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On the eve of the Dodgers’ final regular season series at Dodger Stadium, Clayton Kershaw announced his retirement. There would be one final regular season start at home, then one final regular season start at Seattle, then one final World Series appearance at Dodger Stadium, then one final World Series championship celebration at Dodger Stadium.

“I know they’re going to get one more next year,” Kershaw told the crowd, “and I’m going to watch just like all of you.”

This is Hollywood, so get me rewrite. Kershaw did not change his retirement script Thursday, but he did alter it, joining Team USA for the World Baseball Classic.

Team USA opens the World Baseball Classic in Kershaw’s home state of Texas, facing Brazil on March 6. For all that Kershaw has accomplished in his Hall of Fame career — a most valuable player award, three Cy Young awards, three World Series championships, 3,000 strikeouts and a no-hitter among them — he never has participated in the World Baseball Classic.

Kershaw committed to play for Team USA in 2023, saying it would be “probably my last chance to do it.” He was unable to secure the insurance required for MLB participants after spending time on the injured list in 2022 because of a back injury.

“It’s just such a great group that it would have been really fun to be a part of,” Kershaw said then. “It’s almost like an All-Star Game with meaning. I was getting really excited about it.”

At the height of his career, Kershaw would have been an easy choice to start the most important games for Team USA. But the Team USA roster features Cy Young winners Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal as well as top starters Logan Webb and Joe Ryan, so Kershaw appears more likely to make any appearances out of the bullpen.

That is how the Dodgers used him in the postseason. Kershaw made two relief appearances during their championship run, most memorably in the 12th inning of Game 3 of the World Series. The Toronto Blue Jays had the bases loaded with two out, and Kershaw came in to retire Nathan Lukes on a ground ball, in a dramatic eight-pitch at-bat.

Edgardo Henriquez and Will Klein combined to follow Kershaw with six scoreless innings, and the Dodgers won in the 18th inning — their only World Series victory at Dodger Stadium — on a home run by Freddie Freeman.

This will be the sixth World Baseball Classic. Team USA has won once, in 2017 at Dodger Stadium. Japan has won three times, including the most recent tournament in 2023, with Shohei Ohtani striking out then-Angels teammate Mike Trout for the final out.

Kershaw will join longtime Dodgers catcher Will Smith on Team USA. The WBC finals this year are scheduled for Miami from March 15-17.

Macclesfield chairman Rob Smethurst says he feels like his side “won the FA Cup” with their third-round win over holders Crystal Palace on Saturday – and admitted he was “first on” as fans invaded the pitch at full-time.

The Silkmen beat their Premier League opponents 2-1 despite ranking 117 places below them, creating the biggest shock in the competition’s history in terms of difference in league position.

Paul Dawson’s header in the first half sent the home fans into dreamland, before Isaac Buckley-Ricketts shocked Palace further when he delivered a second after the break.

The final whistle prompted scenes of jubilation as fans raced on to the pitch to celebrate.

“I legged it!” Smethurst told BBC Radio 5 Live on Sunday.

“I thought this is going to happen and I thought you know what I’m going on! I thought I need to hug my players here, I probably was first on and caused havoc.”

He added: “It was just amazing for Macclesfield. I know the lads were partying until three, four o’clock in the morning. I mean the scenes for the town and the community yesterday was just one of those experiences that I’m never going to forget.

“I was home early believe it or not. I got myself back and watched it all over again. Amazing scenes. For me I think we won the FA Cup yesterday.”

Prior to the Test, stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith described the pitch as “furry and green” and said “batters would have to be on their game”.

Speaking after his side were beaten, Smith said he was “not sure” why MCG head groundsman Matthew Page had opted to leave so much grass on the pitch for the Boxing Day Test – a marquee event in the Australian sporting calendar. Page will talk to the media on Sunday.

“We let them judge it and do what they see fit,” said Smith.

“I said before the game it looked like it was going to offer a fair amount and it probably did more than we thought it was going to.

“It’s tough as a groundsman, always looking for the right balance. Maybe if he took it from 10mm to eight it would have been a nice, challenging wicket, maybe a little bit more even. Groundsmen are always learning and maybe he’ll take something from that.”

Former England captain Michael Vaughan had criticised the MCG pitch after day one and said it had “done too much” and the result was an “unfair” contest between bat and ball.

Pitches and outfields that have hosted international matches are given a rating by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Following the 2017 Ashes Test on this ground, the MCG pitch was given a “poor” rating for being too friendly for batting. Only 24 wickets fell across the entire Test and England’s Alastair Cook made an unbeaten 244.

On this occasion, England batter Joe Root, who also played in 2017, said this pitch was “challenging” to bat on.

“The argument is was it too one-sided – bat v ball? People are more qualified to judge that,” said Root. “It was certainly challenging from my point of view.

“You have a world-class attack and the ball is moving a considerable amount. Your job is to get on the right side of the result.”