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CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Captain Joe Root believes England has a better idea of the direction they it is are heading after the long tour Down Under came to a disappointing conclusion with the side failing to secure a victory in seven Tests against Australia and New Zealand.

A defiant rearguard action by New Zealand prevented the tourists from converting a promising position into a win in the second Test on Tuesday, the draw in Christchurch giving the hosts their first series win over England since 1999.

That followed a chastening 4-0 Ashes defeat in Australia and extended England's run to 13 matches without an overseas Test triumph since they beat Bangladesh in October 2016.

"You want to play in big series and we've had the opportunity to do that this winter," Root said in the on-pitch presentation ceremony at Hagley Oval after England fell two wickets short of victory.

"Unfortunately, it's not gone as well as we'd liked. But we have to pick ourselves up and make sure that when we come to the start of the summer, we're all switched on and we take the good stuff we've done this week into it."

England's hopes of winning the series were all but undone when they were bundled out for 58 in the first innings of the day-night opening Test in Auckland as the frailties of their batting was exposed. They lost by an innings and 49 runs.

"Bar that first innings, we've played some good cricket and especially in this game, I think we showed what we are about," he added.

A better start in Christchurch put them in a position to finally end their winless streak on Tuesday, but they were unable to dismiss New Zealand after starting the last day by taking two wickets in as many balls.

"I'm very proud of the  way we went about it," Root added.

"We did throw absolutely everything at New Zealand, tried a number of different things, few balls just out of reach towards the back end and you need a bit of luck sometimes and unfortunately it wasn't there for us today."

Despite England's already long tour, Root said he would have been happier had the series against New Zealand been decided over three Tests.

"I thought this was a great advert for Test cricket, these five days," he said.

"Coming down to this morning and every result was possible and obviously at the end there, that made for great viewing.”

"It's a shame, but that's the way it is."

AMMAN — Jordan’s boxers have arrived in Sudan where they will compete at the Arab Boxing Championships in Khartoum until April 10, the Jordan Olympic Committee said on Tuesday.

The strong Jordanian delegation includes Olympic Preparations Programme fighters Hussein Ishaish, Ghassan Al Kesbeh, Yousef Ishiash, Mohammad Al Wadi, Ziad Ishiash, Ali Al Hindi, Udai Al Hindawi and Sami Nour Eldein, according to the statement.

The delegation will be managed by coaches Ezzeldein Aqqoun and Omar Al Majali.

MANCHESTER, England — Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp is not about to change his team's trademark style against Champions League quarter-final opponents Manchester City, and believes he can make things "unpleasant" for Pep Guardiola's side.

City's dominance in the Premier League has led many teams to try different methods to limit the effectiveness of Pep Guardiola's tactics and the skill of his players.

Liverpool, though, are the only team to have beaten City in the league this season, with a thrilling 4-3 victory at Anfield in January, and Klopp suggests he will play in a similar style in the first leg on Wednesday.

"The way we attack the opponent, the way we defend high is unpleasant [for our opponents]. If we do that well they will have some difficulty coping with it," the German told UEFA.com.

"It will be very exciting. There's no guarantee this will work. In the end it's the lads on the pitch who will decide the game," he added.

Key to Liverpool's approach is the attacking trio of in-form Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, who all scored in the January victory over City but who are also central to the pressing of Guardiola's defence.

One approach Klopp won't be taking is simply trying to shut up shop.

"It'll be about doing more things right than the opponents, because you can't simply defend against City and hope that they won't score on the day," the German said. "They're just too good."

Klopp's "gegenpressing" style, honed at Borussia Dortmund, involves a rapid swarming of opponents' territory when they lose the ball, and a high defence to limit space and make good use of high-energy attacking full backs.

Guardiola's teams, including his former clubs Barcelona and Bayern Munich, enjoy playing out from the back, working the ball swiftly through midfield and using space expertly.

Pressing game 

The pressing from Liverpool's forwards and midfielders tests the ability but Klopp says the two methods are more similar than many think.

"There's no big difference, actually. It's just that Pep has always had better teams than me. You can see that now with Manchester City — they have a lot more points than we do. However, that difference has never been as small as it is now. When we coached at Bayern and Dortmund respectively, that difference was really big," he said.

While much of the credit for City's success has been given to their manager, Klopp believes City, who are 16 points clear at the top of the Premier League and can clinch the title with a win over Manchester United on Saturday, also owe much of their success to the quality of their players.

"Positioning is important but this is not witchcraft. When the players are in position they move every millisecond in order to be available. And when they are, that's when the individual quality of the player becomes important," he said.

"So they're already well-positioned on the pitch, they are very well orientated and they can pass the ball into the next area. That's what makes them extraordinary," Klopp added.

CARDIFF — Britain’s Anthony Joshua moved a step closer to becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world on Saturday after beating New Zealander Joseph Parker on a unanimous points decision in their title unification bout.

The 2012 Olympic champion, taken to 12 rounds for the first time in his professional career after 20 previous knockouts, added Parker’s WBO belt to his own WBA Super, IBF and IBO titles.

The three judges scored it 118-110, 118-110 and 119-109 to Joshua, leaving only Deontay Wilder’s WBC title still to conquer.

“Wilder. Let’s go baby, let’s go,” shouted Joshua from inside the ring to raucous cheers from the 78,000 crowd packing Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, also name-checking Tyson Fury as another possible opponent.

“Do I want to become undisputed heavyweight champion of the world? IBO, WBO, IBF, WBA...I’m not into the hype, I’m about business. So let’s get the business done.

“Let’s see what the future holds, I’m down for whatever, whenever,” added the Briton, making clear he wanted Wilder to face him in Britain rather than Las Vegas.

The American was not among those present, despite being invited by organisers, opting to watch from afar instead.

Stick behind jab

Both fighters had stepped into the ring undefeated, with Joshua weighing in 2.7 kilogrammes heavier than his shorter opponent and with a longer reach.

If some had expected an early knockout, it did not pan out that way, even if Joshua could be said to have controlled most of the 12 rounds by using his jab and left hooks to telling effect.

Apart from an explosive sixth round, with both trading some stinging blows, neither looked likely to buckle, with Parker showing more staying power than any of Joshua’s previous opponents.

The referee also intervened repeatedly, breaking up the fight whenever the fighting livened up and calling a time out in the ninth with Joshua returning to his corner to tighten up his gloves.

“My strategy in there was to stick behind the jab,” said Joshua.

“It’s one of the most important weapons. The old saying is the right hand can take you around the block, but a good jab will take you around the world. And that secured me another world title belt,” he added.

“I know the bookies say I might get a knockout...but forget the hype, Joseph Parker is a world champion. So I knew he was going to be determined. So this does become a boxing match, not a fight.

“Joseph Parker stated this would be war, I stated this would be boxing finesse. I stuck to my word and I controlled it behind the jab, the counter-punches.”

The 26-year-old New Zealander, who had been led into the ring by Samoan chiefs under a barrage of strobe lights before Joshua walked in to the sound of “Paid in Full” and “Another One Bites the Dust”, was gracious in defeat.

“Today I got beaten by a better champion, a bigger man,” he said.

“I’m going to come back stronger. No regrets, take it on the chin. Better man on the day.

“I would love to have another go.”

German fourth seed Alexander Zverev beat Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 7-6(4), 6-2 on Friday to set up a Miami Open final showdown against big-serving American John Isner, who earlier overwhelmed Juan Martin del Potro.

Carreno Busta gave as good as he got in the opening set, but Zverev took over the rest of the way, sprinting through a second set in which he dominated on serve and broke his 16th-seeded opponent twice.

“I didn’t feel I was playing my best in the beginning of the first set, a lot of errors.” Zverev said in an on-court interview.

“I was down in the tiebreak and I was like, I’m losing anyway I might as well be aggressive. So that’s what I did, I hit a few winners, very fortunate to win the first set and then found my game in the second.”

In the opening set tiebreak, Zverev sent a crushing backhand winner up the line to earn a set point. And at 6-4, with Carreno Busta serving, Zverev forced his opponent into a forehand error.

Zverev used a stinging crosscourt backhand for a break in the third game of the second set and broke his opponent again in the seventh before going on to serve out a match that took 88 minutes at Crandon Park.

The 20-year-old German will now set his sights on collecting his seventh career ATP Tour title and third Masters 1000 crown when he faces 14th-seed Isner in Sunday’s final.

Zverev is 3-0 in head-to-head meetings with Isner, his most recent victory coming in last year’s Italian Open semifinal.

Earlier, Isner ended Indian Wells champion del Potro’s 15-match winning streak with a 6-1, 7-6(2) victory over the fifth-seeded Argentine to reach his first Miami final.

Punishing a tired del Potro with his serve and groundstrokes, the lanky American breezed through the first set in 27 minutes after securing an early break.

The players held serve in a much-tighter second set until Isner claimed the tiebreak.

Isner, who will become the top-ranked American on Monday, brought up match point with a backhand winner down the line and then clinched with a sublime dropshot.

“I’ve just continued to keep playing better,” said Isner, who lost only 11 points on serve in the match. “I think today was even my best match. Very, very encouraging.

“Physically, I’m super-fresh and I’m ready to go for the finals.”

JOHANNESBURG/SYDNEY — Darren Lehmann is to step down as Australia coach following this week’s Test match against South Africa after taking ultimate responsibility for the culture of a team embroiled in a ball-tampering scandal that has rocked cricket.

Lehmann, who had previously said he would not resign, made his decision in part due to the abuse his family received after three Australia players conspired to scuff up the ball with sandpaper during the third test against South Africa.

Cricket Australia cleared Lehmann of wrongdoing following an investigation that led to the sacking of captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner, who were both banned from playing for 12 months. Batsman Cameron Bancroft was suspended for nine months.

In an emotional media briefing on Thursday, Lehmann, who had also come under fire for what has been described as a toxic culture within the team, said his decision was voluntary.

“Ultimately I’m responsible for the culture of the team. I’ve been thinking about my position for a while, despite telling media yesterday that I’m not resigning,” he told reporters in Johannesburg.

“My family and I got a lot of abuse over the last week. Speaking to my family, it’s the right time to step away.”

Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland thanked Lehmann for his contribution.

“Darren Lehmann has provided fantastic service and been part of a successful team that won a World Cup and a couple of Ashes. His work ethic has been terrific and he genuinely cares for and loves his players,” Sutherland said, before stating he had no thoughts of giving up his own position.

“I’m not resigning and what’s happened over the last few days has only strengthened my resolve.”

Smith broke down in tears of remorse as the three disgraced cricketers at the centre of the Cape Town scandal made apologetic returns to Australia.

Smith was unable to complete his news conference at Sydney Airport and was ushered out of the room after a short display of raw emotion during which he repeatedly apologised for his misjudgement.

Bancroft spoke of his shame on his arrival in Perth and Warner told reporters in Sydney that he would only speak once he had “cleared his head” in a few days, having earlier expressed remorse on his Instagram account.

‘Failure of leadership’

“To all of my team mates, to fans of cricket all over the world and to Australians who are angry and disappointed, I’m sorry,” Smith said in a prepared statement.

“It was a failure of leadership, of my leadership, I’ll do anything I can to make up for my mistake and the damage it has caused,” he added.

“Cricket is the greatest game in the world. It’s been my life and I hope it can be again. I’m sorry and I’m absolutely devastated.”

Smith received support from South Africa captain Faf du Plessis, who has twice been found guilty of ball-tampering.

“Obviously the penalty is quite hard on him, but I do have quite a bit of compassion for what he’s going through. It’s not nice. You don’t want to see any cricketer or person go through that amount of pain,” Du Plessis said.

Bancroft confessed to lying about using sticky tape rather than sandpaper to rough up the ball during a news conference immediately after the incident on Saturday.

“I lied about the sandpaper,” the 25-year-old told reporters. “I panicked in that situation and I’m very sorry. I feel like I’ve let everyone down in Australia.”

There was more bad news for Bancroft when English county Somerset announced they had cancelled his contract.

“I have spoken numerous times to Cameron since last Saturday, he has spoken very maturely. He shared his deep regret and apologised to everyone associated to the club,” Somerset director of cricket Andy Hurry said.

Universal condemnation

After four days of almost universal condemnation for the trio in Australia, the severity of the punishments brought some support.

Former Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne, while condemning the cheating, said the hype whipped up by anti-Australian feeling around the cricketing world had led to overly harsh punishments.

“The hysteria has gone worldwide and everyone that dislikes the way the Australian cricket team has played ... has been given the opportunity to lay the boots in,” he said.

One of those was former Australia and current Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur, who said the scandal was an inevitable result of an unwillingness to improve the culture in the country’s entire cricket set-up.

“An incident like this had to happen for the necessary cultural shift to take place. Australian cricket has been in an ivory tower for too long,” Arthur said.

The incident has also triggered an International Cricket Council review of the players’ code of conduct to curb on-field misdemeanours.

Better behaviour will be expected when Smith’s replacement Tim Paine leads out the team in the fourth test in Johannesburg on Friday, looking to level the series at 2-2 but most importantly start restoring the good name of Australian cricket.

Alexander Zverev capitalised on a fast start against Australian Nick Kyrgios to grind out a 6-4, 6-4 victory in a battle between two of the sport’s brightest prospects to advance to the quarter-finals of the Miami Open on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old German is looking to win the third Masters event of his career and advanced to a last-eight showdown against Croatia’s Borna Coric, who ended the run of Canadian prospect Denis Shapovalov 7-6(2), 4-6, 6-4 in a tight encounter.

The fourth-seeded Zverev had battled through a pair of three-set wins in his opening two rounds but was keen to make short work of Kyrgios when he broke serve in the first game and stormed to a 5-1 advantage.

The 22-year-old Kyrgios battled back to win three straight games to make it 5-4, but Zverev held his nerve and serve to close out the opener in 34 minutes.

Kyrgios, who had reached the Miami semi-finals in the previous two years, saw his hopes of at least matching that feat evaporate in the second set after his opponent secured the only break in the fifth game and rode it out for a well-earned win.

Earlier, big-serving American John Isner overcame second-seeded Croatian Marin Cilic 7-6(0), 6-3 to advance to the quarter-finals, where he will face South Korean Chung Hyeon, who dominated Joao Sousa in a routine 6-4, 6-3 win.

In a battle of power against power, it was Isner’s booming serve that made the difference as the towering 32-year-old fired 12 aces while never giving Cilic a look at a break point on a hot, windy day.

“I was very happy with how I played, especially with how I served,” Isner told reporters. “That’s certainly the best I’ve served all year.”

Del Potro triumphant

Isner took firm control of the match in the first set tiebreaker, where he stepped up his return game to shut out the world number three before finally breaking Cilic’s powerful serve in the second set and cruising to the win.

Chung needed a little more than an hour to see off the Portuguese Sousa, who could not find an answer to the 19th-seeded South Korean’s relentless all-court game.

With the win, Chung advances to his second consecutive quarter-final after also making the last eight in Indian Wells, where the 21-year-old lost to Swiss Roger Federer.

Also advancing was Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina, who defeated Filip Krajinovic 6-4, 6-2 for his 14th consecutive victory as the fifth seed looks to back up his Indian Wells title triumph with another tournament win.

“I will try to keep going and see how far I can go,” said Del Potro, who next meets big-serving Milos Raonic after the Canadian cruised to a 6-3, 6-4 victory against an overpowered Jeremy Chardy of France.

Del Potro beat Raonic in last week’s semi-finals in California before edging out Federer in the title match.

“It’ll be a difficult match,” Raonic admitted. “He’s been the best player in the world for the past four, five weeks.”

Elsewhere, Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta crushed compatriot Fernando Verdasco 6-0, 6-3 to reach the second Masters 1000 quarter-final of his career.

He will face South Africa’s Kevin Anderson, who used his big serve to full effect in a 7-6(3), 6-4 win over 20-year-old American Frances Tiafoe.

LONDON — Joseph Parker went face to face with Anthony Joshua on Tuesday and said he had yet to decide how he was going to win the unification battle of the undefeated world heavyweight champions.

New Zealander Parker (24-0) had no doubt he would do so, however, in front of 80,000 people at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Saturday.

“I feel it’s my time,” the bespectacled WBO champion, looking sharp in three-piece suit and tie, told a crowded news conference at Sky television’s London headquarters.

“I’m here to take those belts back. I’m here to be part of history.

“I haven’t decided how I want to beat him yet. I don’t know if it’s a knockout or points or a decision. I’ll see how I feel on fight night. Those belts are mine.”

The taller Joshua, the WBA, IBF and IBO world heavyweight champion, boasts a 20-0 record and is the overwhelming favourite.

The 2012 Olympic champion was equally certain he would emerge triumphant, portraying Parker as another step in his own life journey and not even the toughest opponent.

That was Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko, whom he beat at Wembley in April last year.

“I’m definitely preparing for a 12-round fight, 110 per cent,” said the chiselled Briton.

“But let’s say I’ve got 20 quid in my pocket and I’m looking at Joseph Parker and Anthony Joshua. I believe Anthony Joshua will knock Joseph Parker out for sure.”

Joshua, who had said on Monday he expected Parker to be overwhelmed, has won all his previous fights by knockout and has boasted that no human can stop him.

Parker, who said he would be surprised if Joshua could catch him, detected a whiff of arrogance and said he was no stepping stone for someone else.

“Of course he can be beaten,” the New Zealander said. “He’s not a god. He’s a human being.

“I know if I catch him clean, he’s out. He looks angry, he looks nervous. I’m not nervous. I’m ready for this, I’m confident.”

Despite his status as the poster boy of a division whose other big name is American Deontay Wilder, the undefeated WBC champion, Joshua spoke also of the fear of losing.

“It keeps me motivated,” he said. “One minute you’re the man, and the next you’re not.”

With the two contenders remaining polite and respectful several seats apart, it was left to US big fight announcer Michael Buffer to crank up the hype.

“This Saturday we will take one more step closer to the goal of a fighter being called the undisputed heavyweight world champion,” he said.

“Champion versus champion, undefeated fighter versus undefeated fighter. Somebody’s O has got to go.”