Motherwell captain Keith Lasley has urged his team-mates to pull together as the Fir Park side fights relegation.

Second-bottom Well travel to face local rivals Hamilton Accies on Saturday with only three games left.
The Lanarkshire duo are level on points, with both four clear of bottom-placed Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
"It's a big game at the best of times, but given the situation we are in, it is obviously magnified even more," Lasley said.
"Has everything been perfect this season? Of course it's not. Have there been mistakes? Of course there have, we have all made them. Every single player in the squad has made mistakes.
"This is not the time for saying 'you did this, you did that'.
"It's togetherness, especially going into a derby game. That's what the fans expect of us and we expect of ourselves, to go in there together and we need to show that on Saturday."
Both Lanarkshire sides have lost their two games since the Scottish Premiership split into two, leaving them in a perilous position.
A victory on Saturday could keep them safe from automatic relegation if Inverness lose and Lasley admits the game is as important as any in his 16 years at Fir Park.
"This is a one-off game, it almost becomes a play-off," the 37-year-old said.
"We are capable of winning that game on Saturday, there is absolutely no doubt about that.
"What we need to be is the best version of ourselves to give us a good chance.
"We have had second-placed finishes, Europe, that's gone. It was great, it was absolutely fantastic.
"This is the here and now and we have got to win a game of football on Saturday. It's as simple as that.
"The best way to do that is for us and the fans and for everyone to be together.
"Hopefully, that's the case on Saturday and I'm sure it will be.
"I'm sure we will have a fantastic support there again. It's up to us to do the business on the park to reward that."


A petition has been delivered seeking to ensure a hoard of Viking treasure discovered in Galloway goes on display in Kirkcudbright.

The 5,000-signature document was taken to the Scottish Parliament.
Dumfries and Galloway Council wants to house the hoard in a new gallery being built in the region.
However, National Museums Scotland is also bidding to host the artefacts. A meeting takes place on Thursday to discuss their fate.
The objects were discovered by a metal detectorist in Dumfries and Galloway in 2014.
The Galloway Viking Hoard (GVH) group is backing the council's bid to ensure they end up in Kirkcudbright.
Cathy Agnew, who chairs the campaign, said: "The message from Galloway, Scotland and around the world is very clear - the hoard was buried in Galloway for safekeeping 1,000 years ago and that is where its home should be.
"We have huge support from the general public, academics, politicians of all parties and many others.
"It would be a travesty if their voices were ignored."
National Museums Scotland has said it believed it had put forward a "mutually-beneficial and positive proposal".
It would allow part of the hoard to go on display permanently in Kirkcudbright and the entire collection to be hosted, on occasions, by the gallery.
The Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel meets this week to discuss the hoard's future.
It will then make a recommendation to the Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer on where the treasure should end up.


Fans attending the Tyne-Wear derby have been praised by police for "behaving impeccably" at a "very tense occasion".

Northumbria Police said that out of a crowd of 52,000 there were a total of 20 arrests.
A spokesman said: "But both sets of fans showed that they can enjoy the passion of this game without the poison that has blighted some of the past meetings between our two clubs."
Sunday's game at St James' Park ended in a 1-1 draw.
The arrests - including four inside the ground - were for offences including drunk and disorderly, breach of the peace, throwing missiles, encroaching on a football pitch, and obstructing police
Ch Supt Steve Neill said the force had worked closely with both football clubs, the local authorities, British Transport Police and the Tyne and Wear Metro.
He said: "We understand how important this fixture is to the people of this region and we recognised our policing plan needed to reflect that.
"There is a lot of attention on this fixture and we want to thank the footballing community for working with us to make it a derby we can all be proud of."


Hampshire beat Nottinghamshire by 176 runs at Trent Bridge to boost their survival hopes as the hosts slipped to the bottom of the Division One table.

Notts began the day on 42-2, chasing an improbable 468 and looked set to secure a draw, led Steven Mullaney (137).
His dismissal saw Notts slump from 245-3 to 262-8 either side of tea, with two wickets in two balls for Brad Wheal (6-51) including Samit Patel first ball.
The hosts were bowled out for 291 as Mason Crane chipped in with 3-95.
Notts are now 30 points adrift of seventh-placed Durham with only four games left in their season, while Hampshire reduce their gap to safety to 16 points.
Hampshire's hero was 19-year-old Wheal, who was born in South Africa but has represented Scotland internationally.
The teenager, playing in only his ninth first-class game, started Nottinghamshire's demise and ended it in emphatic fashion.
Despite losing Michael Lumb for 17 in the first session, Mullaney and Brendan Taylor (58) then shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 162.
Just when a draw looked possible and an outside chance of a push for victory, the dismissal of Mullaney, who had scored his second Championship century at Trent Bridge in as many games, saw Notts crumble.
Harry Gurney's stump went flying as he was last man out to Wheal who secured career-best bowling figures.
Hampshire's victory was their second of the season - both coming against Notts - and they take 22 points.
Notts, however, have not won since beating Surrey in the opening round of fixtures and their nine-year stay in the top flight in serious doubt.


The UK Championship, the second biggest ranking event of the snooker calendar, begins in York on Tuesday.

Lower down this article
The top players, forced to enter from the beginning of the 128-man event, will come up against some unfamiliar names in the first round before the BBC's live coverage begins with the second round on Saturday.
Former world champion and BBC Sport pundit Ken Doherty, who plays world number 89 Mitchell Mann on Thursday, assesses the contenders and possible stories that could emerge at the Barbican Centre.
Most of the leading players have won a tournament so far this season.
Four-time UK champion Ronnie O'Sullivan managed to retain his Champion of Champions crown in Coventry, while defending UK champion Neil Robertson triumphed at the Wuxi Classic in June.
Judd Trump won the Australian Open and Mark Selby, whose wife gave birth to their first child earlier this month, claimed a European Tour event in Latvia. Ding Junhui, winner of five ranking titles last season, continued where he left off by winning the first Asian Tour event.
The man going into the tournament in excellent form is Shaun Murphy. The 2008 UK champion made a 147 break in last week's European Tour event in Germany. Remarkably, it was his third attempt at a maximum during the event, having previously failed on the final blue and final green.
Ken Doherty's view: You will see the usual suspects in the latter stages. Ronnie O'Sullivan has been in superb form and Shaun Murphy was outstanding in Germany, topping it off with a 147 break. Ding has had a consistent few years and it enjoyed his first major win in the UK in 2005. The public always love watching Judd Trump, he is so exciting.
Maybe this tournament might have come too soon for Mark Selby because there is a bit of upheaval when a child is born. When my son came along in 2007, I was at the UK a couple of days later and I was floating on air and very proud to be a new father. It took a bit of focus away from my snooker that week, there is no doubt about it. I ended up going out in the first round against Nigel Bond.
On the evidence of O'Sullivan's performances at the Champion of Champions event, he will be the man to beat. Having compiled four centuries in the final against Judd Trump, The Rocket - usually his own harshest critic - stated afterwards, "I think I am playing better than I ever have."
An added motivation will be the chance to surpass Stephen Hendry's record of 775 career centuries. O'Sullivan is currently on 764 and could achieve the feat in York.
However, his results in the two ranking events he has entered this season were disappointing. A first-round round loss to Alan McManus in the Shanghai Masters was followed by a quarter-final defeat against Mark Williams at the International Championship.
Doherty's view: O'Sullivan will be the favourite. The way he has been playing the last couple of years, I think he is getting better with age. He is more of a complete player than he has ever been. He hasn't slowed down on his scoring prowess because his break building is as good as ever.
What you are seeing from him now is a more complete package. He doesn't spit the dummy out like he would have done a few years ago and doesn't lose his focus. He is hungrier than he has ever been. The game needs players like him. There is no doubt that he is the man to beat because he sets the barometer for all the other players.
Ali Carter competes in his biggest event since making a comeback to the sport after treatment for lung cancer. This season, the 35-year-old won the General Cup title in Hong Kong - his first event since being diagnosed in May - by beating Murphy 7-6 in the final.
Carter, who has also overcome testicular cancer, was set to return to action at a European Tour event in Bulgaria in October but was advised to rest after pain in his left arm prevented him from practising. He faces China's Zhang Anda in the first round in York.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Doherty's view: It is a fantastic story. Ali has always been a top player and has had his hardships away from the table. He is a brave lad and fought every challenge that has been put in front of him. The cancer was his biggest challenge and it is good to see him back. He is well liked and has the heart of a lion. He will get a great reception from the crowd and that may just inspire him.
He had almost six months out and will have been resting after undergoing treatment. He would have got back on the table as soon as he summoned up the strength and that will have taken courage in itself. To do so well in his comeback tournament was remarkable. He will be putting in a lot of work now.
The revamped 128-man draw means the top 16 players have lost their protection in ranking events, having previously gone through automatically to the last-32 stage. A further change this year sees the semi-finals reduced from a best-of-17 frames to a best-of-11.
"I don't like the changes to the semi-finals," said title holder Robertson. "I thought the best-of 17 was what kept the prestige of the UK Championship, but this is something I don't agree with at all.
"It is very unfortunate for the tournament but the better player will win, although as a player you prefer the longer matches, especially in the semi-final and final."
Doherty's view: The format is a fair reflection and it needs to be done for a money list where all players play in the same round like in tennis and golf. No matter what system you have, the cream will always rise to the top.
I always liked the longer sessions because you get more of a chance to settle into the match. The best-of-11 is still a good match. A lot of the public don't want to wait for two sessions in the first round, they would prefer it to get done and dusted in one session.
The top players like Robertson enjoy the longer sessions because there is less likely to be a shock result. But, it is not all about what the players want, it is about what the public and TV people want. They are the ones paying the players' wages, so you have to be happy with it.
The 128-man draw means that some amateurs and lesser lights of the pro tour get a chance to face the world's best players. Some to look out for include:
Daniel Wells: 26-year-old from Neath, plays Ronnie O'Sullivan
Wells was the first winner of the Paul Hunter Scholarship in 2007, allowing him to practice at Sheffield's World Snooker Academy alongside the likes of Ding. Having first qualified for the main tour in 2008-09, Wells has since dropped off the tour, and lost in the last 16 of Q-School attempting to regain his place. He beat Alfie Burden in the first round of the UK last season, before losing to Joe Perry.
Joe O'Connor: 19-year-old from Leicester, plays Neil Robertson
O'Connor is a multiple World Masters and European junior champion at pool but has competed in qualifying for snooker's ranking events this season. He claimed the scalp of world number 35 Andrew Higginson in the Wuxi Classic with a 5-0 victory, although he was given a three-frame lead after Higginson arrived late at the venue.
Oliver Brown: 20-year-old from Derbyshire, plays Mark Selby
Brown caused a huge upset earlier this season, demolishing world number three Ding 5-0 in the Wuxi Classic to earn a place at the final stages of the tournament. Brown "forgot to enter" the fourth European Tour event in Germany, the last one before the UK Championship.
John Sutton: 34-year-old from Ireland, plays Ding Junhui
The Irishman has a full-time job as a business development manager and is currently under investigation by World Snooker over "unusual betting" in September's International Championship qualifying match against Scot Jamie Burnett. Sutton lost the match 6-0.
Doherty's view: All these players are potential banana skins if you don't treat them with the same respect as the top players. A lot of players can make that mistake. These guys have the ability to beat anybody so you have to be wary. There are no easy games anymore, like a few years ago. I certainly won't be taking my opponent Mitchell Mann lightly. This is a big tournament and the last thing you want to do is go out in the first round.
It is a great opportunity for the younger guys with there being so many tournaments and they are getting so much more experience. They can now play on TV in the first round and that is invaluable experience for them. It will give the younger players a chance to break through much quicker.
The UK always throws up some great matches. It will be fascinating to see how it pans out.


Edin Dzeko scored twice as Roma handed Napoli their first home defeat since May 2015 to move above them into second place in Serie A.

Former Manchester City striker Dzeko has now scored seven times this season to become the league's leading scorer.
Dzeko, 30, slotted Roma ahead following a mistake by Kalidou Koulibaly and made it 2-0 when he headed in following a 54th-minute free-kick.
Koulibaly headed a goal back but Mohamed Salah sealed victory late on.
Edin Dzeko has enjoyed a superb start to the season.
After scoring just eight league goals last season, the Bosnia and Herzegovina international has seven in eight games this time around.
But Roma coach Luciano Spalletti believes he could have added even further to his tally in the fixture known as the 'Derby del Sole'.
Spalletti said: "He scored twice, but if you ask me he can score more if he just showed a little more fighting spirit, and was more clinical.
"In the opening half he had four or five chances to hurt Napoli. For a player with his physical and technical skills, he can do much better."
Match ends, Napoli 1, Roma 3.
Second Half ends, Napoli 1, Roma 3.
Attempt missed. Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma) right footed shot from outside the box is too high following a fast break.
Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Edin Dzeko (Roma).
Substitution, Roma. Gerson replaces Diego Perotti.
Attempt missed. Jorginho (Napoli) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
Attempt saved. Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Mohamed Salah.
Corner,  Napoli. Conceded by Edin Dzeko.
Corner,  Napoli. Conceded by Federico Fazio.
Attempt saved. Dries Mertens (Napoli) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Jorginho.
Goal!  Napoli 1, Roma 3. Mohamed Salah (Roma) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Daniele De Rossi with a through ball.
Allan (Napoli) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Allan (Napoli).
Edin Dzeko (Roma) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli) because of an injury.
Edin Dzeko (Roma) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Edin Dzeko (Roma).
Omar El Kaddouri (Napoli) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma).
Substitution, Napoli. Piotr Zielinski replaces Marek Hamsik.
Attempt missed. Dries Mertens (Napoli) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a set piece situation.
Attempt blocked. Faouzi Ghoulam (Napoli) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Substitution, Roma. Stephan El Shaarawy replaces Radja Nainggolan because of an injury.
Allan (Napoli) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Diego Perotti (Roma).
Substitution, Napoli. Omar El Kaddouri replaces José Callejón.
Corner,  Napoli. Conceded by Alessandro Florenzi.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match  (Napoli).
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Substitution, Roma. Emerson replaces Juan Jesus because of an injury.
Delay in match Juan Jesus (Roma) because of an injury.
Attempt saved. Allan (Napoli) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Jorginho.
Attempt blocked. José Callejón (Napoli) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Dries Mertens.
Attempt blocked. Dries Mertens (Napoli) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Faouzi Ghoulam.
Foul by Dries Mertens (Napoli).
Kostas Manolas (Roma) wins a free kick in the attacking half.


A cat was found dead after being swung round by its legs and stamped on.

The RSPCA was contacted after a member of the public heard the cat screaming during the attack on the common off Walden Grange Close, Newport.
The charity said a man, accompanied by two teenage boys, was seen swinging the cat and stamping on it on 29 March.
RSPCA acting chief inspector Emma Smith said: "According to the account we have received this poor cat suffered a horrific ordeal."
The cat, which also had injuries which may be the result of a dog attack, was not chipped or wearing a collar so its owner cannot be traced.
The RSPCA is appealing for information about the attack and Ms Smith said the only description of the man was that he was possibly in his late 30s.


A museum which was renovated at a cost of £1m in 2010 has been closed because of austerity cuts.

Kirklees Council voted in October to close the Grade II-listed Dewsbury Museum in West Yorkshire.
The authority is due to close a second museum, the Red House in Gomersal - which has close links to the Brontes, on 21 December.
It said it did not want to close Dewsbury Museum but had to make austerity savings.
The museum, which opened in 1896 features a toy gallery and a 1940s classroom.
Museum Heritage Manager Linda Levick said: "We've had a lot of visitors coming to say goodbye on our last day, which is nice but sad."
Kirklees Council said the Dewsbury Museum and Red House closures are part of its museums service reorganisation, which will save £531,000.
The council will now see if anyone is willing to take over the running of the building and a decision will be announced next year.
However, if no-one comes forward with a viable plan the building may be sold on the open market.
Councillor Graham Turner said: "The council did not want to be in this position. Nobody wants to close museums but we do need to react to these times of austerity and make savings.
"I am sorry people will no longer be able to access these museums, but I can assure you we will do everything possible to look after the collections."
He added: "Museums are not just about buildings, it's about using the collections to tell the story of our past and how they influence what we do today."
The café will remain open, along with the greenhouse and playground.
An information pack about running the building will be available from the end of November.


Challenge Cup winners Wigan will face Warrington in next Saturday's Grand Final after beating 2012 Super League champions Leeds at the DW Stadium.

Iain Thornley scored early on for the hosts, who are 80 minutes away from the first double since St Helens in 2006.
Second-rower Jamie Jones-Buchanan, one of the Leeds players who defied injury to play in their biggest game of the season, came off eight minutes before half-time. His knee injury could scupper his chances of playing for England in the World Cup.
Leeds got back on terms at the start of the second half with Joel Moon's try.
But Liam Farrell, Darrell Goulding and Josh Charnley crossed to send the Warriors, winners in 2010, back to Old Trafford after a three-year absence.
It has been seven years since a team won the Super League and the Challenge Cup in the same season. But, having beaten Hull FC at Wembley in August to lift the first silverware of the campaign, Shaun Wane's men are just one win away from emulating Saints at Old Trafford.
And England full-back Sam Tomkins, who will join NRL side New Zealand Warriors for a world-record £700,000 fee at the end of the season, now has the chance to sign off his career in cherry and white in style.
But, for Leeds, champions for the last two seasons, hopes of a sixth title in seven years and a third in succession are over.
The two sides had met in the last four almost a year to the day previously and, on that occasion, Kevin Sinfield's clinical kicking display had been enough to see the Rhinos progress by a single point.
In a similarly cagey opening 40 minutes back on the same DW Stadium stage, Thornley's early effort was the only score.
The Wigan centre had already forced Leeds winger Ben Jones-Bishop to spill the ball within sight of the whitewash before he crossed himself at the other end, rounding off a move involving Tomkins and Pat Richards, another who will saying his fond farewells as Old Trafford next Saturday night as he prepares to return to Australia.
An interception and length-of-the-field dash from winger Richards almost led to a second try for the hosts just before the interval, but he was brought down by Rhinos prop Ian Kirke 30 metres out.
Otherwise, defences were largely on top during a half in which avoiding costly errors became the chief concern above expansive attacking.
In contrast to the first half, it was the visitors who experienced early joy at the start of the second period to level things up at 6-6 as Carl Ablett, a try scorer in the Rhinos' 20-6 win at the DW Stadium three weeks earlier, burst through Harrison Hansen's limp tackle to send centre Moon over the whitewash.
The concession sparked Wigan into life. Almost immediately, Farrell shrugged off the attentions of Ablett to restore the home side's advantage, before a Kallum Watkins knock-on gifted Wigan possession near the Leeds try line and Goulding safely collected Matty Smith's grubber kick to score.
Wigan have appeared in five previous Grand Finals, winning two (1998 and 2010) and losing three (2000, 2001 and 2003)
Now 12 points adrift with a quarter of the match to play, Leeds had to take chances. Rob Burrow tried to inject some impetus, his jinking run creating space for Moon, who easily side-stepped Tomkins but was spectacularly denied his second try of the game by second-rower Hansen.
And the hosts exploited the gaps on offer in the closing stages, Charnley crossing unopposed for his 42nd try of the season to make the game safe, meaning Liam Sutcliffe's late try was merely a consolation.
In an all north-west Grand Final, Wigan will go in search of their first title since 2010, while Warrington - who saw off League Leaders' Shield winners Huddersfield in the other semi-final on Thursday night - are hoping to be crowned domestic champions for the first time since 1955.
Wigan coach Shaun Wane:
"I'm very happy. I don't think we were at our best but we did enough to win. I just knew if we stuck to our plays, we would get them.
"We need to improve. I don't think the week off did us any good. We were a bit underdone - but it was a tough arm wrestle tonight and it has put us in good spirits for next week.
"It was a gritty performance, which is what you need in a semi-final. I thought we defended tough. Leeds are a good team, they can play.
"There is still a lot of work to be done. Warrington are a great team but there are areas where we can improve."
Leeds coach Brian McDermott:
"Wigan came out fast, They looked more energised at the start. We were on the back foot right from the off, we never seemed to get a grip on the game.
"We had a big dig. We were never far off but we always seemed to be a yard behind.
"We could have been smarter but, in terms of effort, we couldn't have given any more. "I'm a proud man in charge of a disappointed team.
"JJB shouldn't have been on the field. His ligament is hanging on by a thread. It's up to Jonesy whether he's available for the World Cup. "
Wigan: S Tomkins; Charnley, Goulding, Thornley, Richards; Green, Smith; Dudson, McIlorum, Mossop, Hansen, Farrell, Flower.
Replacements: Hughes, L Tomkins, Crosby, Taylor.
Leeds: Hardaker; Jones-Bishop, Watkins, Moon, Hall; McGuire, Sinfield; Leuluai, Burrow, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Bailey.
Replacements: Clarkson, Achurch, Kirke, Sutcliffe.
Attendance: 14,600.
Referee: Phil Bentham (Warrington).


At least 18 people have died in a suicide bomb blast targeting soldiers in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi.

The explosion struck the al-Guwarsha area west of the city. The BBC was told at least a dozen people were injured.
The area has been the focus of fighting between Islamist militias and troops loyal to Libya's eastern government.
News agencies said an Islamist group, the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries, said it was behind the explosion.
A security source in Benghazi has confirmed to the BBC that the bombing targeted the headquarters of the 146th Brigade, a security force that has been engaged in fighting against Islamist militias in the city.
Correspondents say it was the fourth vehicle bombing in the city in a week, although the number of people killed from Tuesday's explosion was far higher than in previous attacks.
A witness told Reuters news agency the powerful explosion on Tuesday had reduced a three-storey building to rubble, and that 10 vehicles had been destroyed.
Four field commanders were reported among the dead and the bodies of some soldiers were reported to be trapped under the rubble.
The government began an offensive against the group named Islamic State (IS) in Sirte in May and said recently that it had made its largest gains to date.
Western officials say the number of IS militants in Libya, previously estimated at 6,000, is declining in the face of concerted government action and pressure from other militia.
Libya has become increasingly divided since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with competing governments and rival militias seeking to gain territory and influence.
The chaos had left Libya vulnerable to an influx of IS fighters, many from Syria.
The US has voiced strong backing for the unity government, or Government of National Accord, which began operating from the capital, Tripoli, in April.


The Salvation Army says it has seen nearly a fivefold rise in the number of slavery victims it has helped in England and Wales since 2012.

22 August 2016 Last updated at 07:55 BST
Det Con Colin Ward, from the modern slavery unit at Greater Manchester Police, says trafficking is "happening more than ever".
On a journey around the city, he explained to BBC reporter Mat Trewern that slaves could be found in car wash services, the construction industry and affluent households.


A man was arrested after a police car was daubed in graffiti in Manchester city centre.

The 30-year-old was held in the city's Piccadilly Gardens on Friday evening, Greater Manchester Police said.
He was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and possession of cannabis.
GMP said officers dealt with about 600 incidents on Friday night as thousands celebrated the festive season in what has come to be known as Mad Friday.
Earlier in the evening, a man dialled 999 after waking up locked in an empty nightclub dressed only in his underpants following a Christmas party.


Sri Lanka have suffered a further injury setback ahead of the second Test against England with pace bowler Dushmantha Chameera set to miss the rest of their tour with a stress fracture of the back.

Chameera, 24, who took three wickets as Sri Lanka lost the opening Test by an innings and 88 runs, could be out of action for up to four months.
Sri Lanka are also missing seamer Dhammika Prasad with a shoulder injury.
The second Test starts on Friday.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Perera has already been added to the Sri Lanka squad in place of Prasad, who may miss the remainder of the three-Test series and the five limited-over internationals and Twenty20 match to follow.
A statement from Sri Lanka Cricket said electors will meet in the next 24 hours to pick a replacement for Chameera, who could be out for up to four months.


Tesla has launched a software update for its vehicles - enabling the cars to have an "autopilot" mode.

While not fully self-driving, the software means the Model S and new Model X can "automatically steer down the highway, change lanes, and adjust speed in response to traffic".
Tesla chief executive Elon Musk said the autopilot mode was designed to increase driver confidence on the road.
However, Mr Musk said users adopting the software - available in North America from Thursday - should exercise caution while using it.
"It should not hit pedestrians, hopefully," he told the media. "It should handle them well."
He added that if the car is involved in a collision, the driver is still liable.
"The driver cannot abdicate responsibility. That will come at some point in the future."
Other regions of the world would be updated in the next couple of weeks pending regulatory approval.
The software uses a combination of cameras, radar, ultrasonic sensors and mapping data to determine its position and navigate.
When the car has arrived at its destination, it is able to scan for an available space and park itself.
Unlike Google, which is aiming for a fully-autonomous vehicle, Tesla's approach is to gradually introduce features which take away the need for drivers to carry out certain functions.
Currently there are limitations to the software which would improve over time, Mr Musk said.
"If there's heavy snow it's going to be harder for the system to work, so we'd advise caution.
"Essentially it's like a person - how well can a person figure out what route they should take. Over time it will be better than a person.
"Long term it will be way better than a person. It never gets tired, it's never had anything to drink, it's never arguing with someone in the car. It's not distracted."
Other car manufacturers such as BMW and Volvo are also developing, and implementing, autonomous features to their cars.
Google's entirely self-driving car has clocked up well over one million miles on public roads, mostly in California.
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC


Delayed passengers on Virgin Trains are to receive compensation in the form of money back, rather than travel vouchers.

The operator is the first in the UK to make compensation payments automatically by cheque. This will apply to delayed passengers on the east and west coast.
Since July, all rail passengers have been entitled to request money back.
Virgin's move has been welcomed by consumer groups.
"Passengers are rightly frustrated by the significant barriers that exist when claiming compensation for train delays and cancellations, so it is good to see Virgin Trains setting the pace by offering cash as the default option for compensation," said Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which?.
"We would urge all train operating companies to act quickly to implement this, and further changes, to improve the process for their customers."
Anthony Smith, chief executive at the independent watchdog Transport Focus, said: "Passengers will be pleased to see Virgin Trains offering cash compensation as the first option. This is a positive step forward and we want to see more operators follow suit."
A system was launched in October whereby west coast travellers who buy Advance tickets through Virgin Train's website receive money directly on to their payment cards if they are entitled to compensation.
The latest move extends the compensation system to ensure all other delayed passengers are paid by cheque.
Compensation is based on the "Delay Repay" system, which is offered by around half of all train operators. Individual train companies offer different levels of compensation, but the best deals - including Virgin's - involve:
Graham Leech, group commercial director at Virgin Trains, said: "We always want to be on the side of passengers. That is why we wholly support the move to offer cash compensation as a first option to customers and why we were the first operator to introduce automatic delay repay.
"We're committed to making claiming compensation simpler and clearer for customers. We never want passengers to suffer delays or disruption but when things do go wrong we want to put it right."
The announcement comes the day after rail passengers - including those on some Virgin Trains services - faced delays and cancellations across England after overhead electric wires stopped working in the Midlands. Services affected on Tuesday included routes to London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Wales and Southampton.
Some 5% of trains run by Virgin Trains were either cancelled, at least 30 minutes late or missed a scheduled stop in the 12 months to March 5, according to Network Rail figures. The average for rail firms across England and Wales is 3%.


Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney has topped the Sunday Times Rich List of musicians with his £730m fortune.

Sir Paul is worth an estimated £20m more than last year and enjoys a significant boost from his American heiress wife's £150m stake in her family's US trucking business.
It puts him well ahead of his nearest rival on the list, Andrew Lloyd Webber, who is estimated to be worth £650m.
The full list will be published by the newspaper on 26 April.
Of the 1,000 richest people in the UK and the 250 wealthiest in Ireland, the list puts Irish band U2 at third place with £431m.
Pop veteran Sir Elton John and Rolling Stones' frontman Sir Mick Jagger follow with their fortunes, thought to be worth £270m and £225m respectively.
1. Sir Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell £730m
2. Lord Lloyd-Webber £650m
3. U2 £431m
4. Sir Elton John £270m
5. Sir Mick Jagger £225m
6. Keith Richards £210m
7. Michael Flatley £195m
=8. Ringo Starr £180m
=8. Sting £180m
9. Roger Waters £160m
For the third year running, singer-songwriter Adele, who is 26, has topped the list for young music millionaires under the age of 30 in Britain and Ireland, with an estimated fortune of £50m.
The four members of the boy band One Direction plus former band mate Zayn Malik share the second spot with an estimated wealth of £25m each.
One of the fastest rising new young stars is the 22-year-old soul singer Sam Smith, who is currently in the running for the prize for the most played song of the past year at The Ivor Novello songwriting awards.
The Stay With Me singer has amassed a personal fortune of £12m since rising to fame in late 2012.


An extra 500 medical school places in England have been confirmed for next year by the government.

The Department of Health announced in October it planned to add up to 1,500 more places each year - a boost of 25% on current student doctor numbers - and says it will hit that target by 2020.
It is part of a plan to use UK-trained doctors to ease NHS staffing pressures.
But the British Medical Association says the plan will not address the immediate shortage of medics.
Training to become a doctor takes at least five years and currently about 6,000 graduate each year.
The government wants many of the new training places to go to students from disadvantaged backgrounds to improve diversity in the medical profession.
Medical schools will be able to bid to run some of the extra course places.
Those that can demonstrate they are targeting under-represented social groups, such as poorer students, will be favoured, as will those covering regions that struggle to attract trainee medics - rural areas and costal towns, for example.
The extra training places in England will ultimately mean 7,500 home-grown doctors should graduate each year.
Currently, about a quarter of doctors working in the NHS trained outside the UK.
There are concerns that the impact of Brexit and a global shortage of doctors could make it harder to recruit as many in the future.
Some UK-trained medics are also leaving the country to work elsewhere.
Harrison Carter from the BMA said: "The students who will benefit from these new placements will take at least 10 years to train and become senior doctors so we mustn't forget this promise won't tackle the immediate shortage of doctors in the NHS which could become more acute following Brexit.
"As such, we require equal focus on retaining existing doctors in high-quality jobs which will provide more immediate relief to an overstretched medical workforce."
Health Minister Philip Dunne said: "We're committed to giving more talented students the chance to be part of our world-class NHS workforce.
"Not only is this the biggest ever expansion to the number of doctor training places, but it's also one of the most inclusive; ensuring everyone has the chance to study medicine regardless of their background, and ensuring the NHS is equipped for the future with doctors serving in the areas that need them the most."
Prof Wendy Reid, from Health Education England, said the extra places would help the NHS meet the diverse healthcare needs of patients "up and down the country".
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: "Ministers have repeatedly announced plans to increase doctors' training levels and in many key medical specialities they are failing to fill the places already on offer.
"The government need to get a grip and put in place a long-term workforce plan backed up with significant new investment for the number of staff needed to deliver services safely."


Iurii Cheban of Ukraine retained his men's 200m canoe sprint title in Rio and set a new Olympic record.

A mix-up in qualification rules meant London 2012 champion Cheban initially missed out on a place in Thursday's final before being reinstated in place of Czech paddler Martin Fuksa.
The 30-year-old went on to claim gold, finishing in 39.279 seconds.
Valentin Demyanenko of Azerbaijan won the silver with Brazil's Isaquias Queiroz dos Santos securing bronze.
Dos Santos, 22, became his country's first canoe sprint world champion in 2013 and has a remarkable back story.
At the age of three, he suffered significant burns to his body after a pot of boiling water fell on him.
Two years later, he was kidnapped and offered for adoption before his mother managed to get him back, and at the age 10 he fell out of a tree after trying to catch a snake and lost a kidney.
Also on a busy day of canoeing in Rio:
Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.


Burnley moved to within two points of Championship leaders Middlesbrough with a narrow win against Birmingham City.

George Boyd got the Clarets' opener when he struck from the edge of the area into the bottom corner.
Jacques Maghoma equalised after Tom Heaton could only parry on-loan Arsenal midfielder Jon Toral's effort.
Boyd's cross allowed Andre Gray to score his 24th of the season for the winner, before Toral was sent off in injury time for a second yellow card.
Sean Dyche's side have stretched their unbeaten run to 19 games as they look for an immediate return to the Premier League.
The Clarets's next game is at home to top-of-the-table Boro on Tuesday night at Turf Moor.
Burnley keeper Heaton produced smart saves from Toral and David Cotterill as they went into the break ahead, while Jonathan Grounds hit the crossbar in the second-half for Blues.
The Clarets created numerous chances themselves as Dave Jones shot wide and Ashley Barnes drilled into the side netting before Gray's side-foot volley secured three points.
Toral was dismissed in the closing moments when his challenge on Lloyd Dyer brought a second booking.
Birmingham City manager Gary Rowett:
Media playback is not supported on this device
"It's frustrating because we were fantastic. We were the better team. It was a really strong performance at a difficult point of the season against an excellent Burnley side.
"Jacques Maghoma had his face kicked off in the penalty box after four minutes. It was a blatant penalty but the referee said he didn't see it.
"Probably Burnley are going to be promoted. They manage to get results in games they do not play well in. But that is a skill in itself and you have to take your hat off to them."
Burnley manager Sean Dyche:
"George Boyd was tireless in his work and his quality was outstanding, while the response of the team after they equalised was to be admired.
"There is a great belief among the players and there is certainly energy and desire.
"We are in a good place for a reason. I was very pleased with the way we played."


This is not the first time a secret US counterterrorist or special operations mission has ended up inadvertently killing Western hostages.

In 2010, British aid worker Linda Norgrove, kidnapped by the Afghan Taliban, was killed by a grenade thrown by one of her would-be rescuers.
Last December, a US commando raid in Yemen resulted in the deaths of an American photojournalist and a South African teacher, both shot by their al-Qaeda captors.
But in the incident announced on Thursday by President Barack Obama, US intelligence seems to have been unaware that two Western hostages - US doctor Warren Weinstein and Italian aid worker Giovanni Lo Porto - were being held in the very same compound that was to be targeted in an unmanned aerial drone strike.
Despite what the US president referred to as "hours of surveillance footage", the US intelligence picture turned out to be tragically incomplete.
This points to the extraordinary difficulties of operating in remote, mountainous, and often forested terrain where there is little government presence or control.
It also points to a very high level of "opsec" (operational security) by those holding the hostages, who will have gone to great lengths to give nothing away - either visually or digitally - about the whereabouts of their prisoners.
The human rights pressure group Reprieve has criticised what it calls US double standards in apologising publicly over the deaths of Westerners in a drone strike while staying silent on the deaths of many Yemenis and Pakistanis killed in other drone strikes over the years.
The presidential announcement also revealed the US belief that in a separate attack it had killed al-Qaeda's first native American spokesman, known as Adam Gadahn al-Amriki.
Born Adam Pearlman and raised on a Californian goat farm, he converted to Islam as a teenager. From 2004 onwards, he became a prolific propagandist for Osama Bin Ladin's organisation, speaking in his fluent native English with a strong American accent.
After all of the Arabic video messages subtitled into English, Gadahn's clearly enunciated, well-argued, but ultimately nihilistic speeches came as a shock for Western audiences.
Here for the first time was someone raised in their culture who was speaking officially on behalf of the organisation that brought such destruction to America on 9/11.
But in recent years he has had a lower profile as what remains of core Al-Qaida has been eclipsed by the territorial conquests and extreme violence of Islamic State.
His place as an English-speaking jihadi propagandist has been taken by numerous Westerners speaking on social media from war-torn corners of Iraq and Syria.


Teenagers - especially girls - who binge drink could be damaging the part of their brain which controls memory and spatial awareness, say Californian researchers.

Young women's brains are particularly vulnerable to harm from alcohol because they develop earlier than men's.
Tests on 95 adolescents aged 16 to 19 were carried out by researchers at several US universities.
The study is published in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
Researchers recruited 27 binge-drinking males and 13 females and gave them neurophsychological tests and "spatial working memory" tests to complete.
Binge-drinking young women were defined as those drinking more than three pints of beer or more than four glasses of wine at one sitting. Binge-drinking men drank four pints of beer or a bottle of wine.
The same tests were then carried out on 31 males and 24 females who did not have episodes of drinking heavily and the results compared.
Using MRI scans, the study team found that female teenage heavy drinkers had less brain activation in several brain regions than female non-drinking teens when doing the same spatial task.
They suggested that this could cause problems when driving, playing sports involving complex moves, using a map or remembering how to get somewhere.
Susan Tapert, professor of psychiatry at the University of California and lead study author, said these differences in brain activity negatively affected other functions, like concentration and "working memory".
The study describes "working memory" as using and working with information that is in your mind, like adding up numbers. It is also critical to logical thinking and reasoning.
But the young men studied were not affected to the same extent, Dr Tapert said.
"Male binge drinkers showed some, but less, abnormality as compared to male non-drinkers. This suggests that female teens may be particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of heavy alcohol use."
Previous research has shown that among adult alcoholics, women are more vulnerable to the damaging effects of alcohol on the brain than men.
Edith Sullivan, a professor in psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Stanford University, said that the brains of adolescent boys and girls appear to be affected differently by alcohol.
"Females' brains develop one to two years earlier than males, so alcohol use during a different developmental stage - despite the same age - could account for the gender differences.
"Hormonal levels and alcohol-induced fluctuations in hormones could also account for the gender differences. Finally, the same amount of alcohol could more negatively affect females since females tend to have slower rates of metabolism, higher body fat ratios, and lower body weight."
Don Shenker, from Alcohol Concern, said the research demonstrates why reducing binge drinking among young people must be an urgent priority.
"Ministers should go much further to clamp down on off-licence promotions which are driving under-age drinking and reviewing the extent of alcohol marketing which young people are exposed to and which makes drinking appear attractive.
"We have to also look at intervening as early as possible so that when teenagers go to A&E as a result of drinking or in trouble with the police or at school, they are provided with the right advice and support to reduce their risky drinking and make healthier choices."
A Department of Health spokeswoman said "We are already taking action to tackle problem drinking, including plans to stop supermarkets selling below cost alcohol and working to introduce a tougher licensing regime.
"Our recent white paper set out our plan to ring-fence public health spending and give power to local communities to improve the health of local people and this includes improving alcohol treatment services through a greater focus on outcomes and payment by results.
"We will also be publishing a new alcohol strategy later this year to follow on from the public health white paper."


The Vatican has sought to clarify the Pope's comment that Republican candidate Donald Trump's plan to build a wall with Mexico to halt immigration into America was "not Christian".

Spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said "in no way was this a personal attack".
He said it was the Pope's long-standing belief that migrants should be helped and not shut behind walls.
Mr Trump initially dismissed the comments as "disgraceful", but later adopted a more conciliatory tone.
The row erupted after Pope Francis said "a person who thinks only about building walls... and not of building bridges, is not Christian", which was roundly condemned by the billionaire businessman.
But Father Lombardi told Vatican Radio on Friday that Mr Trump had not been singled out by Pope Francis and "nor was it an indication on how to vote" in the US presidential election.
He said the Pope believed people "should build bridges, not walls", referring to the thousands of migrants flocking onto European shores over the past 12 months.
"This is his general view, which is very consistent with courageously following the indications of the gospel on offering welcome and solidarity," he added.
The presidential candidate also softened his rhetoric later on Thursday, heaping praise on the Pope at a town hall event in South Carolina where he is leading the polls ahead of the state's primary on Saturday.
22 things that Donald Trump believes - What are his policies and beliefs?
What would a Donald Trump presidency be like? - Anthony Zurcher imagines a Trump White House
Trump v Pope... who wins? - Will this harm his chances in the primary elections?
Trump turns notoriety into a win - After New Hampshire, is Mr Trump unstoppable?
"I have a lot of respect for the Pope. He has a lot of personality and I think he's doing a very good job, he has a lot of energy."
He said the pontiff was misinformed when he criticised the proposed wall, because he was not aware of the drugs coming in and the other security problems that made a strong border a necessity.
His anti-immigration stance is a central plank in his campaign - he wants to deport 11 million undocumented migrants and said Muslims should be temporarily barred from coming to the US.
The latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll shows a five percentage point lead for Mr Trump in South Carolina - down by 11 points from compared to last month.
The greatest threat for Mr Trump, who has no political experience but won in New Hampshire, is Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who won the Iowa caucus.


Labour is in "a major crisis" and has lost touch with its voters, a former Welsh Secretary has warned.

Lord Hain told the BBC's Sunday Politics Wales programme he had never been as concerned as he was now about the party's prospects.
He said it was "much more serious" than the "early 1980s strife".
Jeremy Corbyn has been urged to stand down as Labour leader by most of his MPs, with Angela Eagle and Owen Smith considering a challenge if he refuses.
Lord Hain spoke of his experience as a leader of Welsh Labour's doomed referendum campaign for a vote in favour of remaining in the EU.
Voters in the party's traditional heartlands of south Wales contributed to the overall majority for Brexit.
"What is very clear is that a whole group of citizens in those valleys who almost to a person used to vote Labour feel left behind," the former Neath MP said.
"It's a very dangerous moment for us.
"What we have to do is reform, re-found our party in the communities - but not in the old institutions that have disappeared, the trade unions and the clubs."
Amid calls for Mr Corbyn to resign to help Labour recover, he said: "We can get out of it... if we had credible leadership.
"Then I think we can win, even including an early general election."
However on Friday, Labour AM Mike Hedges said opponents of Jeremy Corbyn need to "put up or shut up".
Mr Hedges reiterated his support to the Labour leader, calling for opponents to stand against him if they think they can do a better job.


It is difficult to sum up the alliance of parties that has done so well in Libya's first elections since the overthrow of Col Muammar Gaddafi.

The National Forces Alliance (NFA), led by ex-interim Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril, gained more than double the seats of its Islamist rivals.
So should its MPs be described as secularist liberals or moderate modernists?
The reality is that those in the alliance are largely unknown, expect for Mr Jibril - whose face was one everyone recognised when they went to the polls.
When it comes to their politics, Libyans certainly believe that the NFA is "liberal", but the word "secular" is not used.
Mr Jibril himself has already declared that his party shall refer to Sharia for guidance in legislation.
So do these final preliminary results, pending a two-week window for any legal appeal, mean the conservative North African country is less religious than neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt, where Islamists did well in recent post-revolutionary elections?
Not really.
Libyans do not need politicians to tell them how to be good Muslims, says 18-year-old Heba, a tall, model-thin girl who presents an Arabic music programme on radio.
They want the parliament to deal with more pressing concerns, she explains.
"It's not like we expect nightclubs and things like that to suddenly open their doors here," she says.
"We have things to take care of like education and health."
The number of people who found the mere existence of religious parties an offensive concept was astonishing.
"We're all Muslims here! Who do they think they are preaching to us? They're not more religious than us" were common reactions heard in cities.
Libyans are ultimately tired of ideological preachers - they endured it for more than 40 years with Col Gaddafi's eccentric and confusing semi-Islamic, socialist ramblings.
And parties like the Muslim Brotherhood are seen as having hijacked Tunisia and Egypt's revolutions.
But it is not clear whether the centrist NFA will dominate the 200-member National Assembly because 120 seats are reserved for independents whose allegiances are not yet known.
In the end a grand coalition could be formed, which may or may not include the biggest loser in this recent election - The Nation Party led by former al-Qaeda-linked Abdelhakim Belhaj - which gained no seats at all on the party-list.
And for the first time women are now about to take up an active, public role in Libyan politics, with 33 gaining seats in the assembly.
But finding consensus on the conflicting regional needs will be hard.
"We'll probably need a lot of aspirin," one independent candidate, who did not make it to the assembly, jested some weeks ago.
Top of the issues that the country's MPs need to address is security.
They will need to ensure the disarmament of various gang-like militias who played no role in the conflict as well as the unification of brigades who did under a single official security umbrella.
The key to solving many of the issue lies in the economy.
The country certainly has enough oil revenues to help kick-start the private sector, which is desperately needed.
Libyans are already eagerly awaiting the next step of their new-found freedom - the drafting of a constitution, a process to be overseen by the national assembly, which they hope will seal their new democratic path.


Premiership side London Irish have signed fly-half Greig Tonks from Edinburgh with immediate effect.

The 26-year-old has won six caps for Scotland, but was left out of the 2015 World Cup squad and has not featured in this year's Six Nations.
Tonks joined Edinburgh from Northampton Saints in 2012, scoring six tries in 79 appearances for the Pro12 club.
The South-Africa born player, who can also play full-back, started his career at Leicester before joining Saints.
Tonks is reunited with London Irish head of rugby Glenn Delaney, having played on loan with Nottingham while the Exiles coach was director of rugby at the Green and Whites.
"I am delighted that we have secured the services of a player of Greig's calibre," Delaney told the club website.
"He brings a lot of experience to the team and we look forward to welcoming him to the club."


People concerned with traffic congestion in villages near Stonehenge are stepping up a campaign for "urgent action" to be taken.

The A344 next to the monument was shut in June to "restore the dignity" of the stone circle as part of a Â£27m project.
Residents of villages including Shrewton and Orcheston say their lanes have become "rat runs" for drivers avoiding congestion on the A303.
Campaigners will collect signatures for a petition this weekend.
Janice Hassett, from the Shrewton Traffic Action Group (Stag), said: "The A344 should not have been closed before the A303 was dualled.
"The A303 at Stonehenge Bottom was bad before, but it's a nightmare now.
"Traffic is stupidly backing up to Thruxton on a holiday weekend.
"Sat-navs are sending people right through our villages. There's going to be an accident."
The petition is asking for "urgent action" to be taken to tackle high volumes of non-local traffic using the B3086 through Shrewton, a 20mph speed limit to be introduced and better signage to be installed.


England put in a "worrying performance" in their Euro 2016 warm-up victory over Portugal, says ex-defender Danny Mills.

Media playback is not supported on this device
Chris Smalling's late header secured a 1-0 victory over 10-man Portugal at Wembley on Thursday.
But Roy Hodgson's side, playing with a diamond formation, created few chances in their final match before their Euros opener against Russia on 11 June.
"There are many square pegs in round holes. I am not sure what system Roy is playing," Mills told BBC Radio 5 live.
Forwards Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy started an England game together for the first time, with Rooney in a number 10 role behind a Kane-Vardy strike partnership.
Tottenham's Dele Alli played on the left of midfield and James Milner on the right.
Vardy made only eight passes in the game and did not manage an attempt on goal, while Rooney and Kane had one attempt each.
"There were three centre-forwards on the pitch going for the same ball, in the same space. I don't get it. You are taking away from all those players all their strengths," said Mills.
"Rooney is taking away from Kane's position and Alli's position.
"There is a place for Rooney in this side, but it's not in the position he's in at the moment.
"You have to play Kane up front as the number nine, Alli in the 10 role and if Rooney has to play deeper or wide, he's good enough to play that role."
Tottenham's Kane and Leicester's Vardy scored 49 Premier League goals between them this season, but neither had many opportunities to receive the ball in the penalty box and were often found in wide areas.
"We played with split strikers," Hodgson said. "When you play with that system, you need your strikers to split.
"If you play with them going down the middle and Rooney in behind them, you would never be able to defend the wide areas.
"There were moments in the game where they were too wide, but basically speaking their job is to split and come together."
Captain Rooney, 30, who was replaced by Adam Lallana after 78 minutes, said England struggled to break down their opponents after Bruno Alves was sent off in the 35th minute for a high challenge on Kane.
But England won all three of their Euros warm-up matches, after victories over Australia and Turkey.
"They made it difficult but we kept going and we got the win, so that was obviously important to us," Rooney told ITV Sport.
"We are winning games when we are not playing well. We have to improve and in tournament football you have to improve to win games."
Who do you think should start at Euro 2016? Step into Roy Hodgson's shoes and pick your XI - and then share it with your friends using our brand new team selector.
Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.


Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael launched an "unguided missile" after a memo was leaked, a special election court has heard.

Four constituents have raised the action against the Lib Dem under the Representation of the People Act 1983.
They say he misled voters over the memo which was leaked before May's election.
The QC representing the constituents said the former Scottish secretary never believed he would be exposed over the leaked memo.
The contents of the memo, published in the Daily Telegraph at the start of the election campaign in April, claimed that SNP leader and Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon would secretly prefer Tory leader David Cameron as prime minister rather than his Labour opponent Ed Miliband.
An inquiry was later begun into the circumstances surrounding the leak.
Jonathan Mitchell QC told the hearing in Edinburgh: "He goes into the inquiry with three people knowing truth of the matter - himself, Mr Roddin [Alistair Carmichael's adviser] and Mr Simon Johnston of the Daily Telegraph.
"We have here a Liberal Democrat MP and a Liberal Democrat advisor who wish to launch this unguided missile into the blue.
"And he goes for that purpose to a Conservative supporting journalist at a Conservative supporting newspaper."
The newspaper said her comments, reportedly made to the French ambassador, undermined claims that she wanted to build a "progressive alliance" with other left-wing parties.
Mr Carmichael - who was Scottish secretary in the Tory-Lib Dem coalition before the election and is now his party's only MP in Scotland - authorised the leaking of a civil service memo by his special adviser.
Both the ambassador and the first minister later denied the accuracy of the civil service memo.
At the time of the leak, Mr Carmichael claimed in a TV interview the first he had heard of it was when he received a phone call from a reporter.
The court heard how a Cabinet Office inquiry into the leak was launched shortly after the newspaper article was printed on 3 April.
Mr Carmichael told the court he was initially "less than fully truthful" with the inquiry.
Mr Carmichael's lawyers argue his actions were political and did not affect his re-election.
Mr Carmichael admitted on Tuesday that he tried to mislead the Cabinet Office investigation.
The election court in Edinburgh is hearing evidence from six witnesses over four days, in what is believed to be the first case of its kind in Scotland for 50 years.
Legal argument was earlier heard in September, and was broadcast and streamed live online.
The evidence from witnesses during this week's hearing has not been  broadcast, but the lawyers' closing statements will be broadcast.
The two judges, Lady Paton and Lord Matthews, will present their judgement to the House of Commons at a later date.


SNP MPs abstained as the House of Commons overwhelmingly backed the prime minister's plan for a snap general election.

MPs voted by 522 to 13 in favour of Theresa May's proposal to hold a general election on 8 June.
Mrs May has argued an election will help the UK make a success of Brexit and provide long-term certainty.
The SNP had said it supports fixed-term parliaments, but would not stand in the way of an early election.
However, Natalie McGarry and Michelle Thomson - who are both sitting as independents after being suspended from the SNP - voted against an election.
Ms McGarry has been charged with fraud offences relating to a potential financial discrepancy in the accounts of two-pro-independence groups, while Mrs Thomson has been reported to prosecutors after a police investigation into allegations of mortgage fraud.
A decision on whether they will be able to put themselves forward as SNP candidates is expected to be made by the party's National Executive Committee on Saturday.
Shortly before the Commons debate on the early election started, Ms McGarry fainted and was treated by ambulance staff before later announcing on Twitter that she was pregnant.
Ahead of the Commons vote, opposition parties highlighted Mrs May's U-turn after she had previously insisted she would not be calling an early election.
But the prime minister told MPs there was a "window of opportunity" to hold a vote before Brexit negotiations begin in earnest in June, and that the country needed "strong leadership" to make a success of the process.
The prime minister is hoping to significantly boost her current Commons majority of 17 to increase her authority ahead of 18 months of talks which will determine the manner of the UK's exit from the EU.
The vast majority of Labour and Liberal Democrats MPs joined the Conservatives in supporting her call for a snap election.
Nine Labour MPs opposed the snap election as did three independents - including Ms McGarry and Ms Thomson - and the SDLP's Alisdair McDonnell.
The next general election had been due to be held in 2020, but the Fixed Term Parliaments Act allows for one to be held earlier if two-thirds of MPs are in favour.
Mrs May has said she will not take part in any TV leaders' debates, leading to criticism from other party leaders that she is "running scared".
The SNP won 56 of Scotland's 59 seats in the 2015 general election, with the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats winning one each.
Opinion polls have suggested the SNP continues to enjoy a commanding lead among Scottish voters, with the Conservatives in second place and Labour third.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon joined SNP MPs outside parliament ahead of the vote, where she said a victory for her party in the election would see the UK government's arguments against a second independence referendum "crumble to dust".
The Scottish Parliament last month backed Ms Sturgeon's bid to hold a new referendum in 2018 or 2019, but Mrs May has rejected the proposal, repeatedly insisting that "now is not the time".
Ms Sturgeon told journalists: "If the SNP wins this election in Scotland and the Tories don't, then Theresa May's attempt to block our mandate to give the people of Scotland a choice over their own future when the time is right will crumble to dust."
She also insisted that "only the SNP stands between Scotland and an increasingly hard-line Tory government".
The Scottish Conservatives are confident of winning seats from the SNP in the forthcoming election, with leader Ruth Davidson insisting her party is the "best bet" for unionist voters seeking to defeat the SNP.
And she said there was "no way" the SNP was going to win 56 seats this time around.
But a Scottish Labour spokesman insisted that: "In constituencies across Scotland, it is only Labour that can stop the SNP."
He added: "If voters want to stop the SNP and its plans for a divisive second independence referendum, their only option is to vote for Labour."
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie also said his party was "relishing the prospect of this election".
He stated: "It is a chance to change the direction of the whole of the UK. Our optimistic agenda is pro-UK, pro-EU and progressive. We stand with the majority opinion in this country."
And Scottish Greens co-convener Patrick Harvie urged Scottish voters to use the election to "reassert our choice for a fairer and more equal society."


As American states have found it harder to source drugs for lethal injections, they stand accused of using improvised and possibly painful methods - and buying drugs furtively from unregulated pharmacies.

Joseph Franklin was sentenced to death for shooting and killing a man outside a synagogue in 1977.
He was convicted or blamed for a series of other racially motivated murders, and confessed to being the sniper who shot porn publisher Larry Flynt in 1978, leaving him partially paralysed.
He is due to be executed by lethal injection in Missouri on 20 November, if no last-minute legal appeal is accepted.
The state's authorities had been planning to use propofol, a common anaesthetic that is untested as a lethal injection drug, for the execution of Franklin and a second convicted murderer, Allen Nicklasson.
But Governor Jay Nixon postponed Nicklasson's execution last month after it became apparent that using propofol, some of which was made by a German manufacturer, might put hospital supplies of the drug at risk.
The German manufacturer, warning of the risk of EU sanctions, asked for its propofol back, as did a US supplier.
Missouri then announced it would instead use pentobarbital, sourced not from a pharmaceutical company but from a compounding pharmacy - a pharmacy that makes small batches of drugs on demand for specific clients.
Campaigners object to these pharmacies partly because of an incident last year when a compounded drug in Massachusetts was blamed for an outbreak of meningitis that left more than 60 people dead, but also because they are not subject to regulation by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
"They operate in a kind of grey zone," says Brian Stull of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). "There is no way to verify that what comes from a compounding pharmacy is what it purports to be, and that it is safe and effective."
Lethal injection is the primary method of execution in all 32 states in which the death penalty is permitted, and for several years they have been struggling to obtain the drugs they need.
States employed similar three-drug lethal injection formulas for decades, until the US company that made one key ingredient, sodium thiopental, stopped supplying it. Manufacturers in Europe, where the death penalty is outlawed, have since sought to block the use of their products for executions in the US.
State authorities have reacted in two ways: by using new drugs or combinations of drugs, and occasionally sourcing them from compounding pharmacies.
This week alone three executions were scheduled in three states, using three different lethal injection methods.
Texas used pentobarbital to execute Jamie McCoskey on Tuesday, the same day that Florida used a three-drug combination to execute Darius Kimbrough.
Florida's combination included a drug called midazolam, which had never been used for an execution before the state put William Happ to death last month, using the same mixture.
An Associated Press reporter who witnessed Happ's execution said he seemed to remain conscious for longer and move more than people he had seen put to death with different lethal injections.
Ohio was due to use an untested two-drug mixture of midazolam and hydromorphone to execute Ronald Phillips on Thursday, but in an unprecedented step the execution was stayed at the last minute in order to consider a request by Phillips to donate his organs.
Brian Stull says states have been left "scrambling for drugs", and have become increasingly secretive.
"It's become really hard - even for people who follow this issue closely - to know what's going on in each state with each drug because there are so many scenarios proliferating," he says.
Missouri has shielded the compounding pharmacy supplying its pentobarbital from unwelcome publicity by adding it to the execution team - a list of people involved in the execution whose anonymity is protected.
The three-drug method was presented as a more humane replacement for lethal gas and the electric chair. But critics are sceptical.
The search for a humane way to kill (August 2012)
Volumes of research have suggested the death penalty is significantly more expensive to taxpayers than the punishment of life in prison, due largely to the lengthy legal processes involved.
California, for instance, has spent about $4bn since 1978 to fund its capital punishment system, but has executed only 13 prisoners.
How much is a death worth? (March 2012)
One of those who regards the process as too secretive is Larry Flynt, publisher of Hustler, whom Franklin shot and partially paralysed.
He has put his name to an ACLU motion, which cites allegations that Missouri "appears to have used unsavoury methods to secure and maintain execution drugs and tried to hide that and other information from the public".
Earlier this year lawyers in Georgia obtained a stay of execution for Warren Hill - a convicted murderer - after questioning a new law that makes the way lethal injection drugs are obtained a state secret.
"I think states are making a mistake in being overly secretive and not transparent," says Richard Dieter, executive director of the non-profit Death Penalty Information Center.
"The sense is that they're doing something wrong and hiding something."
Mr Flynt himself opposes the death penalty in principle.
"I have had many years in this wheelchair to think about this very topic," he wrote recently in the Hollywood Reporter.
"As I see it, the sole motivating factor behind the death penalty is vengeance, not justice, and I firmly believe that a government that forbids killing among its citizens should not be in the business of killing itself."
Death penalty opponents have long been concerned that lethal injections could cause extreme pain, violating convicts' constitutional protection from cruel and unusual punishment, and they worry that the increasing use of new, untested drugs may heighten that risk.
Joseph Franklin is among 23 people on death row in Missouri who have appealed against the plan to execute them using pentobarbital from an undisclosed compounding pharmacy, saying it could cause unnecessary suffering. The Missouri Corrections Department said it could not comment because of the litigation.
In past executions across the US, some convicts have writhed, vomited and made sounds after being injected, and sometimes execution staff have struggled to find a vein.
Deborah Denno, a professor at Fordham Law School and death penalty expert, says there is evidence that a substantial number of prison volunteers and people with questionable expertise have been used to carry out executions.
Of the 32 states in which the death penalty is permitted, 12 have not carried out an execution for at least five years, and seven for at least 10 years.
The five states that have carried out most executions since 1976 are:
Source: Death Penalty Information Center
"If you are using drugs that have never been used to kill a human being and are by no means created for that purpose, and those drugs are being used by someone who is ill-trained and doesn't know much about drugs and injections to begin with, then you're creating a particularly high risk process," she says.
Robert Blecker, a professor at New York Law School, who supports the death penalty "in appropriate circumstances", argues that it is odd to be troubled about untested lethal injection formulas.
The risk of a "momentarily painful death" is "very small" he says.
"Why this extraordinary concern for those we have condemned?"
But it's partly because this concern is widespread, and pharmacies fear negative publicity, that the necessary drugs are becoming scarce.
Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, whose state has not carried out an execution since 2005, has described the system in the US as "completely broken".
"Let's say that there was magically a vapour, a mist, a pill, a fatal hypnotic stare. You still have to find American manufacturers who are willing to produce it and courts who are willing to accept it," he recently told the National Journal. "I don't see any of that happening."
Follow @BBCNewsMagazine on Twitter and on Facebook


France is facing a fresh backlash against its strict secular policy after it emerged a 15-year-old Muslim girl was sent home from school because she was wearing a long black skirt.

The student, named as Sarah, was twice blocked from classes because the principal said her skirt broke a ban on religious signs in schools.
The girl removed her headscarf but said the skirt was not a religious symbol.
The case has provoked angry reactions online.
The hashtag #JePorteMaJupeCommeJeVeux, or "I wear my skirt how I want to" has had more than 45,000 tweets since Tuesday.
The schoolgirl was sent home in Charleville-Mezieres in the northern Champagne-Ardenne region twice in April, according to reports.
Nicolas Cadene, an official advising the prime minister on secular issues, has said that wearing a long black skirt to school does not break the rules.
A ban on Muslim headscarves and other "conspicuous" religious symbols at state schools was introduced in 2004, and widely welcomed in a country where the separation of state and religion is enshrined in law.
"The 2004 law says that symbols and clothing worn to show religious affiliation are prohibited," Mr Cadene told Buzzfeed France (in French).
"We obviously think of the veil, the kippah, a large cross, a Sikh turban... A black skirt do not contravene the law."
But critics say some schools are increasingly imposing extreme interpretations of the ban.
Eight Muslim students were told to change by their school in Montpellier when they arrived in long skirts last month, local media say.
The 2004 law was supposed to settle once and for all the problem of religious signs in schools.
With Islamic head-coverings - the original issue - it can be said to have succeeded. Today no-one wears them. But instead the argument has shifted elsewhere: to skirts for girls and beards for boys.
It may sound silly for the academic establishment to get exercised over an ankle-length skirt, which has been in and out fashion for many years.
But the point for the school is not so much the garment as the attitude. If Muslim girls start wearing long skirts in a conspicuous effort to show their faith, then some will argue that is a breach of the 2004 law.
The risk is that with the help of social media this now turns into a nationwide challenge, at a time when tensions over Islamophobia and secular values are already pretty hot.
The Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF) said they had recorded nearly 130 similar incidents in the country last year.
In 2011 France became the first European country to ban the full-face Islamic veil - the niqab - in public places.
Most of the population - including most Muslims - agree with the government when it describes the face-covering veil as an affront to society's values. Critics - many outside France - say it is a violation of individual liberties.
The European Court of Human Rights upheld the ban last July after it was challenged by a 24-year-old French woman, who argued that it violated her freedom of religion and expression.
France has about five million Muslims - the largest Muslim minority in Western Europe - but it is thought only about 2,000 women wear full veils.


Bad weather has halted rescue operations in flood-hit northern India and forced authorities to delay mass funerals for those killed.

Air force officials said they were unable to fly helicopters to the temple town of Badrinath to bring down the 5,000 pilgrims still stuck there.
And police say the planned mass cremations in Kedarnath town have been postponed following heavy rains.
The floods have killed more than 600 people in Uttarakhand state.
State Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said at the weekend that he feared at least 1,000 people had died. Officials say 97,000 people have been rescued so far.
Early monsoon rains in India this year are believed to be the heaviest in 80 years.
On Tuesday morning, rescue operations were delayed due to rain, but once the weather improved air force helicopters began preparing for sorties to Badrinath - the last of the areas where thousands of pilgrims are still stranded in the mountains.
In pictures: India floods rescue
But later in the day, air force officials told the BBC that heavy rains in Badrinath had prevented helicopters from landing, forcing them to abandon rescue operations.
Air force officials say they need to get to the affected areas urgently as time is running out for survivors.
"I just need two to three days of good weather and I can get everyone out," Air Commodore Rajesh Issar, who heads   Operation Rahat (Relief), said.
Meanwhile, senior police official Sanjay Gunjiyal, who is in-charge of the mass cremations in Kedarnath, told the BBC that it had been raining heavily since the morning and the cremations were unlikely to happen on Tuesday.
Police say lots of bodies are piled up around the temple in Kedarnath and many of them have begun decomposing, the BBC's Sanjoy Majumder reports from Dehradun.
Many of them remain unidentified so they are being photographed and DNA samples are being taken and preserved for the families of those still missing, our correspondent adds.
On Sunday, officials said the severely damaged Kedarnath town had been cleared of survivors and teams were searching for the bodies of victims.
Tourists and pilgrims were among those caught up in the floods, which washed away homes, roads and bridges.
So extensive is the damage that even a week after the devastating floods and landslides, there is still no clarity on the true number of people missing or dead.
Thousands of army, paramilitary and disaster management officials have been working for the past week to help those trapped in remote villages and settlements, but rescue operations have been hampered by rain and poor weather.
On average, the air force has been operating 115 flights a day and Air Commodore Issar has described it as "the single biggest rescue operation involving helicopters anywhere in the world".
On Monday morning, helicopters carrying special forces to find survivors were forced to turn back because of bad weather.
Meanwhile, hundreds of relatives continue to camp in Dehradun, looking for missing family members and friends.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the situation as "distressing" and announced a 10bn rupee ($170m; Â£127m) aid package for Uttarakhand.
The rainy season generally lasts from June to September, bringing rain which is critical to farming.


London's Air Ambulance crews attended 115 incidents in Westminster last year, the highest number of call-outs in any of the capital's boroughs.

Across the city 1,826 patients were treated by the charity, with more than a third of the casualties resulting from road traffic collisions.
The Air Ambulance had no explanation of why, for the third year running, Westminster needed the service most.
Lambeth, with 113 call-outs, and Hackney, 111, made up the top three.
Westminster had the highest number of call-outs the two previous years as well, figures show, with 120 patients in the borough treated in 2014 and 141 in 2013.
1,826
patients treated
Busiest boroughs Westminster: 115, Lambeth: 113, Hackney: 111
Injury types 601 road traffic cases, 528 stabbings and shootings, 433 falls, 264 others
In January, the charity's second helicopter carrying an advance trauma team became operational.
Graham Hodgkin, chief executive officer of London's Air Ambulance, said: "While our statistics show that we were busier in some areas of the capital than others, trauma can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time.
"There could be any number of reasons for why we might be busier in one area over another, including weather, density of population or high profile events - there really are no trends for this particular disease.
"Now with two helicopters to maintain, and the extension of our daylight flying hours in the summer months, the cost of providing our service to London has increased to Â£6m each year."
Dave Cowe was treated by an air ambulance crew last September when he came off his motorcycle and landed on the concrete.
Most of his ribs were fractured, his head injured and his left lung was at risk of collapsing with his chest filling up with blood.
Mr Cowe said: "I was very lucky. London's Air Ambulance was by my side in minutes delivering what is essentially a mobile emergency unit with a doctor on board.
"It's crazy to consider that until recently London only had one helicopter."
Barts Health NHS Trust provides the doctors while London Ambulance Service provides the paramedics and emergency kits.
Top 10 busiest boroughs


A crane has collapsed at Falmouth Docks leading to the evacuation of the site.

Witnesses described hearing an "enormous bang" as it collapsed on to 10 acetylene cylinders at the dockside at about 09:00 BST.
A firefighter suffered minor injuries while assessing the scene.
A 200m exclusion zone was set up over fears the cylinders could explode after the collapse, which was initially treated as a major incident. The cordon was lifted at about 13:00.
There were no other injuries.
Sarah Lucy, who lives in Cliff Road, Falmouth, said she was woken up by an "almighty crashing and rumbling sound".
"Immediately the air raid siren started and then there were loads of sirens," she added.
More on the Falmouth crane story, and other news
The Royal Navy Lookout Twitter account, an unofficial local account, said the crane collapsed with an "enormous bang".
Cornwall Fire Service said its response was in line with how it would plan for this type of incident.
Assistant chief fire officer Phil Martin said: "Incidents involving acetylene cylinders require a well-managed response and the cordon is put in place to ensure the safety of members of the public.
"I am pleased to report that the firefighter who was injured suffered only minor injuries and was taken to hospital as a precaution. We do of course wish him a speedy recovery."
A&P Group, which owns the docks, said a full health and safety investigation would take place.
A statement from A&P said: "No-one was injured in the incident, however, all personnel have been temporarily evacuated from the docks whilst an assessment of the area is made.
"Personnel will return to work as soon as possible."


Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a three week-old girl in Inverness.

The baby, who is from Mackay Road, in the Hilton Road area of Inverness, was taken to Raigmore Hospital but died on Thursday afternoon.
The death is currently being treated as unexplained.
Det Insp Brian Geddes said: "This is a tragic incident and we are carrying out a full investigation in order to establish the full circumstances."
He added that there would be a police presence in the area while officers carried out inquiries.
Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland.


An operation to lift a 27-tonne frame on to the roof of Winchester Cathedral has been postponed because the crane did not have enough counterweights.

The frame was due to be hoisted up in sections by a 200-tonne crane on Tuesday morning.
Hundreds of people had gathered to watch but experts decided more counterweights were needed, which had to be transported from Bristol.
It is hoped the lift will begin on Wednesday morning, weather permitting.
The operation is part of a project to conserve and restore lead work on the east end of the roof.
It is part of a larger £20.5m scheme, which includes new exhibition spaces in the south transept and the refurbishment of the Learning Centre.


Lib Dem MP Julian Huppert has told the BBC that some of the groans that greet him as he rises to his feet in the Commons amount to bullying.

The backbencher faced a chorus of disapproval during prime minister's questions on Wednesday, when he stood up to talk about National Carers Week.
Parliament's official record, Hansard, notes MPs' response to Mr Huppert on 13 February was "oh no".
The MP said: "I think some of it is very much bullying."
"There are clearly efforts by some MPs to try to make it harder for some people to speak, you can see this with a range of people, it's happening to me at the moment it's happened to other people in the past it will happen to more people in the future which is what really upsets me," he told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.
"It's just simply unacceptable behaviour."
In recent weeks several women MPs have been greeted with shouts as they got to their feet. Last week Conservative MP Therese Coffey stood up to be met with an audible shout of "What a woman!".
On Wednesday it was the turn of Labour MP for Newcastle North, Catherine McKinnell, who got up to the sound of someone shouting "whey-aye Geordie girl".
Mr Huppert said: "We're trying to get more people into politics, we're trying not to make it an exclusive debating club. We're trying to get more women into politics, I can see why a lot of people, women and men, would look at that sort of behaviour and say: Actually that' s not the environment where I would like to talk about things."
"I just think it sends a really bad signal to the public if this is how Parliament behaves."
But he refused to be drawn on newspaper suggestions that Commons Speaker John Bercow had made the situation worse by referring to Mr Huppert - who has a PhD in biological chemistry- as "the good doctor". "The Speaker has a very very tough job, he has so many people shouting, he had to intervene yesterday I guess it was something like five or six times to try to get people to be quiet."
On Wednesday Mr Bercow intervened to call the House to order and allow Mr Huppert to speak. In February, again at Prime Minister's Questions, he told MPs off: "It is very discourteous of the House to issue a collective groanâ€”notably on the Opposition Benches. It is quite inexplicable."
He is not the only MP to provoke such a reaction in the Commons. BBC parliamentary correspondent Mark D'Arcy said Lib Dem deputy leader Simon Hughes also gets the same treatment - perhaps because other MPs are annoyed at the extra power being in coalition has given Lib Dem MPs.
Guardian sketchwriter Simon Hoggart noted in 1999 that former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown would rise at PM's questions "to the traditional groan".
Conservative MP Paul Maynard, who has cerebral palsy, has complained that MPs had made faces at him as he spoke in a Commons debate in 2010.


Nine-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal produced a brilliant display to beat Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-0 6-1 6-0.

The fourth seed needed only 90 minutes to see off the Georgian and secured his place in the fourth round with his most one-sided win at Roland Garros.
Nadal, 31 on Saturday, has now won 98 of 100 best-of-five clay-court matches.
The Spaniard is bidding to become the first player in the Open era - and only the second in history - to win 10 titles at any Grand Slam event.
Margaret Court is the only player to have won 10 or more titles at one Grand Slam event, winning the Australian Open on 11 occasions between 1960 and 1973.
Nadal has a 75-2 win-loss record at Roland Garros with his only defeats coming against Robin Soderling in the fourth round in 2009 and Novak Djokovic in the 2015 quarter-finals.
This was the first time in a completed match at the tournament that Nadal has only lost one game.
Reigning champion Djokovic beat Argentine Diego Schwartzman in five sets.
Nadal won the first set in 23 minutes and won the next five games before world number 63 Basilashvili finally got on the scoreboard.
The Spaniard wrapped up the set by winning the next game and, with a storm threatening to interrupt play, clinched victory in clinical fashion with his 27th winner.
The 14-time Grand Slam champion will face compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut in the next round.
"It is always important to be through, that's the most important thing," said Nadal. "But obviously when you have positive feelings it is even more important.
"Basilashvili had been playing well. He won against Gilles Simon in the first round who is a tough opponent and also Viktor Troicki.
"I'm happy because I had never played against him and I knew it would be tough.
"He hits the ball so quick but I believe I played my best match in a while."
Basilashvili was left with rather different feelings. "The score is quite embarrassing but I have to accept it," said the 25-year-old.
Belgium's David Goffin retired with an ankle injury after slipping while leading in the first set of his third-round match against Horacio Zeballos.
The 10th seed, who was 5-4 up on Court Suzanne Lenglen, was chasing a deep backhand and slid into a cover, hurting his right ankle.
His coach Thierry van Cleemput revealed positive news about the injury but was unsure whether he will be fit for Wimbledon.
Van Cleemput said: "He had an MRI, and the news is reassuring. There is no tearing of the ligaments and no bone that's been broken. There is a swelling, and in 48 hours we will see how things go on."
World number 65 Zeballos will now play Austrian sixth seed Dominic Thiem.
Thiem, 23, beat American 25th seed Steve Johnson, who has been "an emotional mess" after the recent death of his father, in an enthralling 6-1 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 victory.
Thiem is considered one of the outside favourites to win the tournament after beating favourite Rafael Nadal in straight sets in Rome earlier this month.
Fifth seed Milos Raonic reached the last 16 after Guillermo Garcia-Lopez retired because of a thigh injury.
Raonic won the first set 6-1 in 21 minutes and led 1-0 in the second when the Spaniard retired at the changeover.
The Canadian will now face Pablo Carreno Busta who beat Bulgarian 11th seed Grigor Dimitrov 7-5 6-3 6-4.


Kallum Watkins marked his 200th appearance for Leeds Rhinos with a try to help them overcome Wigan Warriors.

Ryan Hall and Joel Moon put Leeds 14-12 up at the break, while George Williams twice went over for Wigan in a ferocious opening 40 minutes.
The half ended with heated exchanges and Leeds' Brett Ferres was sin-binned for a tackle on Oliver Gildart.
Watkins added to Rhinos' lead and Carl Ablett sealed victory late on after Liam Marshall's try gave Wigan hope.
Leeds' fourth successive win since a 66-10 annihilation at Castleford meant they kept pace with the Super League-leading Tigers, with Rhinos second in the table and equal on points with their Yorkshire rivals after Daryl Powell's men thumped Huddersfield 52-16.
For Wigan, their second straight defeat - after their unbeaten start was ended by Hull FC seven days earlier - left them fifth.
Williams sidestepped his way around Leeds' defence for the game's first try after Ashton Golding kicked an early penalty for the hosts.
England half-back Williams was again at his elusive best to help edge Wigan back into the contest after Hall and Moon both crossed for Leeds.
While Golding again registered the first points of the second half with the boot, Watkins added to the lead in dramatic circumstances as Wigan's Nick Gregson had a try disallowed because of a double movement moments earlier.
Marshall's score ensured a tense finish before Ablett charged over three minutes from the end.
Leeds Rhinos coach Brian McDermott: "It was a real tiresome game. Wigan never went away, every time we threatened to put more points on them, they came back and made it a real contest.
"I still don't think I can tell you it's a blip what happened four weeks ago (against Castleford). Add another four weeks of improved performances and wins and we can look back on it as a blip.
"But I knew it was a blip at the time, we just faced a really hot team on the night. It wasn't the case that we had four weeks to save jobs."
Wigan Warriors coach Shaun Wane: "I'm depressed. I thought we could have won it, we were just dumb - we were not smart enough.
"We had a load of young kids who gave everything but at this level effort is not enough.
"I 100% expected to win, we put 17 players out there who could have won and they're devastated that they haven't and I'm devastated.
"But I don't want to take anything away from Leeds, who were the best team on the day."
Leeds Rhinos: Golding; Briscoe, Watkins, Keinhorst, Hall; McGuire, Moon; Garbutt, Parcell, Cuthbertson, Ablett, Ferres, Jones-Buchanan.
Replacements: Mullally, Burrow, Delaney, Sutcliffe.
Wigan Warriors: Escare; Davies, Gildart, Forsyth, Marshall; Williams, Leuluai; Nuuausala, Powell, Flower, J Tomkins, Isa, Clubb.
Replacements: Tautai, Sutton, Gregson, Navarrete.
Referee: Ben Thaler


The cost of "exit packages" to staff taking early retirement or made redundant at Scottish Borders Council has more than trebled.

In the last financial year 71 workers left the local authority sharing more than £2.2m between them.
The figure for the previous 12 months was £626,000 between 40 employees.
The details are contained in the latest council accounts which also show an increase in the number of top earning senior staff.
The number of employees earning more than £50,000-a-year has risen from 109 to 115 - although that includes workers who received additional payments for early retirement or voluntary severance.
Full details of the council's accounts are available online.