FREMONT, Ohio – D.J. Foos drove his Burmeister Racing 410 sprint into the lead with 12 laps to go and pulled away for the win with the All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads/Kistler Racing Products Attica Fremont Championship Series Presented by the Baumann Auto Group Saturday at Fremont Speedway.

Foos, a former 305 Fremont track champion, scored his second win of the year at Fremont on Baumann Auto Group Night, taking home $4,200. He won by more than 2.5 seconds for his 13th career victory at the track.

Foos’ win in the Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprint division also will tighten up the AFCS points significantly with just two point races left for the $10,000 championship. Foos came into the night third in the AFCS standings. Leader Buddy Kofoid came back from an opening lap tangle to score a seventh-place finish while Cap Henry, who started the night second in the standings, finished fourth.

“Hats off to these guys (speedway committee) for trying to do stuff…we all didn’t become good race car drivers and crew chiefs over night. We have to bare with them and give them some time. This race track is really not my deal. I could do turns one and two all day but three and four…whew…that thing was a hand full. Mikey (Sommers) had the car pretty good and I can’t thank everyone enough who stands behind me,” said Foos.

Brian Lay and Lee Jacobs brought the field to green for the 30-lap 410 sprint feature. The second row of Buddy Kofoid and Travis Philo made contact and Kofoid spun in front of the pack, collecting Craig Mintz, Stuart Brubaker and Nate Dussel with Mintz and Brubaker flipping. Everyone was okay but Mintz and Brubaker were done for the night. Kofoid and Dussel made repairs and rejoined at the tail.

When the green flew again Jacobs bolted into the lead over Lay, Foos, Philo, Cale Conley, Ricky Peterson, Caleb Griffith, Cap Henry and Jack Haudenschild. Haudenschild spun with two laps scored and two laps later jumped the big cushion in turn four to end his night.

Jacobs pulled away from Lay on the restart with 26 laps to go with Foos, Peterson, Philo, Conley and Henry in tow. Foos took second on lap 10 just before Conley stopped two circuits later after battling with Philo and Henry for fifth. This time on the restart Foos stayed glued to Jacobs’ rear bumper while Lay, Henry and Peterson battled for third.

Foos was able to drive around Jacobs into the lead with a daring move on the tricky turn four cushion on lap 18. With 10 laps to go Foos had opened a second and half lead over Jacobs while Lay and Henry were entertaining the crowed in their quest for third.

Foos hit his marks and drove away to the win as Lay got around Jacobs on the last lap for second with Henry and Caleb Griffith rounding out the top five.

A tremendous three car battle involving John Ivy, Paul Weaver and Tyler Street dominated the first half of the Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprints. Weaver, a former track champion, took the lead on lap nine and held off Street at the checkers for his second win of the season at Fremont worth $1,200.

Weaver’s 49th career win at the track, also tightens up the standings in the KS Sales and Service AFCS Presented Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales with two point races remaining. Weaver came into the night third in the standings with leader Jamie Miller finishing seventh and runner-up John Ivy finishing fourth.

“I got old reliable back out. Last couple of weeks I had some bad luck going on,” said Weaver, referring to a chassis change. “I didn’t have any good set-up for this type of track but my engine builder had some pixie dust he sprinkled on it and it worked. I want to thank my wife, Daryl Schiets, Pam and Steve Brown, M&L Excavating, Dave Rice and Bob Hampshire, Miller Rigging and Adkins Motorsports.”

The 20 lap feature for the Burmeister Trophy Dirt Trucks featured three wide racing around the speedway for the lead for the first half involving Keith Sorg, Kent Brewer and Shawn Valenti. Valenti took the lead by a bumper on lap seven but Brewer and Sorg battled him hard over the next hand full of laps.

Valenti and Brewer then raced side by side for several laps until Valenti was able to pull away slightly until the last lap when Brewer mounted a last ditch challenge that fell just short. Valenti scored his third win of the season and 49th of his career to tie Weaver for seventh on the track’s all-time win list.

“That was a hell of a race. Kent and Keith raced clean and hard and that’s what it’s all about. It was $1,100 to win to night to I had to get up on the wheel. Thanks to the Baumann Auto Group and all they do for us racers and my sponsor A Plus Auto Center for putting extra money in the purse for all the divisions tonight,” Valenti said.

MACON, Ill. – Terry Babb was not going to be denied Saturday night at Macon Speedway.

The driver of the No. 47 Samonds Racing machine raced to victory Built Ford Tough MOWA Sprint Car Series competition on the fifth-mile dirt oval Saturday evening.

Babb took advantage of his second starting spot and jumped to the early lead over polesitter Andy Bishop. He constantly was able to fight back against challenges from other competitors, as well as multiple red and yellow flag conditions which slowed the field.

In the end Babb took the victory, his first of the season with the series.

“We just ran really well tonight. I was able to be in the right position when it counted most,” said Babb.

Bishop was second, followed by Zach Daum, Chad Boespflug and Paul Nienhiser.

The finish:

Terry Babb, Andy Bishop, Zach Daum, Chad Boespflug, Paul Nienhiser, Cory Bruns, Brayton Lynch, Robby McQuinn, Dustin Barks, Steve Short, Jeremy Standridge, Colton Fisher, Jacob Patton, Robbie Standridge, Kyle Schuett, Justin Standridge, Logan Faucon, Dylan Tuxhorn, Chris Urish.

EDMONTON, Alberta – Andrew Ranger left for the NASCAR Pinty’s Series western swing with goal in mine: dominate.

Following two standout races in Saskatoon, Ranger came into Edmonton looking to finish the job.

Ranger took care of that Saturday in dominating fashion by winning the LUXXUR 300 at Edmonton Int’l Raceway. With rain a factor once again, Ranger’s No.27 Mopar Dodge wasted no time taking the lead from L.P. Dumoulin on lap 228.

As cautions came out and restarts were ran, Ranger continued to fend off all who opposed him. In the end, the rain came down and NASCAR was forced to call the race on lap 275. The Roxton Pond, Quebec, driver lead 253 laps en-route his 27th NASCAR Pinty’s Series victory.

Ranger ended his western swing with two wins, a third place finish and the points lead.

Since returning to the Pinty’s Series full-time Jason Hathaway has been stringing together good runs. With the rain closing in, Hathaway made a march to front. Mounting pressure until the rains came, the No.3 Kubota Canada Chevrolet would finish second. This marked the Stouffville, Ontario, driver’s first podium of the season and highest finish since winning at Kawartha in 2016.

Saskatoon race one winner L.P. Dumoulin was another driver with a successful western swing. The Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, driver came home third after a strong run at the track he won at last year. Dumoulin will leave Edmonton with momentum carrying into this his home tack at GP3R in August.

Alex Labbe and Donald Theetge brought their battered cars home fourth and fifth, completing the top five.

The finish:

Andrew Ranger, Jason Hathaway, L.P. Dumoulin, Alex Labbe, Donald Theetge, Marc-Antoine Camirand, Kevin Lacroix, Alex Tagliani, Anthony Simone, D.J. Kennington, Jamie Krzysik, Brandon White, Mark Dilley, Shantel Kalika, T.J. Rinomato, Brett Taylor, Larry Jackson.

Jozy Altidore scored for the fourth consecutive game as Toronto FC held on for a 2-1 win over visiting FC Cincinnati on Saturday.

In the 50th minute, Altidore launched a well-placed strike from outside the box that curled its way into the right side of Cincinnati's net.

Altidore's recent hot streak has upped his total to nine goals for the season, even though injuries and international duties have limited the star forward to just 13 games for Toronto.

The victory was Toronto FC's third in their last four games, allowing the club to keep pace in the Eastern Conference. Toronto (9-9-5, 32 points) remains a point behind the New England Revolution and Montreal Impact for the final East playoff berth.

Toronto heavily controlled play in the first half, culminating in Nick DeLeon's goal in the 16th minute. An Alejandro Pozuelo corner kick found Omar Gonzalez for a header, which was then re-directed by DeLeon with another header at close range.

The goal was DeLeon's fifth of the season, continuing his emergence as an attacking force with Toronto. The midfielder scored only seven goals over 152 league games with D.C. United from 2013-18.

Emmanuel Ledesma brought Cincinnati (5-16-2, 17 points) within a goal in the 58th minute. Allan Cruz made a strong rush into the box and was taken down amidst four Toronto defenders. The loose ball fell out to Ledesma's feet, and he made no mistake in converting his third goal of the season.

After being dominated in the opening 45 minutes, FC Cincinnati's attack came to life after halftime, as the visitors outshot Toronto 10-2 (4-2 in shots on target) over the final 45 minutes.

The late surge wasn't enough to keep FC Cincinnati from its third consecutive defeat. The expansion side is now 2-9-0 over its last 11 league games.

Maikel van der Werff made his MLS debut for Cincinnati, one of seven changes to the lineup fielded in FC Cincinnati's 2-0 loss to New England last Sunday.

Cristhian Paredes and Diego Valeri electrified the 150th consecutive sellout crowd at Providence Park with late first-half goals, and the host Portland Timbers rolled to a 4-0 win over the LA Galaxy on Saturday night.

Paredes ended the night with two goals, his second one coming in the 81st minute. The frustrations of the night boiled over for the Galaxy in the 84th minute, when youngster Efrain Alvarez was sent off with a red card for blasting the Timbers' Marvin Loria in the back with a kicked ball while Loria was on the ground.

Down to 10 players, the Galaxy had no one to defend Portland's Jeremy Ebobisse when Jorge Villafana's cross found him for a header into the net in the 88th minute to cap off the Timbers' win. Villafana also assisted on Paredes' second tally.

Portland (9-8-4) is unbeaten in six straight games (4-0-2) and moved into a tie for the seventh and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Timbers have played one fewer game than Real Salt Lake, who sit on 31 points as well.

The Galaxy (12-9-1, 37 points) missed a chance to move into second place in the West. They are 3-4 in their last seven games.

Timbers goalkeeper Steve Clark had six saves in a shutout, including one against Galaxy star Zlatan Ibrahimovic with Portland ahead 1-0 in the first half.

Ibrahimovic, the Galaxy's leading scorer with 16 goals, took five shots, putting three on net. Clark came up big again in the 75th minute when he sent away a point blank shot from Uriel Antuna off Ibrahimovic's cross.

Paredes put in Jorge Moreira's cross in the 37th minute via header, though replays showed the ball appeared to hit closer to his shoulder. Then Valeri crossed up Galaxy defender Daniel Steres with a nutmeg for a shot that found the net in the 41st minute.

Valeri, the Timbers' captain, raised his total to six goals on the season and also had an assist.

The Timbers were without starting midfielder Diego Chara due to yellow-card accumulation, and have played just six home matches due to a remodel of their stadium that lasted until June, compared to 15 away games

Liverpool have signed 16-year-old Harvey Elliott from Fulham, who became the youngest-ever Premier League player last season.

A number of Europe's elite clubs including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint Germain, and Borussia Dortmund were interested in signing the winger, according to ESPN sources, but Liverpool have now won the race for a player who has only made three senior appearances.

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Elliott becomes Liverpool's second signing of the summer following the arrival of 17-year-old Dutch defender Sepp van den Berg and joins Liverpool's squad ahead of Sunday's friendly against Napoli in Edinburgh.

View this post on Instagram

I am so happy to be able to announce that I have signed for @LiverpoolFC To have joined the club that I supported as a boy is a dream come true for me and all of my family and it's an incredible feeling to now officially be able to call myself a Red! ? I can't wait to get started and it will be a truly special feeling to pull the famous red jersey on. I'll work as hard as I possibly can for the club and I feel Anfield is the perfect place for me to develop and progress as a player. #LFC #YNWA ⚽️

A post shared by Harvey Elliott (@harveyelliott07) on Jul 28, 2019 at 1:02am PDT

Elliott will not turn professional until his 17th birthday, which is in April, and the maximum length of contract he can sign with Liverpool will be three years.

"I am so happy to be able to announce that I have signed for Liverpool," Elliott wrote on Instagram. "To have joined the club that I supported as a boy is a dream come true for me and all of my family and it's an incredible feeling to now officially be able to call myself a Red!

"I can't wait to get started and it will be a truly special feeling to pull the famous red jersey on. I'll work as hard as I possibly can for the club and I feel Anfield is the perfect place for me to develop and progress as a player."

The England youth international became Fulham's youngest player when he made his debut at Millwall in the Carabao Cup last September at 15 years and 174 days old.

He then broke the Premier League record in May 2019 against Wolves, aged 16 years and 30 days -- the first player born in 2003 to feature in the division.

The European transfer window is open. Click here to review all the latest transfers and keep up to date with the latest gossip below.

Top free agents in 2020 | What do Europe's elite need?

TOP STORY: United bracing for Madrid's Pogba push

Gareth Bale's impending move to China is set to open up substantial funds for Real Madrid's summer transfer kitty, and The Mirror claims Manchester United are preparing themselves for a Madrid onslaught after manager Zinedine Zidane ordered Bernabeu bosses to bring in Paul Pogba.

Bale's departure frees up wages of around £600,000 a week, which will allow Real to prepare a lucrative financial package in an attempt to entice Pogba to make the switch to La Liga.

Reports claim that United have no interest in selling their World Cup-winning midfielder, but it is believed that stance will not deter Madrid, who will have to smash their transfer record if they are to sign the Frenchman.

Zidane has made no secret of his admiration of compatriot Pogba, while the 26-year-old admitted in March that it would "be a dream" to join the Galacticos.

LIVE BLOG

12.04 BST: Juventus have made a decision over the future of forward Gonzalo Higuain which is that he is not part of their future plans, according to Il Corriere dello Sport.

The report claims Bianconeri director Fabio Paratici has informed Higuain's agent and brother, Nicolas, that the Argentine has no future at the club.

Roma are the frontrunners for Higuain's signature, should they offload Inter Milan target Edin Dzeko.

11.28 BST: Former Manchester United and Arsenal forward Danny Welbeck is struggling to find a new club after being released by the Gunners due to his high wage demands, according to The Sun.

The article claims Lazio and various Premier League clubs would be interested in the Englishman, but have been put off by his demands of £100,000-a-week and a £5 million signing-on bonus.

11.03 BST: There have been some suggestions that Gareth Bale could be loan to Inter Milan should he complete his move to Jiangu Suning.

Suning, who own the Jiangsu club, are also the majority shareholders of Inter -- and there is precedent for players moving between the two clubs.

Australia international Trent Sainsbury joined Jiangsu from Dutch side PEC Zwolle ahead of 2016 Chinese Super League season, but left to join Inter on loan.

Meanwhile, ex-Italy international Eder left Inter to join Jiangsu in 2018.

10.38 BST: Leicester want Manchester United to pay more of the £80 million they are demanding for Harry Maguire, because they don't believe the Old Trafford side will qualify for the Champions League next season, according to the Daily Mail.

United have made the England international their No. 1 defensive transfer target this summer, but the two clubs have so far been unable to agree on a fee.

10.09 BST: Inter Milan will meet Roma on Monday to discuss the signing of Edin Dzeko with the Giallorossi valuing the former Manchester City man at €20 million, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

However, the same article adds Inter have lined up Paris Saint-Germain frontman Edinson Cavani, who the Ligue 1 champions value at €50m, as a backup option.

09.37 BST: Dani Alves has formalised a plan to return to Barcelona...alongside Neymar, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The report claims the recent Copa America winner believes Neymar would benefit from his presence at Camp Nou and, that with him returning, Barca could include Nelson Semedo -- a Paris Saint-Germain target -- in any deal for the world's most expensive player.

09.00 BST: We kick off today with done deal as Liverpool have signed 16-year-old Harvey Elliott from Fulham.

Elliott -- the youngest player in Premier League history -- was a target for Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint Germain, and Borussia Dortmund.

But it's Liverpool who have won the race for his signature.

Sarri seeks Juve midfield reinforcements

Calciomercato claims Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri isn't quite convinced with his midfield options at the club and is hoping sporting director Fabio Paratici can land at least one of his three main targets.

The trio in the frame are Sergej Milinkovic-Savic of Lazio, Real Madrid's Isco and Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Christian Eriksen -- the latter of whom has just a year left on his contract in north London, meaning the Serie A champions could potentially secure yet another bargain in the transfer market.

Such a signing requires Juve to push some of their current crop out the door, however, with Sami Khedira and Blaise Matuidi reportedly out of favour in Turin.

It is believed former Chelsea boss Sarri is looking to swap out the more defensive-minded midfield role in the side for an attacking 10-goal-a-season player.

PSG in pole position for Rose after Newcastle priced out

Newcastle United appear to have dropped out of the running to sign Tottenham Hotspur left-back Danny Rose, after Steve Bruce's side turned their noses up at the England international's wage demands, says The Sun.

The 29-year-old reportedly earns £60,000 a week at Spurs, and with the Magpies targeting players on around £50,000 a week, it seems they have been priced out of a move for the Champions League runner-up.

That news will be a welcome development for the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus, with the former believing they are now in pole position for the one-time Leeds man, thanks to their financial clout in the wage department.

Rose didn't travel with the Spurs squad for their preseason tour of Asia, and boss Mauricio Pochettino will not stand in his way should a suitable offer come in.

- Premier League fixtures 2019-20 in full
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Out-of-work Alves posts Insta plea

It's hard to imagine a guy with a CV like the one Dani Alves has would have to post a plea on social media that he is in search of work, but that's what happened on Saturday when the Brazil international posted this message on Instagram.

The former Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Barcelona standout has won club and international trophies the world over from Champions League crowns to league titles in Spain, Italy and France, but that hasn't moved the needle for any prominent clubs to make a move for the free agent.

And Alves isn't short on references to go with his résumé, either. After making his Insta post, he received shoutouts of support from Neymar, Renato Augusto and Douglas Costa vouching for the player's quality and his ability to still be a top player for a top club.

One final show of support came from Alves' partner Joana Sanz, who suggested the 36-year-old look for work with second-tier Spanish side Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Although we're not sure if that idea was more for Alves' benefit or his partner's!

Tap-ins

- Speaking of good references, The Sun reports that Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn, who scored an outrageous goal against Charlton on Saturday, has the backing of Sir Alex Ferguson for a move to Manchester United. McGinn's father is a friend of Sir Alex's, and the former United boss has urged the Red Devils to bring the Scotland international to Old Trafford.

- The never-ending saga surrounding a move to Manchester United for Leicester defender Harry Maguire is currently, and still, never-ending. The Leicester Mercury says Brendan Rodgers hasn't seen any acceptable offers for the England international, while the Mail adds the timing of the payment on a rumoured £80m fee continues to be a sticking point.

- Wolves are looking to build on their impressive seventh-place finish last season in the Premier League by raiding AC Milan for Patrick Cutrone to help their cause, according to The Express. Nuno Espirito Santo's side made their first acquisition of the summer on Saturday with the addition of Jesus Vallejo on a season-long loan from Real Madrid.

- The Sun claims Newcastle are looking to seal a cut-price deal for Amiens defender Emil Krafth. The 24-year-old Sweden international, who also had a four-year spell at Serie A side Bologna, could be set to make the switch to St James' Park for around £1m.

- Fulham manager Scott Parker is looking to make further additions to his squad ahead of the new season, and The Sun claims he is interested in signing Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter -- who also is Parker's brother-in-law. The 29-year-old is out of favour on the south coast, and he could be available for around £8m.

- Reports in The Sun claim Turkish giants Galatasaray are in the running to sign former Chelsea defender Gary Cahill on a free transfer, and they are hoping that a little help from Blues legend and former Gala striker Didier Drogba can persuade the 33-year-old to make the switch.

Standing in the middle of the Trent Bridge outfield during warm-ups for the pivotal Test match of the 2015 Ashes series, Peter Siddle confided to Ricky Ponting that he thought his international career was at an end.

Siddle had just been told by the selectors Darren Lehmann and Rod Marsh that he was being left out for the fourth Test match in a row, despite the Nottingham pitch looking absolutely tailored to his skills of seam, swing and accuracy with just enough speed. Exasperated, Siddle faced the very real possibility that at 30, he would not be chosen again.

"I think it was very tough, it's probably some of the toughest times," Siddle said. "I know injuries are always a tough thing, you can deal with that and it's not too bad. But I think missing out on opportunities … you always believe you should be picked, that's how you should feel but when you see conditions that are suited to you, that's when it hurts the most.

"I remember at Trent Bridge just after being told I wasn't part of that Test match, the boys were warming up and I went and had a conversation with Punter out in the middle of the field.

"We were looking at the wicket and he couldn't believe that I wasn't playing, and that's when I said to him 'If I'm not getting picked here, I don't think I'll ever get picked again'. And that was the honest truth.

"I thought at that time I mightn't get another opportunity to play but obviously Joshy [Hazlewood] got a little bit injured and I got an opportunity to play the last Test and performed well there and that gave me another little crack at representing. But I thought at that stage I mightn't get the opportunity again, so ever since then I definitely tried making the most of every opportunity I've had."

Of course, the chaos that followed after England won the toss, razing the Australians for 60 and underlining how the high pace attack of Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood was not ideally suited to conditions that called for wobbling the Dukes ball around, led to a rethink once the urn was lost. Siddle returned for Test at The Oval, claimed six wickets at low cost in an innings victory for the tourists, and sowed the seeds for his return to England in 2019, via some prolific bowling spells for Essex in the county championship.

To his evident relief, Siddle believes that the Australian team of 2019 has evolved its thinking about how to play in English climes, meaning that at 34, he is well and truly in the mix to take part in the series should similar pitches emerge to assist the likes of James Anderson and Chris Woakes.

"I reckon it's something we've developed and we're a lot better prepared for coming into this series," Siddle said. "The chats I've had with different coaches - Troy Cooley and JL and all the coaches around the squad - we're a lot more aware of the set-up and the team dynamics to win a series in England.

"A couple of other series I've played in we haven't been quite suited to the conditions and we've gone about it the wrong way. But with the squad that's been picked, and the players that are in and around the group, I think we've got a good skills set and whatever is dished up to us wicket-wise, we'll be able to handle whatever they throw at us."

"I'm definitely bowling a lot better than I ever have in these conditions, and I think that's the best thing I bring to this team now"

Certainly, Justin Langer has been eager to keep Siddle in the loop ever since he took up the national coaching job in May last year. "Last year, I was going well playing for Essex and I had a couple of messages and a couple of phone calls with him," Siddle said. "It was one message after we chatted one time, he said 'Just remember that every game counts'. That was how I was seeing things anyway, but to hear it from the coach is a good thing as well.

"And that's what I've done. It doesn't matter who I've played, all I've wanted to do is perform well for the team.

"That's how I've gone about it, and that's how I finished the summer back home. Then to come back here and perform well again for Essex, I knew I'd given myself every chance to be on another Ashes series and hopefully play again for Australia.

"We've always been in contact over the years, at different stages. My first Shield game was against him - he abused me from first slip while I batted out a draw. It didn't start off too well, but I think we've always been reasonably close Obviously his time as batting coach with the team as well, so there was always a bit of communication and that message is the one that sticks in my mind - just concentrating on every game, and making the most of it."

Much was made of the fact that Siddle had, in mid-career, adopted numerous lifestyle changes such as taking meat out of his diet. He also adapted his bowling from the rough and tumble of his earliest days for Victoria and Australia to being a far cannier operator, concentrating on persistence, accuracy and subtle movement in the style beloved of Terry Alderman (83 Ashes wickets in just two tours of England in 1981 and 1989).

"I think it's probably been a key to my last five or six years, as to how I go about keeping the body right," Siddle said. "I'm only getting older, I'm a lot older than most of the other guys but it's my commitment to being on the park. The only way you can get opportunities like this and play is if you're fit, and on the park. So it's just about doing everything right and the changes I've made over time have helped me to stay on the park, to be a bit more committed, it's made me a lot more diligent about the way I go about my preparation.

"I'm very focused on being right and being ready to go. I'm in a good frame of mind. The confidence I've got from the last two seasons, being over here and playing cricket for Essex has put me in a good position to know I'm comfortable with my game in England, and knowing that if I get the opportunity to play throughout this series that I'm as ready as ever. I'm definitely bowling a lot better than I ever have in these conditions, and I think that's the best thing I bring to this team now.

"I know I've done well, I've got a pretty good record in Ashes Test matches in England but I think my experience, over the last couple of years I've learned a lot of new skills. So I think I can play a big part in this series."

Now, Siddle is comfortable not only in his bowling, but his belief that the selectors see its value - even when they have Starc, Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and James Pattinson to call upon this time around. "I came here in 2009, and the blokes that played were myself, Mitch Johnson and Hilfy [Ben Hilfenhaus] and none of us had played an Ashes series or in England, and we were the ones who were thrown in to try and win it.

"We still had Brett Lee and Stuart Clark on the sidelines, and we came out as a young side and we did all right but we just had no skills set in England. The next time round it was probably the same thing, a little bit inexperienced. Definitely in an Ashes series, I believe it is the strongest line-up in the time that I've played that we're going to be able to put out there on the park. We've got players who have played cricket in England, I think that's something if you go back 10, 15, 20 years ago, a lot of blokes had the opportunity to come over and play county cricket whether they were batters or bowlers.

"They'd spent a little bit of time over getting an understanding and a feel for the conditions they might get at the international level. There's obviously a few of us who have been over here this year playing county cricket, and especially from a bowlers' point of view that they've had the opportunity over past series - whether it's one-day or Test cricket - to have played in the conditions. We've given ourselves the best chance now. The players that we've got in the group are strong and ready to do battle here and hopefully, finally, get that away series win in England."