.

The inaugural running of the Laconia Short Track presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys takes place this weekend during Laconia Motorcycle Week on Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Currently celebrating its 96th anniversary, Laconia Bike Week is the world’s oldest motorcycle rally and draws an attendance of more than a quarter of a million people annually. The Laconia Short Track is an exciting addition to an already jam-packed week, featuring an all-new .25-mile circuit known simply as The Flat Track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The pressure-cooker confines of Short Track racing should only crank up the tension as defending AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines champion Jared Mees targets the points advantage of current leader Briar Bauman.

The Indian Wrecking Crew teammates appear destined for a season-long struggle for supremacy with Bauman now six for six in podium appearances this year and Mees tapping back into the dominant form that saw him collect 20 victories and two championships over the previous two seasons.

Just behind those two are an impressive number of premier-class superstars boasting the requisite talent and speed to prevent this season from transforming into a two-rider race, however.

Third-ranked Brandon Robinson has already scooped a pair of wins in 2019, including the season’s first stop at a Short Track in Atlanta.

Henry Wiles, meanwhile, can claim sole possession of American Flat Track’s career ST wins record with a victory in Saturday’s main event. He currently sits tied atop the all-time leaderboard alongside the legendary Chris Carr with nine wins apiece.

While the recent success of rivals Jesse Janisch and Mikey Rush may have relegated Dalton Gauthier to third in the Roof Systems AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys championship order, the Pennsylvania native could be primed to strike back this weekend.

Gauthier is a threat to win anywhere the Roof Systems AFT Singles class lines up, but he’s a particularly effective Short Track ace. Gautier boasts Short Track wins in three different seasons (Daytona I, 2016, Atlanta ST 2017 and 2019), and could potentially reclaim the title lead with a similarly strong outing this weekend.

It's all come down to Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final between the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues. It's time to debate all the hot topics heading into the final showdown, including keys to victory for each team, the players currently ahead for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, and who would get the Stanley Cup second after each team's respective captain.

How do the Blues turn the page from their Game 6 loss?

Greg Wyshynski, senior NHL writer: They didn't play "Gloria" after Game 6 in St. Louis. So what song should they have played? While the No. 1 answer might have been the "Funeral March," I'll go with "You Can't Always Get What You Want" from The Rolling Stones. Because if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need. And as Game 6 goat (not GOAT) Ryan O'Reilly told me after the loss, maybe what they need is to have their story end on the road, where they're 9-3 this postseason.

Maybe what they also need is goalie Jordan Binnington snapping back from a subpar effort, yet again. He's 7-2 after defeats in the playoffs with a 1.86 goals-against average. Emily, what's your song on the Blues' playlist after Game 6?

Emily Kaplan, national NHL reporter: I'm going to pick an anthem of my formative years: the late, great Aliyah's "Try Again." We know the Blues have been unflappable after losses this postseason, and heading into a hostile road environment, they just need to dust themselves off and try again. Despite Craig Berube's quotes after Game 6 -- which essentially felt like the team was just happy to be here after such a trying start to the season -- the Blues have to know they have a shot.

They've been the better team at five-on-five. They'll need to be disciplined (O'Reilly's puck over the glass that gave Boston a five-on-three in Game 6 was less than ideal) and they need to be confident in their own power play, which has slowed momentum at times this postseason. It looked much stronger in Game 6 than it has all series. Greg, what do you see as the biggest key to the game?

Wyshynski: Like you said, the Blues' best chance at winning the Stanley Cup is playing as much five-on-five hockey as possible. Rolling their four lines -- including a fourth line that'll have Ivan Barbashev back after his suspension -- is when the Blues are at their best, acting like a wrecking ball in the offensive zone and not having to defend all that much. (One of the big gripes from the Blues about their play in Game 6 was that they were too loosely structured defensively.)

It's funny: The Blues had the power play advantage in Game 6, had 12 shots on goal on those power plays, and yet you felt like that time spent on special teams didn't serve them well. So, in essence, the key to Game 7 might be how much time the Blues spend on special teams vs. even strength, and the good news for them is that it is a demonstrable fact that the fewest penalties on average in a series are called in a Game 7, as this FiveThirtyEight report noted. Emily, what has to happen for the Bruins to win the Stanley Cup?

Kaplan: I'm not sure if we can say Boston's success is contingent on any specific forward. Yes, we've expected more from the Bruins' top line (they didn't get their first even-strength goal of the series until Sunday night) but it hasn't really mattered. Bruce Cassidy even said it after Game 6: This is the year Boston has depth scoring. Heck, 21 players have scored for the Bruins this postseason. The only guys who haven't? John Moore and Tuukka Rask (and at the rate Tuukka is going in these playoffs, who knows).

But all of that brings me to my point: I see Rask as the key to this game. When he's in the zone, he has been very hard to get pucks past. The Blues need to get traffic in front of him, and sometimes even that's not enough. And Rask has been on in the three games this postseason when Boston has faced elimination: only four goals allowed (1.33 GAA) and a ridiculous .953 save percentage. Greg, are we now in a situation where Rask wins the Conn Smythe whether the Bruins win or lose?

Wyshynski: Now that we're in Game 7, there are clearly top options for playoff MVP: Rask and O'Reilly. (Although true hockey hipsters know that Logan Couture, still leading the NHL postseason with 14 goals, is the real MVP.)

But the debate here is whether Rask can still win the Conn Smythe if the Bruins lose Game 7, and there are two ways to look at this. No goalie has played as many games in a playoff year (23) while posting a better save percentage (.938) besides Tim Thomas, who had a .940 in 25 games during the 2011 Stanley Cup win for Boston. There are only five goalies in the past 30 years who have posted better save percentages than Rask in a postseason with at least 20 games played. Three of them have Conn Smythes, including Jean-Sebastian Giguere's MVP in a losing effort in 2003, which would be Rask's touchstone. And one of them is Tuukka Rask from 2013, with a .940 save percentage, just in case there's anyone out there who would dare call this a fluke.

But the other factor is when the votes are cast: with 10 minutes left in the third period. Voters submit a three-player ballot. They have the ability to submit "if/then" ballots, like "if the Blues win, here's my ballot; if the Bruins win, then this is my ballot." He's such a clear-cut choice for the Bruins, I wonder if he'll collect enough "points" in the voting to finish first if O'Reilly isn't the consensus pick for the Blues (such as if Binnington or Alex Pietrangelo are top choices on a bunch of ballots).

So, the shorter answer is: Yes, I'd name Rask the MVP, win or lose. But onto more unknown aspects of Game 7. Emily, what are some implications of this game for both teams?

Kaplan: The Blues should work out a formal deal with Craig Berube, win or lose. We're not going to see another Barry Trotz situation.

Speaking of the Washington Capitals, I wonder if the Blues -- who were so aggressive last offseason to shape this roster -- will follow suit of what Washington did last summer after winning a Cup: do everything possible to keep the band together. Does that mean re-signing veteran unrestricted free agents such as Carl Gunnarsson and Patrick Maroon to short-term deals? They also have eight restricted free agents, the biggest being Binnington. A new contract is inevitable for Binnington, but many around the league will be intrigued to see the price and term at which the two sides land. Since there are few comparables, it feels like a bridge deal is very much in play.

The Bruins have most of their veterans under contract, and will obviously work out new deals for Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy, both restricted free agents. The biggest variable on Boston's roster is Torey Krug, who hits unrestricted free agency after next season. Krug elevated his profile tremendously these playoffs as not just a talented offensive defenseman, but a No. 1-caliber, all-around defenseman, and that has driven up his price. Can the Bruins afford to keep him? Will they have to trade him? Will other suitors such as the Red Wings or Rangers emerge as favorites to land him next summer? He's the guy I'm watching.

Lightning round

From 1987 to 2014, Stanley Cup Final Game 7s averaged 8.6 in combined penalties. Do we go over or under?

Wyshynski: Under. Whistles will be put away. The boys, they will play.

Kaplan: Give me the under. I agree that the refs are going to let them play.

This player will definitely score a goal in Game 7:

Wyshynski: Jaden Schwartz, which I know is a dicey proposition given how Rask played in Game 6. But Schwartz was absolutely flying in Game 6, more present offensively than he was in the past few games. While "he's due" is never a good reason for one of these picks, he hasn't scored a goal in seven games, so ...

Kaplan: For the Blues? Vladimir Tarasenko. For the Bruins? Charlie Coyle.

Who waves the Bruins' fan banner?

Wyshynski: I know there's heavy speculation that it's Tom Brady, but I'm holding out hope for noted Blues and Bruins legend Adam Oates.

Kaplan: I have a strong hunch it's going to be a very famous Boston-area athlete who has won a lot of championships himself and likes avocado ice cream.

Who gets the Cup second for the Blues and Bruins?

Wyshynski: For the Blues, I'll say Alexander Steen, the longest-serving Blues player, with 710 games played in St. Louis, which is sixth in franchise history. For the Bruins, it'll probably be Patrice Bergeron, but I'd really like to see 6-foot-9 Zdeno Chara hand it to 5-foot-9 Torey Krug, for comedic effect given the height disparity.

Kaplan: For the Blues, I think Jay Bouwmeester gets it. For Boston, I see Zdeno Chara handing it off to Patrice Bergeron (though my pick would be Tuukka Rask).

Barcelona hope to bring in at least €60 million in player sales before June 30 with the aim of balancing their accounts for the 2018-19 season, sources have told ESPN FC.

Ernesto Valverde would like to add three or four new players to his squad this summer but has been warned that the club's delicate financial situation dictates that players must be sold to allow others to join.

- When does the transfer window close?

Sources told ESPN FC after the Champions League loss to Liverpool that Barca have made record signing Philippe Coutinho available for transfer and are now hoping he has a good Copa America for Brazil as they look to get €100m for his services.

Ivan Rakitic and Samuel Umtiti also know Barcelona will study offers for them if they arrive as they look to raise close to €300m before next season starts, although both players have expressed their desire to stay at the club.

But sources have told ESPN FC that it's the fringe players who the club are desperately looking to move on before the end of the month.

The Spanish champions have already committed to paying an initial €75m for Ajax's Frenkie de Jong. They are also keen on Antoine Griezmann -- who has told Atletico Madrid of his desire to leave and will be available for €120m from July 1 -- and Matthijs de Ligt.

Barca have an agreement in place with Ajax to sign De Ligt but are yet to strike a deal with the player. They will re-open contact with his agent, Mino Raiola, this week, but believe Paris Saint-Germain are currently best placed to land the Dutch defender. Signing De Ligt would push Umtiti closer to the exit door.

Andre Gomes could be the first to leave. The Portugal midfielder has several suitors in England after spending the last year on loan at Everton. He has already rejected an offer from West Ham with Everton keen to make his stay permanent. Barca are confident of obtaining around €30m for him.

Barca are seeking new homes for Denis Suarez, Rafinha, Malcom and Jasper Cillessen, too. Valencia and Atletico Madrid have enquired about Denis, while Cillessen has asked to leave in search of regular football. The Catalan club are demanding €30m for the Dutch goalkeeper.

The club believe they can recoup the €40m they paid Bordeaux for Malcom last summer. The Brazilian has had limited opportunities in his first season at Camp Nou and his agents have told ESPN FC they will meet with Barca soon to discuss the options.

Elsewhere, Barca are also looking to make money on left-back Marc Cucurella. Eibar have taken up an option to sign him for €2m after a successful loan spell but the Blaugrana can re-sign him for €4m. They are planning to buy him back and then sell him for a bigger fee, with clubs in Spain, Portugal and Germany all asking about the academy graduate.

Atletico have shown an interest in Nelson Semedo, too, but Barcelona do not want to sell. The Portugal right-back is tied down with a release clause of €100m, but sources at the club said that if a sky-high offer came in, they would have to consider it.

Lionel Messi has topped Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid athletes as soccer players dominated the podium in 2019.

The Barcelona forward earned $127 million this past year in a combination of his salary and endorsements -- $18 million more than second-place Cristiano Ronaldo, who pocketed a total of $109m.

Neymar was the third-highest on the list, having earned $105m this past year. The Brazil international took in $75m in salary, which was $10m more than Ronaldo, while Messi's income of $92m dwarfed both.

However, the Juventus forward made $44m in endorsements, which was higher than Messi's $35m and Neymar's $30m.

Messi saw his earnings increase by $16m over the past 12 months. The $111m he made in 2018 saw him finish second to Floyd Mayweather ($285m). Ronaldo ($108m) was third with Neymar ($90m) in fifth. Conor McGregor ($99m) had finished fourth.

Boxer Saul "Canelo" Alvarez was the highest-earning non-footballer on the 2019 list, with $94m in total -- just $2m of which came through endorsements, meaning he had the same salary as Messi.

Tennis player Roger Federer was the fifth highest-earner, at $93.4m. He was No. 1 in terms of endorsements, though, with $86m.

Football stars Russell Wilson ($89.5m) and Aaron Rodgers ($89.3m) were sixth and seventh, respectively, on the list, as three NBA players came in next.

LeBron James earned $89m in total with Stephen Curry having made $79.8m and Kevin Durant $65.4m.

Top-10 highest-paid athletes of 2019

1. Lionel Messi, soccer: $127m

2. Cristiano Ronaldo, soccer: $109m

3. Neymar, soccer: $105m

4. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, boxer: $94m

5. Roger Federer, tennis: $93.4m

6. Russell Wilson, football: $89.5m

7. Aaron Rodgers, football: $89.3m

8. LeBron James, basketball: $89m

9. Stephen Curry, basketball: $79.8m

10. Kevin Durant, basketball: $65.4m

The 2019 Gold Cup begins on Saturday, June 15 as Mexico take on Cuba in Los Angeles and the U.S. kick off their campaign to defend their crown next Tuesday with a game against Guyana in Saint Paul, Minnesota. While Mexico look just fine with nothing but wins under Gerardo "Tata" Martino, the same cannot be said of the Yanks: the Gregg Berhalter regime has been uneven since he took over in January, with the recent warm-up defeats to Jamaica and Venezuela causing some panic among the fans.

So, with a week until the Gold Cup hosts' opening game, we decided to take stock of where this team stands and whether there's cause for concern about their worrying form.

ESPN's USMNT experts review the progress so far.

Should we be worried about Berhalter and his squad? Why or why not?

Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle): Definitely. The U.S. players just don't look like they're on the same page at all. Granted, they've been missing the likes of Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore (save for 45 minutes on Sunday). But that does''t excuse the poor execution and basic mistakes.

There has been plenty of talk about Berhalter and his new system but there seems to have been more than enough time to at least lay a foundation, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The attack, meanwhile, has struggled to create much of anything.

Why aren't these concepts getting through?

Kristian Dyer (@KristianRDyer): Yes, we should be worried, but we shouldn't panic quite yet. It is going to take time for Berhalter to learn his team and his players to learn him. Unlike previous cycles under a new head coach, the combination of Jurgen Klinsmann and Bruce Arena left little depth and developed few players to carry over for their successor. So a learning curve is to be expected.

If this team underperforms in the Gold Cup, then there should be genuine concern. But right now, Berhalter should be tinkering and building combinations and depth. Early returns, though, are far from encouraging.

- When is the CONCACAF Gold Cup?
- Full Gold Cup fixtures schedule
- Carlisle: U.S. have many problems to solve before Gold Cup
- Berhalter: U.S. won't scrap tactics after latest loss

Jason Davis (@davisjsn): Yes. Berhalter hasn't had a lot of time to work with his full group due to variety of factors, and while that will buy him some small measure of leeway in certain quarters, it also means that his team enters the Gold Cup having not put a single strong performance together with his best XI. With a simpler approach, that might not be a problem, but because Berhalter's system demands a higher level of understanding and cooperation, it's worrying that that they arrive at the tournament still in progress.

Arch Bell (@ArchBell): Absolutely. This team is an absolute disaster right now. They were outclassed by a Jamaica B side boasting more USL players than MLS talent and were then completely humiliated by a Venezuela team that coasted to victory after putting up three goals in the first half.

Most worrisome are the errors that the U.S. is committing. They're happening all over the field. Passes are being played out of bounds, players are reacting late and they seemingly panic any time there is the slightest bit of pressure. U.S. fans have every right to be concerned.

Noah Davis (@noahedavis): Definitely maybe. They've looked very bad/not good in losses to Jamaica and Venezuela, but Berhalter was without some of his best players, a problem for what is a top-heavy squad in terms of talent. Panic if you must, but don't abandon hope. At least not yet. See what happens during the Gold Cup if the work-in-progress that is Berhalter's plan makes progress or if it looks like the chaotic and lost mishmash of the past two friendlies. If it's the former, take solace. If it's the latter, get worried.

What is the best XI and formation for this team based on the Gold Cup squad?

JC: If it were me, I'd go with a 4-2-3-1 lined up this way: Zack Steffen; Nick Lima, Walker Zimmerman, Matt Miazga, Tim Ream; Adams, Bradley; Tyler Boyd, Weston McKennie, Pulisic; Altidore.

If I'm trying to pick Berhalter's brain and guess what he'll do, it will be a 4-1-4-1 like this: Steffen; Adams, Miazga, Aaron Long, Ream; Bradley; Boyd, McKennie, Pulisic, Paul Arriola; Altidore.

KD: A version of Berhalter's preferred 4-1-4-1 could work well but the personnel seems misplaced. Adams at right-back doesn't deploy him in an ideal setting and Ethan Horvath might be the best goalkeeper in the player pool. Ethan Horvath; Lima, Long, Miazga, Jorge Villafana; Adams; Pulisic, McKennie, Djordje Mihailovic, Boyd; Josh Sargent.

Taking lumps with Mihailovic could be worthwhile, not only to develop him but to put him on display for a European suitor.

JD: It's very hard to know for the reason outlined above, but based on the players Berhalter has chosen for the roster (feeding into his 4-1-4-1 or 4-3-3 system) the best lineup, while acknowledging that the coach is guaranteed to see it very differently, looks like this: Steffen; Lima, Long, Miazga, Ream; Adams; Boyd, McKennie, Pulisic, Arriola; Altidore.

This lineup has Adams in midfield (Berhalter clearly has him earmarked for the hybrid right-back role) and stays with the imperfect solution of Tim Ream at left-back. Boyd over Jordan Morris is a toss-up.

AB: Steffen; Lima, Zimmerman, Miazga, Daniel Lovitz; Adams, McKennie, Pulisic, Arriola; Altidore, Boyd

Despite his gaffe on Sunday, Steffen is still the best choice ahead of Sean Johnson in goal. Lima wandered all over the place against Jamaica but was slightly better against Venezuela. Berhalter likes to play Adams at right-back but would be better served as the defensive midfielder, like he is for his club, RB Leipzig. The midfield is fairly straightforward with McKennie, Pulisic and Arriola, with Duane Holmes a possible option in place of Arriola. Up top, Boyd and Altidore could make for a decent pairing.

ND: Steffen; Adams, Miazga, Long, Lovitz; Holmes McKennie, Pulisic; Jonathan Lewis, Altidore, Boyd

First observation: Winning the Gold Cup doesn't matter. It's a silly tournament that means nothing. Second observation: given the first observation, take some chances, try some things and build for the future. The lineup above isn't the lineup I'd go with if I needed to win a one-off game, but it's one that might give some ideas about where Berhalter goes from here. We look toward the future, always.

What is the one thing you think this squad is missing?

JC: Easy. They lack creativity. Other than Pulisic, there simply aren't enough difference-makers in the attacking third. Having more creative outlets would take pressure off the backline and off Pulisic, too. As it stands now, when Pulisic is on the field, opponents simply foul him and dare someone else to beat them. When he isn't ... well, you saw the Jamaica and Venezuela games. There isn't really anyone else stepping up (although we'll see if Boyd can add something). Someone needs to though. The U.S. can't always rely on Pulisic to deliver a bit of magic and bail them out.

KD: This squad is missing Tab Ramos as head coach, in my opinion, but that's neither here nor there. On the field, an argument could be made that a left-back who could push forward would be an asset to this team. In the near term, Kik Pierie would be a real asset to this starting XI if he opts to represent the U.S. and would be an ideal left-back for Berhalter's system. Long term, I'd say Efrain Alvarez would be the ideal attacking piece to add either out wide or centrally in the midfield. A full-court press has to be made for the LA Galaxy attacker.

JD: It would be easy to say "leadership" because both warm-up losses showed a decided lack of it. The Americans shrunk in both games and could have used a veteran presence to push the team forward.

Ultimately, the best answer is a ball-winner in midfield. While Wil Trapp has many fine qualities, the Columbus Crew midfielder is not adept at recovering the ball across the middle third. A stronger defensive figure would not only help prevent the sort of goals scored by Jamaica and Venezuela, it would allow the U.S. to attack with more speed and vigor in transition.

AB: The U.S. have still not sorted out their spine. Center-back continues to be a revolving door, but at least there is hope on the horizon with U-20 stud Chris Richards. Also, who slots in as the No. 6? Is it Trapp, Bradley or should it be Adams? Trapp has not been up to snuff, while Bradley is not the future and Berhalter sees Adams more as a right-back. Then there is the striker question. Altidore may frustrate fans, but he's still the best striker the U.S. have. Who should join him? It's up in the air.

ND: Heart, at least if the two friendlies are any indication. The players on the field against Jamaica and Venezuela looked apathetic at best, not going into tackles, pressing lackadaisically and treating the ball like a hot potato. The U.S. player pool isn't good enough to win games in a low gear. A selling point of Berhalter's hire was that he'd be able to reinstall a sense of purpose. His struggle to do so is, by far, the most concerning aspect of his short tenure thus far.

Glamorgan 167 for 5 (Labuschagne 37) v Derbyshire

Glamorgan reached 167 for 5 on a rain-affected first day of their Specsavers Championship match at the St Helen's ground in Swansea. Four batsmen were dismissed between 28 and 37 as a day that started late was ended by bad light 24.3 overs before the scheduled close.

Derbyshire's seamers kept a tight rein and made the batsmen work hard for their runs, Marnus Labuschagne the only man to prosper while hitting six fours and a six in 37 from 36 balls.

There was no play before lunch and following an uncontested toss Tony Palladino struck with the fourth ball of the innings when he had Nick Selman leg before - the batsman attempting to turn a straight ball to leg.

Labuschagne and Charlie Hemphrey then shared a partnership of 54 for the second wicket, with Labuschagne the dominant partner. The Australia Test batsman scored freely and it came as something of a surprise when he edged a catch to slip in Luis Reece's opening over.

Hemphrey played a more patient innings, taking 74 balls to score 32, before he was also trapped leg before by Palladino, who bowled a steady second spell on a pitch where was enough encouragement for the five Derbyshire seamers.

Glamorgan's acting captain David Lloyd, who has been short of runs recently, struck some early boundaries, and started to get into his stride when he drove Logan van Beek to cover, where Tom Lace did well to hold on to a low catch.

After his career-best 229 against Northants last week, Billy Root struck some early boundaries, but after scoring 28, sliced a catch to slip, where Wayne Madsen, in the freezing conditions, held on to a sharp catch.

Owen Morgan, who has deserved his chance in his first Championship game of the season after some impressive performances for the 2nd XI, was undefeated on 28 with Dan Douthwaite on 5 when the umpires mercifully ended play on a day more suited to November than early June.

"We would have taken that score after the uncontested toss," Lloyd said at the close. "It was quite tricky at times and although most of the batsmen got into the thirties, no one managed to kick on. You never felt in, although they bowled well throughout. It is up to us to kick on in the morning and build on the overnight score."