Surrey 439 and 11 for 0 lead Kent 294 (Dickson 128, Crawley 63, Batty 3-49) by 156 runs

In deciding on the readiness of young players to compete at the highest level, it is often said "if they're good enough, they're old enough". Seldom though do you hear people opining that "if he's good enough, he's young enough". In the 41-year-old Gareth Batty and the 37-year-old Rikki Clarke, Surrey quite definitely possess two of the more mature players on the circuit; yet they are both very much young enough.

With this match drifting listlessly to what already seemed an inevitable high-scoring draw, Surrey's gnarled old pros, longer in the tooth than your average walrus, broke the game open with a pair of interventions after tea.

On Monday, it was Darren Stevens assuming the role of Yoda. This time, with Kent cruising comfortably at 227 for 2 on a placid pitch offering nothing to the bowlers since before lunch on day one, it was Batty to whom Rory Burns turned, much as Princess Leia did to Obi Wan Kenobi.

Batty was, it seemed, Surrey's "last hope". The pitch was offering little by way of turn, but Batty summoned his most seductive Jedi mind tricks in assuring first Heino Kuhn and then Ollie Robinson the very next delivery that "these are the balls you are looking to edge". Two arm balls, albeit with a little more bounce than either batsman was expecting, assisted by two very sharp Ben Foakes catches had suddenly thrown this somnolent, soporific match wide open.

Wiaan "agent" Mulder came in to face the hat-trick ball but knew "the truth was out there", just on a length outside off stump and spoiled the fun with the middle of a stoutly defensive bat.

What Mulder didn't see coming was the leaping left hand of Will Jacks at gully who dived impossibly far to snatch the ball an inch off the ground to an audible collective gasp from this now thoroughly engaged crowd. Jacks repeated the trick in the first over of a new spell from Clarke to remove Alex Blake, and when Stevens, who had survived two mighty close shouts for lbw off Clarke was finally put out of his misery by umpire Graham Lloyd, Kent had lost five wickets for 33 runs.

All the while, Sean Dickson, who scored 318 the last time Kent played a first-class fixture at Beckenham, was looking on aghast from the other end. Just three hours earlier he and Zak Crawley had been busy compiling an untroubled, and often attractive opening stand of 128.

Crawley really does look the real deal. Against a seam attack of Morne Morkel, Clarke, Sam Curran and the distinctly brisk Conor Mckerr, he appeared to have all the time in the world. Granted, there was little happening off the pitch, and neither did it swing, much to the surprise of the odd luminary in the commentary box, but there are few more testing attacks than Surrey's and it came as a surprise when he was spectacularly castled by Clarke for 63, pushing out at a ball he should have been defending and losing his middle and off stumps in the process.

Just as Clarke had sprung that first surprise, it was down to Batty to deliver the second when he too removed the middle stump, this time of Daniel Bell-Drummond who was attempting to run the ball down through third man. It was both too close to him and way too full. An ugly drag back ensued. Those Jedi mind tricks again. Frustration, disappointment and unfulfillment again from a player who has promised so much for years, at least since that terrific hundred against the touring Australians in 2015.

The second new ball was taken as soon as it was available. Curran immediately accounted for Dickson, getting him caught strangled down the leg side to end an unspectacular but highly efficient innings from the opener in rather unfortunate circumstances. The last two wickets soon followed, the final one to another quite brilliant catch from Jacks at short leg to give Morkel his only wicket. Surrey's catching had been exemplary, even spectacular on occasion.

One bad session had produced eight wickets for just 91 runs. What at one time looked like a possible first-innings lead had resulted in a deficit of 145 runs. It is frequently the challenge for promoted sides to maintain intensity across the full duration of a match in this highly competitive top tier. Kent's squad in large part lack Division One experience. Experience, though, is something Surrey have in abundance, and Batty and Clarke were quite simply the difference. Young enough? You bet.

Australia and the West Indies will play their first World Cup practice match "behind closed doors" on an out ground in Hampshire on Wednesday. The sides were officially scheduled to play two warm-up games before the start of the tournament but an extra hit-out was agreed between the camps when Stuart Law was West Indies' coach.

Before training on Tuesday, Glenn Maxwell compared the size of the Nursery Ground to Hurstville in Sydney, the venue of many a thumping score in Australia's domestic one-day competition, and as a result this warm-up will likely provide a serious test of both sides' containment bowling.

As a part-time offspinner, Maxwell knows he will have his work cut out for him should he bowl to the likes of Chris Gayle and Andre Russell. But, while it is his batting that is most often discussed, he is clear on his objectives with the ball in hand.

"Try not to get hit for six most of the time," laughed Maxwell. "For me I suppose, a lot of the time that I bowl, I just try to limit the boundary balls. As long as I'm doing that, if they hit some good shots off my bowling I'm not too fazed. If I'm limiting the boundary balls and giving myself the best chance to squeeze a few dot balls, bowl a couple of tight overs, it might create a bit of pressure at the other end."

Maxwell spent time at Lancashire after Australia's tours of India and Pakistan, choosing to prepare for the summer in England and giving himself the best chance of making the Ashes squad rather than playing in the IPL. His stint in county cricket included seven List A games and while he performed modestly with the bat - his top score was 35 - he took wickets in all but one match and eight in all.

"I think it's important for me to just bowl in a partnership with someone. That's probably the clarity I have in my role and it's something I did a bit in Dubai [against Pakistan] and India and started to get a few more overs, a bit more consistency... To have that continue into my time at Lancashire where I got plenty of time at the bowling crease, you get that rhythm, you get that feel of the ball coming out consistently. You need that as a part-time bowler, to have that consistency of time at the crease and get a few of the cobwebs out I suppose."

His bowling may be a handy option but it is Maxwell's destructive batting that has the real potential to dismantle attacks and the Nursery Ground may be just the first on this tour that struggles to contain his powerful hitting. But in this, too, Maxwell has found clarity on how he fits into the Australian side.

"I suppose my role in the team is to adapt to whatever start we have, whether it be we get off to a flyer or we've lost a few early wickets. It's just to adapt to whatever I get thrown into," he said. "I just want to have an impact on games in a really positive way and be able to control the back end.

"I have expectations on myself to finish off games and be the guy who's standing there at the end of the game and making sure that we win the game."

Prosecutors in Arizona have filed criminal charges against a couple that accused Georgia Tech basketball coach Josh Pastner of sexually assaulting the woman in a hotel room in February 2016.

According to Oro Valley Magistrate Court records, Ron Bell, Pastner's former friend, was charged Friday with providing false information to law enforcement and facilitation of a fraud scheme practice.

Bell and his girlfriend, Jennifer Pendley, are accused of being "engaged in a plan or scheme ... to allege a false, fraudulent accusation of sexual assault against Josh Pastner with the goal of obtaining an anticipated civil monetary settlement/judgment," according to Oro Valley Magistrate Court records.

Pendley called police on May 8 and reported that Pastner sexually assaulted her in a Houston hotel room while he was coaching at Memphis more than three years ago. It was the first time she had reported the alleged assault to police.

Pendley's call to police came ahead of mediation in a civil lawsuit related to the accusation. A court filing by Pastner's attorney last year included recorded jailhouse conversations that suggested the couple fabricated the allegations.

Pastner previously denied the couple's allegations, saying there was "zero truth to any of those disgusting, bogus allegations. It's disgusting."

An arrest warrant was issued for Pendley last week, after she failed to appear in court twice to be arraigned on misdemeanor charges of facilitation of a fraud scheme practice, facilitation of influencing a witness and facilitation of tampering with a witness.

Bell was previously charged in March with seven misdemeanor counts, including solicitation of a fraud scheme practice, solicitation of influencing witness, attempted tampering with a witness, use of an electronic communication to terrify, intimidate, threaten or harass and impersonating a public servant.

The court records say Bell and Pendley are also accused of "encouraging Chris Meegan to bear false witness against Josh Pastner to a false, fraudulent accusation of sexual assault in exchange for an offer of a portion of an anticipated civil monetary settlement/judgment."

Meegan, a security guard who worked at Georgia Tech basketball games, previously admitted that he lied about witnessing Pastner inappropriately touch Pendley before a game against Sam Houston State in Atlanta on Nov. 22, 2016.

Meegan later admitted he wasn't working that day and was out of the state.

In January 2018, Pastner filed a civil suit against Bell and Pendley in Superior Court in Pima County, Arizona, alleging they were trying to extort and blackmail him by threatening to release false allegations about him to the media, Georgia Tech and the NCAA.

Bell and Pendley filed a countersuit in February 2018, alleging Pastner had sexually assaulted Pendley in the hotel room and harassed her other times.

A Title IX investigation, conducted by attorneys hired by Georgia Tech cleared, Pastner in the matter in June 2018.

On May 6, Pendley's attorney, Brian Weinberger, withdrew as her counsel in the civil case. Her first attorney withdrew in 2018 because he didn't believe he could ethically remain involved in the case.

In a November 2017 report by CBS Sports, Bell alleged he provided Georgia Tech basketball players Josh Okogie and Tadric Jackson with improper benefits by paying for them to fly to his home in Tucson, Arizona, and paying for their meals at a restaurant in Atlanta. Bell also alleged he sent the players shoes and shirts that he purchased online.

After becoming aware of Bell's allegations in October 2017, Pastner said he reported the violations to Georgia Tech's compliance department. Tech officials self-reported the violations to the NCAA, and the school declared Okogie and Jackson ineligible for competition at the start of the 2017-18 season. The NCAA suspended Okogie for six games and Jackson for three. They also required the players to repay the amounts of the benefits they received.

In March, the NCAA sent Georgia Tech a notice of allegations, in which it accused a "representative of the institution's athletic interests" -- identified by sources to be Bell -- of providing more than $2,000 in impermissible benefits to players in 2016 and 2017. Pastner was not named in the notice of allegations.

Georgia Tech was scheduled to respond to the NCAA last week.

Bell served four years in prison in Arizona from 2009 to 2013 following his conviction on felony drug charges. He was arrested in March 2018 on a fugitive warrant from Georgia for a probation violation stemming from an earlier conviction.

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are finalizing a one-year deal, a source tells ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Suh would replace Gerald McCoy, who was released by the Buccaneers on Monday. Suh (second) and McCoy (third) were taken with consecutive picks in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft.

Suh was interested in playing for Tampa's new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, the source said.

Bucs head coach Bruce Arians was asked about Suh earlier on Tuesday.

"I can't talk about him. He's not on my team,'' Arians said.

After being reminded that Suh is a free agent and he can talk about him without fear of tampering violations, Arians said: "He's a hell of a player, so we'll see.''

McCoy, 31, a six-time Pro Bowler and arguably the Bucs' most visible player over the past nine seasons on and off the field, had been a no-show for the Bucs' offseason program that began last month.

The source of contention was McCoy's $13 million salary in 2019, none of which was guaranteed. He had three years currently remaining on his deal, which would have kept him with the team through 2021.

The Los Angeles Rams signed Suh to a one-year contract worth $14 million last March following his release from the Miami Dolphins. Suh chose the Rams among several suitors, including the New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans and Oakland Raiders, and said he made his decision, in part, because of the Rams' immediate ability to make a playoff run.

Playing alongside two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, Suh did not make a significant impact until the playoffs. He finished the regular season with 4.5 sacks, four pass deflections and two fumble recoveries.

But the 6-foot-4, 305-pound defensive tackle was dominant in helping to shut down running back Ezekiel Elliott in a divisional-round win over the Dallas Cowboys and continued to prove his worth in a victory over the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship Game, when he had 1.5 sacks and four tackles.

Suh, 32, was selected second overall by the Detroit Lions in 2010. He played five seasons in Detroit and was named a four-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All Pro.

In 2015, Suh signed a six-year, $114 million contract, with $60 million guaranteed, with the Miami Dolphins to become the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history. In three seasons with the Dolphins, Suh recorded 15.5 sacks and forced two fumbles.

Suh has 56 career sacks and in nine seasons has missed only two starts, both in 2011, when the NFL suspended him two games for on-field conduct.

ESPN's Jenna Laine and Lindsey Thiry contributed to this report.

METAIRIE, La. -- David Griffin said he is "certain that's a false narrative" that Zion Williamson or any other potential No. 1 pick in the NBA draft would need to be convinced to play for the New Orleans Pelicans.

And Griffin said he is hoping to convince Anthony Davis to stay on board as well, now that the Pelicans are on a remarkable offseason winning streak.

The Pelicans' makeover continued this past week when they won the NBA draft lottery, then lured Trajan Langdon away from the Brooklyn Nets to become their general manager. Griffin, who was hired last month as New Orleans' executive vice president of basketball operations, said he plans to visit with Davis soon.

"We'll probably sit together in Los Angeles at some point around the draft workouts that take place there," Griffin said Tuesday during a conference call to introduce Langdon. "And I think that's the next step -- really to look each other in the eye and talk about what's important to us. And we're very optimistic from previous conversations with Rich Paul, his agent, and with all of the people here that know Anthony and know what he's about. We're very confident that we have a compelling situation for him here.

"And if winning is what he is indeed all about, which we have every reason to believe, we feel confident that we can create -- and are creating -- the right environment for Anthony and frankly for high-caliber players of all types to want to be a part of. This is something that we hope creates an energy that recruits itself, and Anthony would just be one step in that process."

So far, there has been no indication that Davis plans to back away from his desire to be traded from the Pelicans or to leave as a free agent after next season. But the team is optimistic that Davis could be swayed by the caliber of changes being made this offseason, including the likely addition of Duke's Williamson with the No. 1 pick.

As for Williamson, Griffin balked at speculation that he might not want to play for a struggling, small-market franchise in New Orleans. Griffin said "we know unequivocally" that either Williamson or top prospect Ja Morant would be "thrilled to join us in New Orleans" after Griffin and Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry spent time with each of them following the lottery.

"I'm certain that's a false narrative relative to the players that could potentially be the No. 1 pick," Griffin said. "We've sat with multiple players that we're looking at for that first pick. In fact, in the case of Zion Williamson, Alvin Gentry and I sat with he and his parents the night of the lottery. ... And Alvin and I were also together in interviewing Ja Morant in Chicago as well. And I think because we sat with those kids, who are both incredible human beings and all about all the right things, we know unequivocally that either one of them would be thrilled to join us in New Orleans. And they're both very much excited about the concept."

That concept of building a winner in New Orleans certainly seems to be attracting some of the top executives around the NBA. In addition to Griffin and Langdon, the Pelicans also hired respected trainer Aaron Nelson away from the Phoenix Suns.

Griffin joked that "the next one in is jumping on the bandwagon."

Griffin credited owner Gayle Benson, who took over both the Saints and Pelicans franchises last year following the death of her husband, Tom. Griffin said Benson has been committed to changing the Pelicans' approach after they fell short of building a winner around Davis over the past seven years.

"It's become something that it's very clearly her baby, and the Pelicans matter immeasurably to her. And literally in all these hirings, she's putting her money where her mouth is and she's empowering us to go and attract the best and the brightest," Griffin said. "And I think when you win the lottery in the midst of all those other things, it starts to really lend itself to changing a narrative.

"Certainly, [the new hires] are buying into the momentum at this point."

Langdon, who helped oversee a similar rebuild over the past three years as the Nets' assistant GM, said that momentum and commitment level is what drew him to New Orleans -- as well as the chance to work with Griffin again after they spent the 2015-16 championship season together with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"The opportunity to join up with Griff again and do something special in a place that nobody believes it can be done, aside from the people in this organization and the city, is something that is very intriguing," said Langdon, who described it as a "very difficult decision" for him and his family to leave the Nets and said his time there was "fantastic."

"So I think it's another challenge, and one that's greater being in a smaller market," Langdon said. "I think Brooklyn has put themselves in a place now where they can attract those big-name people. And that's what we want to do there as well, but in a different market. And like Griff has said in the past, doing that in a small market like we did in Cleveland is just a lot more rewarding when you find that success at some point. And whether that will be in one, two or four years, who knows? But when the success does come, it's gonna be incredibly rewarding."

The first five picks of the 2018 draft proved predictive regarding the 2019 All-Rookie first team, announced by the NBA on Tuesday.

Top overall pick Deandre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns was joined by the Sacramento Kings' Marvin Bagley III (No. 2), Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic (No. 3), Memphis Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr. (No. 4) and Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young (No. 5) on the first team.

Doncic and Young were unanimous selections from the 100 media voters. Those two, along with Ayton, are finalists for Rookie of the Year.

The last time the top five picks were all first-team rookie honorees was in 1984-85 -- a class consisting of Hakeem Olajuwon, Sam Bowie, Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins and Charles Barkley.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Collin Sexton, Landry Shamet, Mitchell Robinson and Kevin Huerter were named to the second team.

DENVER -- The prospects of a return home to Washington and the Wizards were undeniably appealing to Tim Connelly. But not nearly as alluring as finishing what he started with the Denver Nuggets.

The Nuggets' president of basketball operations elected to stay in town, even with the Wizards calling.

The Nuggets, who boast a young nucleus led by big man Nikola Jokic, won 54 games this season before the No. 2 seed lost to Portland in Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs.

"It's safe to assume, and maybe it's me being overly optimistic, that we're going to see a better version of us next year," Connelly said Tuesday. "I don't know if that means more wins. I don't know if we're going to win a playoff series and advance, but I don't think there's any reason to think there will be any regression next season."

A Baltimore native, Connelly appreciated the audience with Washington owner Ted Leonsis. He said he was flattered by their recent "exchange of ideas" as the Wizards look to fill the role of team president after Ernie Grunfeld was fired in April.

"The relationships that have been built up here and the hard times we've been through -- it was very hard to envision leaving something that has been so hard and so long coming in its build," said Connelly, who broke into the NBA with the Wizards as an intern in the basketball operations department, then as an assistant video coordinator and as a scout.

Connelly was hired as Denver's general manager in July 2013, and team president Josh Kroenke stayed patient with him. Connelly brought in coach Michael Malone before the 2015-16 season and they've steadily progressed since -- from 33 wins in Malone's first year to 54 this season, including a league-leading 34-7 home mark.

"We did not get off to a good start by any stretch, and [Kroenke] doubled down on what easily could have been perceived as an initial mistake because he liked the processes and liked how we attacked our job day to day," said Connelly, who was promoted to president of basketball operations in 2017. "Loyalty and patience is such a rarity in professional sports and that's here in spades. So those things matter to me."

Connelly and his staff have struck it rich in the draft, taking Jokic with the 41st pick of the second round in 2014. They've also selected Jamal Murray, along with up-and-comers Juancho Hernangomez, Malik Beasley and Michael Porter Jr., who sat out this season as he recovered from back surgery.

The biggest offseason decision remains what to do with veteran leader Paul Millsap. The team holds a $30 million option, which could be restructured.

"I fully expect Paul to be back in a Nuggets uniform," Connelly said.

On the free-agency front, Denver hasn't exactly been an attractive landing spot in recent summers. But Connelly sees that starting to change and believes the unselfish play of Jokic could be an enticing selling point. Denver could be in the market for another shooter and a power forward in order to take the next step.

"It will be fascinating to make those calls" in free agency, Connelly said. "If they say it's about winning and the answer is about winning and they don't talk to us, then I think it's a disingenuous answer."

The Nuggets turned some heads throughout the regular season as they challenged Golden State down to the wire for the best mark in the West. They beat San Antonio in seven games in the first round before falling to the Trail Blazers.

"We sent a pretty loud message," Malone said. "I think there were questions about our team all year long, for whatever reason. How legitimate are they? Are they really a No. 2 seed? Can they take their game into the playoffs with so many young guys that've never been there before?

"We answered so many questions about our team in the best way possible."

The Portland Trail Blazers and head coach Terry Stotts have agreed to a multiyear contract extension.

The Blazers announced the extension Tuesday but did not disclose terms.

The deal was announced one day after the Golden State Warriors swept Portland in the Western Conference finals. It was the Blazers' first trip to the conference finals since 2000.

Portland surged to its most successful season in nearly two decades despite losing starting center Jusuf Nurkic to a fractured leg on March 25.

Stotts just completed his seventh season as the Blazers' coach and has guided Portland to six consecutive playoff appearances.

Stotts, 61, is 325-249 in his seven seasons with Portland and owns a career record of 440-417 in parts of 11 seasons with the Blazers, Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers reliever Shawn Kelley learned that two lumps removed from his throat last week were benign, and the 35-year-old right-hander was activated from the 10-day injured list Tuesday.

Kelley was placed on the injured list on May 9, and the lumps were removed Thursday. Kelley, who doesn't use tobacco, had reported discomfort when talking and when rolling over while in bed.

"I really did feel like everything was going to be OK and that a lot of it was precaution," he said Tuesday. "And [for the news] to come on a day when I was going to be reactivated, anyways, is pretty exciting."

Kelley is 3-0 with two saves and a 1.29 ERA in 14 appearances in his first season with the Rangers. He said the only pain he feels is when he looks straight up, because of the two internal stitches.

"If there's a popup on the mound, I'm going to need help," he said with a laugh. "You're going to see me leaning back."

Left-hander Brett Martin was optioned to Triple-A Nashville.