Kent 182 (Siddle 3-29) trail Essex 313 by 131 runs

When Essex won the County Championship in 2017, Jamie Porter and Simon Harmer shared 147 wickets between them. The plan was simple; Porter grabbed wickets with the new ball, Harmer came on once the lacquer had gone, wheeled away from one end and an assortment of seamers rotated at the other.

The plan was pretty much repeated last season, but Essex's batsmen didn't get the volume of runs to back up Porter, Harmer and Peter Siddle. Here at Chelmsford against Kent, it's been like the (not so) old times all over again. Alastair Cook's 125 in Essex's first innings (64 more than anyone else has managed in this match so far) gave his bowlers plenty to play with on a pitch that is assisting the seamers and providing enough encouragement for a very good spinner. Porter, Harmer and Siddle have played to their hearts' content. At times it was like watching a particularly sadistic cat toying with a particularly infirm mouse.

Kent took just 32 balls to wrap up Essex's innings in the morning session. Thereafter the torture began. Sean Dickson, fresh from a match haul of 219 runs against Surrey at Beckenham last week, confirmed the impression that he is very much a feast or famine batsman by succumbing to the last ball of Porter's opening over, giving a catch to Harmer in the slips.

It wasn't until the 53rd ball of the innings that we witnessed Kent's second scoring shot as the returning Joe Denly and the usually fluent Zak Crawley were offered nothing by Essex's disciplined opening bowlers. No width, nothing short, not the merest sniff of an opportunity. When Crawley departed to the last ball before lunch, caught in the leg trap by Ravi Bopara off Harmer, Kent had crawled to 42 for 3 off 23.1 overs.

This was not the sort of cricket designed to attract a new audience of cricket agnostics. This was very much for the connoisseur but my goodness it was absorbing. It is often said that spinners get a raw deal with the way the red-ball fixtures congest at the start and end of the season. But a very good spinner - and Harmer really is a very good spinner - find ways to thrive be it in April, May or July. Last year, Surrey signed the pace-bowling Kolpak Morne Morkel, and he was arguably the difference that turned a good side into a Championship-winning one. Harmer's impact at Essex has been no less profound. To watch him tie Kent's batsmen in knots, and nail most of their feet to the crease for good measure, was to watch a serious operator prove how potent top-class spin bowling can be, whatever the conditions, whatever the time of year.

He looks to get batsmen caught in the leg trap either at short-leg or, as he did twice here, round the corner at leg-slip. To achieve this he has to generate significant turn and, crucially bounce. His height helps. And yes, the pitch also helped, though not extravagantly. The fields that Ryan ten Doeschate sets for him resemble the sort of fields you see in old photographs of Jim Laker bowling in the 1950s. To watch Harmer is, it feels, like stepping back in time.

At the other end, however, he is assisted by a trio of very able seamers who never release the pressure. Although Porter and Sam Cook took the new ball, arguably Siddle is the most important of the three. Hammering away at a length and letting his natural variations combine with slippery pace, he ensured Kent went nowhere. Between the three seamers, they bowled 53.2 overs conceding just 91 runs and bagging seven wickets. Very seldom did any of them try the short ball. There was enough in the wicket for them to know that relentless nagging accuracy would be enough.

It is true that some of Kent's batsmen are not in the best of nick, notably Daniel Bell-Drummond and Darren Stevens, but the former, particularly, was determined to stick it out. It was at times not pretty to watch as he groped and pushed at thin air ball after ball, but what does impress about this Kent side is that they didn't collapse. But like a punch-drunk boxer who has failed to land a retaliatory blow, they really could do little more than delay the inevitable. It was to their credit that they lasted 88.2 overs, but a last-wicket partnership of 45 between Matt Milnes and Imran Qayyum - the highest of the innings - was nothing like enough.

When Milnes was bowled off the last ball of the day, the only batsman not to be dismissed to a catch behind the wicket, Kent had conceded a first-innings deficit of 131. On what is a good sporting pitch they may struggle to get back into this match, but they have shown enough character, not just in their first innings but throughout the season so far, to suggest they'll give it a damn good go.

Glamorgan 186 and 137 for 1 (Labuschagne 77*) trail Sussex 420 (Brown 131) by 97 runs

Glamorgan's Nick Selman and Marnus Labuschagne put together an unbroken second-wicket stand of 137 to frustrate Sussex on the second day of their Specsavers County Championship match at Hove.

Already armed with a first-innings lead of 234, after they had been bowled out for 420 in their first innings, Sussex seemed to be in control when Mir Hamza had Charlie Hemphrey lbw in the first over without a run on the board. But the two Australians played with increasing authority during the final session with Labuschagne 77 and Selman 45 at stumps.

After 15 wickets fell on day one the surface offered fewer problems for batsmen prepared to sit in and wait for the bad balls - a tactic the Glamorgan pair were happy to adopt as they reduced their arrears to 97, reaching stumps on 137 for 1.

Earlier, Sussex skipper Ben Brown had made 131 - his 17th first-class century - as he backed up his 156 in last week's drawn game against Northamptonshire with another chanceless hundred. Together with David Wiese, he took the initiative away from Glamorgan in the first session when 140 runs were scored with the sixth-wicket pair putting on 107 in 25 overs.

Glamorgan used seven bowlers but struggled to stop Sussex progressing at nearly five runs an over, even after Wiese was bowled by Timm van der Gugten via an inside edge for Glamorgan's only wicket during the morning session. Brown then joined forces with Chris Jordan to add 55 for the seventh wicket after reaching his hundred from 146 balls with 13 fours when he took a single off Labuschagne in the 65th over.

After lunch he added a further four boundaries and a six off Marchant de Lange, which Billy Root initially seemed to have caught only to step back behind the rope. In attempting a similar shot later in the over, Brown gave Root a more comfortable catch running in from deep midwicket. Brown struck 15 fours in total and faced 190 balls.

Danny Briggs was caught in the covers off de Lange who also picked up Hamza to finish with 3 for 89. Legspinner Labuschagne took 3 for 61 including Jordan, who was caught behind pushing forward when he appeared well set.

Glamorgan were immediately in trouble when they went in again 234 behind. Hemphrey was beaten by Hamza's late in-swing off the sixth ball of the innings to complete a pair.

But Selman, who carried his bat in the first innings, and Labuschagne took advantage of benign conditions after tea to take the fight back to Sussex. Labuschagne took three boundaries in an over off Hamza to move to his half-century and none of the six bowlers employed by Brown could make a breakthrough in the final session.

Middlesex 221 and 195 for 2 (Malan 107*, Gubbins 72*) lead Worcestershire 156 (Ferguson 37, Helm 5-32) by 260 runs

Middlesex paceman Tom Helm returned career best figures before skipper Dawid Malan's 23rd first-class hundred established a position of strength for his side in the Specsavers County Championship encounter with Worcestershire at Blackfinch New Road.

Helm finished with 5 for 36 from 19 overs to earn Middlesex a first-innings lead of 65 as Worcestershire were dismissed for 156 in 63.5 overs shortly before tea. It surpassed the 25-year-old's previous best of 5 for 59 against Warwickshire at Edgbaston two years ago, as he exploited a pitch of uneven bounce and received excellent support from veteran Tim Murtagh (17-9-25-2).

Then skipper Malan and Nick Gubbins cashed in during a marathon final session of 51 overs with an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 175.

Malan leg glanced Ed Barnard for four to reach three figures off 121 balls with 14 fours and he accelerated to such an extent that his second 50 came from just 44 deliveries. He ended the day unbeaten on 107 with Gubbins 72 not out as Middlesex closed on 195 for 2, an overall advantage of 260.

Conditions appeared to ease for batting during the second half of the day although Worcestershire, with the exception of skipper Joe Leach, were guilty of some undistinguished bowling.

In a rain shortened morning session Helm followed up his two wickets on Monday with another double breakthrough in the half hour's play possible after Worcestershire had resumed on 64 for 3 in reply to Middlesex's 221.

Opener Tom Fell had defied the visitors attack for 27 overs on the opening day but added only one to his overnight 18 before he pushed forward to Helm and was bowled. Helm dismissed nightwatchman Josh Tongue who fended off a delivery which bounced on him and Nathan Sowter held on to a low chance at second slip.

The players were driven off by a heavy shower and an early lunch was taken at 12.30pm with the total on 85 for 5.

When the action resumed Worcestershire lost two further wickets without any addition to the total. Riki Wessels pushed forward to Murtagh and was bowled and then Helm completed his five wicket haul when Ross Whiteley edged to Steve Eskinazi at second slip.

Ben Cox top edged James Harris for six to fine leg and Ed Barnard drove Murtagh for four. But the veteran Middlesex paceman's next delivery jagged back and accounted for Barnard lbw and Cox was dismissed in the same fashion by Harris.

Resistance came from the last wicket Worcestershire pair of Leach and Charlie Morris. They added 40 in 16 overs before spinner Sowter trapped Morris lbw.

Leach took the new ball and made two quickfire breakthroughs as Max Holden and Sam Robson fell lbw in successive overs to leave Middlesex on 20 for 2. But Malan, in his first senior game since recovering from a groin injury suffered on England duty, and Gubbins ensured there were no further alarms for the visitors.

They scored at around four an over and were seldom troubled with Malan first to his half century off 77 balls with six fours. Gubbins reached his fifty shortly afterwards from 99 deliveries with seven boundaries.

Former Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis is joining Arizona State's football staff, Sun Devils coach Herm Edwards announced Tuesday.

"Marvin Lewis is one of the most respected minds in our game," Edwards said in a statement. "Whether as the winningest coach in the franchise history of the Cincinnati Bengals, or the architect of one of the greatest defenses in NFL history, the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, Marvin has succeeded everywhere he has been and he has done it the right way. His passion for teaching will be an incredible benefit not only for our coaches, but also for the young men we are responsible for as students and athletes."

Edwards said Lewis, who was fired in December after coaching the Bengals for 16 seasons, will serve as a special adviser. Lewis will serve as a sounding board for the coaching staff and advise coaches and staff members. He will be a part of game strategy and could become a "face of the program" for speaking engagements down the road.

Lewis will not be permitted to work directly with players, as he is not officially a position coach.

"I've known Herman for almost 30 years and the opportunity to come and assist him and his coaches win football games is very exciting and appealing," Lewis said in a statement. "Arizona State and Tempe have always been special to me.

"I envision just being another set of eyes, another set of ears, and doing anything I can to help the coaches. I was really impressed with the staff and what they accomplished after they hit the ground running last season. ASU is a great university and is known for having an outstanding athletic program that has always been able to attract top athletes from around the country and I look forward to doing all I can to help the program."

Lewis went 131-122-3 during his 16 years in Cincinnati, setting the franchise record for career wins. He was the franchise's longest-tenured coach and set the club's head coaching record for playoff appearances (seven), consecutive playoff appearances (five) and division titles (four). The seven playoff berths under Lewis equaled the number the Bengals had in the 35 seasons before his arrival in 2003.

However, Lewis went 0-7 in the playoffs and was fired following the 2018 season after a 6-10 year, despite a 4-1 start.

Lewis joins ASU's staff following an impressive 7-6 debut for Edwards that included upset wins over Michigan State and Utah, which were both ranked 15th nationally when the Sun Devils played them.

Lewis began his career in 1981 as linebackers coach for Idaho State, which won the NCAA Division I-AA championship during his first year with the team. He was also an assistant coach at Long Beach State (1985-1986), New Mexico (1987-1989), and Pittsburgh (1990-1992).

LSU coach Will Wade expressed regret Tuesday for the actions that led to his suspension during the SEC and NCAA tournaments while categorically denying allegations levied by Emanuel "Book" Richardson during the college basketball corruption trial in federal court in New York City.

Speaking at the SEC spring meetings -- where he addressed reporters for the first time since March -- Wade said he was "here to start the process of rebuilding trust."

"As I've had time to reflect since I was out for 40 days or so -- there were some mistakes that I made," Wade said Tuesday. "But ever since that, since I was able to sit down and talk to LSU and the NCAA, I was fully cooperative."

Wade's regret, he said, was getting lawyers involved rather than sitting down with LSU immediately. Acting "in haste" and involving lawyers drew out the timeline and led to his 40-day suspension, he said.

"I wish, looking back on things, we could have gotten into a room together a lot quicker than we did," Wade said. "That was my mistake. I respect LSU's decision based on that."

Wade would not comment on what was said during those meetings with LSU and NCAA officials, citing them as "private and confidential," but he reiterated that he was forthright in conversations of which "there was no limit of scope."

In March, ESPN and Yahoo Sports reported prosecutors were trying to enter as evidence a wiretap that they said included Wade describing his frustration with his inability to close a "strong-ass offer" for a recruit. ESPN reported that Wade's frustration was with the handler of former top-50 recruit Javonte Smart, who ultimately signed with the Tigers.

Wade was suspended indefinitely by the university the following day. He did not coach the team through the SEC and NCAA tournaments and was not reinstated until after he met with school and NCAA officials in mid-April.

Wade would not address the allegations but did take time to dispute the allegations of Richardson, who said during the trial that Wade had told him there was a $300,000 deal in place to land Naz Reid.

"It was absolutely false and did not happen," Wade said.

Asked whether any exchange of money has ever taken place with a student-athlete or their family, Wade would not comment. He also sidestepped a question about the reports of an offer to Smart.

"It's a good question," Wade said. "I can't get into the specifics of everything, like I was saying earlier. I can assure you in my meetings with LSU and the NCAA, I've addressed all the media reports and what was said and I was reinstated."

Asked whether he ever said the words "strong-ass offer," Wade told reporters, "I've not heard the recording so I don't know."

The coach said he hoped to one day get to the point of full disclosure, "but we're not at that place right now."

Wade, who has gone 43-20 in two seasons at LSU, was bolstered by news recently that Smart, Skylar Mays and Marlon Taylor would withdraw from the NBA draft and return to school.

TORONTO -- Eric Lewis and Kane Fitzgerald are heading to the NBA Finals for the first time, as they were among the 12 referees picked to work the Toronto-Golden State title series.

Lewis and Fitzgerald are the two rookies on this year's Finals officiating roster. Mike Callahan was picked to work the Finals for the 16th time, and Scott Foster for the 12th time.

Other referees selected in the 12-man pool are Tony Brothers, James Capers, Marc Davis, John Goble, David Guthrie, Ed Malloy, Jason Phillips and Zach Zarba.

Finals officials are chosen based on evaluations made of their performance during the first three rounds of the playoffs. All 12 referees are slated to work at least once in the series.

TORONTO -- Stopping the Golden State Warriors isn't easy. What does make it easier, though, is having tried to do it before.

"As easy as it looks and seems," Toronto Raptors guard Danny Green said Tuesday afternoon, "it's a lot tougher when you actually get out there."

The Raptors went through their final light practice before the bright lights of NBA Finals media day shine on them Wednesday; Game 1 of the league's championship round takes place at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday night. And as they prepare for the challenge of trying to stop Golden State in this series, they have the added benefit of four key players -- Green, Kawhi Leonard, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka -- who have played against the Warriors in the playoffs.

That institutional knowledge is something the Raptors will hope to use to their advantage as they attempt to construct a game plan that will slow down the two-time defending NBA champions.

"It helps, in terms of knowing how great they are as an offensive team," Ibaka said. "Sometimes it's tough when you don't know, and you just go out there and play with the flow of the game. [Then] they are going to beat you so bad.

"The fact we already know how great they are -- not good, great -- that helps. That helps us to be prepared mentally, and then watch tape to try to figure out what to do."

It's one thing to try to figure out what to do on tape. It's something else entirely to go out on the court and do it. Even when Golden State is playing at less than its best -- like it did for large stretches of the Western Conference finals against the Portland Trail Blazers -- the Warriors still can ramp up their intensity level in an instant and go on a double-digit run in what seems like a blink of an eye.

It is that ability to overwhelm an opponent that makes them so difficult to stop. Well, that and a collection of superstars, from Stephen Curry to Klay Thompson to Draymond Green, being on the court at the same time -- even as another, Kevin Durant, waits in reserve as he continues to recover from a calf strain.

According to Gasol, stopping the Warriors will come down to patience and adjustments.

"They do a great job with their positioning on the floor, their passing, their counteractions, the second, third counter." Gasol said, "They see the scheme and they have a counter for that scheme. It's a multiple-effort game.

"You know Steph and Klay are gonna make shots. You can count on that. The other guys, you have to keep them under control."

Ibaka's explanation was even simpler.

"Just don't be lazy against them," Ibaka said. "The way they play, they try to make you fall asleep out there -- and then you see Steph out there and he's going to keep going and then you fall asleep and then he keeps going and gets a wide-open 3.

"They just keep moving. It's nonstop. [Steph] and Klay and Draymond, the way they push the ball out there, it's one of those teams where you have to be focused for 48 minutes. You can't relax, because if you relax, and they get hot, it's going to be a long night."

Toronto's defense has been outstanding throughout the playoffs, flummoxing both the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks in series that often resembled rock fights more than basketball games. If the Raptors hope to shock the world and beat the Warriors and claim the first championship in franchise history, they're going to need to remain at the level defensively -- if not jump up another one.

To do so, they'll be leaning heavily on the institutional knowledge of their core players who have been on the playoff stage against Golden State.

"It's going to be a tough challenge for us," Ibaka said. "But we are here for a reason.

"We proved we are a good defensive team, and now it's a new challenge for us and we are going to figure it out and go out here and play."

Warriors star Kevin Durant traveled on the team's charter to Toronto on Tuesday for Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals against the Raptors, even though he has been officially ruled out of Game 1 with a strained right calf.

Game 1 is Thursday (9 p.m. ET, ABC), but the Warriors then have a couple of days off before Game 2 on Sunday.

Durant injured his calf in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets and has not played since.

He was not in Portland when the Warriors swept the Trail Blazers to win the Western Conference finals.

The All-Star forward has been shooting on his own but has yet to do any on-court work with his teammates as he continues the rehab process, coach Steve Kerr said.

The Warriors said Friday that they were hopeful that Durant could return at some point in the series.

The Warriors have gone 5-0 in Durant's absence, but the two-time NBA Finals MVP would be a valuable counter to Raptors star Kawhi Leonard on both ends of the floor.

The Oakland Athletics have released veteran relief pitcher Fernando Rodney, three days after he was designated for assignment.

The A's made the move Tuesday.

Rodney, 42, had seen his ERA balloon to a career-worst 9.42 this season, posting an 0-2 record with 15 hits allowed in 20 innings. He had returned to Oakland for 2019 after the A's exercised a $5.25 million club option.

Rodney has pitched for 10 teams in a 17-year career and ranks 18th in MLB history with 325 saves.

The A's also reinstated outfielder Nick Martini (sprained right knee) from the injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Las Vegas.

The Houston Astros' All-Star double-play combination was being evaluated by team doctors on Tuesday.

Second baseman Jose Altuve, who had been on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock because of a hamstring injury this week, returned to Houston because of "fatigue and soreness" in his right leg, and shortstop Carlos Correa was removed from Tuesday's lineup against the Chicago Cubs because of soreness in his ribs.

Astros manager A.J. Hinch said Altuve's left hamstring is "fine." Hinch noted that Altuve's soreness is to the same leg on which he had surgery -- the second baseman underwent surgery on his right knee last October.

Altuve has been out since May 11 because of his strained left hamstring.

"Injuries suck, no matter what time it happens during the year," Hinch said. "It happens to everybody; this has been a bad week for us. We're going to be fine. We have good players who can win games."

The Astros, who also are currently without All-Star outfielder George Springer (hamstring), led the American League West with a 36-19 record entering Tuesday's games.