TALLADEGA, Ala. – In the final laps of Friday’s ARCA Menards Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, a lack of cars in the lead pack may have contributed to Todd Gilliland’s ability to pull away from his pursuers, but there was another important factor in the heads of several contenders as well.

Both runner-up Riley Herbst and third-place Brandon Lynn were thinking heavily about their teams’ position in the owner’s championship standings, trying to maintain and protect as much as they were trying to “go for broke” and capture the checkered flag.

“In the back of my mind, I was thinking about the fact that we’re running for the owner’s title this year, and Ty (Gibbs) has had some really solid runs lately,” Herbst noted. “My job was to back (up) Ty’s good runs and support the team … so that we can get to Kansas with a shot at the owner’s championship.”

That philosophy meant that as much as the pair of young guns may have wanted the anvil trophy that was ultimately collected by Gilliland, they had to balance their own goals with those of their teams.

“I believe the (No.) 20 is leading the owner’s points right now – I know it was coming into this race – so that was one of our main goals, was to keep the team in the lead,” Lynn said. “Hopefully they still have the lead in those standings after this race. That’s all we’re doing, is trying to get that owner’s championship for Venturini Motorsports at the end of the year.”

With four laps to go in Friday’s race, Herbst was given a directive over his team radio to not “give anything up,” a request he followed to the letter en route to his runner-up finish.

“I wouldn’t say I was forced (to settle), but I definitely had to stick to the yellow line,” said Herbst. “I saw the guys behind me starting to brew up some things, but (Rick) Carelli just told me to stay patient and stay in line as long as I could.

“We did that and came home second, along with some good points for this team.”

Leaving Talladega, Herbst and the No. 18 team jumped past the Venturini Motorsports No. 15 team of Christian Eckes and up to second in the owner’s championship race, with Lynn and the No. 20 team maintaining their position atop the standings.

That meant that both drivers accomplished their mission, even if it did come with the price of missing out on a victory at Talladega.

“Second still sucks,” Herbst lamented. “Man, I wanted that win.”

“As drivers, we don’t come here to do anything but get a victory, but we checked a lot of boxes for our team,” added Lynn. “Hopefully this gives us some positive momentum for the future.”

While it may do exactly that, the owner points fight still arguably stifled the finish of Friday’s race.

Whether those decisions pay off for either the No. 20 team or the No. 18 team later in the year remain to be seen.

LONDON -- As Tottenham slumped to their first defeat in their new ground at the hands of West Ham, you couldn't help but think of the contrast between them and their Champions League opponents, Ajax.

Ahead of Tuesday's fixture here at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Dutch FA has postponed an entire round of Eredivisie fixtures to allow Ajax the opportunity to rest ahead of the Champions League semifinal. They might not have spent the day with their feet up -- more likely they've been working on tactical plans on the training ground -- but they will go into the two-legged tie considerably fresher than Spurs, who looked dreadfully fatigued throughout this disappointing 1-0 defeat.

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Mauricio Pochettino has soldiered on with an undermanned squad this season, but this match was a fine example of Spurs' lack of depth. Without Harry Kane, they were depending upon Son Heung-Min and Lucas Moura to provide a penalty box presence; Son couldn't time his runs to meet the through-balls his teammates attempted, with both Christian Eriksen and Danny Rose expressing their frustration with his movements. Lucas was barely involved.

There were suggestions after Spurs' dramatic quarterfinal second leg at the Etihad, where they scored three goals, that this side can be better without Kane. That's an understandable argument in matches where Spurs are allowed to play almost exclusively on the counter-attack, but against deeper defences when they dominate possession, they desperately miss him. There was nothing similar to Christian Eriksen's long-range winner against Brighton this time around.

Dele Alli looked tired and failed to produce any of his trademark bursts in behind, while Pochettino must also be questioned in a tactical sense. He fielded a midfield diamond here, with Danny Rose on the left playing close to the touchline, but Eriksen on the right playing very centrally. That meant any width from the right was the domain of right-back Juan Foyth, a natural centre-back who looked entirely uncomfortable overlapping, and it took until stoppage time for him to exert an influence going forward, when his sudden run and crossed onto the head of substitute Vincent Janssen, whose header was cleared off the line by Fabian Balbuena.

Foyth is not a right-back and Rose is not a central midfielder. Pochettino's tactical flexibility has allowed him to rotate effectively this season without sacrificing too much quality, but Spurs' system was lopsided and their performance was flat, after a promising first 15 minutes.

"I think the first half was good for us; the second half they were better, they showed more energy than us," Pochettino conceded afterwards. "We conceded a lot of space to run into for Marko Arnautovic and Michail Antonio who created problems for us. We couldn't manage the ball properly, we lost a lot of balls.

"Of course it's a setback. We wanted to win the three points to be in a good position to arrive in the Champions League game in a good way. Now we have to move on, it's about recovery, and on Tuesday we'll be ready to play."

With directly referencing Ajax's period of rest, the implication was there when Pochettino added: "It's a bit unfair, the way we arrive in the competition. It's a situation we cannot change."

Manuel Pellegrini's West Ham were somewhat timid before the break, only threatening when Felipe Anderson motored in behind down the left, but as Spurs wilted after half-time, the away side offered more attacking threat. Arnautovic suddenly sprung into life, producing the game's most impressive moment when he controlled a high ball with the elegance of Dimitar Berbatov, before producing a long-range strike that was handled comfortably by Hugo Lloris who, tellingly, was Spurs' best performer here.

Lloris, though, could do nothing when Arnautovic's clever chip into the path of Antonio produced a composed finish -- a touch with the chest to control the ball, and a powerful right-footed smash into the far corner. "It was not an easy goal to score, and he did it very well," a typically understated Pellegrini said afterward.

West Ham continued to offer a counter-attacking threat despite Pellegrini throwing on an extra defender in Angelo Ogbonna and going 5-4-1, and but for Lloris' save from Antonio, and Issa Diop running out of stream when through on goal after an incredible dribble from the back, this could have been a more convincing margin of victory.

This was far from ideal preparation for Tottenham ahead of Tuesday; but that match is so big, the prospect of qualifying for the Champions League final so exciting, that the atmosphere will surely be hugely positive on the night. The question for Pochettino is precisely how to format his attack, and the fact Fernando Llorente was rested here suggests he will lead the line on Tuesday night. To take advantage of his qualities, however, Spurs will need a more balanced system, and more attacking threat down both flanks, to prevent another flat performance.

Toss Rajasthan Royals chose to bowl v Sunrisers Hyderabad

Rajasthan Royals will bowl first in their must-win encounter with Sunrisers Hyderabad in Jaipur. While Sunrisers come into this match nestled in fourth place on the points table - and with the confidence of their five-wicket win in the last meeting between these two teams - Royals are wedged down near the bottom of the table in seventh, needing to win all three of their remaining games in order to stay in contention.

Royals are without Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes, while Jonny Bairstow has also departed Sunrisers' squad, with all three players returning to England for national duty. Royals have also been without Jos Buttler since he returned to England to be present for the birth of his first child last week.

Liam Livingstone and Ashton Turner have slotted into Royals' XI for Stokes and Archer, while Kane Williamson is back for Sunrisers after briefly returning to New Zealand following the death of his grandmother. Wriddhiman Saha also returns for his first IPL match this season, replacing Yusuf Pathan and taking the gloves from Bairstow. Siddarth Kaul is also back in Sunrisers' XI, in place of fellow fast bowler Sandeep Sharma.

Rajasthan Royals: 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Sanju Samson (wk), 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Liam Livingstone, 5 Riyan Parag, 6 Ashton Turner, 7 Stuart Binny, 8 Shreyas Gopal, 9 Jaydev Unadkat, 10 Varun Aaron, 11 Oshane Thomas

Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1 David Warner, 2 Kane Williamson (capt), 3 Manish Pandey, 4 Vijay Shankar, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Deepak Hooda, 7 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Khaleel Ahmed, 11 Siddarth Kaul

After winning four of their first five matches of this IPL season, Kolkata Knight Riders have lost their last six matches on the bounce. Their batting has come under plenty of criticism for the situation they find themselves in, but Andre Russell believes the blame lies elsewhere.

"We have a good team," Russell said on the eve of Knight Riders' match against Mumbai Indians. "But having a good team and making bad decisions, I think you will always lose games. And that's what we've been doing.

"I could pinpoint a few games where if we'd just looked to bowl tighter, and bowl bowlers who would restrict the game - the right bowlers at the right time [the results would've been different]. They say our batting has been struggling, but our batting hasn't been struggling really. We get the totals that we should defend, and we should restrict teams to lesser totals and go in and get those runs. And we don't really take our catches, we've been the worst fielding team so far. It's plain on TV, everyone's seeing it."

Russell has been Knight Riders' standout performer this season - with 406 runs at a strike rate of nearly 210, and eight wickets - but he says his team's performances have left him deflated.

"To be in this position is not the most healthiest," Russell said. "I find myself just being in my room for the last couple of days. Losing game after game… I'm not the type of guy to go walking around like I'm doing something good. Even if I score a half-century or get five wickets and we come out on the losing end, it doesn't make me want to leave my room.

"We as cricketers, we have to hold our passion inside and not show it on the television. I'm passionate inside. Sometimes it may show on the field. I may get upset at a team-mate for dropping a catch or not taking a half-chance. Because when we mess up, [opposition] guys take our half-chances. It's hard to go walking around, losing six games in a row. It's not healthy. I'm feeling down at the moment, but tomorrow when I cross that rope, my level will be 150."

As for his highly-debated batting position - he has himself advocated going higher up the order - Russell hinted at more flexibility in the matches to come.

"Yes, there have been conversations with the coach, and he's backing me to go in whenever the team needs me," Russell said. "Maybe tomorrow you'll see me a bit earlier, maybe I'll be coming in at the same lower-order spot. It all depends on what happens tomorrow. You can't predict the future.

"If we should get a good start, then maybe I'll just stay where I normally bat. I can go in at four-five overs to go, I'm happy doing that. If the team needs me to bat 12 overs tomorrow, I'm happy to bat 12. If they need me to bat three or four, that's my job."

Asked about the prospect of facing one of the best attacks in the IPL in Mumbai Indians, Russell said the pressure would be on the bowlers and not on him.

"I never fear any bowler. Never. Bowlers fear me! (laughter) I'm not bragging or anything," Russell said. "I can get out in one ball tomorrow, or the first ball they bowl can go for six. I'm not afraid to get out. It's not a life and death situation. You're giving yourself a chance to score runs, and they're trying to get you out.

"[Jasprit] Bumrah is a top bowler, [Lasith] Malinga - top bowler. But they're human beings. Tomorrow they can bowl a few balls that slip out of the fingers and don't come out like they normally come out - and I'm in business. I never back down."

The Eden Gardens crowd has witnessed four straight Knight Riders defeats. Russell was amazed that spectators were still packing the stands.

"It's been unbelievable to be honest. We keep losing game after game, but the stadium is always full," Russell said. "And I know Sunday we'll get another full crowd. It's just amazing.

"In the Caribbean, if I was playing for West Indies or Jamaica, and we lose six games in a row, you'll not see no fans to be honest. You're going to see a few die-hard fans, but you won't see the stadium full like this. People are going to say, 'you're not playing good cricket'. It's not like the English Premier League where guys look to fight. It's just amazing. I would appreciate if the stadium gets full tomorrow. That would really get me pumped, after hitting a boundary and taking a wicket to hear a big cheer. That would really keep us going."

Pakistan legspinner Shadab Khan has been given a two-week course of medication by doctors in England, along with a prescription of complete rest, in an attempt to cure the virus that ruled him out of their forthcoming series. He will now return home from London and undergo another round of blood tests in Lahore next month to determine his fitness for the World Cup.

Shadab was originally named in both squads for the England series and World Cup only to be ruled out two days after the announcement after failing a blood test. He was subsequently replaced with fellow legspinner Yasir Shah, while the PCB arranged an appointment with a London-based gastroenterology and hepatology specialist.

The possibility of being without Shadab, a key player over the last two years, would be major dent ahead of the World Cup, although the PCB is optimistic that he may still recover in time. The PCB can make changes to the squad without seeking ICC permission until May 23. After that date and through the tournament, the ICC's technical committee will process any replacement requests.

Shadab was the only frontline spinner named in Pakistan's original 17-man squad to tour England, however, the presence of Mohammad Hafeez, back after a thumb injury, and Imad Wasim gives them options in the spin department for a one-off T20I and a five-match ODI series between May 5 and 19.

Pakistan also have Mohammad Amir pushing for a World Cup spot, having been named alongside Asif Ali as the two men outside the World Cup 15. Amir's form over the past 18 months hasn't been good enough to win selection in the preliminary squad but he has the chance to push his case in familiar conditions - the country where his last ODI high point occurred in the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy.

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World number one Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from her Porsche Tennis Grand Prix semi-final against Anett Kontaveit with an abdominal injury.

The Japanese said she felt pain in her left abdomen during her victory over Donna Vekic in Stuttgart on Friday.

Osaka, 21, said she had to "roll out of bed" on Saturday morning and was unable to lift her upper body.

Estonian eighth seed Kontaveit will play either Petra Kvitova or Kiki Bertens in Sunday's final.

"It's an ab strain, something that I've had before," Osaka said.

"Thankfully, because I've had it so many times, I am able to tell what it is and I know what to do."

Florida-based Osaka will remain in Europe to have the injury assessed.

BROWNSBURG, Ind. – Rain throughout much of the day Friday mixed with more expected on Saturday has forced Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 and Wayne County Speedway officials with no choice but to cancel Saturday’s event.

The event will not be rescheduled.

Much like the case with Attica Raceway Park on Friday, the Wayne County Speedway grounds were left heavily saturated with very little drying time available.

“We did everything we could. Considering all the weather that the track already received, as well as the threat of more weather tonight, we were backed into a corner,” Eric Walls said, All Star Series Director. “This has not been an easy month for our Series. Hopefully things turn the corner when we enter the month of May.”

FREMONT, Ohio – With nearly two inches of rain having fallen Thursday through Friday and a forecast of more rain later Saturday afternoon, Fremont Speedway officials have cancelled racing for Saturday.

“We probably could have had the track ready to go. Unfortunately the forecast calls for a good chance of more rain from four o’clock on, leaving us with no choice,” said Ryan Schiets, Chair of the Fremont Speedway Committee.

Fremont Speedway will be back in action Saturday, May 4 as AmeriGas Propane Presents the Open Wheel Shootout.

It will be a Kistler Racing Products/All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads Attica Fremont Championship Series presented by the Baumann Auto Group night for the Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprints paying $4,000 to the feature winner.

The K&L Ready Mix National Racing Alliance (NRA) Sprint Invaders will take on the Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprints and the Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series non-wing sprints will be in action as well.