International Round-up: Liverpool win to move clear; Real Madrid beat Espanyol 2-0; Ferguson wins as caretaker manager; England trio returns for South Africa tour; Batsman Fawad Alam recalled by Pakistan; Lakers beat Blazers 136-113; and Tradition over technology for F1.
FOOTBALL: Real Madrid beat Espanyol 2-0
Karim Benzema scored and picked up an assist as Real Madrid recorded a comfortable 2-0 win over Espanyol but were down to 10 men for the final stages after Ferland Mendy was sent off.
Benzema set up French team-mate Raphael Varane for the opener and made it 2-0 with just over 10 minutes to go.
The striker also wasted a huge chance in the second half, hitting it straight at keeper Diego Lopez from close range. Mendy was shown a second yellow card in the 82nd minute for a rash challenge.
And, Liverpool moved 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League with a comfortable 3-0 win over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, one of seven changes for the Reds, opened the scoring after a brilliant long-range pass from Jordan Henderson.
Naby Keita made it 2-0 before the break, slotting in with the outside of his foot after Mohamed Salah set him up with a sublime backheel.
Keita then turned provider for Salah as Liverpool eased to victory. (BBC Sport)
FOOTBALL: Ferguson wins as caretaker manager
Everton caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson made an instant impact on the pitch and a spectacular one off it as he started his reign with a vital 3-1 victory over Chelsea at Goodison Park.
Ferguson is in interim control after Marco Silva was sacked following Wednesday’s Merseyside derby thrashing at Liverpool that had left the Toffees in the relegation zone.
And Everton banished their recent struggles to run out fully deserved winners on a thunderous occasion illuminated by the former striker’s wild celebrations. (BBC Sport)
CRICKET: England trio returns for South Africa tour
James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow and Mark Wood have returned to the England Test squad for the tour of South Africa starting this month.
Seamer Anderson, 37, has not played for England since suffering a calf injury in the first Ashes Test in August. Wicketkeeper-batsman Bairstow was dropped for the recent 1-0 series defeat in New Zealand.
Pace bowler Mark Wood has been out since the World Cup final in July because of side and knees injuries.
The uncapped Saqib Mahmood is the only member of the squad for the recent 1-0 series defeat in New Zealand not to be included in the 17-man touring party.
Moeen Ali, who took a break from Test cricket after being dropped during the Ashes, remains unavailable. (BBC Sport)
CRICKET: Batsman Fawad Alam recalled by Pakistan
Fawad Alam is back in Pakistan’s Test squad after more than a decade out of the red-ball team. The left-hand middle-order batsman is part of the 16-member squad that will face Sri Lanka in two Tests in Rawalpindi and Karachi later this month.
Fawad replaced Iftikhar Ahmed, who only managed 44 runs in four innings on the recent tour of Australia. The only other change in the squad was the entry of left-arm quick Usman Shinwari, who has played 17 ODIs and 16 T20Is but is yet to make his Test debut, in place of the 19-year-old Muhammad Musa, who went wicketless in his Test debut in Adelaide.
Fawad, 34, began his Test career in November 2009 in Colombo, scoring a second-innings century on debut. He has only played two more Tests since then, however, despite being one of the most prolific scorers, season after season, in Pakistan’s domestic cricket. He has also played 38 ODIs and 24 T20Is. His last international appearance was an ODI against Bangladesh in April 2015. (ESPNCricinfo)
NBA: Lakers beat Blazers 136-113
Anthony Davis delivered 39 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots as the Los Angeles Lakers rolled to a 136-113 victory over the host Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.
LeBron James made four 3-pointers while recording 31 points, eight assists and seven rebounds as the Lakers improved their record to 20-3, tied with the Milwaukee Bucks for best in the NBA. Kyle Kuzma scored 15 off the bench, and JaVale McGee added 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting as Los Angeles completed a 3-0 road trip that began with games against the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz.
Damian Lillard registered 29 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Trail Blazers. Hassan Whiteside added 17 points, 10 rebounds and three steals, and Carmelo Anthony, CJ McCollum and Anfernee Simons added 15 points apiece. (Reuters)
MOTORSPORTS: Tradition over technology for F1
Formula One’s governing body has ruled for tradition over technology when it comes to deciding the official end of a grand prix.
The FIA said in a statement after a World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris that the waved chequered flag would be reinstated next season as the “definitive end-of-race signal”.
Under new rules introduced this year, a digital chequered flag mounted on the starting lights gantry took precedence over the physical flag, which was still waved as before when cars crossed the finish line.
The digital display was blamed last October for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka being ended officially a lap early. (Reuters)
