Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 99th international goal as the defending champions edged past Luxembourg 2-0 in difficult conditions away from home on Sunday to qualify for Euro 2020.

Bruno Fernandes broke the deadlock in the 39th minute and Ronaldo wrapped it up with four minutes left to ensure that Portugal finished second in Group B with 17 points, three ahead of Serbia who drew 2-2 with Ukraine.

Diogo Jota's shot appeared to be going in any way but Ronaldo prodded it over to claim the goal.

He is one short of joining Iran's Ali Daei, the only player to have scored a century of goals for a national team.

Portugal survived several early scares as they struggled to impose their game on a rain-soaked pitch full of divots at the Josy Barthel stadium.

Ronaldo, in particular, was not enjoying the conditions and gestured angrily at the pitch after sending a speculative wide in the first half.

Needing a win to qualify without having to worry about Serbia's result, Portugal were in trouble early on as Luxembourg saw a chance to spring an upset.

Maurice Deville got above his marker and headed over from Laurent Jans' cross and Vincent Thill, a thorn in Portugal's side, had a goalbound shot blocked by Ruben Dias.

Luxembourg were even closer when a corner found Gerons Rodrigues unmarked but he headed over.

Portugal began to adapt to the conditions and their more direct approach was rewarded with a goal.

Bernardo Silva floated a pass over the Luxembourg defence from deep inside his own half and into the path of Fernandes who took it superbly in his stride and fired a low shot between Anthony Moris and the near post.

The second half was more comfortable for Portugal as they dominated possession although there still anxious moments.

Ronaldo nearly sealed it when he curled a free kick narrowly wide from the edge of the area.

With four minutes left, Silva's cross found Jota and Moris got a hand to it but could not stop it crossing the line and Ronaldo poked it home for good measure

Tshwane Spartans 188 for 2 (Elgar 88*) beat Paarl Rocks 185 for 6 (Vince 86*, Morkel 2-24) by eight wickets

Tshwane Spartans got their first win of this Mzansi Super League (MSL) with only the second successful chase of the tournament so far. After the Nelson Mandela Bay Stars eased to victory chasing 109 against the Jozi Stars on Saturday, the Spartans made bigger tasks look easy and hunted down a target of 186, with five balls to spare. Their win has taken up to third place on the points table and pushed Paarl Rocks into fourth.

It's blowing in the wind

While the east coast of the country has been hit by heavy rain, the west has seen strong winds with gusts of up to 50kph over this weekend and it had an effect on the fielders. Six catches were dropped in total, four by the visiting team and two which gave top-scorer James Vince a lifeline.

Henry Davids was on 14 when he was put down at deep square leg, and he went on to score 30. Vince did much more damage. He was first put down on 5 when he miscued a shot off Lungi Ngidi to AB de Villiers at long-off. De Villiers had the ball in his hands but was back-pedaling and heading over the rope so he tossed the ball up, but not high enough that he could get back on the field and complete the catch.

Three overs later, Vince offered a much simpler chance to by Donovan Ferreira at deep midwicket off Roelof van der Merwe but the ball slipped through the hands. Morne Morkel then dropped a return catch off Dwaine Pretorius when the batsman was on 7. He only added two more to his total.

The hosts did not escape the wind either. Isuru Udana had two chances put down - Theunis de Bruyn on 31, who was dropped by Bjorn Fortuin at long-on and de Villiers, on 8, put down by Pretorius at backward square leg. While de Bruyn went on to make 42, de Villiers only scored 19.

Faf v Morne

Watching former team-mates take each other on is part of the fun of T20 franchise cricket and though today was billed as being about Faf du Plessis v de Villiers, it was actually du Plessis v Morne Morkel. The former Titans and South African team-mates were on opposite sides in Paarl and Morkel claimed major bragging rights. He had du Plessis caught at midwicket for a third-ball duck to put the Rocks in early trouble at 45 for 2.

Highest opening partnership of the competition

Who said Dean Elgar and Theunis de Bruyn are red-ball cricketers only? Not us! The Test duo put on the highest opening partnership of the competition so far - 104 runs in 12.2 overs which featured a dynamic array of strokes. De Bruyn cut and pulled well while Elgar was enterprising and aggressive, hitting down the ground and timing and placing the ball well, especially in the air. Elgar was the match's top-scorer with 88 off 60 balls, including seven fours and two sixes.

Captain Klaasen

The most-scrutinised leadership skills in this competition are Temba Bavuma's and Quinton de Kock's as the succession race for the South African national team hots up, but Heinrich Klaasen showed why he also has something to offer as he led from the front to take his side to victory. Klaasen's cameo of 31 runs off 13 balls featured a reverse-sweep, a straight drive over Tabraiz Shamsi and back-to-back sixes at the end of the 19th over to ensure the Spartans only needed two runs to win off the last six balls.

Doctors recently told Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford that the fractured bones in his back are a six-week injury, league sources told ESPN.

This doesn't mean Stafford will be sidelined six games, but it does provide a glimpse into the severity of the injury that he has played through before the Lions' doctors denied him from playing last week against the Chicago Bears and Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, according to a source.

Stafford will miss his second straight game Sunday, and the Lions still are unsure when he will be able to return. Last week, a source told ESPN that Stafford "could miss one week, he could miss three weeks."

But Detroit also knows that this type of injury would sideline most players six weeks, if not longer. It is another testament to Stafford's toughness; he had started 136 straight games before last week's absence, the sixth-longest streak for a quarterback in NFL history.

Before last week, the last Lions quarterback to start a game other than Stafford was Shaun Hill in Week 17 of the 2010 season.

Stafford has completed 64.3% of his passes for 2,499 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions this season. Earlier this year, he became the fastest quarterback in NFL history to surpass 40,000 passing yards.

Stafford's current backup, Jeff Driskel, was unable to rally Detroit to a victory in Chicago, but he will get another opportunity Sunday against Dallas, and he could well be getting more in the weeks to come.

Andy Murray has urged players and fans to give the new Davis Cup format a chance, with next week's tournament hit by some high-profile absences.

The week-long event, starting in Madrid on Monday, has 18 nations competing in six groups - replacing the old system of home and away ties through the year.

Among the top-10 players missing it are Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev.

"Tennis is not always the easiest to make changes in and this is a big change," Britain's Murray said.

"I think there's some people that seem to be hoping it doesn't go well but I hope it goes really well and that it's a big success.

"The players and all of the fans need to try to give it a chance to see how it goes and I think we'll have a better idea after the tournament's finished."

The former world number one has been in the Spanish capital this week with his Great Britain team-mates to prepare for their group matches against the Netherlands on Wednesday and Kazakhstan on Thursday.

German world number seven Zverev has opted not to play, saying the new format of the prestigious men's team tennis competition is "not Davis Cup".

Meanwhile, Russian world number four Medvedev withdrew this week to recover after a long season, while Roger Federer's Switzerland and Dominic Thiem's Austria did not qualify.

However, there are still plenty of big names who will be there, with Rafael Nadal leading home hopes for Spain and Novak Djokovic playing for Serbia.

The 25-year, £2.15bn revamp of the Davis Cup is funded by an investment group led by Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique's Kosmos company.

Under the new system, group winners - as well as the two second-placed teams with the best records - progress to the quarter-finals, with the semi-finals and final taking place on 23 and 24 November.

Matches will consist of two singles and one doubles rubber, all played over three sets on a hard court at the Caja Magica.

Critics of the new format have pointed to the loss of the partisan Davis Cup atmospheres of old, such as the Glasgow crowd that roared the British team into the 2015 final, which they won against Belgium in Ghent.

"I'm going to miss that but I love being around the team and I'm excited to see what the new format looks like and I hope the atmosphere is brilliant," Murray said. "That's my one concern."

ALTOONA, Iowa – Knoxville Raceway drivers, owners, officials and fans gathered Saturday night at Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino.

More than 650 guests witnessed more than $250,000 in cash and contingencies handed out in an event emceed by track announcers Tony Bokhoven and Kris Krug.

The contingency package was headlined by a giveaway of seven chassis. Each owner in all three sprint car classes was awarded a contingency. The Knoxville Raceway Charitable Organization again will provide insurance for all 2019 Knoxville point eligible drivers. Drivers also received a $1,000 gift certificate from KRCO for safety equipment purchased at Jocko’s Race Parts.

After dinner, Marketing Director Kendra Jacobs addressed the attendees. In addition to the thanks doled out to those who make Knoxville Raceway what it is, she expressed her excitement for the 2020 season and beyond.

Drivers and owners outside of the top five in each of the three respective classes received their accolades.

The Jr. Fan Club Driver of the Year was announced. McKenna Haase received her sixth consecutive award.

Nick and Kirsti Peterson of Checkered Flag Concessions presented a special award to Gary Smith, who has been involved with concessions at the Knoxville Raceway for the past 50 years.

Alan DeHaai was the recipient of the Knoxville Raceway Fan of the Year for his involvement in the 360 Booster Club.

Bob Baker, the Executive Director of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum, presented the Ralph Capitani Heritage Award to longtime Knoxville journalist Perry Bell, who has been covering events at Knoxville Raceway for 39 years.

The Lyle Boyd Hard Charger Award awards the drivers who passed the most cars in A main events this season. Evan Epperson received the award in the Pro Series class, with Jon Agan (360) and Brian Brown (410) receiving the award in their respective classes.

Bobby Mincer was named the Sportsman of the Year in the 410 class, while Rob Kubli picked up the honor in the 360 class. Jeff Wilke won the award in the Pro Series class.

Mike Johnston (Pro Series), Ryan Leavitt (360) and Trey Starks (410) were named Rookie of the Year in their respective classes.

Owner/Team of the Year Awards went out to the Scott and Matthew Stelzer (Pro Series), Carson McCarl (360) and Brown (410).

The big hardware went out last to the top five drivers in the Lucas Oil Knoxville Championship Cup Series point standings. In the Pro Series class, Jeff Wilke (fifth), Brandon Worthington (fourth), Mike Johnston (third), Chris Walraven (second) and Matthew Stelzer (champion) were honored.  It was Stelzer’s second career championship (2012).

In the 360 class, Jon Agan (fifth), Calvin Landis (fourth), Clint Garner (third), Ryan Giles (second) and Carson McCarl (champion) were honored.

In the 410 class, Justin Henderson (fifth), Brooke Tatnell (fourth), Austin McCarl (third), Terry McCarl (second) and Brown (champion) were honored. It was brown’s third career title (2007, 2010).

PARK CITY, Kan. – On a history-making night at the 81 Speedway where crew members, fans and racers honored the late Grant Junghans and paid tribute to hall-of-fame promoter C. Ray Hall, a young driver from Chatfield, Minn., named Jacob Bleess forever etched his name into dirt modified racing lore.

With the champagne still not dry on the Featherlite Fall Jamboree trophy he took home on Sept. 21, Bleess gave the audience in Park City, Kan., an encore performance with a wire-to-wire victory at the fourth annual Grant Junghans Memorial.

Following a heat race win, Bleess revealed his formula for success in the main event: “Stay consistent, keep the tires on it and not get passed.”

The racing surface was spectacular and racy all weekend but locked down right away in Saturday’s feature race and put passing at a premium.

Drawing the pole position was the one box Bleess checked just to be sure.

“Got that clean air right away and knew if I had the lead and just quarter-throttle the whole time and keep the tires under it. I didn’t really see that many people blow tires, so I knew I was pretty good for how much I was saving,” a smiling Bleess said during his victory lane celebration. “It was a good night.”

Bleess, who finished seventh in Friday night’s Chisholm Trail Showdown nightcap, beat reigning World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series champ Brandon Sheppard into the first corner and that was all she wrote.

“When you’re out front leading, you can set the pace and the guys behind you are usually going a little harder than you,” Bleess added. “No one was blowing tires so I knew we were going to be okay.”

Remembering one of the most popular USMTS racers ever, Saturday’s Grant Junghans Memorial main event paid $10,002 to the winner while each of the 24 main event starters earned no less than $1,202.

Bleess was 22 years old when he took the checkered flag Saturday night, but will celebrate his 23rd birthday after midnight on the same day that Junghans was born. He would have been 31 on Sunday.

The racing world lost Junghans on March 12, 2016, after a courageous six-year battle with a rare form of neuroendocrine cancer. The Grant Junghans Memorial is an opportunity for his family, friends, fans and fellow competitors to remember the good times and racing memories shared in his 27 years with us.

Junghans was first diagnosed with cancer in February of 2010. Despite on-again off-again chemotherapy treatments and numerous surgeries, he never lost his sense of humor, fighting spirit or natural-born tendency to be decent to others.

He was also the 2009 USMTS Rookie of the Year and that award has since been renamed in his honor.

Saturday’s triumph was the second career USMTS win for Bleess. His first came 55 days earlier at the Deer Creek Speedway during the 21st annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree.

Sheppard finished second Saturday while another Lucas Schott, who topped the inaugural Grant Junghans Memorial in 2016, came home in third.

Tyler Wolff held off 2017 event winner and reigning USMTS National Champion Rodney Sanders for fourth. Sanders settled for fifth.

The finish:

Jacob Bleess, Brandon Sheppard, Lucas Schott, Tyler Wolff, Rodney Sanders, Tanner Mullens, Dereck Ramirez, Darron Fuqua, Ryan Gustin, Chase Junghans, Cole Traugott, Alex Williamson, Kale Westover, Ryan McAninch, Jared Russell, Keith Hammett, Tyler Davis, Mike Striegel, Duke Erickson, Rick Beebe, Drew Amrstrong, Wendall Bolden, Brandon Givens, Cody Simpson.

If one eagle is good and two eagles are great, three eagles gave Tommy Fleetwood his first worldwide victory of 2019.

The Englishman feasted on the par-5s during the final round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, recording three eagles over his final 10 holes to vault into contention and ultimately capture a playoff victory over Marcus Kinhult after a par on the first extra hole. The win is Fleetwood's fifth on the European Tour but first since the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January 2018.

Fleetwood started the day outside the top 10 and six shots back but left with the trophy thanks to a 7-under 65. That round included back-to-back eagles on Nos. 9 and 10, highlighted by a chip-in from behind the green on No. 9, and a third eagle on the par-5 14th. The Englishman added in a trio of back-nine bogeys to keep things interesting, but he still did just enough on a day when 54-hole leader Zander Lombard and crowd favorite Louis Oosthuizen faltered with rounds of 77 and 75, respectively.

The win finally adds a victory to an otherwise solid 2019 campaign for Fleetwood, one that included a runner-up finish at Royal Portrush, a third-place showing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and a Tour Championship appearance. It's expected to lift Fleetwood from 18th to 10th in the newest world rankings.

It's also a timely title for Fleetwood, who is now in position to win the Race to Dubai for the second time in the last three years. The 2017 champ will head into the season finale in second place in the season-long standings, ahead of players like Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy but behind only Bernd Wiesberger, who added to his points lead with a T-3 finish in South Africa.

"It's an absolute privilege to get to the last event with a chance to win the Race to Dubai. It's an amazing thing to have in your career, and one of the things I'm most proud of," Fleetwood told reporters. "The closer it gets to the end of the season, the harder it gets to the present, do your things, concentrate on what you do best. But I'm happy for the challenge. I feel like I'm ready. I mean, I might go out next week and play terrible, but it's golf. And this experience will live with me forever."

The first-ever strike in Spanish women's top-flight football went ahead on Saturday after failed negotiations for a first collective agreement.

The players' union (AFE) and clubs' associations (ACFF) were locked in talks for 13 months without success.

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Players demanded improved conditions and pay but clubs argued they could not meet the players' terms, claiming they could not afford it and that a consequence would be the disappearance of several teams.

The indefinite strike, the first since the league's creation in 1988, was voted on by a majority of players in October and affects the domestic league but not the UEFA Women's Champions League or the national teams.

The ninth round of the Primera Iberdrola, which is made of 16 clubs, was due to kick off on Saturday with Espanyol hosting Granadilla Tenerife at 1 p.m. local time. Six matches on Sunday were also postponed.

Despite mediation from the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Spain's Sports Council (CSD) and the country's ministry of work, all efforts to prevent the strike failed.

"The footballers have conceded on several issues with the aim of avoiding the strike while the ACFF has shown a stagnancy, without offering alternatives or position solutions to unblock the conflict," read an AFE statement.

The players' union was willing to accept on Tuesday a proposal made by the ministry of work for a collective agreement that was hours later turned down by the clubs.

In that agreement, players were willing to compromise and accept a minimum annual wage of €16,000 and not the €20,000 they originally demanded.

The biggest stumbling block was whether to consider players as full-time professionals and not employed on a part-time basis, as clubs want.

Players also want to be covered in the event of an injury and pregnancy.

An AFE statement said: "Right now they are the only workers in their companies that don't have a collective agreement that protects them like their colleagues, a situation that in the 21st century is incomprehensible."

The appetite for the women's game has grown in recent years in Spain and sporting results have been good. A crowd of 60,739 turned up to watch Atletico Madrid host Barcelona in what was a world record for a club match in women's football in March.

A Spanish club reached the Women's Champions League final for the first time in the 2018-19 campaign with Barcelona progressing to the title game against Olympique Lyon.

Spain reached the knockout stages of the 2019 World Cup for the first time in their history before being eliminated by USA in the Round of 16.

Toss Afghanistan chose to bat v West Indies

Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan once again opted to bat after winning the toss in the third and final T20I in Lucknow with the series on the line.

Kieron Pollard said he also wanted to bat first as the teams batting first have gone on to win the first two games despite dew later in the evenings. West Indies won the first T20I by 30 runs before Afghanistan bounced back to trounce them by 41 runs and draw level.

West Indies made three changes to their XI. Lendl Simmons and Khary Pierre replaced Sherfane Rutherford and Hayden Walsh Jr, while Shai Hope came in for injured Denesh Ramdin, who has a left hamstring injury. Afghanistan were unchanged.

The match is being played on the same pitch that hosted the second T20I where West Indies failed to chase down 148.

Afghanistan: 1 Hazratullah Zazai, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Karim Janat, 4 Asghar Afghan, 5 Ibrahim Zadran, 6 Najibullah Zadran, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Gulbadin Naib, 9 Rashid Khan (capt), 10 Naveen-ul-Haq, 11 Mujeeb Ur Rahman

West Indies: 1 Lendl Simmons, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Brandon King, 6 Kieron Pollard (capt), 7 Jason Holder, 8 Keemo Paul, 9 Khary Pierre, 10 Kesrick Williams, 11 Sheldon Cottrell