WORLD OF SPORT

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Best ending to a very good week

James Anderson’s careerbest figures in the third Test against the West Indies at Lord’s have catapulted the England paceman to the top of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Test bowling rankings. The swing bowler produced something of a clinic as he took seven for 42 against West Indies - a haul that included his 500th Test wicket - in England’s ninewicket win on Saturday that saw them to a 2-1 series victory. Anderson has now overtaken India left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja to regain the No 1 spot he most recently held in August last year. Anderson, 35, is also the oldest bowler to top the rankings since Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan in July 2009, a feat that ends a memorable season for the Lancashire star who took 39 wickets in seven Tests for England this home season at an average of just 14.1.

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Second near miss of the year for Petrucci

Danilo Petrucci has yet to win a MotoGP after 90 attempts and he came agonisingly close to breaking that streak yesterday, just as he had done earlier in the season. Petrucci had missed out on winning the Dutch TT Grand Prix in June by just 0.063 seconds to compatriot Valentino Rossi in June. Yesterday looked as if it would be finally the day he arrived in the winners’ circle in the series as he led going into the final lap of the Misano Grand Prix. But he was passed at Turn 1 by world champion Marc Marquez, and though he tried to fight back he finished 1.1 seconds behind at the chequered flag. “I tried until the last corner, I knew Marc was behind and was studying me,” Petrucci said. “If I let him past, I was scared about losing him. On the last lap, I tried but I closed the steering one time and I decided to finish second.” Petrucci’s next chance to win is the Aragon Grand Prix on September 24.

▷▷▷ Taking five minutes to award a penalty

When Inter Milan’s Joao Mario went down under a challenge against Spal yesterday in their Serie A clash at the San Siro the outcome would be a penalty kick, but referee Claudio Gavilucci took his time making the decision, five minutes to be precise. After initially giving a freekick, believing the contact had been on the edge of the area, Gavilucci liaised with the video assistant referee (VAR) system. After initially speaking to the video assistant, he then chose to look at a replay himself, before after more than five minutes eventually awarding the penalty, which was converted by Mauro Icardi. Inter went on to win the game 2-0.