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Spinner completes memorable match after first-innings hundred as visitors continue upturn in form

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay25-Jul-2025Lancashire 557 (Green1 60, Hartley 130, Hurst 106) and 110 for 1 (Jennings 57*) beat Gloucestershire 381 (Charlesworth 160, Phillips 64, Hartley 6-116) and 285 (Charlesworth 71, Phillips 56, Hartley 5-99) by nine wicketsMan-of-the-match Tom Hartley produced another career-best performance to propel Lancashire to a hard-earned nine-wicket victory over Gloucestershire at Cheltenham and keep alive their hopes of winning promotion back to Division One of the Rothesay County Championship.Having previously staged his highest score of 130 and taken 6 for 116 to put his team in control, the England slow left-armer claimed 5 for 99 on the final day of an entertaining match at the famous old College Ground as the red rose county made it two wins out of three in the red-ball format under the new leadership team of interim head coach Steve Croft and captain James Anderson.Made to follow on, Gloucestershire were dismissed for 285 in 98 overs in their second innings, Hartley finishing with match figures of 11 for 215 after Ben Charlesworth and Joe Phillips had scored 71 and 56 respectively for the home side. Chris Green weighed in with 2 for 62 as spin accounted for seven wickets on a surface offering some assistance.Set 110 to win in 26 overs, Lancashire chased down their target for the loss of Luke Wells with five overs to spare, courtesy of an authoritative unbroken second wicket partnership of 103 between Keaton Jennings and Josh Bohannon. Confronted by four spinners as Gloucestershire dispensed with seam, Jennings top-scored with a brisk 57 not out from 67 balls, while the equally forthright Bohannon faced 50 deliveries in raising an undefeated 45 as the visitors eased to victory in the final hour.Lancashire took 22 points to move into fourth place in Division Two, in the process leapfrogging Gloucestershire, who settled for five points after sustaining their third defeat of the season.Gloucestershire resumed their second innings on 98 without loss, still 78 in arrears and potentially vulnerable to a repeat of the collapse that undermined their first innings. It was incumbent upon openers Cameron Bancroft and Charlesworth to build upon their good start on a pitch that was offering some assistance to spin, but which was not expected to break up.If Gloucestershire’s minimum requirement was to bat two sessions, Lancashire were reading from an altogether different script, Anderson claiming the prized scalp of Bancroft in the opening over, the Australian edging to midwicket without adding to his overnight score of 35.Having seen off Anderson, Charlesworth was no doubt disappointed to then succumb to George Balderson in his first over from the Chapel Lawn End. Attempting a back-foot flick, Gloucestershire’s first-innings centurion found Marcus Harris at short midwicket and departed for 71 with the score 129 for 2. Guilty of poor shot selection, Ollie Price then pursued a wide delivery from Hartley that bounced off a length and edged to Luke Wells at slip, at which point Gloucestershire were 134 for 3, still 42 in arrears, having lost three wickets in the first hour.They came close to losing another in the next over, Miles Hammond standing his ground and being afforded the benefit of the doubt when Jennings claimed a catch at short square leg off the bowling of Hartley. The reprieve proved temporary, Green pinning Hammond lbw for 22 in the final over before lunch, which was taken with the score 168 for 4. Representing Gloucestershire’s best chance of saving the game, Phillips remained unbeaten on 35.He was joined by James Bracey and these two wiped out the remaining arrears early on in the afternoon session, Phillips going to a hard-earned 50 from 91 balls with his eighth four. But Lancashire continued to take wickets, Jack Blatherwick angling a short delivery into the body of Bracey, who was unable to get his bat out of the way and edged behind. His departure was a blow for Gloucestershire, who were in effect 21 for 5 with 57 overs left in the day.An even bigger blow befell the home side when Phillips’ vigil came to an end soon afterwards, the Cornishman held by the safe hands of Jennings at short leg off the bowling of the ubiquitous Hartley. Phillips had faced 110 balls, accrued eight fours and defied the red rose bowlers for three hours. Hartley then extracted additional spin to remove Graeme van Buuren, who stretched forward and was caught behind for 8 to leave the home side between a rock and a hard place at 210 for 7.Todd Murphy led a Gloucestershire counterattack, going for his shots, pushing the field back and sharing in a useful stand of 41 in eight overs with Zaman Akhter, who scored a breezy 20 before offering a return catch to Green as the home side slipped to 251 for 8. Ajeet Singh Dale survived a searching examination at the hands of Anderson and the new ball, he and Murphy digging in to reach tea on 268 for 8. Gloucestershire had a slender lead of 92 with a minimum 35 overs remaining.Lancashire’s go-to man, Hartley returned to bowl Murphy for a 56-ball 33 and complete the first 10-wicket match haul of his career as an enthralling contest entered its final session. He then accounted for last man Marchant de Lange, held at short square leg as Gloucestershire’s resistance with the bat finally came to an end in the early-evening sunshine.

Alejandro Garnacho has been told that facets of his game are not at a good enough level for a big club like Chelsea or Manchester United. The 21-year-old swapped Old Trafford for Stamford Bridge this summer and despite showing flashes of quality for Enzo Maresca's team so far, some of his detractors still feel there are some glaring holes in his game.

Garnacho 'not at the level you need'

Former United winger Lee Sharpe believes that the Argentina international's decision-making is just not good enough. While he praised his technical ability, athleticism, and X-factor capabilities, he still needs to improve a great deal to become a more complete player.

He told Adventure Gamers: "It’s always the same with Alejandro Garnacho. His issue is, and has always been, his decision-making in the final third. Skill-wise, pace-wise wise and his ability to excite people is second to none. But sometimes, he tries to shoot when he should pass and vice versa – he can get stuck in little areas, and it’s probably not quite at the level you need at a big club like Manchester United or Chelsea. Whether that is something that improves with age and experience, I don’t know. He has been in the Premier League for several years now and you would expect him to have developed in those areas, but I don’t think he has."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportGarnacho's attitude comes into question

Garnacho was once seen as one of Argentina's most exciting rising stars but he has been frozen out of the country's national team for nearly a year. Incidentally, former Argentine international Oscar Ruggeri thinks the youngster needs a bit of a reality check.

He said: "He's no better than anyone else, you're a football player, enjoy it, but you shouldn't be so full of yourself. It's pointless because you miss out on so much. Someone has to bring him down to earth. They're not calling him up to the national team. If he comes back down to earth like he was, they'll call him up again because he's phenomenal on the pitch."

Indeed, former United defender Paul Parker feels the way he left the Red Devils, and the way he carried himself in his final few months there, were unprofessional.

He added: "His conduct on and off the pitch was disrespectful. All he wanted to do was score a goal or have a near miss so he could act like Ronaldo. Now he's gone to a club where there’s a lot more ego. He will alienate himself or it’ll be a battle there. United fans backed him when he was going through things both on and off the field. His brother was tweeting things and they backed him and he said nothing. He’s stuck two fingers up at the club that nursed him."

Maresca comes to Garnacho's aid

This year, Garnacho has come under heavy fire from pundits for his antics but Chelsea head coach Maresca believes in the young winger.

After his goal in the Blues' 2-2 draw with Qarabag in the Champions League in midweek, the Italian said: "Now, when you don't win, I can understand that it's always, but I think Garnacho, he has done well in the second half. We gave him the chance. He's slowly, slowly improving."

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Garnacho?

With Garnacho not having to worry about playing for Argentina this month, the ex-United ace will hope to start for Chelsea at home to Premier League basement side Wolves on Saturday night. If results go their way, they could move into the top four by the end of the weekend.

The young opener put India on the back foot with his outrageous shots, reminding people of a recent attacking batter whose absence is felt

Ian Chappell29-Dec-2024The team doesn’t mention it but the player Australia has badly missed is the ultra-aggressive opener David Warner.Australia were without a top-order batter who could disrupt the opposition with his strokeplay and make opposition bowlers think differently. Well, on Boxing Day they found such a player in vibrant young opener Sam Konstas.He not only disrupted India and gave Jasprit Bumrah something to seriously ponder, he also frustrated the opposition. In the end Virat Kohli succumbed and resorted to a physical approach. This is not the answer; cricket isn’t a physical game – it requires skill and thought.Related

Cummins wants Konstas to play like 'you're a kid in the backyard' on Boxing Day debut

Konstas arrives at the Test arena like a supernova

Konstas on taking on Bumrah: 'That's the beauty of being young and a bit naive'

Konstas’ strategy was sound: shift some of the catching fielders and don’t allow good bowlers to operate the way they want to. It was his execution that was so different from Warner’s, and it remains to be seen if his is a viable long-term method.It certainly worked on Boxing Day but India will have noted that whenever Konstas played traditional cricket shots, his success rate was extremely low. Will this mean that in future India tries to force Konstas to play more normal cricket shots?This is how the battle plays out in Test cricket: a player arrives, batting in an unusual manner, then it’s up to the opposition bowlers to re-assess. Once the bowling team reacts, it’s the batter who has to make an adjustment. This is an ongoing process until one gains the upper hand.Apart from creating an immediate cult following, Konstas made life simpler for his fellow batters. Konstas’ outrageous blitz on the Indian new-ball bowlers allowed Australia to burst out of the gates and put themselves in a strong position.In his own way Konstas caused India to slip into the mentality of feeling sorry for themselves about the opposition playing and missing and edges falling short of the cordon. It wasn’t until late in the day when the batting took on a more normal approach that Bumrah began to exert some control over the Australian team again.

A player arrives, batting in an unusual manner, and it’s up to the opposition bowlers to reassess. Once the bowling team reacts, it’s the batter who has to make an adjustment. This is an ongoing process until one gains the upper hand.

In the build-up, Konstas’ statistical likeness to Ricky Ponting (twin centuries in a Shield game) was noted. Normally a statistical likeness with one of Australia’s best batters places a heavy burden on the newcomer. However, Konstas made light of any debutant pressure. The burden will come later when – not if – he fails.It’s then that his method will be questioned rather than admired. How Konstas reacts will decide whether he has the courage and skill to disregard the doubters, as Warner did, to become a highly successful batter.What Konstas’ gregarious attitude did do was energise Steve Smith, who rediscovered his old self and began to play with more freedom. Smith’s strokeplay and skipper Pat Cummins’ determination put Australia on the path to a big total.With Australia dominating the must-win Test, India needed to mount a strong fightback.It was then that the confident Yashasvi Jaiswal made it the story of two brash young openers, as he instituted his own form of disruption. Playing with flair, scintillating strokes and assurance, Jaiswal, with solid assistance from a determined Kohli, pushed India into safer waters.Just when it looked as though India were mounting a serious challenge, Jaiswal went and spoiled it all by saying “yes”. The inexcusable mix-up that followed resulted in him being needlessly run-out. Then Kohli, disoriented by the senseless waste, lost concentration and his dismissal meant India were in big trouble.The talented young openers from each side played their part in giving this Test a sense of drama but Konstas was better supported by his more experienced team-mates.Now it remains to be seen if India can regroup and provide the fight needed to keep Australia at bay. India will require all the resolve they can muster, as the result of this Test could well decide the destination of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The atmosphere around West Ham United at the moment is starting to feel rather toxic.

Nuno Espírito Santo was able to earn a point and inspire an impressive fightback in his opening game away to Everton, but since then, things have gone from bad to worse.

A loss away to Arsenal is understandable, but the defeats to Brentford and Leeds United were diabolical, and some major changes are needed to inspire the side to Premier League survival this term.

Therefore, while it’s risky, Nuno should look to play a few of the club’s promising academy talents, including one who could develop into a future Mark Nobel-type figure for them.

The West Ham youngsters Nuno should give a chance

Now, it should be said that if West Ham were playing even remotely well this season, then bringing in a few youngsters would probably be a bad idea.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, as things stand, the East Londoners are the second-worst team in the league, so it’s probably worth throwing in some promising prospects, as at least they would give it everything and help address the side’s dire lack of athleticism.

One of those who should be given a go is 20-year-old Mohamadou Kanté, who just signed a new deal with the club.

The “colossal” French midfielder, as dubbed by one analyst, is a particularly promising talent and has even been compared to former Hammer “Mo Diame” for his “intelligent composed passing” and “long-ranging legs that eat up ground.”

On top of having that pace and power, which is severely lacking in Nuno’s squad, the youngster is also proving to be something of a goal threat for the junior sides.

For example, despite playing in central and defensive midfield, he has already scored and assisted two goals in nine appearances for the U21s this season.

Speaking of goalscoring prospects, with Niclas Füllkrug out and Callum Wilson simply not good enough, it might be time to give Josh Landers a go in the first team.

Appearances

6

Minutes

359′

Goals

5

Assists

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.83

Minutes per Goal Involvement

71.8′

So far this season, the 18-year-old Scotsman has scored five goals in six appearances for the U21s, totalling just 359 minutes.

Finally, it might be time to give Preston Fearon a proper runout with the senior side.

The 18-year-old gem made an appearance during pre-season and has been described as a “special player” by Jarrod Bowen, who added that he’s “never seen someone nutmeg so many people in training.”

With all that said, there is another, slightly older academy graduate who has played for the first team, but should now be getting even more minutes, someone who could be a future Noble.

West Ham's future Noble

Now, while someone like Fearon could go on to emulate some of the best qualities of a Noble, he’s still only 18, and so it’s difficult to predict what sort of player he’ll become.

The same is not necessarily true of Freddie Potts.

There is still a long way to go in the 22-year-old’s career, but even so, there are already some key similarities between him and the West Ham legend.

Firstly, he is very much one of the Hammers’ own, as he spent his entire youth career with the East Londoners and has only played for other teams while out on loan.

Moreover, he is a fan of the club, and so when the supporters sang “Freddie Potts, he’s one of our own” away to Everton earlier this season, it was one of those rare occasions when that phrase is entirely true.

This is also why journalist Dan Woffenden said that, unlike some of the other players in the squad today, he “at least understands what it means to wear the shirt.”

On top of all this, the Barking-born ace is also positionally similar to the Irons legend, with his best position being in the middle of the park.

Furthermore, while he isn’t likely to go on any mazy runs or score wonder goals like some other midfielders, he looks to be a reliable, no-nonsense throwback of a footballer.

That’s not to say he cannot help out with attacking phases of play, though, as respected analyst Ben Mattinson has described the 22-year-old as someone blessed with an impressive “passing range and powerful carrying” ability.

Ultimately, Noble is a legend, and while West Ham aren’t going to find someone just like him, Potts looks like he could develop into the modern version of him for Nuno this season.

£40m West Ham flop is the biggest waste of money since Scamacca & Haller

The West Ham ace has been terrible for Nuno and Potter this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 27, 2025

MLB action continues on Saturday with a full slate of games.

If you're looking for a few bets to place for today's action, I have you covered. There are three games I'm targeting, including two underdogs, that I love as bets today, including the Milwaukee Brewers to take down the Los Angeles Dodgers. Let's dive into them.

Top MLB Picks Today

Padres -140 vs. NationalsRed Sox +125 vs. CubsBrewers +115 vs. DodgersPadres vs. Nationals Prediction

The Padres have a massive pitching advantage in this game. Yu Darvish is looking to find his footing in just his third start of the season, but Mitchell Parker gets the start for the Nationals, and he doesn't look like he's going to figure things out anytime soon. He has a 5.12 ERA on the year with a 5-10 record.

Things become even more lopsided once the bullpens come into play. The San Diego bullpen ranks second in the Majors in bullpen ERA at 3.22, while the Nationals rank dead last at 5.97. That's enough for me to take the Padres at -140.

Red Sox vs. Cubs Prediction

The Red Sox's 10-game win streak was snapped last night, but I think they're a great underdog to bounce back with a win tonight. They're close to an auto-bet when they take on a left-handed starting pitcher as their OPS improves from .744 against right-handed pitchers to .790 against left-handed pitchers, which is the third-best OPS against left-handed pitchers in the Majors.

Tonight, they'll face a left-handed starter in Shota Imanaga, who has allowed 2+ home runs in two of his last three starts. Boston should feel comfortable facing him tonight, so I'll take a shot on the Red Sox as +125 underdogs.

Brewers vs. Dodgers Prediction

The Brewers have now won four straight games against the Dodgers, and I'm going to bet on that streak continuing tonight. The Dodgers' offense has struggled significantly of late, ranking just 26th in the Majors in OPS over the past 30 days. The Brewers, on the other hand, come in at sixth in that stat in the same time frame at .791.

Freddy Peralta gets the start for the Brewers tonight. He pitched six scoreless innings against the Dodgers just a couple of short weeks ago. There's no reason to think he won't have a similar performance tonight.