Queensland 272 & 0 for 38 (Street 21*) trail Tasmania 332 & 252 (Doran 55, Bartlett 4-59) by 272 runs

A four-wicket haul to Xavier Bartlett has given Queensland the chance to pull off a come-from-behind victory on the final day against Tasmania at Bellerive Oval.

Bartlett claimed four wickets for just the second time in his short Sheffield Shield career to help Queensland bowl Tasmania out for 252 on the third day and give the Bulls a chase of 310 for victory in the fourth innings.

The Tigers began the day with a lead of 64 and all 10 third innings wickets intact. They quickly pushed the lead past 150 thanks to a brilliant half-century from Jordan Silk. He struck 10 boundaries in his 51 from just 68 balls before Bartlett made the key breakthrough, finding his outside edge with a ball that nipped away off the seam. He struck again in his following over to remove Mac Wright in a very similar fashion.

The Tigers went from 1 for 87 to 3 for 88 and then lost wickets at regular intervals thereafter. Bartlett removed the Test captain Tim Paine who was unimpressed with the lbw decision he received. Jake Doran held the Tasmanian innings together with a stubborn 55 but became Bartlett's fourth victim and keeper Jimmy Peirson's fourth catch of the innings. Jarrod Freeman played with freedom smacking eight boundaries in 38 to help move the lead beyond 300 late in the day. Nathan Ellis also added 23.

The Bulls were left to negotiate 18 overs before close and did so without trouble. Bryce Street and Joe Burns faced all four of Tasmania's seamers and progressed to 38 without loss, meaning the visitors require 272 on the final day with all 10 wickets in hand.

Los Angeles Lakers star forward Anthony Davis had his injuries reevaluated by team doctors Thursday night and will be out four weeks, head coach Frank Vogel said.

Sources had told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski earlier this week that Davis would be reevaluated in two to three weeks after suffering a calf strain and aggravating the Achilles tendinosis in his right leg Sunday and would be unlikely to return to the lineup before the NBA's March 5-10 All-Star break.

A spokesperson for the Lakers said the new four-week time period is an estimation and includes the time necessary for Davis to rehab and recover from the injuries, as well as ramp up in practices and workouts to return to game action.

"We want to try to put this fully behind him and be conservative with it just to make sure that it's fully healed before he's back," Vogel said.

Davis missed two games last week with tendinosis in his right Achilles and had to exit Sunday's loss to the Denver Nuggets shortly before halftime after aggravating the injury.

An MRI on Monday revealed the calf strain and the tendinosis aggravation, a source told Wojnarowski, but it did not show a rupture of the right Achilles tendon.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin contributed to this report.

The Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers entered Thursday night's game at Staples Center with plenty of star power, even with the Nets missing Kevin Durant and the Lakers without Anthony Davis.

Besides Davis, LeBron James and the Lakers were also without starting point guard Dennis Schroder. James faced Kyrie Irving, his former teammate, and Irving improved to 3-10 against LeBron. James Harden led the Nets with 23 points and 11 assists in Brooklyn's 109-98 victory. The Nets are now 10-1 against teams with a .500-or-better record.

Here are takeaways from what could be an NBA Finals preview:

Nets find success in small ball

Over the past two games, the Nets have sharpened a potent weapon: their small-ball lineup. Against the Lakers, the Nets' smaller starting lineup of Harden, Irving, Joe Harris, Bruce Brown and Jeff Green aided Brooklyn in building an 11-point halftime lead. The early success of that small lineup forced Lakers coach Frank Vogel to start Markieff Morris over Marc Gasol to begin the second half. It was the same small lineup that helped the Nets climb out of a 12-point deficit (they had been down by as many as 24) against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday and come back to win. The small lineup has also been consistently used to close out games. With Green at center, the Nets have outscored their opponents by 10.2 points per 100 possessions. When Durant returns, the Nets' small-ball lineup stands to become even more dangerous. -- Malika Andrews

.@JHarden13 splits 'em pic.twitter.com/UswZbbe1Ai

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) February 19, 2021

LeBron had to do it all

Coming out of a third-quarter timeout on Thursday, the Staples Center video board showed a compilation of LeBron James highlights, starting with a baby-faced rookie in oversized Cleveland Cavaliers warm-ups, all the way to the bearded 18-year veteran in the Lakers uniform he wears today. The nostalgia reel finished with an oversized graphic, "35K POINTS," commemorating James becoming just the third player in league history to score 35,000 career points, as he joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone in that elite group with a free throw in the first half. Artificial crowd noise echoed out of speakers above as the 36-year-old James, playing in Game No. 30 of 30 on the Lakers' schedule this season, toiled against the league's latest superteam.

A week ago, Lakers-Nets had all the makings of one of the games of the year. But with Davis out indefinitely with a strained calf and Achilles tendinosis in his right leg and Durant missing a third straight game with a hamstring injury, the matchup lost a lot of juice. Schroder, the pesky guard the Lakers planned to throw on Irving all night, being a late scratch because of the league's health and safety protocols didn't help things, either.

While the game didn't nearly live up to its hype, James did his part, scoring 32 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, dishing 7 assists and adding a couple of clips to that career highlight reel -- one particularly poetic turnaround rainbow shot over Jeff Green and another soaring one-handed baseline jam.

? rises in #PhantomCam

Watch the 4th quarter on TNT pic.twitter.com/92BIpa0e5w

— NBA (@NBA) February 19, 2021

We'll all have to wait to see if these teams will meet again at full strength in the NBA Finals. In the meantime, James, the game's constant standard for nearly two decades, will be out there, empty seats or not, playing the game he has figured out like few have. -- Dave McMenamin

Nets continue hot 3-point shooting

When the Nets added James Harden to All-Stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, there was plenty of conversation about Brooklyn's offensive potential with three of the league's best scorers. The Nets' shooting might have gotten overshadowed. After another scorching shooting night (18-of-39, 46%), Brooklyn is now shooting a league-best 42% from 3-point range since Harden's debut on Jan. 16. And the Nets aren't slowing down; they're heating up. Brooklyn's 65 3s over the past three wins -- all played without Durant -- have been surpassed by just two teams over a three-game stretch: the 2018-19 Houston Rockets and this year's Milwaukee Bucks.

The Nets have the luxury of a deep stable of shooters. Since Harden's debut, Brooklyn has five players making better than 40% of their 3s on at least 60 attempts -- all three stars plus role players Joe Harris (whose overall 51% accuracy leads the NBA) and Jeff Green. A sixth player, reserve Tyler Johnson, has hit 42% of his more limited attempts over the past month (13-of-31).

It's going to be hard for the Nets to keep shooting this well. No team in NBA history has managed 42% 3-point shooting over a full schedule with the line at its current distance. (The Charlotte Hornets shot 43% in 1996-97, the last of three seasons it was temporarily moved in to 22 feet.) But the level of shooting Brooklyn has put around its stars is a key reason this offense has proved so difficult to defend. -- Kevin Pelton

Kenley Jansen watched from the bullpen as Julio Urias, a 24-year-old starting pitcher, preserved a two-run lead and recorded a save in the Los Angeles Dodgers' long-awaited championship clincher last fall. Jansen, a three-time All-Star, had proved too unreliable in the postseason, leaving outsiders to wonder if his reign as the Dodgers' closer had finally come to an end.

Not yet, it seems.

"I believe we're at our best if Kenley is closing for us," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Thursday after the team's first official workout of the year in Glendale, Arizona. "But with that said, we have a lot of great, viable options to finish a game. So right now, that's kind of where it's at. And Kenley looks fantastic. As I sit here right now, I expect him to close that first game out of the season."

Jansen posted a 1.81 ERA, a 0.73 WHIP and an 11.27 strikeout-to-walk ratio from 2015 to 2017 and a 3.34 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 4.64 strikeout-to-walk ratio from 2018 to 2020. The former stretch put him among the best closers in baseball history. The latter, hindered by the inconsistent mechanics that plagued his cutter, still made him an above-average reliever.

Jansen's 14 regular-season blown saves over the past three years are one short of the major league lead, but the Dodgers don't possess any obvious replacements as Jansen heads into the final season of his contract.

Urias is expected to claim a spot in the Dodgers' loaded rotation, while Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin -- on the outside looking in with Trevor Bauer added to the mix -- will also be stretched out as starters. Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol have good stuff but didn't boast the elite strikeout rates teams typically prefer for the final inning of close games last season. And Corey Knebel, the bullpen's biggest outside addition, is three years removed from being an elite reliever.

Jansen, 33, allowed 11 runs (nine earned) in 24⅓ innings last year, but eight of those runs came in back-to-back appearances near the middle of September. Among pitchers with at least 50 batted-ball events last season, Jansen allowed the third-lowest average exit velocity.

"I don't think he was pitching his best in the postseason, but this is a new year," Roberts said. "I expect him to have a great year, and so for me, I think he's earned that opportunity to start out as our closer. But at the end of the day, I want the guys that are pitching the best to finish the game. And Kenley understands that, too."

Jhye Richardson was left feeling exhausted after he earned a "life-changing" bid at the IPL auction while his Australia and now Punjab Kings team-mate Riley Meredith termed his outcome in becoming the most expensive uncapped overseas player as "pretty outrageous."

Richardson fetched AUD 2.48 million (INR 14 crore/USD 1.9 million) amid frenzied bidding for the pace bowler who was the leading wicket-taker in this season's BBL while Meredith, who plays for the Hobart Hurricanes, was also in steep demand as he earned AUD 1.42 million (INR 8 crore/USD 1 million) despite being yet to make his international debut.

The pair, along with other Australia team-mates whose names were in the auction, watched the bidding late into the night during their quarantine in New Zealand while hurriedly using currency convertors and hasty notes to keep track of the ever-rising sums.

"I knew my name came up and I just got this wave of nauseousness, not knowing what to expect," Richardson said. "For what to me felt like 20 minutes no one put their paddle up and you are like 'oh, no', you have no idea what's going to happen. Then the first paddle went up and it realistically was probably five or 10 seconds but felt like a lifetime, then after that you just hope it keeps going up.

"I don't really remember too much about it. It's almost a blank, I was watching it but felt like I wasn't watching it. After everything that's happened you are obviously really excited then you hit this massive wall, it was pretty late, I had all this emotion, all the adrenaline, a load of messages coming through on my phone and then completely crashed and felt exhausted. I feel like I played a game, mentally exhausted myself. Still sinking in, that's for sure.

"I think it's an amazing result. It's life-changing to be honest. And it's so fresh, it's only happened last night, that I haven't actually had a whole lot of time to process it. It's exciting. It's almost nerve-racking. It's all of those things, that."

Meredith was converting Richardson's price as it climbed and climbed, before having the same experience himself. Both players were on calls with their partners back home in Australia as the numbers rose.

"I was trying to figure it out and tell him [Jhye], it went up to a million, two million, unbelievable, and then mine rolled around and it was the same," Meredith said. "Same as Jhye, I probably only got a few hours sleep. I was on Facetime with my girlfriend and couldn't believe what was happening. Like it was fake to be honest, we were pretty dumfounded.

"It was pretty outrageous really, wasn't expecting too much going on. Was hopeful for a bid or two. It got a bit out of control, luckily enough a couple of teams doing a bit of bidding and it was pretty amazing to go that high."

Richardson has experience of bowling in India having been part of the limited-overs tour in early 2019 shortly before he suffered the shoulder dislocation in the UAE which required two rounds of surgery. However, for Meredith the IPL will be the first time he has travelled to India - or anywhere in Asia - with his ability to push the speedgun towards 150kph attracting plenty of interest.

"I'm sure it will be a learning curve and hoping to grab it with both hands," Meredith said. "There was a bit of talk before the auction about fast bowlers being in demand this year. It was a good time to not be allocated to a franchise. Bit of right place, right time."

The mega payday for Richardson is another significant milestone in his recovery from the injury that caused him to miss the 2019 World Cup and any chance of being selected for the Ashes. He has played one game for Australia since the initial injury but is likely to play a significant role in the T20I series against New Zealand which starts on Monday and will be making a strong push to be part of the T20 World Cup squad later this year in India.

"All the questions sort of go through your mind when you have such a long recovery or such a big injury, whether or not you'll get back to your best," he said. "I had a lot of amazing people around me to say, yeah, you will get back. The more I heard it the more I started to believe and when you believe in yourself that's when you can reach your potential. It's been an amazing journey. But it's not over yet. There's still plenty of things to concentrate on. This Australian tour and hoping to make it back to Test cricket at one stage.

"[The IPL] is obviously a really good opportunity again and a good challenge to showcase a few more of my skills in subcontinental conditions. I'm really looking forward to it and for me on a personal level it's really reassuring to know that I'm sort of back to where I was shoulder-wise which is really exciting."

Kyle Jamieson had originally planned to sleep through the IPL auction, like Jimmy Neesham, but then woke up at around midnight in Christchurch to watch the Royal Challengers Bangalore, the Delhi Capitals and the Punjab Kings bid furiously for him. The 6'8" quick ended up attracting the day's second-highest winning bid, with Mike Hesson's Royal Challengers signing him up for INR 15 crore (USD 2 million approx).

"It was pretty surreal, really, and it's such a unique experience to watch yourself go through an auction like that in the early hours of the morning," Jamieson said. "And I think it's probably still trying to sink in a little bit and try to take in…

"Yeah, it was weird, there's no textbook to say how to approach that sort of stuff - that's probably how I've tried to take it. It's such a unique experience and it's trying to embrace the whole situation of it all as just try to, I guess, enjoy the moment."

Having watched the madness unfold, Jamieson first called up his partner and then his parents.

"I actually called my partner and actually woke her up," Jamieson said. "She was asleep, and that was a pretty cool moment. Kind of sit back and there wasn't a whole lot of words to be spoken to be fair, but then called mum and dad - they were up as well. Did that and then turned the phone off and tried to get some sleep."

Jamieson was also pleased to share the moment with former New Zealand quick Shane Bond who incidentally will plot against Jamieson in the Mumbai Indians backroom in the forthcoming IPL.

"I had a message from Shane Bond as it [auction] was going and he was sort of saying, 'How good is this!' I didn't actually know what the amount of money was and how that translated to New Zealand dollars," Jamieson said. "It was quite cool to share that moment with him and sort of ride that two or three minutes with him."

Having become the highest-paid New Zealander at an IPL auction - his senior fast-bowling partner Trent Boult had previously attracted a bid of INR 5 crore from the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017 - Jamieson is now preparing to buy coffee and beer for his team-mates and also cop some friendly banter from them.

"Yeah, I think there will be a bit [of banter] from Boult, [Tim] Southee etc. So, no, it's all part of it, and there's a lot of banter thrown around in this group anyway and it's such an enjoyable place to be. It's all harmless and just good fun."

Jamieson was looking forward to linking up with a star-studded RCB contingent, which also includes Australia allrounder Glenn Maxwell who was signed for INR 14.25 crore (USD 1.95 million approx).

"I think it's such a special experience and I think [I'm] so fortunate to go to a team with superstars of the game like that," Jamieson said. "They've had success for such a long period of time - those guys…Just to rub shoulders with them and try to learn and grow as a cricketer is something that I'm relishing."

Jamieson has never played competitive cricket in India previously, and the hefty price tag could invite pressure, but he downplayed it and hoped to pick up new tricks. His maiden IPL stint could potentially tune him up for the T20 World Cup, which is also slated to be held in India later this year.

"To be fair, I don't think a whole lot changes to me," Jamieson said. "I accept that there will be expectations but that's been the case the whole time I've played. When you play your first one-day game, first Test, and different series, there's always expectation, but it's probably more externally than it is with me. For me, it's about how can I learn, how can I grow, and focusing on trying to do the job for the team at that time."

Shane Jurgensen, the New Zealand bowling coach, also believed Jamieson wouldn't be distracted by the price tag and backed him to succeed in India with his pace and bounce.

"He won't change," Jurgensen said. "He will still do his thing, his preparation, and he works hard. Like all our guys, he will do what he does. I think he will take it and he's a very level young man - he's worked hard on a lot of areas in his game and as I said it's [a] reward for all he's done."

After Jamieson bagged 6 for 7 - the best figures by a New Zealander and the fifth-best overall in T20 cricket - in the Super Smash on New Year's Day in 2019, Hesson had tweeted: "An impressive bowler who at 6ft 8in can swing it... another one to add to the @BLACKCAPS stable." Jamieson has since broken into New Zealand's side across formats, most notably playing a crucial hand in their run to the WTC final, and now Hesson has added Jamieson to the RCB stable as well.

Former Ireland captain Lynne Cantwell has been named South Africa women's first high performance manager.

The Springbok women will play in the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in September.

"I am excited and naturally a bit nervous about the big move over to South Africa," said Cantwell.

"But I feel incredibly comforted by the warm welcome I have been given internally at SA Rugby, by the players and management, and the provincial CEOs.

"Globally women's rugby has been recognised as the strategic growth area for the game where it is experiencing rapid transformation as a result of World Rugby's focus."

Ireland's Six Nations Grand Slam-winning vice-captain from 2013 added: "At SA Rugby, we are committed to progress but recognize the work that needs to be done to repair and rebuild in order to move forward.

"I think the women's rugby community in South Africa has a unique identity and strength, with a bright future.

"I look forward to working with everyone to design an environment that allows South African women's talent to thrive."

'A serious appointment' - Roux

Cantwell holds a degree in sports and exercise science from the University of Limerick and has a Masters in physiotherapy from Southampton University, while she has served as an executive committee board member with Sport Ireland.

SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux said securing Cantwell was a "serious appointment" with the organisation refocusing its approach to women's rugby as part of a major strategic overview.

"If we're serious about women's rugby - and we are - we had to make a serious appointment, and we have," said Roux.

"Lynne comes on board at a time when we have committed to growing the game amongst women - a directive from World Rugby and a South African national imperative."

Ireland's Caelan Doris looks likely to remain unavailable for the rest of the Six Nations after Andy Farrell said he would be "out for the foreseeable future" because of concussion symptoms.

Coach Farrell said Doris, 22, "is getting well looked after" and "seeing the right people".

"But we don't intend to see him back anytime soon," said the Ireland coach.

Doris was concussed on his Ireland debut against Scotland a year ago. But he went on to be one of the team's most impressive performers during the autumn campaign, which included a man-of-the-match display against the Scots.

Sexton and Ryan should be fit for Rome - Farrell

While Doris looks set to miss the remainder of Ireland's campaign, Farrell is optimistic regular captain Johnny Sexton and influential lock James Ryan will be available for the game against Italy on 27 February that looks must-win following the defeats by Wales and France.

Sexton and Ryan missed the home loss against the French after taking knocks to the head in the Cardiff loss.

"We'll have a bill of full health hopefully [bar Caelan Doris]," added Farrell, who also should have prop Dave Kilcoyne available for the Rome contest after he missed the France game because of a calf injury.

Following Ireland's two opening losses, some pundits - including former Grand Slam winner Stephen Ferris - have suggested that the remainder of the campaign should be used to blood new players with the 2023 World Cup in mind.

Farrell appeared to rule that out in his media briefing on Thursday.

"I'll do what's right for the team and what's right for the team is making sure we get the best performance out of them," he said.

"We'll pick the strongest side that we need to make that happen."

Farrell acknowledged "concerns" at Ireland's inability to create scoring opportunities, particularly against the French after a brave 14-man effort in the narrow defeat by Wales following Peter O'Mahony's early red card, but insisted "I'm pretty confident where we are going".

In a BBC interview earlier this week, former Ireland star Ferris said "questions will be asked" about Farrell's future, if his team's form doesn't quickly improve but the coach insisted he was unfazed by the seemingly gathering pressure.

"I've dealt with it [pressure] all my life," Farrell said. "You either embrace the pressure or you get buried by it.

"I enjoy it. It makes you feel alive. You know that when you're taking the gig on. I believe if you have not got pressure in your life, it's not living anyway. It goes with the territory I suppose."

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Rick Ware Racing has revealed that Clix Wipers will be the primary sponsor of the No. 53 Chevrolet driven by Garrett Smithley in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 on the Daytona Int’l Speedway Road Course.

“My brother and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to continue working with Garrett (Smithley) and Rick Ware Racing in 2021,” said CEO Anthony Leardi. “The opportunity to add a primary race was extremely exciting to our whole team. Road Courses are the only tracks that NASCAR will race in the rain, and when they do, they need a wiper. Sponsoring the Daytona Road Course event is a natural for Clix and we can’t wait to see the Clix Wipers car hit the track.”

Clix Wipers are available at www.ClixWipers.com and www.amazon.com, and will be available in all AutoZone locations nationwide later this year.

“From the moment I met Anthony and Arthur (Leardi) I knew it would be a great partnership,” said Smithley. “I’ve never met more passionate people in my life. They know their business, they know their product, and they know their customers. Clix Wipers are the kind of product that make you think, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Not only is it a great idea, but it is a great product. I’m excited to see Clix continue its growth. I’m honored to work with such a quality group of people. I can’t wait to hit the track on Sunday.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Robin Braig, the former president of Daytona Int’l Speedway, has died at the age of 64.

Daytona Int’l Speedway officials confirmed the news in a tweet Thursday afternoon.

Daytona International Speedway is saddened to hear of the passing of former Track President, Robin Braig.

His creativity and passion for the sport and our fans helped grow DAYTONA to unprecedented heights. Our thoughts are with his family and friends as we share this loss. pic.twitter.com/KegrNv5xtU

— Daytona International Speedway (@DAYTONA) February 18, 2021

Braig started his career in NASCAR in 1998. Before joining the International Speedway Corp., Braig served as vice president and general manager of Phoenix Raceway from 1999 to ’02.

Braig was named president of Daytona Int’l Speedway in 2002 and during his time at the speedway he spearheaded the complete renovation of the paddock and the construction of a new turn one tunnel.

Braig left Daytona Int’l Speedway in 2010 and was replaced by Joie Chitwood III.