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Craig Overton's five-star Lord's show secures rout of Middlesex
Somerset 404 (Bartlett 121, Abell 77) beat Middlesex 175 (Simpson 57*, Henry 5-45) and 216 (Stoneman 60, Overton 5-46) by an innings and 13 runs
Overton finished with five for 46, supported by fellow seamer Peter Siddle's effort of three for 57, to dismiss the home side for 216 second time around, with more than four sessions to spare.
Somerset's victory was only their second red-ball success away from Taunton in more than two years, the other coming against neighbours Gloucestershire at Bristol last summer.
Stoneman and Stephen Eskinazi, who resumed on a steady 81 for one, ground it out for the bulk of an attritional first hour, with almost five overs from Matt Henry and Overton yielding just a single leg-bye.
Although Stoneman tucked Overton away for a single soon afterwards to bring up his second half-century of the summer, Middlesex's solid base was swiftly demolished by a fiery spell from Siddle at the Pavilion End.
The seamer's first delivery was carved for four by Eskinazi, but his second jagged back to clip the Middlesex vice-captain's off bail and his departure for 28 signalled a familiar middle-order collapse.
Stoneman - bowled by an unplayable Henry delivery first time around - was unlucky to fall victim to another ball of similar quality from Siddle, which seamed and careered into his off stump.
Somerset collected three more wickets in the space of 21 balls before lunch, with Overton accounting for Max Holden and John Simpson to sandwich the first delivery of Jack Leach's spell that pinned Robbie White leg before.
Luke Hollman and Ryan Higgins displayed some fighting spirit after the interval, with the left-hander driving Henry twice off the back foot to the short boundary as he contributed 28 to their seventh-wicket partnership of 44.
Although Hollman was caught at third slip, Toby Roland-Jones took up the baton by giving Leach the charge and also hammered Overton over long-on for two fours in a cameo of 27 from 24 balls.
But Overton had the final word, bowling the Middlesex skipper before completing his side's win as Higgins (31) hooked him into the safe hands of Lewis Gregory at long leg.
Liam Dawson demolishes Northamptonshire to reignite Hampshire's title hopes
Hampshire 367 (Vince 95, Dawson 63, White 4-80) beat Northamptonshire 56 (Barker 4-13) and 176 (Zaib 57*, Whiteman 45, Dawson 6-61) by an innings and 135 runs
Dawson claimed 6 for 61 for his sixth first-class five-for and his best figures at the Ageas Bowl to reignite Hampshire's title hopes after two winless matches with victory by an innings and 135 runs coming inside three days.
Northamptonshire, who have one win and a solitary batting bonus point so far this season, only claimed three points from the match as they sit rock bottom of Division One.
Hampshire have dominated Northamptonshire in their three Championship clashes - starting at the Ageas Bowl last September and continuing in home and away drubbings this term.
Their three innings have resulted in 1,249 runs - in response, Northamptonshire have only cobbled together 840 in six innings. This thrashing was fashioned on the first two days.
Northamptonshire were bowled out for a new Ageas Bowl low of 56 in 30.2 overs and were already two down in their second innings by the close.
Their head coach John Sadler called for "fight, graft and resilience" and promoted the idea of classic red ball batting going forward. Sam Whiteman and Rob Keogh took that to heart. The duo batted out 39 of the first 42 balls of the day as dots and took few risks, while starting to nibble away at the deficit.
Whiteman would face 93 balls and Keogh 113, but after an hour of occupation under stunning blue skies, a collapse wasn't far away.
Dawson's second over of the day was long enough to see Australian Whiteman attempt a drive out of the rough, only to get bowled through the gate.
Ricardo Vasconcelos also took the attacking route out but missed his slog sweep by a distance to leave his stumps exposed.
Keogh had been dropped earlier in the morning by Dawson before the left-arm spinner had him leg before with an arm ball and Northamptonshire were now 150 for 5, having been 89 for 2 little more than 10 overs earlier.
Mohammad Abbas had James Sales lbw with the first ball after lunch to begin a post-interval collapse of 33 for 5.
Dawson returned to pin Tom Taylor in front for a pair - joining Hassan Azad in the scoreless corner - before Jordan Buckingham went back to another one which went on with the arm.
But Dawson kissed the top of Jack White's off stump with a ragging delivery and Mason Crane - on his first appearance of the season - got Alex Russell to edge to first slip to end Northamptonshire's miserable trip to the south coast at 2:40pm. The last eight wickets had been lost for just 87 runs.
Chennai Super Kings 223 for 3 (Conway 87, Gaikwad 79) beat Delhi Capitals 146 for 9 (Warner 86, Chahar 3-22, Pathirana 2-22, Theekshana 2-23) by 77 runs
Up next for them are Gujarat Titans, the defending champions, on their home turf at Chepauk in Qualifier 1.
For Capitals, the end was as tame as the start of the season. Warner was the only top-order batter to show any semblance of form and consistency throughout. His 86 off 58 had its thrilling moments, particularly against Ravindra Jadeja, but the collapse around him meant everything he did was merely limiting damage.
Conway's powerplay surge
MS Dhoni felt it was a dry surface. Warner agreed. So it was no surprise to see spin early in the powerplay. But CSK's approach two overs in told you the surface seemed better than anticipated.
Conway stepped out to launch Lalit Yadav's offbreak for his first six, the season's 1000th, in the second over to begin the sixathon. It was no different even when there was pace on the ball. Khaleel Ahmed was flicked disdainfully and when Anrich Nortje went short into the body, Conway cleverly got inside the line to ramp for four.
CSK's fifty was up in just the fifth over, with Gaikwad and Conway going almost neck and neck.
Gaikwad overcomes slight blip
Overs six to nine produced just one boundary, but Gaikwad broke the shackles when he pulled Axar Patel's short balls for two consecutive sixes in the 10th over. Off the next delivery, he raised a 37-ball half-century.
Two overs later, Kuleep Yadav found himself under the pump. Enthused by Gaikwad getting a leading edge to a tossed-up googly that drifted away earlier in the innings, he generously tossed them up again, away from the hitting arc. This time, though, Gaikwad got to the pitch and went 6, 6, 6, by peppering different arcs in the 'V' down the ground to turn the innings into overdrive.
Soon, Gaikwad and Conway raised 1000 runs as an opening pair in just their 20th innings.
Gaikwad's fury ended when he was caught on the ropes trying to muscle a short ball out of the ground, but the two overs following his dismissal went for three fours and two sixes. Conway pressed the pedal after his 33-ball half-century, galloping towards a century as the death overs loomed.
The high-power finish
Dhoni promoted himself to No. 4 ahead of Jadeja, but when Shivam Dube fell with 12 balls left, it brought Jadeja out anyway. And he smashed three fours and a six off the seven balls he faced as CSK finished with 223 for 3. The last six overs went for 83 runs.
Chahar dents Capitals
Tushar Deshpande removed Prithvi Shaw early to an outstanding catch from Ambati Rayudu at mid-off. Deepak Chahar made further incisions in the powerplay when he removed Phil Salt and Rilee Rossouw to slow Capitals down. Salt found cover trying to force a length ball up and over the infield, while Rossouw chopped on.
Warner's lone battle
Warner found his hitting gear after a slow powerplay as he got stuck into Jadeja by muscling him down the ground. He brought up his fifty off just 32 balls and then upped the tempo even more in Jadeja's last over that went for 23 and made him finish with 4-0-50-1. Warner, who kept hitting him with the spin into the short leg-side boundary, outfoxed him with a switch hit for six as Jadeja tried to fire it away from his hitting arc. The hand-eye coordination, the wrist work, the execution were all top notch.
As wickets continued to fall, Warner kept counter-punching, but the bowling meltdown and their own top-order collapse in a slow start meant the asking rate had spiralled beyond reach very early. When Warner was out, dragging a cutter off Matheesha Pathirana down to long-on, it seemed as if there would be not much else left in the game.
But Maheesh Theekshana delivered a thrilling final over in which he picked up two wickets in two balls and was heartbreakingly denied a hat-trick in the wicket maiden. There were smiles all round as the review for the hat-trick wicket was turned down, but CSK were through with a big net run rate boost.
*1655GMT: The story was updated after CSK were assured of the second spot
Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
Dhoni on CSK's success: Pick the best players and give them the best slots
Chennai Super Kings, who finished second from bottom last year, on Saturday became the second team to seal a spot in the playoffs of IPL 2023. This will be the 12th time they have made it to the last stage in their 14th season, the most for any team. So what's the secret to their consistency over the years?
There has long been a trend of players finding their best form when they join Super Kings.
"You use them in a manner where they have most chances of performing. And at the same time, groom them in the areas where they're not very strong," Dhoni explained. "It maybe a batter, maybe a bowler. Somebody has to make that sacrifice, you may have to give your slot to somebody else. But somehow, whenever, whatever is best for the team, if you're doing that, everyone falls into line and they all want to contribute."
Dhoni also credited the team management and the environment they created at the franchise for the success of the players and the team.
"So I feel that's one of the reasons apart from the fact that the management has been great, including the support staff. They've always backed us, they always tell us, 'don't worry, keep doing what you're doing, you will do well'. So, I think I feel all these things together they have a bigger, bigger impact. And I think that's one of the reasons why we have been successful.
"But the players always are important. Without the players, you may have the environment, but I feel the players are also the key."
Dhoni also revealed that CSK try to go for players who put the team ahead of their own performances and try to adjust to the team environment.
"I think one thing that's a bit difficult to figure out right from the start is you need somebody who's always team first," Dhoni said. "It's not about the individual performance, you want them to contribute in the best possible manner. And they're not worried about the individual performance. What they are looking at is how we are getting into the knockout stages, how we can be consistent, how we can give that match-winning delivery, when it comes to the knockout stages. I feel those are the kinds of characters that we look for.
"But from a distance, it's very difficult to judge. So you get the players and what has really happened for us is they see our environment and they try their best to adjust to the environment. And we are very happy with that because we don't want every individual to change because that also has an impact on the cricket that they play. So we want them to improve a bit, try to adjust to the environment.
"And even if they're doing it 10%, we are happy to come 50% towards them so that that's something that we look for, and we have always been able to get the best out of the players."
"I think when it comes to death bowling, confidence is a very important factor. If you see Tushar from the first game till now, he is somebody who has developed that death-over bowling," Dhoni said. "And I feel the main reason is confidence; they always execute what is needed, but how many times you can execute under pressure, that's the main thing.
"And when you have that confidence behind you, you will execute more often than not. So I feel when you keep playing with the same guys, that also helps."
"But behind the scenes, a lot of work goes on death bowling as to what needs to be done, what can be done, and I feel the bowlers have taken that responsibility.
"Not to forget Pathirana is someone who's quite natural when it comes to the last three, four or five overs. So that's one less headache in managing the bowlers. But Tushar, the way he has come up from the first game onwards, he has been remarkable."
UVA players killed in Nov. honored at graduation
Virginia athletic director Carla Williams delivered the keynote commencement address during graduation ceremonies Saturday on a day when the university and football program also remembered three players killed in an on-campus shooting last November.
The families of Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D'Sean Perry had previously been awarded posthumous degrees. But Perry was scheduled to graduate Saturday, and his mother, Happy, asked to attend the ceremony in his place. When Williams told her she would be allowed to do so, Williams asked, "Are you sure you can do it? She paused and said, 'Yes. He would be very proud of me, and I will power through to do it for him."
Chandler, Davis and Perry were shot and killed on Nov. 13 after returning home from a class trip to Washington, D.C. Running back Mike Hollins, who was shot and wounded, returned to school and football, earned his degree in American studies and African American and African studies in December, and participated in graduation ceremonies Saturday.
Congratulations to D'Sean Perry and the Class of 2023. On a day of celebration, we would like to honor Lavel, Devin, and D'Sean
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) May 20, 2023
1.15.41?#UVAStrong | #GoHoos⚔️ pic.twitter.com/EovOOQ7ERN
As part of her remarks, Williams described the empathy shown in the wake of the tragedy across the entire university community.
"I don't have the words to explain the pain of this past November or the last six months, but I do know this to be an absolute truth: Every kind word, every kind gesture matters," Williams said. "On the night of Nov. 14, 2022, in this very space we occupy this morning, thousands of students, faculty, staff and community members came together in a show of empathy I have never seen before in person and will probably never see again.
"Without one spoken word, the people of this community said in unison, in their movement and their spirit, we care about each other. Please do not forget what we've been through together, and may it compel you to show you care about the suffering and the experiences of others. You are the ones responsible for that vigil. You. Students. You are bright and shining examples of the best we have to offer. We need your courageous spirit."
In addition, football coach Tony Elliott narrated a video posted on social media ahead of the graduation ceremonies, thanking the university community for "the unbelievable strength and support you all have offered in the face of unspeakable tragedy."
Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., a UVA student and former member of the football team who was on the trip, has been charged with three counts of second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Prosecutors have also charged him with two counts of malicious wounding and additional gun-related charges related to shooting Hollins and another student, Marlee Morgan.
Challenge Cup final 2023: Glasgow 'die wondering' after no show against Toulon
Long after Glasgow had made a disconsolate exit from the arena at the Aviva on Friday, the Toulon party raged on.
Jiuta Wainiqolo, one of the try-scorers, whooped and hollered with the visiting fans, launching himself into the crowd for selfies.
Baptiste Serin, a double try-scorer, did the same despite hobbling around on crutches.
The veteran winner Mathieu Bastareaud, adding a Challenge Cup to go with his three Champions Cups, celebrated as madly as anyone even though days like these are not uncommon in his world.
And then there was Sergio Parisse, the great man winning again before his retirement. Parisse did the selfie thing, too. Some of his team-mates picked him up and plonked him on their shoulders with the trophy in his hands, like a king being brought around on a throne.
Later, Parisse and his wife, Silvia, lay down on the pitch and stared up at the Dublin sky. None of us could know what they were saying to each other but it was a lovely moment. Words weren't necessary at that stage in any event. Everything we needed to know was clear from the contented smile on his face.
Many of the Glasgow players stood in quiet contemplation as Toulon were presented with the trophy. Franco Smith's boys had said beforehand that, win or lose, they wanted to leave that pitch with no regrets about how they'd played and with a feeling that they'd given it their best shot.
In itself, it would have been small consolation, but they denied themselves even that morsel of comfort in a final that got away from them after 18 minutes when they fell 14-0 behind and was more or less over after 25 minutes when they trailed 21-0.
Pretty much every part of their game collapsed under pressure. They lost an early try to a terrific piece of opportunism from Serin but the second and third scores - the ones that did them in - were down to their own colossal errors at the lineout.
Glasgow may have still lost had they delivered close to their best stuff but they'll never know the truth of that. That's where the pain will come from. They did die wondering, the very thing they said they would not do.
Toulon were terrific, gorging themselves on Glasgow's frailties and winning in a hack canter. They were propelled by class but also by desire. Seven of their players were around in 2020 when they lost a Challenge Cup final to Bristol by 13 points. A dozen of them were there last year when they lost the final to Lyon by 18 points.
We remember Toulon's three Champions Cups in a row - their days of the Galacticos - but of the current crew only Bastareaud was involved back then. The rest of them have only known disappointment with their club.
A rage for victory coupled with an obvious class was a heady mix on Friday. Glasgow have made progress this season but they're only in the foothills of their development. They did well to get to the final, but Toulon showed them how far they still have to go.
The fear for Glasgow was that if Toulon clicked then they wouldn't be able to live with them. They have had a poor domestic season in France, losing a dozen games, currently sitting eighth in the table and almost certainly out of the play-offs.
On their day, though, they have the gears to beat most teams. They've overcome Toulouse, who are top, Stade Francais, who are third, and Lyon, who are sixth.
They fed off the angst of those losing finals, the stick they've been getting for their domestic form and the Parisse Effect. They got themselves to the pitch of the final from the first whistle.
Even before it started to go badly wrong for Glasgow there was a lack of emotional intensity about them. They looked passive when they needed to be explosive.
'Gray's omission hard to sell'
Franco Smith said that criticism of his team selection was unfair, but it wasn't.
He said that he went with JP du Preez over Richie Gray based on all the evidence available to him, and that he went with Sione Vailanu over Rory Darge on the same basis. That was a hard argument to sell and there won't be many buyers.
Gray is an elite lineout operator who calms his thrower with his size, athleticism and authority. A functioning set-piece has been the foundation stone of Glasgow's progression under Smith. Removing a vital cog in that was always bizarre. Nothing that Smith said before or after explained his thinking on the Gray call.
If he was injured and unable to play a full part, Smith didn't say that. If there was something amiss with Darge then he didn't elaborate on that either. Darge's raw aggression was lacking. Both men came on, as did Johnny Matthews, but the final was done by then.
Fraser Brown had a rough night but the woes of the lineout cannot be laid squarely at his door. Look at the fatal lineouts. There wasn't just one issue, there were multiple issues. It was a collective malaise.
Smith handed Toulon a present when he left out his best lock and did mortal damage to his own lineout in the process.
What can Glasgow do but learn, as Toulon learned from their own calamities in finals. They need to take the good things from the season - there are many - and go again.
Most winning teams at this level have disappointment as their driver. Toulon are the classic example of that, but far from the only one.
Smith has many months to wait before it all starts again. A blessing and a curse.
His recruitment will be interesting. The haves and have-nots nature of Friday was illustrated by many things but Dan Biggar leaving the action early and being replaced by the wonderful Kiwi, Ihaia West was a stark example.
A 100-cap Grand Slam winner goes off and a Champions Cup winner (with La Rochelle last season) comes on. Those are riches that Smith can only dream of as he plots Glasgow's future.
World Cup 2023: Dan Biggar says losing Justin Tipuric and Alun Wyn Jones is huge Wales blow
Losing Alun Wyn Jones and Justin Tipuric for the World Cup is a major blow for Wales, says Dan Biggar.
Biggar insisted he has no plans to follow his former Ospreys team-mates in stepping down before France 2023.
The fly-half said: "It is a huge blow for us... two incredibly talented players who have been great servants."
Jones, Biggar and Tipuric had all been named in Warren Gatland's 54-man training squad.
Biggar, 33, hopes to play in his third World Cup this autumn, although he has previously hinted he may quit Wales after the tournament to focus on his Toulon career.
"We will see now for the World Cup preparations and I am sure they will be looking on and laughing at us working hard in the training camps in Switzerland and Turkey," said Biggar.
"I spoke to Tips just before the announcement, he gave me the heads up to be fair because I played with him for a long time. I couldn't quite believe it.
"With Al, there had been a few rumours and bits and pieces [about his retirement]."
He added: "It is just another day in Welsh rugby."
Biggar was talking after his Toulon side comfortably defeated Glasgow 43-19 to lift the European Challenge Cup in Dublin on Friday.
The British and Irish Lions fly-half was forced off after just four minutes having failed a head injury assessment.
"I feel fine," said Biggar.
"It is just one of those things, especially in this day and age any sort of knock you have to come off but it will be fine.
"This was important for us tonight. It was huge for us as a club and the fans.
"We are fully aware we want to be competing for bigger honours but this club has never won this competition before and we have not won any silverware since 2015.
"It was important for us to win something and hopefully this is a good building block."
TAMPERE, Finland -- The United States shut out Denmark 3-0 on Saturday to stay perfect at the ice hockey world championship.
Alex Tuch scored one goal and added two assists as the United States earned its fifth victory in five games.
Cutter Gauthier broke the deadlock midway through the final period on a power play before Tuch doubled the advantage and Rocco Grimaldi finished it off with an empty-net goal.
Goaltender Casey DeSmith stopped 22 shots for the shutout.
The Americans lead Group A with 15 points and have secured a spot in the quarterfinals. The top four teams from the two eight-team groups advance to the knockout stage.
In the Latvian capital of Riga, the Czech Republic beat Norway 2-0 to go top of Group B and earn a spot in the final eight.
Dominik Kubalik scored the opening goal with a slap shot on a power play for the Czechs to lead the scoring table with seven goals.
Later Saturday, Canada is in action against Switzerland in Group B and Latvia plays Kazakhstan. In Group A, it's defending champion Finland against Austria and Sweden versus France.
'Never easy ending a brother's season': Inside the Staal family drama
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Parents typically don't want to see their children be miserable. Which makes the Eastern Conference final of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs a very stressful time for Henry and Linda Staal.
"It's tough for them. They've been cheering for all of us all year," Florida Panthers defenseman Marc Staal said.
"Now one of us is going to be very disappointed at the end of this. Or two of us."
Marc, 36, and his brother Eric, a 38-year-old forward, are teammates on the Panthers. Jordan Staal, 34, is the captain of the Carolina Hurricanes, whom the Panthers are facing in the conference final.
"In maybe the best- and worst-case scenario, here we are," Eric Staal said.
It's the first time since 1992 that the NHL has had three siblings face each other in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Back then, it was Brent Sutter of the Chicago Blackhawks against brothers Rich and Ron Sutter of the St. Louis Blues.
Now, it's Staals vs. Staal.
"It's a little bit surreal, obviously. Playing as long as we have and now we both get the opportunity to get to the Stanley Cup Final," Marc Staal said. "It'll be a lot of fun. I mean, we spent our whole careers playing against each other and then with each other. Now, the stakes are just a little bit higher."
Eric Staal (Carolina, 2006) and Jordan Staal (Pittsburgh Penguins, 2009) are previous Stanley Cup winners. Marc Staal played for the Cup once, losing with the New York Rangers in 2014.
Different combinations of the Staals have played against each other in the playoffs before this season. Marc's Rangers met Jordan's Penguins in 2008 and then Jordan's Hurricanes in 2020. When Eric was still with the Hurricanes, his bid for a second Stanley Cup in 2009 ended in the conference final against Jordan's Penguins, before Jordan won his first ring in the next round.
Jordan remembers meeting Eric in the postgame handshake line in 2009 -- a meeting they'll have again 14 years later.
"It's not easy. It's never easy ending a brother's season, but somebody's got to win," Jordan said. "I don't want to be the one on the other side of it, so I'm going to do everything I can. It's part of playoff hockey."
As Marc said, the stakes are higher now for the Staal family. The brothers are nearing the ends of their NHL journeys. Eric just completed his 18th regular season and is on his fourth team in three seasons. Marc just completed his 16th season.
"I was told at 18 years old by [former Hurricane] Ron Francis that this is going to go fast," Eric said. "Enjoy every moment. I remember those words because it really has gone fast. I've witnessed and been through a lot of ups, a lot of downs, but the joy of the game has always been burning inside me. Sometimes it didn't always look that way. But I'm where I am at this point for a reason."
With the stakes high and a competitive series between the Panthers and Hurricanes -- one that already produced a quadruple-overtime Game 1 -- Henry and Linda Staal won't watch the games in person.
"My dad and mom are very excited but very wary as well," Jordan said. "I think they'll be hiding from you guys in the basement until the series is done."
Their brother Jared Staal, a 32-year-old assistant coach with Florida's AHL affiliate the Charlotte Checkers, is expected to attend the series.
"He's 100 percent pro-Panthers," Eric Staal joked.
And their folks?
"I think my parents are pro-Panthers, too," he said. "They just won't tell you that."
HENRY STAAL HAD a patch of land near the driveway at his house in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He flooded it one winter so his four boys could skate.
They skated ... and skated ... and skated some more. He couldn't get them off the ice.
So he expanded that patch of ice into a full homemade rink. There were flood lights on the sides that illuminated the ice at night. Chicken wire spanned the top of the boards in an attempt to keep pucks inside the rink. Alas, as the Staal brothers got older and stronger, more and more pucks would fly into his neighbors' turnips.
The 2-on-2 games the brothers played were spirited, loud and frequently brutal.
"We've definitely had some moments where the sticks went flying. Where there were some stitches and some fights," Eric said. "There were some days where mom had to tell everyone 'enough' and send us to our rooms. But we always figured it out after that."
On the ice, it was Marc and Jordan vs. Eric and Jared during the brothers' daily series of 2-on-2 games on their outdoor rink. Off the ice, Marc roomed with Eric across the hall from Jordan and Jarred.
"We're competitive in everything we do. It doesn't matter what," Marc said. "Playing darts, playing golf, going fishing, whatever."
Who handles losing the worst?
"Probably Eric. He probably takes it the worst."
Eric said those competitive games were the spark that led to this current moment: Three established NHL players, battling for the chance to raise the Stanley Cup.
"We weren't totally forced or made to do it by our parents," he said. "We just went out there because we loved it and just loved competing with each other and loved the game itself."
Over the years, those battles moved from the makeshift rink to NHL ice. The Hurricanes drafted Eric second overall in 2003. Marc was taken 12th overall by the Rangers in 2005. Jordan was taken second overall by the Penguins in 2006. Jared was selected 49th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2008. He only appeared in two NHL games, with Carolina in 2012-13.
Eric, Marc and Jordan have played against each other in the regular season throughout their careers.
"I think once we get into those games, it all just kind of becomes a blur and next thing you know, you might be just kind of standing in front of your brother and stuff like that," Jordan said. "It doesn't really change how I'm going to do things out there. I'm sure the same for them."
Marc said the brothers don't engage in much trash talk, or really any talk, on the ice. They just know they're lining up against a familiar face.
"When your brother's on the ice, you know he's on the ice," he said. "When you're battling in front of the net, you know it's him in front of the net, you know what I mean? It's always a lot of fun. This series will be no different."
But the series is a little different than most matchups. Not just because it's the conference final, but because it involves Eric, Jordan and Raleigh, North Carolina.
A HURRICANES FAN held up a sign during Game 1 of the conference final on Thursday night that read: "ALL THE STAALS UNDER ONE ROOF, BUT THIS IS JORDO'S HOUSE"
Jordan Staal has played 11 seasons with the Hurricanes, totaling 742 games. He was the team's co-captain in 2017-18 and has served as its captain from 2019-20 through this season.
"This is a family here to me now," Jordan said.
There are two other formers Hurricanes captains involved in this series. Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour wore the 'C' from 2005 to 2010, captaining the franchise's only Stanley Cup winner. His successor was Eric Staal, who played 909 games with the franchise over 12 seasons.
It was an awkward time. The Hurricanes were about to go nine seasons without a playoff appearance. Brind'Amour was playing what would be his last NHL season. GM Jim Rutherford said it was time to hand the captaincy "to the guy who is going to lead this team on for the several years."
Brind'Amour had the chance to veto the change in captaincy. He didn't.
"When they made that transition, he just said it was one of those things," Eric said of Brind'Amour. "That I should embrace it and we'll get through it together. And we did.
"Our relationship was very close. Rod is one of those people that has a true care for you individually. And for me, as a young guy, I was honestly trying to learn as much as I could from a guy like him."
Eric and Jordan were teammates until the elder Staal was traded to the Rangers in 2016 -- joining Marc in New York -- and then signed a free agent deal with the Minnesota Wild the following offseason.
Their photos line the walls of the Hurricanes' press level. Eric celebrating a Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes. Jordan celebrating many years of playoff success, if not a championship, in Raleigh.
"Jordan came here when I was here and we went through a lot together. He's earned the right to see the change that's occurred here and the transformation of where they are," Eric said. "They've had a great season, they've had a great run, they've played really well and he's a big part of that. I'm proud of him for that."
Marc and Eric knew there was a real possibility that they could meet Jordan and the Hurricanes in the playoffs when the Panthers were making their late-season push. "We could have played them in the first round. And then we were watching them go through the other side [of the bracket], so we knew it was a possibility once we faced Toronto," Marc said.
On the eve of Game 1, there were a few messages bouncing between the brothers on their text chain. "We were texting about the parameters of the series. A little bit how we're going to do things," Jordan said.
In the playoffs, players do more bonding with their teammates, staying together as a group. The Staals established that there would be no fraternizing with the enemy during the series.
There weren't any good luck wishes. The text chain has gone silent for the foreseeable future.
"I probably won't see them a ton outside of the rink, which is just fine with me. No texting on game days," Jordan said. "All of us are just excited to be here and be part of it."
The stakes are high. One or more of Henry and Linda's boys will be emotionally crushed in the near future. But years later, there will be memories of an unusual moment in NHL sibling rivalry and a surreal one for three brothers.
"It's stuff we'll never forget. It's memories we'll always have," Jordan said. "We're blessed to be where we're at as a family. It's just a really cool thing.
"I haven't played a playoff series against a bro for a while. We'll kiss and make up after."
Shammi Silva elected SLC president for third consecutive term
Shammi Silva has been re-elected as Sri Lanka Cricket's (SLC's) president for a third consecutive term, alongside nearly all members of the previous executive committee. All members were voted in uncontested.
The only change has been to the post of treasurer, with previous treasurer Lasantha Wickramasinghe withdrawing from contention citing other commitments. Sujeeva Godaliyadda, previously assistant treasurer, will take up the post of treasurer, with the assistant treasurer to be appointed at a later date.
Speaking to the media following the annual general meeting, Silva spoke about his objectives for his coming two-year term. One of which was securing sole World Cup hosting rights for Sri Lanka, which is due to co-host the 2026 T20 World Cup with India.
"We want get to back our missed World Cup opportunity. We missed out on hosting the World Cup alone in 2026, as we didn't have enough grounds [to an international standard, with flood lights]," Silva said. "We had a proposal to build a new stadium quashed by a few people. Because of that, the country lost out. In time to come, we want Sri Lanka to host more World Cup tournaments. At the same time, if we have more stadiums we can get certain tournaments that are being played in other countries to be played in Sri Lanka."
Silva added that the proposal to build a new floodlit stadium in Biyagama, about 12 miles outside Colombo, would be looked at again in the near future.
A faction headed by former SLC vice-president K Mathivanan had been mooted to contest the elections, but declined to hand in nominations prior to the deadline in February, citing opposition to the elections taking place under Sri Lanka's sports regulations as they stood at the time.
Sri Lanka's sports minister, Roshan Ranasinghe, had last year ushered in new regulations which, among other changes, would have brought about term limits for office bearers as well as barred those over the age of 70 from contesting. Mathivanan and his team had been willing to contest under these regulations. However, Sri Lanka's Court of Appeals issued an interim order staying the new regulations until June, which has resulted in the elections taking place under the old regulations. In effect, the new regulations would have ruled out several of Silva's faction from competing.
Meanwhile, Silva also revealed that discussions were underway about potential changes in voting rights among SLC's member clubs. Currently, SLC elections count 148 votes from its members, with some clubs having the privilege of two votes owing to different categories of membership. Critics of the system have long argued that it gives rise to a culture of buying votes.
"We are discussing it with the sports ministry and minister. We have appointed a committee, so we're definitely going to reduce a lot of votes," he said.
Changing the voting structure, however, is easier said than done, with any change to the SLC constitution requiring a two-thirds majority vote from the current member base.
There is also currently a petition under consideration in the Court of Appeals seeking to overhaul the SLC constitution. The sports minister, who was named as a respondent in the case, earlier this year appointed a 10-member independent panel to draft a proposal for a new constitution.
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