The surprising thing about Aaron Wan-Bissaka is not that he is reportedly about to become the most expensive right-back in the history of football. It's that only two years ago, the man who Manchester United are rumoured to be spending north of £50 million for, wasn't even a right-back.

In fact, for much of the time the 21-year-old spent in the Crystal Palace youth ranks, he was not even especially highly rated. In those days he was a relatively modest winger, not close to being cut adrift but definitely not pegged as a future star. He was consistent, a seven-out-of-ten player, but not one to catch the eye, despite his remarkable pace and long, snaking legs.

"In his under-20 year, we weren't exactly concerned, but he probably wasn't scoring enough or assisting enough -- not of the level you'd want from a Premier League winger," Gary Issott, Palace's academy director, tells ESPN.

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Indeed, in October 2017, only a few months before he made his senior debut (Feb. 2018) and slid into Premier League life like it was a perfectly-tailored suit, Palace were trying to find a League One club to loan him to. That January, he tried to persuade Palace to let him join a club in League Two. The problem was, none of the managers they spoke to were interested.

It was former first-team coach Kevin Keen who first suggested to academy coaches that he might have the ability to play at full-back. And one morning when the first-team squad were playing a practice match at the club's training ground, he got his opportunity. The team were short of someone to play at right-back, so Wan-Bissaka was asked to fill in.

This wasn't just your average practice match, though. Wan-Bissaka's opponent was Wilfried Zaha, destroyer of full-backs and the cause of twisted blood in many experienced defenders. Zaha didn't get a sniff, marked out of the game and was physically and tactically bested by the youngster.

"He was one of the few players who could match Wilfried's pace and power," says Issott. That performance stuck in the minds of everyone at Palace, even though his initial outings at the back for Palace's youth sides were a little rough and he couldn't see a future in the position. After a clutch of injuries left Roy Hodgson short in defence, Wan-Bissaka was called upon.

He wasn't exactly eased in. While most youngsters might expect a couple of substitute appearances or a run-out in the League Cup to get them used to first-team football, Wan-Bissaka's first three senior games were starts against Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea. His fifth saw him face Liverpool.

A look at the team sheets in those games shows the debutant, barely out of his teens, was up against Eden Hazard, Christian Eriksen, Sadio Mane and Marcus Rashford. But rather than breathing slowly into a paper bag, as most callow youths might be forgiven for doing when faced with those opponents, he excelled. The United game is remembered particularly for the moment he chased down and put in a statement of a tackle on the aforementioned Rashford. If you didn't know better, you would have sworn he had been there for years.

All of which bodes well for a potential move to the pressure and chaos of Old Trafford. "He's got a fantastic temperament," says Issott. "I'm sure he does get nervous but he doesn't show it. He reacts very well in high pressure situations." He will need all of that with United, a club with high expectations but currently short of the players to deliver upon them.

The first thing you notice about Wan-Bissaka when you see him live is how natural and easy everything looks. He just seems to be moving quicker than everyone else on the pitch without seeming to strain himself at all. "The best athletes, that's how they look -- effortless," says Issott. "He's as quick as anybody we've ever had."

Next, you notice how clean his tackling is. No defender in the Premier League made more successful challenges than him last season, something that's even more remarkable when you consider most defenders have been learning this art from an early age, whereas he's barely been doing it for two years.

"I have no idea where I get it from," he told the Guardian last season. "I'm just as confused when I see all the stats. I'd never tackle on Walton Green [where he played as a kid in Croydon, South-East London]. I was too busy doing the tricks, and I just didn't like defending." The players he watched and looked to emulate weren't Dani Alves or Philipp Lahm, but rather attackers Ronaldinho and Thierry Henry.

As a late convert to defence, he's had to learn fast, and the good news is he's doing just that. As an example, early last season he was sent off against Liverpool for a misjudged challenge after reeling in Mohamed Salah when clean through on goal. Yet in the following 23 games he was only booked once, and was cautioned only three further times in the campaign. Wan-Bissaka has had to do most of his education at the top level, but he's maturing remarkably quickly.

"It's when talent meets opportunity," says Issott, explaining Wan-Bissaka's rise. You suspect those opportunities will keep on coming for the talented 21-year-old.

"There has never been a better time to be a professional cricketer," according to Daryl Mitchell.

Mitchell, chairman of the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA; the players' union in England and Wales), was speaking after the PCA committee voted unanimously to approve a new five-year (2020-2024) deal with the ECB that ensures all professional players will benefit from the improved broadcast contracts.

The County Partnership Agreement (CPA) will ensure a rise in the salary collar (the minimum amount a county can spend on player salaries) and the salary cap (the maximum amount a county can spend on the salaries of its players), an established minimum wage for full-time professionals and a raft of other improved benefits for players. All concessions were in the face of initial resistance from the ECB.

Although ESPNcricinfo reported many of these improved features in March, the final details have taken some time to agree on and the vote - involving representatives from all 18 first-class counties and the England women's squad - only took place on Friday.

"Today is a big moment for every current and future professional cricketer in this country," Mitchell said. "This has been a long and testing process but ultimately a very rewarding outcome.

"I made a bold statement just over a year ago that we needed to ensure every player benefits from the CPA and after constant dialogue and deliberation between stakeholders and over 70 formal meetings, I am delighted we have achieved this.

"The new retirement pot will bring a country-wide benefit to all players who will be supported through extra funding to help with their transition into a second career. David [Leatherdale, PCA chief executive] has fought particularly hard for the implementation of this and with it now agreed, the PCA committee will decide a distribution model for the estimated £5 million that counties will contribute over the five-year period.

"This deal will not only see players directly rewarded but with future funding for the PCA in place and substantial donations to be made to the Professional Cricketers' Trust for the first time, the welfare of players will be protected."

The deal may also serve as something of a legacy for Leatherdale, who has endured a torrid time, which has included taking an extended break to deal with a stress-related problem following a succession of family tragedies. He has already confirmed he will be standing down in the coming weeks, but this deal will ensure he moves on to the next challenge confident he has made a significant positive contribution for his fellow and future PCA members.

"This historic deal creates a reinvigorated approach to playing cricket professionally which will see players rewarded through their careers like never before," Mitchell said."Young players coming into the game will have the best ever chance to be successful with minimum guarantees while improved policies around welfare issues as well as the rise in salary caps and collars will benefit all.

"We know the first two years after retirement is an incredibly difficult time so the new retirement pot will bridge a gap to help the transition into a second career. One of the most exciting successes is the PCA gaining 100 extra members through the women's game. The players who participate in the eight new 'Hundred' teams will be represented by the PCA as the women's game continues to evolve in the professional era.

"In terms of the England men's and women's deals which have been negotiated alongside the CPA through the Team England Player Partnership and England Women's Player Partnership, these deals are also close to being agreed which will ensure representing your country has never been more rewarding."

Key points in the deal

• Minimum 26.5% of ECB central revenue received by players

• Projected £5,000,000 retirement pot to be distributed to players

• Doubling of salary collar from £750,000 to £1,500,000

• Salary cap rising to £2,500,000

• New, binding minimum wage of £27,500 for full time professionals

• Formal rookie contracts introduced

• Increased accountability with PCA to receive a copy of every county contract

• Doubling of payment made to players when released or retiring from the game

• Injury period before termination of contracts doubled with new and improved insurances

• Increased allowance for personal development time

• Secured freedom of movement for overseas cricket between October and March

• Fairer HR procedures on issues such as grievances, discipline and appraisals

• £8,000,000 going to players through The Hundred

• 12.5% retained by counties to allow release for The Hundred for 12.33% of year

• Increase in revenue for Team England Player Partnership and England Women's Player Partnership - through separate agreements

• 100 new female PCA members due to creation of a new professional structure

• PCA funding uplifted by 23%

• Funding for three new PCA Personal Development Managers

• ECB to make a significant contribution to the Professional Cricketers' Trust

• Salary collar to rise

• Salary cap to grow

• Minimum wage to be set

• Every male and female professional player to benefit

All the live updates and analyses from the Australia v New Zealand game. Refresh the page if it doesn't load immediately for you.

At least two fans have been evicted from the match at Headingley after clashes broke out between the Pakistan and Afghanistan fans in the stands. Actual physical clashes to this degree are unheard of in the stands in modern ICC events. There had been more intense clashes between the fans outside the stadium before the match began, and violence carried on outside after the eviction.

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Around an hour into the match, clashes broke out between the two sets of fans in the Carnegie Pavilion Stand. Security personnel had to intervene, and a few of the fans had to be evicted from the stadium. Clashes outside the stadium were much uglier with steel barricades being used as weapons. As the melee continued outside the stadium, journalists trying to film the scenes were also assaulted.

Few of them were ejected from stadium by security, many invaded the stadium jumping the wall, occupying seats without tickets. Ugly scenes! Anti sportsmanship by Afghan fans. Disappointing. https://t.co/XKftrpLqDh

— Faizan Lakhani (@faizanlakhani) June 29, 2019

In a possibly related incident, before the start of the match, a few fans were seen entering the premises illegally by jumping the boundary wall. It could not be ascertained if illegal entrance - and thus oversubscription for seats in the stands - triggered the clashes. Eyewitnesses from either side blamed verbal provocation from the other set of fans.

Geopolitical tensions have been high between Kabul and Islamabad. The two countries are divided by a porous border, the Durand Line, which was drawn up in 1893 between Afghanistan and British India. Refugees and drugs and terror and American influence moved through this border freely for about 40 years before it was closed temporarily in 2017. Cross-border movements are much more difficult now.

These tensions manifest themselves in cricket all the more because Afghanistan learnt their cricket in Pakistan but are now beholden to India for the BCCI's help in giving their national team an adopted home ground and helping them with infrastructure.

Before the match, Afghanistan captain Gulbadin Naib was asked if the geopolitical tensions make their way onto the cricket field too. On the contrary, he said he hoped cricket could help build relations. "Yeah, if you look, we learnt a lot of cricket, Pakistan, we also played cricket in Pakistan," Naib said. "And we also are hoping cricket, the sport is one thing so you can keep a good relationship for anyone like in any other country. So I'm hoping that not only with Pakistan, like India, Sri Lanka, the other countries, we want good cricket.

"We want more matches to build our cricket or to build our cricket, and I'm hoping that… Pakistan is our neighbour country, so it's really good for us to play a lot of cricket with them. So Insha'Allah - and also when you play together a lot of cricket it's good for the country relationships. And, Insha'Allah, we're hoping so up coming years we'll play a lot of cricket with them."

BREWERTON, N.Y. – Pat Ward bested Larry Wight to win Friday night’s 35-lap Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Modified feature at Brewerton Speedway.

Ward beat Wight to the checkered flag at the third-mile, moderately-banked dirt oval, with Jimmy Phelps, Billy Decker and Ron Davis III completing the top five.

Billy Clark Jr. and Corey Barker split wins in a pair of 25-lap DIRTcar Sportsman features, with Casey Sykes topping the Mod Lite class and Chris Bonoffski winning the 15-lap 4-Cylinder main event.

Logan McNitt came out on top of the 4&6 Cylinder Demolition Derby, and Shawn Aman survived the Small Truck and Mini-Van Demolition Derby.

The finish:

Pat Ward, Larry Wight, Jimmy Phelps, Billy Decker, Ron Davis III, Tim Sears Jr., Joe August, Roy Bresnahan, Tom Sears Jr., Jim Witko, Matt Hulsizer, Rob Bellinger, Tyler Trump, Tim Harris, Katelyn Hile, Jason Occhino, Nick Krause, Chad Phelps, Andrew Ferguson, Chris Hile, Tim Kerr.

LAKE ODESSA, Mich. – The American Ethanol Late Model Tour took on I-96 Speedway for the first time this season during the Battle of Speed 40 presented by Zook Farm Equipment on Friday night.

Coming into the event, seven different drivers had found victory lane, with five of them marking their first ever AELMT victory – and that trend continued again this time out with a win by David Mielke.

A stacked first three rows, including Brandon Thirlby, Logan Arntz and Travis Stemler, were all looking to become the first repeat winner of the season.

Stemler and Mielke led the field to the green flag, with Stemler jumping out to the early race lead. However, the caution flag waved soon after, as Thirlby was bitten by the cushion that lined I-96 Speedway, rolling his nose piece up and under the right front of the car.

He slowed going into turn three, bringing out the first caution of the night.

On the restart, Stemler went back to work, jumping back out front, setting his sights on the chance to become a repeat winner. Those hopes quickly vanished when, on lap 10, Stemler became the next victim of the Speedway, busting up his nose piece, and spinning off the top of turn three.

That handed things over to Logan Arntz for the restart.

Arntz took off with the lead over Mielke, and was looking like the man to beat for the $4,000 pay day as he lead through the halfway point over Mielke and Jeep VanWormer.

All that changed when Arntz slipped up coming off the second corner, allowing Mielke to get to his inside. Mielke charged to the lead just before the caution flew once again for Thirlby.

From there, Mielke held on to collect his first career AELMT feature win, making him the eighth different driver to go to victory lane and the sixth first-time winner of the season.

Mielke bested a hard-charging VanWormer, who came from seventh on the grid, and a determined Chad Finley, who recovered from a near spin with less than 10 laps to go.

Arntz and Ryan VanderVeen rounded out the top five.

STAFFORD SPRINGS, Conn. – Ronnie Williams became the first two-time winner of the NAPA Auto Parts SK 5k on Friday night at Stafford Motor Speedway.

In the 100-lap NAPA Auto Parts SK 5K feature event, Marcello Rufrano took the lead at the green with Tyler Hines in second. Hines would lose second to Joey Cipriano on lap two, while Troy Talman was fourth and Williams was quickly up to fifth.

With 20 laps complete, Rufrano was still in the lead ahead of Cipriano, Mike Christopher Jr., Talman, and Hines. However, the caution flew with 26 laps scored, as Nick Salva spun coming out of turn four and John Studley and Kenny Horton got into the wall behind him.

Christopher made a two-wide move coming out of turn two on the restart to nearly take the lead, but ended up locked in a side by side duel with Cipriano for the lead. Christopher cleared Cipriano on lap 29, while Rufrano fell back to third in line.

Andrew Molleur spun in turn four to bring the caution back out with 36 laps complete.

Christopher took the lead back under green with Rufrano in second. Todd Owen took second from Rufrano on lap 39 with a forceful pass in turn four, while behind them Chase Dowling was up to fourth and Keith Rocco took fifth as Rufrano slid back to sixth.

Tyler Leary and Stephen Kopcik got into the turn two wall to bring the caution back out with 40 laps complete.

Owen got a push from Dowling to take the lead on the restart, but the lap wasn’t completed before the caution came back out for a multi-car incident.

Christopher and Owen went wheel to wheel for the lead when the green flag returned, with Dowling in third behind him. Owen got clear to the lead on lap 42 but Christopher was all over his back bumper in second.

Dowling took second from Christopher on lap 56 as Owen was still in command. Dowling completed his charge to the front of the field by taking the lead from Owen on lap 60.

With Dowling and Owen dicing for the lead, Christopher was able to close in on the two leaders and make it a three-car fight for the lead. Christopher got by Owen to take second on lap 63, but he lost the spot on lap 65 as his car appeared to momentarily lose power.

Christopher came back up to speed in third, but the caution flew with 69 laps complete for a spin in turn four by Kenny Horton.

Christopher’s car stumbled on the restart and he fell back several spots, but the caution flew again before a lap could be completed for a spin in turn three by Rufrano. Under the caution, Christopher came to pit road for his crew went to diagnose his issues.

Owen got a good run on the outside of Dowling to take the lead on the restart. Rocco followed in Owen’s tire tracks in the outside lane, and he pulled even with Dowling for second. Rocco cleared Dowling and then took the lead from Owen on lap 72.

Another multi-car incident at the entrance to turn one then brought the caution back out with 73 laps complete.

Rocco took the lead on the restart, with Dowling coming back up to second. Owen and Tony Membrino Jr. went through the frontstretch infield on lap 77, but both cars kept going and the race stayed green.

Williams went by Dowling to move into second on lap 83, and he began to set his sights on Rocco for the lead. Williams was about a tenth of a second a lap quicker than Rocco and with 13 laps to go, he was right on Rocco’s back bumper.

Williams dove to the inside of Rocco on lap 90 but wasn’t able to complete the pass as Rocco charged back out front. Williams again tried an inside move on lap 92, but Rocco was able to fend off that challenge as well.

Williams again made a turn three move and the two leaders were side by side at the line as they completed lap 93. They were still side by side on lap 94 before Williams fell back behind Rocco on lap 95. Williams got back to Rocco’s inside on lap 98 and took the lead by a nose at the line.

Williams edged ahead of Rocco in turns three and four on the final lap and he beat Rocco to the checkered flag by half a car length.

Dowling finished third, with Cipriano and Molleur rounding out the top five.

Al Saunders held off Tom Fearn in the late model feature to score his second win of the year, while Teddy Hodgdon locked down his second win of the year in the SK Light division.

Jeremy Lavoie reached victory lane for the third time this season in the limited late model class, and George Bessette Jr. notched his second Street Stock win of the year.

The finish:

Ronnie Williams, Keith Rocco, Chase Dowling, Joey Cipriano, Andrew Molleur, Marcello Rufrano, David Arute, Tony Membrino Jr., Todd Owen, Tyler Hines, Ed Spiers, Tyler Leary, Dan Wesson, Cory DiMatteo, Tom Bolles, Michael Gervais Jr., Troy Talman, Nick Salva, Matt Galko, Kenny Horton, Michael Christopher Jr., Dan Avery, Matt Vassar, Glen Reen, Eric Berndt, Stephen Kopcik, John Studley.

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – Lance Dewease pocketed his 96th career sprint car win at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday night with a flag to flag performance in the Pennsylvania Speedweek opener.

Dewease’s victory was worth $5,000 aboard the Don Kreitz Jr.-owned No. 69k.

The Fayetteville driver took the victory by a 7.571-second margin over Brian Montieth in what was a nonstop event. The win was the 27th Dewease’s career in Speedweek action.

Dewease took the lead from the pole of the 25-lap 410 sprint car main with TJ Stutts giving chase.

Fifth starter Brian Montieth was up to third by lap seven, and the leaders entered the rear of the field on the eighth tour, with Dewease holding a half straightaway lead.

Dewease had a 2.5-second advantage at the halfway point as Montieth began to battle with Stutts for second. The pair swapped the spot twice with 10 laps to go, before Montieth finally took the spot for keeps.

Seventh starter Freddie Rahmer continued his advancement forward on lap 17 by taking third from Stutts, but only after the two made contact on the frontstretch.

By lap 20, Dewease had a commanding straightaway lead that was growing with every lap, and he would continue to stretch his advantage all the way to the finish.

Dewease lapped up to the 12th spot before the checkers unfurled, impressive considering he and his crew replaced the rear end in the car between his heat race and the main event.

Montieth was second in the race, followed by Rahmer, Lucas Wolfe and Stutts.

Sixth through 10th went to Danny Dietrich, Anthony Macri, Robbie Kendall, Cory Haas and Kyle Reinhardt.

Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart made the main event and finished 15th aboard his familiar No. 14.

In the 358 sprint car main, Doug Hammaker drove by Kevin Nouse to get his second win of the year at the track in as many weeks.

The finish:

1. Lance Dewease, 2. Brian Montieth, 3. Freddie Rahmer, 4. Lucas Wolfe, 5. TJ Stutts, 6. Danny Dietrich, 7. Anthony Macri, 8. Robbie Kendall, 9. Cory Haas, 10. Kyle Reinhardt, 11. Chad Trout, 12. Ryan Smith, 13. Brandon Rahmer, 14. Dylan Cisney, 15. Tony Stewart, 16. Jared Esh, 17. Adrian Shaffer, 18. Darren Mollenoyux, 19. Jessie Attard, 20. Mark Smith, 21. Chase Dietz, 22. Tim Wagaman, 23. Steve Buckwalter, 24. Logan Wagner

JACKSON, Minn. – Carson Macedo officially led the distance of Friday’s 30-lap World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series main event at Jackson Motorplex.

However, the Californian’s win during the 41st annual AGCO Jackson Nationals was anything but simple.

Macedo held off multiple bids for the lead and a slew of slide job attempts from Daryn Pittman and Logan Schuchart to score his second Outlaws triumph of the season.

Macedo garnered the pole position for the A-main after winning the dash. He quickly took the top spot once the green flag waved on the non-stop main event. Macedo entered traffic around lap eight, but things got extremely dicey during the final dozen laps.

With 12 laps to go, Schuchart slid Macedo for the lead in turns one and two, but Macedo returned the move in turns three and four, edging Schuchart at the flagstand by .055 seconds.

It was the tightest move of the race for Macedo, who not only overcame close racing with Schuchart and Pittman, but thick traffic as well.

“We raced each other pretty hard,” Macedo said. “My guys are doing a great job. We got into the dash after a tough heat race. We picked off laps from there.”

Pittman and Schuchart waged war in the final handful of laps for the runner-up position, with Pittman coming out on top.

“Our car is really good,” Pittman said. “Carson did a great job. He got through traffic really well.”

Schuchart rounded out the podium.

“Carson ran a great race and picked his lines good,” Schuchart noted. “He’s really tough and so is Daryn and all these guys out here.”

Brad Sweet, who won the AGCO Jackson Nationals opener on Thursday, finished fourth with Ian Madsen rounding out the top five.

David Gravel and Madsen set quick time during their qualifying groups to kick off the action. Gravel, Schuchart, Madsen and Pittman were the heat race winners.

Tasker Phillips claimed the C-main and Jason Sides won the Last Chance Showdown. Shane Stewart took the KSE Hard Charger Award after maneuvering from 11th to seventh.

Macedo joined Heartland Steel RaceSaver sprint cars presented by Wyffels Hybrids feature winner Bill Johnson as drivers who were victorious during the second round of the event.

The finish:

1. 2-Carson Macedo (1); 2. 83-Daryn Pittman (2); 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart (3); 4. 49-Brad Sweet (5); 5. 18-Ian Madsen (4); 6. 41-David Gravel (6); 7. 5-Shane Stewart (11); 8. 15-Donny Schatz (8); 9. 1A-Jacob Allen (7); 10. 09-Matt Juhl (10); 11. 7-Justin Henderson (14); 12. 4-Terry McCarl (13); 13. 49X-Tim Shaffer (15); 14. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild (18); 15. 41S-Giovanni Scelzi (17); 16. 11K-Kraig Kinser (12); 17. 3-Jac Haudenschild (16); 18. 83R-Lynton Jeffrey (19); 19. 44S-Trey Starks (22); 20. 2KS-Austin McCarl (23); 21. 55-Brooke Tatnell (20); 22. 19-Brent Marks (24); 23. 7S-Jason Sides (21); 24. 19P-Paige Polyak (9).