LINCOLN, Calif. — It took the influence of Major League Baseball to make it happen, but on April 1 the landscape for racing in California will take a big turn for the better.

Tracks that haven’t had fans in the stands since the end of the 2019 season will have a chance to break that drought once April arrives.

According to Governor Gavin Newsom, he worked “very closely” with MLB teams in the state to create a plan to allow fans starting April 1, which happens to be the day the season starts with three of the five California teams playing home games.

The new regulation will apply to “outdoor spectator sports,” which should include race tracks. The number of fans will be determined by the county’s tier, which is based on COVID-19 trends within the particular county. The four levels of tiers will allow just 100 fans at the worst level, then increasing to 20 percent, 33 percent and 67 percent capacity for tiers with increasingly improved statistics.

Other limitations regarding concessions and geographical location of fans are eased as the allowed fan count increases.

In 2020, just two tracks in the state were able to have fans for part of their season, and one of those tracks was allowed just 100 spectators after the local college summer league baseball team received that same offer. Several tracks never had a race car on their oval all season.

Will counties play along with the MLB regulations for other outdoor spectator sports? Late last year the San Francisco 49ers NFL team was given permission to have a few thousand fans for home games.  Their stadium is in Santa Clara County and county officials told the team that the procedures on how to implement the fan count were not in place and overruled the option, so the 49ers packed up and played their last two home games in Phoenix.

Placerville Speedway promoters Scott Russell and Kami Arnold have faced the same issues as every California promoter, and can finally see better times on the horizon.

“My personal feelings going forward is the vaccines are rolling out, and looking at the oversight of everything, it looks like things are finally trending in the right direction,” Russell said. “Come April 1st with what the state has announced, our goal here is to try and run on a weekly basis. If the track can pay for itself again until we get back to full stands, then I can keep the speedway going so people don’t forget about us.

“We need to keep the track out there in front of people and fresh in their minds and, hopefully, they will come and support the speedway if they are comfortable in doing so with the COVID-19 guidelines,” Russell continued. “I don’t have much concern about being considered an outdoor spectator sport based on the conversations I’ve had with county officials.

“When this started, we were only allowing six people per race car and you had to show up with the car. With fans in the stands my rent will go up substantially each night so I’m not sure the math will work out even with 20 percent. There will be more payroll on the spectator side and I still want to run a regular purse. There is a fine line between this paying for itself or not until we can get more people.

“Placerville has always had great support from the racers, no matter what division it is and also great support from the fans,” Russell added. “That’s why things have worked here and it has lasted so long.  You try to do this without fans and it’s a whole different ball game.”

While there is a long way to go in California for race tracks as well as other small businesses, the April 1 changes will at least be a move in a positive direction. Continued success in counties at shrinking the COVID-19 case count must continue to avoid going backward.

We're now eight weeks into the 2021 NHL season,Teams are nearing (or have passed) the halfway points in their schedule, although we don't have an All Star break as a symbolic marker. For this week's ESPN Power Rankings, we identified an underrated story line on every team

How we rank: The ESPN hockey editorial staff submits selections ranking teams 1 to 31 -- taking into account game results, injuries and upcoming schedule -- and those results are tabulated in the list featured here.

Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to our Week 7 edition, published on March 3. Points percentages are through the games of March 9.

1. Tampa Bay Lightning

Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: .792
Next 7 days: @ DET (March 11); vs. NSH (March 13, 15); @ DAL (March 16)

The Lightning are always lauded for their depth, and one of their most important role players over the past few seasons has been Ondrej Palat. The 29-year-old has scored the first goal of a game six times this season, most of any player in the league.

2. Vegas Golden Knights

Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: .750
Next 7 days: @ MIN (March 10); @ STL (March 12, 13); vs. SJ (March 15)

In his age-32 season, Max Pacioretty isn't slowing down. The winger is averaging his best goals-per-game and points-per-game rates of his career. And he's producing in big moments. Of his 12 goals, three have been OT winners.

3. Toronto Maple Leafs

Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: .704
Next 7 days: vs. WPG (March 11, 13); @ OTT (March 14)

It's a little too convenient to say the Leafs finally learned how to play defense and that's why they can break through in the playoffs this year. However Toronto did go from ranking 25th in even-strength save percentage last season to ranking second in the same category now.

4. Carolina Hurricanes

Previous ranking: 8
Points percentage: .740
Next 7 days: vs. NSH (March 11); @ DET (March 14, 16)

The Canes are mighty dangerous right now, and Vincent Trocheck (13 goals through 24 games) has appeared unstoppable. Said coach Rod Brind'Amour this week: "You don't expect him to score at this rate, but we'll take it for as long as we can."

5. Florida Panthers

Previous ranking: 5
Points percentage: .720
Next 7 days: @ CLB (March 11); vs. CHI (March 13, 15)

He's still not showing up as much as he should on the score sheet (you can thank a sub-5 shooting percentage for that), but Anthony Duclair actually ranks top five in the league in expected goals for percentage. The goals (he's stuck at two) should come.

6. New York Islanders

Previous ranking: 12
Points percentage: .692
Next 7 days: vs. NJ (March 11); @ NJ (March 13, 14); @ WSH (March 16)

We often think of the Islanders as a defense-minded team, but they actually entered the week leading all teams in high danger chances for at 5-on-5, per Natural Stat Trick. Helps when Mat Barzal is doing things like this.

This isn't even fair, Mat Barzal (@Barzal_97). WHAT THE HECK. pic.twitter.com/4hypBstME6

— NHL (@NHL) March 6, 2021

7. Washington Capitals

Previous ranking: 10
Points percentage: .680
Next 7 days: @ PHI (March 11, 13); @ BUF (March 15); vs. NYI (March 16)

The Caps' power play ranks sixth in the league -- about where you'd expect for Alex Ovechkin's team -- clicking at 26.2% rate. Strangely, the power play has been bad on the road. Like, really bad, scoring on 3 of 32 opportunities, for a 9.4% rate, while allowing a shortie.

8. Boston Bruins

Previous ranking: 4
Points percentage: .652
Next 7 days: vs. NYR (March 11, 13); @ PIT (March 15, 16)

It's been a big glow up for Nick Ritchie. The 25-year-old scored nine goals in 48 games all of last season, and is already up to eight in 22 games in 2021. Ritchie offers a new look to the power play and his bruising style is earning him comparisons to a young Milan Lucic.

9. St. Louis Blues

Previous ranking: 16
Points percentage: .615
Next 7 days: vs. VGS (March 12; 13); @ LA (March 15)

The Blues welcomed back Vladimir Tarasenko this week, which should only help them in their second-half push. It's been a grind-it-out first half for St. Louis. Of its 26 games, 20 have been decided by one goal (discounting empty-netters).

10. Winnipeg Jets

Previous ranking: 11
Points percentage: .660
Next 7 days: @ TOR (March 11, 13); vs. MTL (March 15)

Paul Stastny was signed this summer, for his second tour of duty with the Jets, to solidify the No. 2 center spot. Dynamics changed with one very big trade, but it's interesting to see Stastny have a huge impact for Winnipeg, while also being moved to wing.

11. Minnesota Wild

Previous ranking: 7
Points percentage: .630
Next 7 days: vs. VGS (March 10); vs. ARI (March 12, 14, 16)

Cam Talbot was the big offseason addition, but Kaapo Kahkonen is coming into his own. The 24-year-old is 7-0-0 with a 1.42 GAA and .947 save percentage over his past seven starts, including his first career shutout against the division-leading Golden Knights.

12. Colorado Avalanche

Previous ranking: 9
Points percentage: .609
Next 7 days: vs. ARI (March 10); vs. LA (March 12, 14); vs. ANA (March 16)

The Avalanche haven't been able to separate themselves in the Central Division, and are still battling through bad injury luck. But they've avoided getting into a hole, thanks to the fact they are 7-2-0 following a loss this season.

13. Pittsburgh Penguins

Previous ranking: 15
Points percentage: .620
Next 7 days: @ BUF (March 11, 13); vs. BOS (March 15, 16)

Halfway through the season, Kasperi Kapanen had more even-strength points (15) than any other Penguins player. And he's played his best hockey since being benched in a Feb. 20 game. Jim Rutherford's big offseason acquisition is paying off.

14. Philadelphia Flyers

Previous ranking: 6
Points percentage: .630
Next 7 days: vs. WSH (March 11, 13); @ NYR (March 15)

It's been a fantastic start for Joel Farabee. Among players who have suited up in at least 20 games, only Mark Stone has a higher points-per-60-minute at even strength rate than Farabee's 3.97. James van Riemsdyk is right behind Farabee, ranking third in the league at 3.82.

15. Chicago Blackhawks

Previous ranking: 13
Points percentage: .574
Next 7 days: @ DAL (March 11); @ FLA (March 13, 15)

Kevin Lankinen won Chicago's No. 1 job in net, but low-key Malcolm Subban has been earning a lot of fans around the Blackhawks organization as well. Since losing on opening night, Subban is 4-1-1 with a .930 save percentage.

16. Edmonton Oilers

Previous ranking: 14
Points percentage: .593
Next 7 days: vs. OTT (March 10, 12); @ VAN (March 13); @ CGY (March 15)

A year ago, Jesse Puljujarvi was in the Finnish Liiga, and it wasn't clear if he had a future on the Oilers at all. Now, the 22-year-old is just behind Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for the team lead in goals.

"I thought it was probably one of the best games I've ever seen him play."

Connor McDavid on the improvements in Jesse Puljujärvi's game. pic.twitter.com/LkrlK3NAq0

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 25, 2021

17. Montreal Canadiens

Previous ranking: 21
Points percentage: .604
Next 7 days: @ VAN (March 10); @ CGY (March 11, 13); @ WPG (March 15)

Carey Price's struggles have become a focal point in Montreal (and cost goalie coach Stephane Waite his job). However newcomer Jake Allen has been exactly as advertised as a reliable backup, posting a .921 save percentage through nine starts.

18. Los Angeles Kings

Previous ranking: 17
Points percentage: .542
Next 7 days: @ ANA (March 10); @ COL (March 12, 14); vs. STL (March 15)

The Kings started their rebuild, collecting draft picks and assets, around 2017. So it feels fitting that the 2017 draft picks are leading the youth movement, notably Gabe Vilardi, centering the second line, and Mikey Anderson, manning the top pairing with Drew Doughty.

19. Arizona Coyotes

Previous ranking: 18
Points percentage: .540
Next 7 days: @ COL (March 10); @ MIN (March 12, 14, 16)

One of the surprise contributors on the Coyotes this season is Tyler Pitlick, who is on his fourth team in five years. In Arizona, Pitlick is getting opportunities on the power play, penalty kill and in the top six. "He just needed an opportunity," coach Rick Tocchet said.

20. New York Rangers

Previous ranking: 24
Points percentage: .479
Next 7 days: @ BOS (March 11, 13); vs. PHI (March 15)

The Rangers were second-to-last in the league last year, allowing 34 shots per game, along with 3.14 goals per game. They've tightened things up defensively -- despite being without top defenseman Jacob Trouba for eight games -- now allowing 29.2 shots per game, and 2.75 goals.

21. Columbus Blue Jackets

Previous ranking: 25
Points percentage: .463
Next 7 days: vs. FLA (March 11); vs. DAL (March 13, 14)

After scoring a career-high 41 goals in 2018-19, Cam Atkinson had a serious drop-off last season. He's leading the team with goals again (and leading the team in shorties) while developing chemistry with Jack Roslovic and Patrik Laine.

22. Calgary Flames

Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: .481
Next 7 days: vs. MON (March 11, 13); vs. EDM (March 15)

Calgary is up there with the most inconsistent teams in the league right now, which precipitated a coaching change. Over their past nine games, the Flames have won as many by three or more goals (three) as they've lost by three or more goals.

23. Dallas Stars

Previous ranking: 19
Points percentage: .500
Next 7 days: vs. CHI (March 11); @ COL (March 13, 14); @ TB (March 16)

The Stars are without Tyler Seguin for a while, and top sniper Alex Radulov missed a month. For a team desperate for some offensive boost, it's been 36-year-old Joe Pavelski (team highs of 12 goals and 23 points through 20 games) leading the way.

24. Vancouver Canucks

Previous ranking: 27
Points percentage: .448
Next 7 days: vs. MON (March 10); vs. EDM (March 13); @ OTT (March 15)

Last year, Quinn Hughes was runner-up as rookie of the year, and could seemingly do no wrong. This year, it's been a struggle for the 21-year-old (and the rest of Van's blue line). No player in the league has been on the ice for more 5-on-5 goals than Hughes (33).

25. Nashville Predators

Previous ranking: 22
Points percentage: .442
Next 7 days: @ CAR (March 11); @ TB (March 13, 15)

There are so many ways to quantify this disappointing season for Nashville. Here's one of them: The Predators are the only team against which the Red Wings have posted a .500 record or better this season. (So far, they've split the four games they've played).

26. San Jose Sharks

Previous ranking: 26
Points percentage: .457
Next 7 days: @ ANA (March 12, 13); @ VGS (March 15)

It wasn't an easy start for the Sharks, who were initially displaced because of Santa Clara County's contact ban. Halfway through the season, that brings us this troubling stat: Vegas has as many wins (three) as the Sharks do at the Shark Tank this season.

27. New Jersey Devils

Previous ranking: 23
Points percentage: .432
Next 7 days: @ NYI (March 11); vs. NYI (March 13, 14); vs. BUF (March 16)

The Devils had a top-10 penalty kill last season. It's totally crashed since then. New Jersey is now worst in the league while down a man, clicking at around 65%. It's on pace for the worst single-season mark by a team since the 1979-80 Kings.

28. Anaheim Ducks

Previous ranking: 29
Points percentage: .423
Next 7 days: vs. LA (March 10); vs. SJ (March 12, 13); @ COL (March 16)

An overrated storyline: Ryan Getzlaf getting traded. GM Bob Murray said this week it isn't happening. "I'm tired of hearing this from Toronto anymore, how his name is out there," Murray said. "The only way Ryan Getzlaf would go anywhere is if he came to me and said, 'Bob, can you try and trade me to a contender?'"

29. Ottawa Senators

Previous ranking: 31
Points percentage: .339
Next 7 days: @ EDM (March 10, 12); vs. TOR (March 15); vs. VAN (March 15)

No player in the league has completed more hits (116) or drawn more penalties (21) than Brady Tkachuk. Simply put, he may single-handedly make the Senators watchable.

30. Detroit Red Wings

Previous ranking: 30
Points percentage: .333
Next 7 days: vs. TB (March 11); vs. CAR (March 14, 16)

While it seems like yet another forgettable Red Wings season, there have been some decent individual performances. Dylan Larkin's production isn't there, but the captain is doing a little bit of everything (and doing it well) to keep this team competitive most nights.

31. Buffalo Sabres

Previous ranking: 28
Points percentage: .333
Next 7 days: vs. PIT (March 11, 13); vs. WSH (March 15); @ NJ (March 16)

Yes, the Sabres' season has been dreadful and their top-earning forwards are not producing enough goals. But they're also getting bad puck luck. No team has a lower shooting percentage at even strength than the Sabres, who are sub-6%.

The R&A is revising regional and final qualifying for this summer's Open Championship.

In accordance with the U.K. government's guidance for staging events and international travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, regional qualifying will be held at four venues in England. The 18-hole qualifiers will be contested June 26-27 at Hollinwell (home of Notts), Prince’s, St Annes Old Links and West Lancashire.

Final qualifying will be held over 36 holes at the same venue on June 29.
 
“We recognize that health measures could continue this summer and so we have developed alternative plans for Regional and Final Qualifying based on guidance from the U.K. government and our medical advisers," said Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, executive director of championships at The R&A. “The health and wellbeing of everyone involved in these events is our top priority and having them played at a reduced number of venues with the required health and safety protocols in place will ensure people are protected. We would like to thank all of the venues for their support and co-operation in agreeing to the revised format and look forward to a series of exciting and dramatic qualifying events as golfers compete to earn a place in The Open at Royal St George’s.”

A minimum of eight spots into The 149th Open at Royal St. George's will be available through final qualifying.

All existing exemptions achieved before The Open was originally canceled last year will be honored.

Here are the tee times and pairings for Thursday's opening round of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass (all times ET):

Thursday

OFF NO. 1

• 6:45 a.m.: Alex Noren, Xinjun Zhang, Doug Ghim
• 6:56 a.m.: Louis Oosthuizen, Lee Westwood, Robert MacIntyre
• 7:07 a.m.: Phil Mickelson, Charles Howell III, Tony Finau
• 7:18 a.m.: Sungjae Im, Kevin Kisner, Henrik Stenson
• 7:29 a.m.: Keith Mitchell, Troy Merritt, Brice Garnett
• 7:40 a.m.: Brian Gay, Michael Thompson, Sebastián Muñoz
• 7:51 a.m.: Cameron Smith, Dylan Frittelli, Keegan Bradley
• 8:02 a.m.: Kevin Na, Carlos Ortiz, Matthew Fitzpatrick
• 8:13 a.m.: Max Homa, J.T. Poston, Russell Knox
• 8:24 a.m.: Stewart Cink, Nick Taylor, Austin Cook
• 8:35 a.m.: Byeong Hun An, Henrik Norlander, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
• 8:46 a.m.: Vaughn Taylor, Jerry Kelly, Joel Dahmen
• 8:57 a.m.: Scott Brown, Sam Ryder
• 12:05 p.m.: Cameron Tringale, Denny McCarthy, Matthew NeSmith
• 12:16 p.m.: Brian Harman, Cameron Percy, Bernd Wiesberger
• 12:27 p.m.: Martin Laird, Tyler Duncan, Joaquin Niemann
• 12:38 p.m.: Richy Werenski, Aaron Wise, Kevin Streelman
• 12:49 p.m.: Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth
• 1 p.m.: Bryson DeChambeau, Collin Morikawa, Dustin Johnson
• 1:11 p.m.: Daniel Berger, Adam Scott, Shane Lowry
• 1:22 p.m.: Andrew Landry, Cameron Champ, Brendan Steele
• 1:33 p.m.: Jason Kokrak, Francesco Molinari, Jason Day
• 1:44 p.m.: Charley Hoffman, Rory Sabbatini, Cameron Davis
• 1:55 p.m.: Matt Jones, Maverick McNealy, Will Zalatoris
• 2:06 p.m.: Chris Kirk, Luke List, Bo Hoag
• 2:17 p.m.: Brian Stuard, Danny Lee, Beau Hossler

OFF NO. 10

• 6:45 a.m.: Kyle Stanley, Lucas Glover, Tyler McCumber
• 6:56 a.m.: Russell Henley, Tom Hoge, Scottie Scheffler
• 7:07 a.m.: C.T. Pan, Graeme McDowell, Matt Kuchar
• 7:18 a.m.: Gary Woodland, Billy Horschel, Ian Poulter
• 7:29 a.m.: Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas
• 7:40 a.m.: Sergio Garcia, Webb Simpson, Rory McIlroy
• 7:51 a.m.: Si Woo Kim, Harris English, Hideki Matsuyama
• 8:02 a.m.: Tyrrell Hatton, Paul Casey, Xander Schauffele
• 8:13 a.m.: Lanto Griffin, Corey Conners, Rickie Fowler
• 8:24 a.m.: Brendon Todd, Adam Long, Andrew Putnam
• 8:35 a.m.: Charl Schwartzel, Doc Redman, Harry Higgs
• 8:46 a.m.: Sam Burns, Wyndham Clark, Victor Perez
• 8:57 a.m.: Scott Stallings, Adam Schenk
• 12:05 p.m.: Peter Malnati, Emiliano Grillo, Abraham Ancer
• 12:16 p.m.: Anirban Lahiri, Kyoung-Hoon Lee, Robby Shelton
• 12:27 p.m.: Branden Grace, Sung Kang, Jimmy Walker
• 12:38 p.m.: Hudson Swafford, Brandt Snedeker, Scott Piercy
• 12:49 p.m.: Jim Herman, Ryan Armour, Mackenzie Hughes
• 1 p.m.: Nate Lashley, Ryan Palmer, Zach Johnson
• 1:11 p.m.: Robert Streb, Marc Leishman Justin Rose
• 1:22 p.m.: Chez Reavie, Bubba Watson, Pat Perez
• 1:33 p.m.: Patton Kizzire, Jason Dufner, Danny Willett
• 1:44 p.m.: James Hahn, Tommy Fleetwood, Harold Varner III
• 1:55 p.m.: Adam Hadwin, Patrick Rodgers, Mark Hubbard
• 2:06 p.m.: Ryan Moore, Sepp Straka, Scott Harrington
• 2:17 p.m.: Jhonattan Vegas, Talor Gooch, Tom Lewis

This article is part of ESPN's coverage of Women's History Month.

Fran Kirby's postmatch routine stays largely the same. Whether she's breaking the goal-scoring record at Chelsea, scoring four times against Reading or collecting another Player of the Match accolade, it's a straightforward agenda: sofa, meal, Netflix. She especially loves true crime documentaries, and, for a week last year, Kirby played detective when she sought out a recording of the emergency call that her friend made after she fell gravely ill in November 2019.

Kirby had collapsed. She was eating dinner with her closest friends and teammates, Beth England and Maren Mjelde, at home, and suddenly felt awful. "The colour just emptied from her face," England says. When Kirby later listened to the call to the emergency services, she heard England telling the responder how "Fran's eyes are rolled back into her head." The pain in her chest caused her blood pressure to rise to such an extent that she passed out for 10 seconds, then another 15 seconds.

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As she reflects on that frightening moment, Kirby laughs a little and contemplates where she is ... and where she was. On March 3, she scored Chelsea's second against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinal. This time last year, she was contemplating retirement, unable to believe she could fully recover from pericarditis, a heart disease, and return to professional football for both club and country (she has 45 caps for England).

Kirby, 27, was nervous about telling her Chelsea manager, Emma Hayes, that she was considering hanging up her boots, but at that point, she couldn't get up the stairs and was sleeping 18 hours a day. Talking was a mission. Football was a world away.

She kept her diagnosis private and retreated into her shell; all the while, speculation grew on social media over her absence. By December 2019, Kirby left Instagram and Twitter. "I just needed to get away from the negativity and my phone," she tells ESPN. Even she was starting to doubt herself. She read how she was finished, how Chelsea had replaced her with superstar new signings.

"I sat there thinking 'Are they right? Am I overplaying this? Am I as ill as I think I am? Are Chelsea done with me?'"

Yet here she stands today, fully recovered and still one of the most talented forwards in world football.

"In the course of my 25-year career, I've never seen a player transform their life as much as I've seen her... from a place of difficulty, disruption, despair to joy, to gratitude, to application," Hayes tells ESPN. "So, we must celebrate her but we also must look after her. She's a special, special talent."

In a life with plenty of grief -- Kirby lost her mother when she was 14 years old -- injuries and illness, she has learned to anchor herself in the present. She doesn't compare her form to the past, nor does she look to the future of a possible Olympics or get caught up in the hype of her match-winning performances for England and Chelsea. She takes everything day by day.

MONDAY, NOV. 18 STARTED like any other day after a game. Kirby did some upper-body work in the gym and felt OK. She followed up with extra shooting practise afterwards, and then some sprint work. "I had to prove myself again," she says. But she'd been battling a lingering cough and flu-like symptoms for the past few weeks.

"I should have seen some of the warning signs: my energy levels, my overall demeanour, my attitude, everything was very sluggish, I was tired and ... angry, just really angry."

She went from the gym to a sponsor appearance with England, her Chelsea/England teammate. She was excited for it; there were dogs involved (she has a 4-year-old cockapoo called Cody). "If you look at the video from it, I was laughing around... you wouldn't have known I was going to be severely ill hours later."

She remembers coming home and sitting at the dinner table as Mjelde and England chatted away. She could feel her chest tighten.

"I just started to get extreme chest pains," Kirby says. "Like when you get indigestion, but like times 100 worse, it was just so intense. I just couldn't work out what was going on. I was hanging onto the table like ... I don't know what's going on."

"I knew I needed help, that something really bad was going on. Everything started spinning, I felt like I needed to lie down so tried to get to the sofa. And yeah, I actually collapsed. That was quite scary, because obviously it kind of came out of nowhere. I genuinely thought I was having a heart attack."

She woke up 10 or so seconds later, to England and Mjelde slapping her face, trying to wake her up.

"Maren caught her -- it happened so fast," England says. "I did the call [to the 999 emergency services number in the UK] to explain what had happened, her name. It was scary to see how well she was in herself during the day, to seeing her from a full, well, fit, healthy person -- to collapse. She went downhill so fast." The paramedics arrived, as did Chelsea's doctor, Francisco Moreira.

Kirby remembers the ringing in her ears and trying to tell the emergency responder how she felt. "I sounded like a zombie," she says.

It was baffling: An elite athlete shouldn't be having such pains and symptoms. And yet, Kirby felt well enough to go back into the club the following day.

"I tried to be as discreet as possible that something had happened last night, it was just kinda like 'oh something weird happened, I collapsed last night'. Everyone was like 'woah, what?' a bit like 'what's going on?' but in a humorous sort of way." She went for an electrocardiogram, and the diagnosis came back as pericarditis, a condition triggered by a virus that inflames the sac around the heart. Kirby turned to Google for answers, the words of friends and coaches blurring around her.

"I couldn't [find] anything where someone said 'this is what made me feel better'" she says. Kirby heard the doctor say if it was a mild case, it could take a couple of weeks to heal. If it was at the more severe end, it could be anything from six months to a year.

A fortnight later, having slept for much of last 14 days, she was back at training.

"I was sick everywhere," she says. "My body wasn't ready, at all." She used to go to Hayes' office to cry. Hayes and Kirby agreed the rest of the team weren't to know about Kirby's illness because, as one of the more senior players, Kirby didn't want to be a "drain" on her teammates' attention. So Hayes told the team Kirby was out with a virus.

"We didn't mention the heart because as soon as you say heart, alarm bells ring and people go crazy," Kirby says.

England remembers that time: "She [Kirby] internalised it quite a lot. Most of the time she kept it to herself as I think she felt she was going to be a burden, giving that info to everyone else."

But as the fatigue kicked in, and her symptoms remained, Kirby knew she needed rest.

"It [the illness] could have been worse," Kirby says. "I didn't want people asking me all the time how I was, how I was feeling. I just wanted to be allowed to get on with it and be sad for a bit."

IT WAS AROUND THIS TIME that Chelsea announced the signing of Australia's star forward, Sam Kerr. Kirby remembers reading the comments on social media, with people saying Kerr was signed to replace her.

"That played a big part in how bad I was feeling, seeing people write things about you like 'ah she's not committed, because she's not in training.' or 'Chelsea are signing these players to replace Kirby.'" Hayes and Kerr saw the speculation; Hayes phoned Kirby to say one of the prime reasons Kerr joined the team was so that she could play alongside her. Kerr messaged her to say the same.

"I was an advocate of getting [Kirby] off social media," Hayes tells ESPN. "She's been used to a life of being built up quite highly, but also knocked down really, really hard. Like, really hard. And I've seen that damage and what it's done to her."

Her recovery proved to be a daunting, frustrating experience. "In the first few months I broke down a lot," Kirby says. "I was still saying to people 'oh come round, it'll be great to see you!' But when they arrived, I'd sit with my back to them, doing a puzzle. I was hearing my heartbeat, rather than hearing what was around me.

"I had this chest pain 24/7 ... I was only allowed to go up and down the stairs twice a day. I remember on Christmas Day, I phoned Francisco [the Chelsea doctor]. I was not getting any better and remember calling him crying -- I mean, he was trying to celebrate the day with his family, but I just felt helpless. I remember saying 'What can I do? Nothing is helping me; can you help me?"

She went public with her illness in February 2020 and received messages of support -- including an email from a lady called Lilian, who said she had suffered from pericarditis and had put her own love of sports on hold. She had got in contact through Kirby's agent, keen to tell Kirby how she had got through it. It lifted Kirby's spirits. She exchanged thoughts and sought advice from Lilian: Avoid heavy weights and cold weather, Lilian said.

Kirby went on holiday before the coronavirus lockdown; the trip gave her some momentary relief, but it prompted another false dawn in her recovery.

"I had thought numerous times that I was going to have to retire," Kirby says. "There were times I messaged or nearly picked up the phone to Emma and say 'Look I'm sorry, I can't do this anymore'. I remember talking to Claire Rafferty [ex-England and Chelsea left back, now part of the Chelsea commercial staff] and I told her how ill I felt, and she said to me, 'If this is the end, what are your plans?' I'd not thought about it -- it was an eye-opener, how quickly football could get taken away from me.

"I also spoke to Georgie [Hodge, Kirby's agent]. I was thinking am I ever gonna be able to come back and train normally? Am I going to have this pain? You lose that touch on the ball, you know ...'"

Once COVID-19 hit, Kirby had no option but to stop. With Instagram and twitter on hold, she read book after book, with Jim Afremow's "The Champion's Mind" feeling particularly relevant after one of the Chelsea physios recommended it to her.

"I had learnt to accept who I was, and what my weaknesses were. I worked on them ... you know, I have always been able to complete a 90-minute game, or being able to sprint, recover and all that, but endurance was one of my weaknesses," Kirby says. "I'm not too proud to admit that it's something I'd struggled with. So, challenge accepted: I knew I needed to work on that."

"She needed that time during COVID to get to that point," Hayes says. "The illness, the injuries ... it was all a huge wake up for Fran about what mattered, about who mattered and about what she wanted from her career if she could get to back to the level that she saw for herself."

With the 2019-20 Women's Super League (WSL) cancelled in May, Chelsea were anointed champions; Hayes told the players over Zoom they'd won the league on a points-per-game basis. "It was strange; everyone had gone their separate ways. We were like, 'congrats' ..."

And then, one morning in mid-June, Kirby woke up and the symptoms had eased. She felt better. She tested herself with a jog. Then a little bit of outdoor training, then back with the ball, then upping the intensity.

"She was like a firecracker," Hayes says. "Even though we'd been trying to chart the right course to keep her in the right place ... everyone was asking if Fran would get back to the level she was before, and I was like 'no, she's even better.'" Kirby made the same promise to herself, and to her teammates. "I remember telling Emma, 'I'm going to come back and be the best that you've ever seen me. I promise you.' I said that over and over again: 'I'm flying, I'm going to be back, I'm ready.'

"Did I believe that myself? Yes and no," Kirby continues. "But it was all about positivity. We've been on this journey together. I knew I had to come back fitter than ever -- I didn't want to let anyone down."

Hayes doesn't want any credit for Kirby's return. "Everyone gets to where they want to go if they put the hard yards into it," Hayes says. "No one can do that for you. You must do that yourself; you must look deep within yourself, especially in troubled times in what you need to do to get out of it. Everything I say around Fran is around her, and what she did -- not what anybody else did, because she transformed her life."

Kirby is a reluctant inspirational figure. "I find it funny when people will say things like this ... I can never wrap my head around it because, you know, I'm just going out and playing football. And, of course, I want to inspire people as much as I can. But for me doing something that I love, and, you know, I'm not really ... it sounds weird, but I'm not really doing much."

England has seen Kirby at her lowest and at her best. "The things she's been through are hurtful things," England says. "Mentally she's had to fight to get over these obstacles. She probably doesn't see that as inspirational, but the outside looking in you think, wow, she's gone through this and she's at the top of her game. I know she wants her story to help people. Having a public figure like Fran to talk about these things is inspirational."

KIRBY HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL to Chelsea's success this season. Her official comeback was in the curtain-raising Community Shield at Wembley in August, her first start in nine months. They beat Manchester City 2-0.

"You could see the pride in her face, with that trophy," England says. "You could see her face beaming, knowing she'd done her job and it was the first of many." Chelsea went on a record-breaking run of 33 games without defeat and sit five points clear at the top of the league and are still fighting on the Champions League front. They want to win it all. "It didn't feel like we finished the league last year," Kirby says. "We won, which is amazing, but there's nothing better than playing that last game. We want to do it all for real this time.

"I'm still super, super competitive. I want to win every day, even if it's in-house games. I used to go around to my teammates that 'we don't lose, we're not losing, that's not going to happen.' But now I have a different type of fuel. I used to compare myself to other players. But now if I'm able to drive myself to be better than them, I'm going to be better for them. We've made incredible signings, so now I need to raise my level even further."

Kirby plays in a forward lineup that includes two-time UEFA Women's Player of the Year Pernille Harder, Kerr, Erin Cuthbert and England. She has 11 goals and six assists in 12 games. Chelsea are at the top of the WSL and have a 2-0 lead over Atletico Madrid in the last-16 of the Champions League.

"She'd play in goal if I asked her to," Hayes says.

The season's halfway done, but Kirby doesn't want to look ahead. She only needs a check-up on her heart if symptoms return, and they have been blissfully absent since last June. It's now consigned to a horrid part of her life, but equally fuelling her desire to make up for lost time. So it's full-steam on playing for Chelsea, and then maybe Team Great Britain and the Olympics.

"I've got into the state of where I'm not thinking about what's coming up, I'm thinking about what's going on right now. I've learnt not to get too excited, because as soon as something goes bad, it all changes," Kirby says. "I take everything with a pinch of salt. You just have to ride the waves."

Juventus are out of the Champions League, and deservedly so, on balance. You can break down the episodes from both legs of their last-16 game with a fine-tooth comb and tell yourself this could have ended differently: they gifted Porto two goals in the first leg, they hit the woodwork twice on Tuesday and maybe, if Alvaro Morata, Adrien Rabiot and Cristiano Ronaldo had shown a little more concentration and bravery on Sergio Oliveira's free kick in extra-time, you wouldn't be reading this column (at least not in March). Instead, all three jumped and turned at the same time, allowing the ball to sneak under the wall and into Wojciech Szczesny's far corner.

As Fabio Capello, speaking to Andrea Pirlo on Sky Italia post-game, pointed out, "I would never allow my players to do that," Capello said. To which Pirlo, sheepishly, replied: "It was a mistake, sure. I'd never seen them do that before."

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But make no mistake about it, it's still a fully deserved elimination. Juventus were very poor for two halves in Porto, and for the first half on Tuesday. As defender Matthijs De LIgt admitted, "we started playing too late." Indeed. And that was mostly against 10 men following Porto striker Mehdi Taremi's red card early in the second half.

When Juventus did start playing, they created plenty of chances, and did so with energy and verve. The question many are asking is what it takes for them to do it consistently and whether Pirlo can take them to that level. We'll get to that, but first, we need to explode some myths and trite cliches that have been part of the "Juvesphere" (meaning some fans and pundits and even some club officials in recent years but which have no place if you want to be a grown up team in 2021).

Let's start with the mantra that "there's no such thing as a transition year at Juventus" and it's closely correlated cousin, "winning isn't important... it's the only thing that counts."

The latter, of course, is a riff on Green Bay Packers coaching legend Vince Lombardi ("Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing") who was himself, supposedly, inspired by UCLA coach Red Sanders. It was repeated by former Juventus president (and club legend) Giampiero Boniperti on numerous occasions. It's nice as an inspirational quote, or as something to inscribe on the team jersey (like Juventus did in 2013). But break it down and it's as silly and juvenile as the other quote, the one about winning being so important at Juve that they can never have a transition season.

First and foremost, that's not what club president Andrea Agnelli himself believes. When you hire a thoroughly inexperienced coach like Pirlo, with a mandate to transition to another way of playing and promote youngsters from the youth team, and when you sign players who are not the finished article (Federico Chiesa, Dejan Kulusevski, Weston McKennie) you are clearly transitioning to a new project that, you hope, will bring long-term success.

Pirlo literally said as much after the game: "We have embarked on a new project, it covers many aspects of the club at 360 degrees, and it's not just about one season, but many seasons."

Another mantra -- "Cristiano Ronaldo was signed to win the Champions League" -- is closely related to this. Again, it's a bit of an exercise in the obvious -- any player Juve signs is there to win the Champions League, because that's the competition they try to win every year -- but there's a fundamental truth in it. Juventus committed some $375 million in transfer fee and wages to Ronaldo in the hopes that he would be the final piece of the puzzle.

That was undoubtedly true in 2018, when he arrived at the club from Real Madrid. To give him the best possible supporting cast, Juventus spent huge over the next two seasons, both in transfers (more than $200m went on De Ligt, defender Joao Cancelo, forward Douglas Costa and bringing back defender Leo Bonucci) and hugely paid free-agents (midfielders Emre Can, Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot).

But that was then. At some point, the club realized that they couldn't keep doubling down every year by splashing money on Ronaldo's supporting cast. The coronavirus pandemic didn't help either, obviously, and they ended up with three straight years in the red, culminating with a loss of nearly $100m in 2019-20.

Though it wasn't purely financial. They spent big again this past summer, but they went for younger players with a long-term upside. And crucially, they came to the realization that the mentality and the way of playing had to change if they were to succeed in Europe.

With the exception of Atletico Madrid and Diego Simeone's "Cholo voodoo," every other club who was making deep runs in European competitions was doing it by taking the game to the opposition, being brave and progressive and playing higher up the pitch. And to be fair, it's not as if the realization only hit them this past summer.

Max Allegri realized it when he pushed his "five-star" attack (Paulo Dybala, Juan Cuadrado and Mario Mandzukic augmented by Miralem Pjanic and Gonzalo Higuain in 2016-17), and when they turned to Maurizio Sarri in 2019, it was to get the high-powered, front-foot "Sarriball" we saw at Napoli. Neither, however, was able to make it work and, too often, they reverted to what they knew: sitting tight, staying deep and waiting for Ronaldo (or somebody else) to do something at the other end. Getting a side filled with veterans, who had enjoyed tremendous success (not just domestically; don't forget the two Champions League finals either) playing a certain, more conservative way, to embrace a different philosophy was always going to be a massive challenge.

Hence the appointment of Pirlo and the shake-up we saw in the summer -- which, by the way, was embraced by Ronaldo too. Sure, in a perfect world, the football Pirlo would like to play probably works better without Ronaldo (or, more accurately, with a younger version of the superstar). But Ronaldo is unquestionably happier with more players around him, operating on a more attacking team, and it's probably not a coincidence that as awful as he was on Tuesday night, he's enjoying his best season yet at Juve and has remained a staunch supporter of Pirlo throughout.

So why hasn't it worked?

For a start, it's worth noting that it's not as if Juventus have regressed in Europe over the last few years. They were knocked out at the Round of 16 in 2019-20 by Lyon and, but for a superhuman Ronaldo performance in the return leg in 2018-19 against Atletico Madrid, would have been knocked out in the Round of 16 the following year too (as it happened, it was Ajax who eliminated them in the quarterfinal).

Up front, Pirlo has taken time to find the right balance in attack and the best way to use Kulusevski and Chiesa, while also dealing with Dybala's absence. At the back, the defensive movements aren't quite what they should be yet as Juve adapt to playing a higher line. But the main issue is in midfield, where the absence of a natural playmaker weighs heavy. Arthur has the personality, but not the creativity, to play that role, Rabiot and Ramsey blow hot and cold and Rodrigo Bentancur has regressed.

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Should Pirlo then be doing more with what he has at his disposal? Probably, but then, it's his first season. That said, it's not lost on anyone that if the priorities are youth, intensity, attacking football and bravery, we saw none of it in the first leg or until half-time in the second leg.

Does Pirlo have the charisma, tactical nous and personality to do more and be a top-drawer coach? Time will tell. But what should not be in question is that Juve have committed towards going in a certain direction, one that brings them more in line with Europe's other top clubs. (One that includes pushing youngsters, something that never used to happen at the club: would we have seen youth players Gianluca Frabotta, Manolo Portanova, Alessandro Di Pardo, Radu Dragusin and Nicolo Fagioli line up for Juve in past seasons? Would we heck...)

Of course, at some point, they may come to the conclusion that Pirlo isn't the right guy to lead them. But if they do change, they'll go for somebody with very similar ideas, because that's the direction the club is heading. And for now, at least, there's no going back.

Cameron Bancroft, the Australia Test opener, will return to Durham for the 2021 season, the club has announced.

Bancroft captained Durham in both the County Championship and One Day Cup in 2019, prior to his call-up for that summer's Ashes squad, and was described by the club's director of cricket, Marcus North, as having a "positive influence" during his time with the club.

Bancroft scored 726 runs at 45.37 in nine Championship games that season, and a further 377 runs at 94.25 in List A cricket, performances that helped to smooth his way back into the Test set-up after serving a nine-month ban for his role in Australia's ball-tampering scandal in 2018.

After missing out on the 2020 season due to the Covid-19 outbreak, Bancroft will return to Chester-le-Street once he has completed his Sheffield Shield campaign with Western Australia.

"We are really pleased to welcome Cameron back to Emirates Riverside this summer," North said. "He had a positive influence on and off the field during his time with us in 2019.

He is currently having a fantastic summer down under for Western Australia and we look forward to him having a big impact for Durham when he re-joins the squad in May."

The rise of Rishabh Pant continues. He has now secured the highest points tally (747) by any Indian wicketkeeper on the ICC Test batting rankings. That puts him at the joint-seventh place, along with team-mate Rohit Sharma and New Zealand's Henry Nicholls.

Much as he was when India beat Australia in their own backyard, Pant was a central figure in his team's victory over England last week which sealed their place in the inaugural World Test Championship final. He struck his first century at home in that Ahmedabad Test, an innings that drew praise from the very best in the business - Adam Gilchrist and Brian Lara to name two. India's coach Ravi Shastri was particularly effusive about the way he committed to a sterner fitness regime that is helping him churn out these big runs.

Pant has amassed 544 runs from seven Test matches, making him India's top-scorer in the 2020-21 season and third-highest overall. Among those runs was a 97 that helped India keep an incredible series alive in Sydney and then he sealed it in even more incredible fashion by scoring 89 thrillingly unbeaten runs in Brisbane.

Providing equally invaluable contributions, but with the ball, R Ashwin is now ranked second among all bowlers in Test cricket. This comes soon after he set the record for fastest - in terms of balls (21,242) - to 400 Test wickets. The India allrounder had a stellar series against England, scoring a century on his home ground, which he said made him feel like a hero, and he finished it with 32 wickets from four Test matches.

Not far behind him was Axar Patel. The left-arm spinner playing only his first Test series struck 27 times in three matches to average a scarcely believable 10.54. Thanks to that performance, he climbed eight places to 30th, but more notably, he has 552 points. Only two bowlers have ever done better after their first three Tests - former India leg-spinner Narendra Hirwani (564) and Australia fast bowler Charlie Turner (553), who played in the 19th century.

Sharma has reached his career-best spot after a string of excellent performances in tough conditions. His 161 in the second Test on a Chennai turner was later hailed as the turning point on which India were able to come back from 0-1 down and beat England 3-1. Overall, he is the team's second-highest scorer this season - and fourth-highest overall - with 474 runs at an average of 47.40.

The latest ICC ranking update also included a couple of blips for India. Their captain Virat Kohli (fifth place with 814) is sitting on his lowest points tally since November 2017 and their No. 3 Cheteshwar Pujara has slipped below 700 for the first time since September 2016.

England, whose captain Joe Root admitted they didn't take enough of their chances to trouble India, could take solace from James Anderson moving up to the fourth place in bowlers' rankings. His burst of reverse swing on the last day of the first Test in Chennai was crucial in giving the visitors a lead that they couldn't capitalise upon. Also moving up the ranks was batsman Dan Lawrence, who rose 47 places to 93rd. An equally rapid mover was Washington Sundar, who was stranded on 96 in the Ahmedabad Test match. He gained 39 places and is at the 62nd position.

As if England were not already rammed with batting options in their T20I squad, the recall of Liam Livingstone for this week's five-match series in India is a further reminder to the incumbents to take nothing for granted in the lead-up to November's T20 World Cup.

Livingstone may not have played for England since an ill-starred pair of T20Is against South Africa in 2017. But, with England making a point of selecting their strongest available squad for a series that may replicate the conditions that they face at the World Cup seven months from now, it's clear that his time, at the age of 27, may finally be drawing nigh.

"For the first time in my career I feel like I belong in this environment and it's good to be back," Livingstone said. "I was pretty immature before and I'm a much different person now, and even more so as a player."

Livingstone's recent exploits in Australia's Big Bash League (BBL) provide strong evidence that he's ready to make the step back up. Opening the batting for the Perth Scorchers, his haul of 426 runs not only eclipsed that of his partner and potential rival for an England berth, Jason Roy, it also included an impressive 28 sixes - the second-most in the competition.

His finest hour came in the Challenger against Brisbane Heat, where he powered his side to victory with a blistering knock of 77 from 39 balls, and though the Sydney Sixers outgunned them in the final two days later, he still kept the Scorchers on track in the early stages of their run-chase with 45 from 35 balls.

Livingstone's form in the PSL and Mzanzi Super League has been equally eye-catching in recent seasons, and it was telling that despite a significant roster of England players on the books at Rajasthan Royals, he was also re-signed by the franchise for next month's IPL. All the signs point to a player who is both confident in his own game, and has the confidence of those around him.

"The Big Bash is such an exciting competition," Livingstone said. "That's the reason we play these franchise competitions. Playing in the IPL in front of 60,000 people, and playing in a Big Bash final. These are the pressure moments you start to get used to. We get Roses games in England [Lancashire vs Yorkshire] which are close to international cricket. But playing in a Big Bash final is as close as we'll get around the world to international cricket. Hopefully, that will stand me in good stead."

He was hardly alone in starring among England's exports at the BBL. James Vince and England's current cause célèbre, Alex Hales, both outdid him in the runs stakes with 543 and 537 respectively, but Livingstone's versatility as a spin bowler was a significant factor in his leapfrogging of both in the India tour party - not least due to his burgeoning ability to switch between offspin and legspin depending on the technique of the batsman in his sights.

"It's something I really enjoy and spend a lot of time on," he said. "It helps playing at Old Trafford as spin in white-ball cricket is such a massive part of the game there. It's something I'm continuing to work on and it adds another string to my bow. Hopefully in the next couple of years I can try to turn myself into a genuine all-rounder."

His recent record underlines that versatility. In Lancashire's run to the Blast finals day, Livingstone was a regular front-line option, claiming nine wickets in the competition at 21.22, and at an impressive economy rate of 7.53. In the BBL, he was a more targeted option, with isolated overs here and there but similarly impactful returns - five wickets in a total of 60 balls across the 14 matches, at a cost of 85 runs all told.

"I've worked really hard for this exact moment," he said, "to try and make me a little bit more selectable. It takes a bit of pressure off, because being able to do all three things in the game at the moment is massive. I'll continue to develop my bowling, and my fielding, and my batting as well, and enjoy the challenge of getting better at all three."

That string alone may not be sufficient to break into England's power-packed batting line-up, where Roy, Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow have, in recent times, been joined by Dawid Malan as near-automatic picks. Throw in Ben Stokes and Eoin Morgan in the middle order, not to mention the returning Moeen Ali and the finishing abilities of Sam Billings, and Livingstone concedes he may yet have to bide his time.

Nevertheless, he says, the experience of the franchise circuit has taught him that simply being in the company of the great and the good of the game can help to improve your own performances, almost by osmosis.

"It was great to have a couple of English blokes [at the BBL], especially Jase, there," he said. "Just being able to train alongside them, to travel to games on the same bus, being able to sit at dinner and chat cricket. Learn how they go about things on and off the field, I guess it is an experience we wouldn't have got ten years ago,

"As a pretty inexperienced cricketer, it has been pretty cool to spend time with these guys. At the IPL, you get to spend an extended period with the likes of Jos and Ben. That's the great thing about franchise cricket - the amount of different people you play with.

"I've played in an IPL, I've played in two Big Bashes and I've spent time in South Africa as well as Pakistan. In three months I spent time around Babar Azam and then went straight into the IPL where we had Steve Smith.

"Being around those players and seeing how they go about their stuff, as a young boy as I was then and quite inexperienced, it's great to learn off. Franchise cricket is a great way to learn, especially when you're not playing international cricket, so we're very lucky to get these opportunities to go and play in these competitions and they're great for developing your game and you as a person."

Livingstone's own development has continued on the home front in recent seasons too, including a short-lived stint as Lancashire's captain in 2018 - an experience he says he wouldn't rule out doing again in the future, but not until much later in his career.

But, he concedes, perhaps the steepest learning experience of all was that maiden England series four years ago. In a pair of skittish innings, he made 16 from 18 on T20I debut at Taunton, then a first-ball duck two days later in Cardiff, as he reversed his stance and was bowled by a Dane Paterson full toss. And despite a surprise call-up for England's Test squad in New Zealand in the spring of 2018, he feels this recall is the one that he's truly ready for.

"I was probably in the worst place I could have been in cricket-wise when I played those couple of games," he said. "I tried to make a change in my technique two or three weeks before and it completely didn't work for me.

"Ultimately, looking back, it was a really steep learning curve for me and I guess it probably did me some good in the next couple of years. It gave me a kick up the backside and made me work harder.

"Like I said, I'm a completely different person and player and confident in my game. It's nice to be back in this environment and feel like I belong. If I get an opportunity, I'm sure things will be much different this time around."

Toss Sri Lanka opt to bat against West Indies

On an overcast morning with some rain in the air, Sri Lanka have won the toss and decided to bat first. In the first of three ODIs, the visiting captain Dimuth Karunaratne said his side was "confident". Sri Lanka go in with two fast bowlers in Nuwan Pradeep and Dushmantha Chameera, with Karunaratne opening with Danushka Gunathilaka.

West Indies will be led by Kieron Pollard in a side that also includes recent T20I captained Jason Holder and Jason Mohammed, who led the side in the recent Test series against Bangladesh. Wicketkeeper Shai Hope opens the batting with Evin Lewis, while slow left-arm bowler Akeal Hosein keeps his place from that Bangladesh tour.

"This longer format gives you the opportunity to bat a bit longer and see what the opposition spin bowlers are doing rather than being a bit rushed," Pollard said at the toss. "I'm the oldest guy in the team now. Shai has been brilliant in the last couple of years and hopefully Darren Bravo can get among the runs."

Sri Lanka: 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Pathum Nissanka, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Ashen Bandara, 7 Kamindu Mendis, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Lakshan Sandakan 11 Nuwan Pradeep

West Indies: 1 Shai Hope (wk), 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Jason Mohammed, 4 Darren Bravo, 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Kieron Pollard (capt), 7 Jason Holder, 8 Fabian Allen 9 Romario Shepherd 10 Alzarri Joseph 11 Akeal Hosein