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Phillips and Neesham set up crushing New Zealand win with death-overs bash
Namibia's faster bowlers took the pace off early on. They bowled a succession of cross-seam cutters into the pitch, and slower deliveries. Anything but seam-up the traditional way. Without any swing, both Guptill and Mitchell trusted the even bounce to hit through the line without a worry. And then the first ball of the fifth yielded Guptill's wicket when he picked out mid-off as David Wiese struck.
Prior to this game, Gerhard Erasmus had bowled 30.3 overs across 28 T20Is, averaging one-and-a-bit overs per game. On Friday, he sent down four overs, three of which went for just eight with Williamson's wicket to boot. He did so with a broken ring finger on his right hand. The run rate fell to below six at the start of the death overs as the batters struggled to force the pace. Between overs ten and 16, there were just 34 runs for the loss of Williamson and Conway. At 96 for 4, New Zealand needed a big finish.
Less than 24 hours after earning a Test call-up after nearly two years, Phillips batted the way he normally does: see-ball-hit-ball. And it needed some improvisation and brute force to take the surface out of the equation. Of course, it helped that Namibia's seamers either went length or too full in search of the yorker, completely deviating from the very formula that brought them success earlier in the day. Neesham too came out swinging and connected with pretty much every single strike.
In trying to preserve wickets, there was a sense Namibia were being way too conservative. But Stephan Baard and Michael van Lingen picked up the pace in the last two overs of the powerplay. From no boundaries in the first four, they hit three fours and a six to end the powerplay at 36 for 0.
Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
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Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent
Tom Haines appointed Sussex one-day captain for 2022
CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians picked up José Ramírez's $12 million contract option for 2022 on Friday after the All-Star third baseman had another MVP-caliber season.
Ramírez was one of the only bright spots for the team's inconsistent offense. The 29-year-old batted .266 with 36 homers, 103 RBIs and 27 steals in the final year of a team-friendly $26 million, four-year deal.
The Indians, who will be known as the Guardians next season, also declined a $7 million option for catcher Roberto Pérez and hired Chris Valaika as their hitting coach.
Valaika was an assistant hitting coach last season with the Chicago Cubs, working with rookies Patrick Wisdom and Frank Schwindel.
It's possible the Indians, who will transition to Guardians later this month, will look to sign Ramírez to a long-term extension this winter.
"I would really like to stay," Ramírez said after Cleveland finished 80-82 for the club's first losing season since 2012. "But there's no rush. I would really like to stay here the rest of my career. But we have to wait to see what happens. I would love to see what they have to offer."
The 32-year-old Pérez was slowed again by injuries this year. He batted .149 in 44 games in his eighth season with Cleveland.
Ramírez and Pérez were the only position players left from Cleveland's 2016 pennant-winning team, which lost the World Series in seven games.
Wales v Japan: Saracens' Kat Evans to make debut for hosts in autumn opener against Japan
Saracens hooker Kat Evans will make her international debut when Wales take on Japan in the first of three autumn Tests.
She is the only new face in what is largely an experienced side named by new head coach Ioan Cunningham.
Scrum-half Keira Bevan makes her first appearance since March 2020, while Jasmine Joyce starts as full-back after lighting up the world sevens stage.
Wales aim to end a two-year losing streak against the Sakura XV.
Wales' players will also be competing for the 10 professional and 15 semi-professional contracts on offer from the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) from the start of next year.
Japan are currently ranked 12th, one place below Wales, in the latest World Rugby rankings and like Wales have qualified to play in next year's Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
Theirs will be a stern challenge for Wales and their new coaching set-up of Cunningham, assisted by Geraint Lewis, Richard Whiffin and Sophie Spence.
"Kat fully deserves her starting berth," said Cunningham. "She has a very high work-rate and brings added physicality to the pack."
Evans is joined in the front row by her Saracens team mate Donna Rose, who made her debut in the 2021 Six Nations opener against France, while fellow prop Caryl Thomas brings a wealth of experience with 55 caps.
Natalia John and Gwen Crabb pack down behind them, with Georgie Evans, Bethan Lewis and the captain Siwan Lillicrap making up the back row.
Bevan and Elinor Snowsill continue their Bristol Bears partnership as the half-backs, while Hannah Jones and Kerin Lake start in the midfield.
Joyce, Lisa Neumann and Courtney Keight complete an exciting back line.
Former captain Carys Phillips could make her return from the international wilderness having been recalled to the squad. She has not worn the red shirt since 2019, while Ffion Lewis returns as scrum-half cover from captaining Wales in rugby league,
Cunningham said it was a tough selection process with "competition for places very high".
"The whole squad performed well against the Black Ferns [in a warm-up game] but we feel this group will give us the best opportunity to get a good performance and result," he added.
"Our priority is to ensure we do the basics right, and then we can look to get the ball out wide to play some attacking rugby.
"We are all looking forward to welcoming a crowd back to the Arms Park and produce a performance to shout about."
Wales: Jasmine Joyce; Lisa Neumann, Hannah Jones, Kerin Lake, Courtney Keight; Elinor Snowsill, Keira Bevan; Caryl Thomas, Kat Evans, Donna Rose, Natalia John, Gwen Crabb, Georgia Evans, Bethan Lewis, Siwan Lillicrap (capt).
Replacements: Carys Phillips, Cara Hope, Cerys Hale, Alex Callender, Alisha Butchers, Ffion Lewis, Robyn Wilkins, Megan Webb.
Japan: TBC
England v New Zealand: Poppy Cleall to captain England for first time
Poppy Cleall will captain England for the first time in Sunday's rematch against New Zealand as regular skipper Sarah Hunter is pushed to the bench.
The 29-year-old said leading her country was "a huge honour".
Scrum-half Leanne Infante starts in place of Claudia MacDonald and will be vice-captain at Franklin's Gardens.
Cleall added: "I'm going to have to tell the girls what an honour it is because I'm not sure they quite realise how special it is to lead a team of incredible rugby players and people. I'm hugely proud."
Head coach Simon Middleton said: "With less than a year to go until the World Cup, it's important our leadership group is broad.
"We know what the side looks like when Sarah captains it against New Zealand. We wanted to know what it looked like with another captain. Poppy was perfectly placed to do that."
Helena Rowland, usually a fly-half for England, starts at inside centre in Northampton.
Zoe Harrison retains the starting 10 shirt after a player of the match performance Middleton described as "sensational" in Exeter.
Rowland's inclusion means Lagi Tuima is on the bench, with Holly Aitchison maintaining her place at 13 in the absence of injured star Emily Scarratt.
Middleton has also made changes in the front row, with prop Vickii Cornborough and hooker Amy Cokayne starting and Hannah Botterman and Lark Davies on the bench in an inversion of last weekend's line-up.
Cleall's move to number eight leaves room for Zoe Aldcroft to return to the second row, while Alex Matthews is called into the back row.
Last Sunday's 43-12 defeat was New Zealand's biggest losing margin in 100 Tests and came less than a year before the Black Ferns host the World Cup - a tournament they won for the fifth time in 2017.
For England, another victory is needed in Northampton to avoid New Zealand taking their spot at the top of the world rankings.
England: Kildunne; Thompson, Aitchison, Rowland, Dow; Harrison, Infante (vice-capt); Cornborough, Cokayne, Bern, Aldcroft, Ward, Matthews, Packer, Cleall (capt).
Replacements: Davies, Botterman, Muir, Millar-Mills, Hunter, MacDonald, Tuima, McKenna.
Winners and losers as the Jack Eichel Derby comes to an end
There's something wholly appropriate about the Vegas Golden Knights having a trade announced at 4:30 a.m. local time in a city where high-stakes gambles still happen in the predawn hours.
Every blockbuster trade is a gamble. Assuming Jack Eichel comes through his artificial disk replacement surgery as a healthy star, the Golden Knights are betting that he's the piece in their lineup that pushes them over the hump for a Stanley Cup championship. They've got some serious roster decisions ahead of them in adding his contract, so he better be worth it.
The Sabres are betting forward Alex Tuch, center Peyton Krebs, a top-10 protected 2022 first-round pick and a 2023 second-round pick help transition them into the next phase of the franchise, post-Eichel. And that turning the page on a captain who no longer wanted to steer this ship is for the betterment of the rest of the crew.
"We need to build this organization with people that are dying to be Buffalo Sabres," GM Kevyn Adams said.
Who or what won the trade? Who lost it? A look at the fallout from the Eichel trade:
No. 1 am Keita Nakajima edges in front at Asia-Pacific Amateur
The Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship is set for an intriguing finish in the desert.
Atop the leaderboard is Keita Nakajima, the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world who is searching for another signature victory. The 21-year-old from Japan carded a 4-under 67 to inch in front at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, just one shot clear of two-time AAC winner and defending champion Yuxin Lin.
Nakajima birdied the 16th hole and then buried a 15-footer on the last to save par after finding the penalty area off the tee. That kept him in front at 11-under 202, with 11 other players within four shots of the lead heading into the final round.
“My mentality was to be strong in this tournament,” Nakajima said. “I’m so happy with the last three holes.”
A victory at the Asia-Pacific Amateur comes with invitations to both the 2022 Masters and Open Championship, provided the winner remains amateur. Nakajima is already exempt into next year’s U.S. Open and Open by virtue of his McCormack Medal as the world’s top amateur.
Nakajima has achieved his high stature in the game primarily by competing in pro tournaments in Japan. He has fared well against the tougher competition, even winning the Panasonic Open earlier this year and finishing 28th recently in the PGA Tour’s Zozo Championship. He also took the Japanese Amateur this year.
Lin shared the first-round lead but dropped four back at the halfway point after double-bogeying his final hole of the day Thursday. He found a swing key on the range before his third round and ripped off three birdies in a row to start, ultimately shooting a 65 that gave him a chance to become the first player to win three AAC titles. He won in 2017 and ’19; last year’s event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m just really glad I have this opportunity to be in contention again,” Lin said. “Obviously, it would be nice to achieve the three-peat. I’ve got myself in this position, and I’m going to enjoy tomorrow and see what happens.”
Two shots back are Bo Jin, the 36-hole leader, and Sam Choi, the world No. 14. Taichi Kho matched the low round of the tournament with a Friday 64 to move within three shots heading into the last day.
LONDON -- Antonio Conte has admitted he is "scared" he does not have enough time to work with his Tottenham Hotspur squad and pleaded for patience as he aims to turn it into a team with a killer instinct.
The 52-year-old's first match in charge ended in a dramatic 3-2 win over Vitesse in Thursday's Europa Conference League clash as Tottenham had one player sent off before two visiting players were dismissed in what Conte described as a "crazy game."
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Conte replaced Nuno Espirito Santo on Tuesday despite previous reservations about taking a job midway through a campaign because of a lack of preseason to work with his squad. After Sunday's trip to Everton, the vast majority of the group will travel to represent their countries during the international break.
Following the win over Vitesse, Conte said: "We need time, we need time to work. This is the only aspect that I am afraid [of], I would like to have time to work because this team and I need to work together, to bring my tactical idea, the physical aspect, to know them much better than now.
"This is the only aspect I am a bit scared [of], a bit afraid [of]. I know there is this type of situation and for this reason we need a bit of patience.
"I have to be patient because it is a situation where we don't have too much time to work. Through work we can improve a lot, a lot of space for improvement. This team is young and has ability but we have to work together."
Spurs raced into a three-goal lead inside 28 minutes as Son Heung-Min scored the first goal of Conte's reign before Lucas Moura and a Jacob Rasmussen own goal put the home side in command. However, Ramsussen triggered a comeback with a header at the other end and when Matus Bero curled home a second six minutes before the interval, all the fragility that had cost Espirito Santo his job suddenly returned.
Spurs centre-back Cristian Romero was shown a second yellow card just before the hour mark and Vitesse threatened to equalise before imploding themselves as defender Danilho Doekhl and goalkeeper Markus Schubert were both sent off in a frenetic second half.
"Those who know me very well, [know] I don't like this type of crazy game," said Conte. "I call them a 'crazy game'. I want us to build a team [that] when there is the possibility to kill the opponent, you must kill. But my players have shown great commitment and resilience and this is a great aspect because this team also needs to win [by] suffering."
Tottenham hung on to climb up to second in Group G -- three points behind leaders Rennes, who beat NS Mura 1-0 in France -- and Conte challenged his players to reach a football level that matches their state-of-the-art £1 billion stadium and training ground, two factors the Italian revealed were key in convincing him to join the club.
"For sure, this club has great potential. I was enthusiatic about the stadium, the training ground," he said. "I don't know in the world if another club has this facility and this was a reason I accepted to come here because I know that here I can work in the way I like.
"The club is a top club and I want to repay the club about the trust that they showed me. And for sure now in this moment, we have to focus on the pitch, the football aspect, to try to bring the same level is very difficult because I think the club with the stadium, with the training ground, for me is the best maybe in the world."
Harry Kane has said Tottenham Hotspur have shown "great ambition" by appointing Antonio Conte as head coach and added that the Italian can make him a better player.
Conte replaced Nuno Espirito Santo earlier this week and guided Spurs to victory in his opening game on Thursday with a 3-2 Europa Conference League win over Vitesse Arnhem.
Kane was not on the scoresheet and has struggled to recapture his best form this season after attempting to force through a move to Manchester City only to be told to honour his £200,000-a-week contract, which has just over two-and-a-half years left to run.
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The 28-year-old's motivation to continue at Tottenham has consequently been questioned but he hailed the significance of Conte's arrival while acknowledging a difficult run in which he has scored just once in nine Premier League games.
"It [Conte's appointment] shows great ambition to be honest," he said. "His resume speaks for itself, everyone knows how highly thought of he is and what he has done as a manager in the game.
"You have to respect that. He will work as hard as he can to improve us as players but it is about us as players, taking it in, learning, doing more on the pitch, doing more in training, doing more away from training -- whether it is recovery or anything like that. And making sure we give ourselves every opportunity to win. We have a manager and a club that believe in us and the appointment definitely shows that.
"I am a player that always believes in myself and always believes in my ability. I am 28 years old, I have still got a lot to learn, a lot to improve on. It's not been the start I wanted, the team wanted or the club wanted so we all know that. We all have to take responsibility for that as players.
"It is not something I am worried about, I will keep working and I am really excited about working with this manager, I am sure he can improve me and that is an exciting thing.
"When you have done what I have done in the game so far and still feel like there is more to come, that is definitely exciting so I am looking forward to it."
Nuno was sacked after just 17 games in charge but the players were also heavily criticised for underperforming after losing five of their first 10 Premier League games and ahead of Sunday's trip to Everton, Kane admitted there was no hiding place for the squad now under Conte.
"He definitely brings a lot of passion, a lot of determination, whether that's on the training pitch or in meetings, in the dressing room," added the Spurs and England captain.
"He has won trophies at the highest level with the biggest clubs so everyone is excited to learn, excited to work under him and that passion he shows every day, every meeting, every training session is what you thrive on. You go into games wanting to put your body on the line for him and you can feel that already.
"It's about us and how we take it in because he has done it, he has nothing to prove. He has done it on the biggest stage with the biggest teams so he will give us everything he has to improve us and now it is down to us as players to have no excuses.
"We have to make sure every minute of our lives we are trying to improve and win for this team and that is the only way we are going to move forward."