Tottenham Hotspur have seen a shift in their recruitment strategy over the last few years – something which Fabio Paratici no doubt was at the centre of.

The Italian spent two years at the club between 2021 and 2023, subsequently turning the hierarchy’s attention to investing in younger talents for the immediate and long-term future.

In the summer of 2022 alone, the 53-year-old completed deals for full-backs Destiny Udogie and Djed Spence – that’s despite the latter being unwanted by then-boss Antonio Conte.

However, in the present day, both players have become key members of Thomas Frank’s first-team squad, showcasing the impressive work done in the transfer market.

The aforementioned duo will be hoping they achieve more sustained success than one player who demonstrated glimpses of quality during the early days of his career in North London.

The real reason behind Dele’s decline at Spurs

Back in the summer of 2015, Spurs forked out a reported £5m for the signature of attacking midfielder Dele – with many supporters unaware of the youngster.

At just 19, many anticipated the Englishman to join the youth setup in North London, but he would make himself an immediate fan-favourite as a result of his tremendous displays.

For the first three years of his stint at the Lilywhites, he was a regular starter – racking up 146 appearances, scoring on 46 occasions and laying on 35 assists for his teammates.

Such form saw Dele claim the PFA Young Player of the Year two years in a row, becoming just one of five players to achieve such a feat in the history of the Premier League.

However, in a remarkable interview with Gary Neville back in the summer of 2023, the former Lilywhites star opened up on his trauma from his younger years, which no doubt had an effect on his footballing career.

He was often called into question by José Mourinho for his attitude and laziness, also suffering numerous injuries, which plagued his progress in North London.

Dele suffered 11 separate injury setbacks in his seven-year period in North London, with such issues preventing his progress and seeing him miss 44 first-team matches.

His time with the Lilywhites came to a disappointing end back in January 2022, subsequently joining Everton on a free transfer – an unthinkable ending given his previous form.

The Spurs star who’s their best teenage star since Dele

Many supporters questioned Dele’s attitude during his time with Spurs, but after his courage to speak out about his mental health struggles, it’s safe to say many fans empathise with the midfielder.

Such issues have taken a huge toll on his professional career, with the former Lilywhites star now without a club at the age of 29 after leaving Como this summer.

However, there’s no denying he will forever be remembered by the fans for his countless moments of magic that gave everyone involved with the football club memories to last a lifetime.

From Goal of the Season strikes against Crystal Palace, to his memorable double against Chelsea that ended the Blues’ unbeaten 2016/17 record at White Hart Lane.

Such levels are rarely seen from such a young talent, but there’s current generation of supporters has their next remarkable youngster in the form of Lucas Bergvall.

Like Dele, he joined the Lilywhites for less than £10m, arriving as an unknown quantity to the majority of supporters after previously plying his trade for Djurgarden.

However, the Swedish youngster has rapidly developed into one of the club’s best players, a simply remarkable feat given he’s still just 19 years of age.

Despite his tender age, the midfielder has already racked up 56 appearances for the first-team and has subsequently featured in all but one game since Frank took the reins.

Bergvall even netted his first Premier League goal in the win over West Ham United last month, leading to head of scouting Rob Mackenzie labelling him as “a genuine generational talent”.

His underlying stats from 2025/26 highlight that the praise is certainly warranted, with the teenager completing 70% of the dribbles he’s attempted to date, whilst also ranking in the top 12% of all players in the league for assists registered.

However, out of possession, the Swede has been just as impressive, winning 2.6 tackles per 90 and coming out on top in a total of 5.5 duels per 90 – stats which make him the perfect box-to-box option.

Games played

7

Goals & assists

2

Pass accuracy

84%

Dribble success

70%

Tackles won

2.6

Duels won

5.5

Recoveries made

3.8

Shots taken

1.2

Frank and Co will desperately be hoping Bergvall can continue on his current trajectory in North London, with the youngster having all the tools to be a key member of the squad in their hunt for added silverware.

There’s little doubt that he’s the best teenage star they’ve had on their hands since Dele’s emergence, but everyone will be hoping that the end to his story with the Lilywhites is a happier one.

Not Simons: Spurs flop is becoming their biggest waste since Ndombele

One Tottenham Hotspur player is rapidly struggling to match the fee paid for his signature in recent times.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 21, 2025

Birmingham City haven’t quite blown away the Championship when assessing the Blues’ recent form in the difficult division.

Pre-season expectations would have focused on Chris Davies’ men being in line for the unbelievable feat of back-to-back promotions, but after nine hit-and-miss games in the second tier, the West Midlands giants currently occupy an unsatisfactory 16th spot.

While Davies and Co. attempt to get their early-season back on track, former Birmingham star Jordan James is now strutting his stuff for a side further up the division in Leicester City, with some regret surely on the end of the second-tier newcomers for letting him go when they did.

James' fantastic start at Leicester

James is arguably a forgotten star at St. Andrew’s, having suddenly become a bright spark for the Blues when relegation was served up last year.

Indeed, despite his boyhood club falling to League One in depressing fashion, James would go on to bag eight goals during his swansong season, with a move to Rennes in France then opening up for the breakout Welshman.

He has since shown off a similar Midas touch in front of goal on the books of Marti Cifuentes’ Foxes, who he moved to this summer initially on loan, with a £4.3m fee in play if they want to make the switch a permanent one.

Off the back of this stunner, finding the back of the net away at Swansea City last time out, on top of him collecting a further goal and assist from five other Championship appearances, James has certainly lived up to his billing of being a “Rolls-Royce” performer that was once handed to him by content creator Jordan Webber.

Yet, despite James already impressing in his new location, Birmingham arguably sold an even bigger talent than their former academy sensation when letting another star go for just £3m back in 2023.

Birmingham already sold a bigger talent than James

At least with James, Birmingham managed to get the very best out of him, even if it was for a short but sweet period of time.

In the case of Jobe Bellingham, however, the Blues prematurely gave up their former number 27 before he could blossom into the world beater he is today.

Amazingly, Bellingham would never go on to pick up a goal or assist in the senior picture at St. Andrew’s from 26 appearances, despite scoring five goals in the Blues U18s set-up previously.

It’s even more staggering to think of Bellingham somewhat struggling to adjust to the men’s game when you consider what has since followed, with the 20-year-old going on to be an overwhelming success story with Sunderland, unlike James, who struggled to kick on away from his boyhood side, before then returning to the EFL after a mixed stint in France.

With hindsight on side, Sunderland very much won themselves an unreal bargain by picking up Bellingham just for £3m, with his first full season on Wearside seeing him pick up a standout seven strikes, even as the Black Cats finished in a lowly 16th spot.

It was the following season, with Regis Le Bris at the helm, that Bellingham would mature even more into the superstar we know today, with a further seven goal contributions coming his way to seal Sunderland’s long-awaited return to the big time.

If Birmingham had exercised more patience and batted away onlookers, it is staggering to think what they could have got out of one of their own, instead of cashing in when they did, with Dan Neil even going as far as to brand his ex-teammate as a “freak of nature” for how effortlessly he became a Sunderland first-team presence.

James’ sale would have been stomached far more easily, considering he was sold on for £1m more at the £4m mark, with midfield talents such as Tomoki Iwata also being purchased that same summer, making it very straightforward for Davies’ side to sweep his move to Ligue 1 under the carpet.

On the contrary, losing Bellingham for £3m is a major mishap looking back, with the brand-new Borussia Dortmund number seven moving to Germany this summer just gone for a whopping £27.8m.

While there will be regrets in the air about both homegrown products upping and leaving, Birmingham will not want to bathe in the past for too long, as they attempt to turn around their poor form when the international break is over.

Wagner set to attend Wrexham v Birmingham City as Davies sack timeline shared

The Pressure is increasing…

1 ByTom Cunningham Oct 3, 2025

Celtic have encountered their latest injury problem under Brendan Rodgers and will now be tasked with replacing one of their most influential figures ahead of a key stretch of matches.

Brendan Rodgers confirms Cameron Carter-Vickers out of Celtic contention

On Thursday night, the Bhoys’ 2-1 victory over Sturm Graz came as a morale-boosting result that sparked their Europa League campaign into life. However, it appears the positive outcome came at a cost after Alistair Johnston and Kelechi Iheanacho were hauled off injured.

Speaking ahead of Celtic’s trip to face Heart of Midlothian on Sunday in a crunch Scottish Premiership encounter, Rodgers confirmed that Cameron Carter-Vickers will be sidelined for between three to five months after his noticable discomfort after the final whistle due to an achilles problem.

He told Sky Sports: “One that is obviously not mentioned is Cameron Carter-Vickers. He looks like he’s done his Achilles, which could be anywhere between three and five months. We just await confirmation of that, but it’s not great news. We’ll see where that one goes.”

Later, he added: “Cam’s been a very important member of the squad, of course, he’s been a great centre-half for the club, but what I always think it does is it opens the door for someone else. That opportunity came to Liam Scales and he’s been brilliant during my time here and you seen his performance last night, he was so good, and it’ll open the door for someone else to come in and look to perform.”

Brendan Rodgers' ready-made Celtic replacement for Carter-Vickers

Undoubtedly, there will be panic after losing a defender of Carter-Vickers’ calibre, especially given his excellent contribution to Celtic’s success over the last few years. This news further compounds their injury worries amid Daizen Maeda’s absence.

However, there may already be evidence on who Rodgers could turn to in the face of his rearguard options dwindling. Earning his first-team breakthrough under the Irishman, Dane Murray could be the man drafted in to answer the call as opposed to the likes of Auston Trusty, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey or Hayato Inamura.

Standing at 6 foot 4, the Scotland Under-21 international has scored once in four appearances this campaign, coming against Falkirk, and Rodgers has previously lavished praise on his ball-playing abilities, claiming they stack up against the top players from what he has witnessed.

He said: “It’s great for him because he’s a great boy. He’s got a lot of potential. And I think over the next 12 to 18 months, he’s going to really grow. His ceiling is so high.

“There are areas of the game he needs to clearly work on. But he’s 6ft 4in, he’s quick, he can take the ball. He has a comfort with the ball which aligns with top players. Just, concentration is something that’s key for defenders. But I really, really like him and that’s the reason we’ve tied him down – and I think he’s got a great future.”

Admittedly, Murray may find the jump from claiming occasional minutes to becoming a first-team regular difficult. However, his natural right-sided nature and considerable stature make him a serious candidate for the position, especially given Trusty has recently recovered from plantar fasciitis and Simpson-Pusey is yet to play a single minute in green and white.

With a trip to Tynecastle followed by Falkirk in midweek before next Sunday’s Glasgow Derby semi-final in the Premier Sports Cup, there is growing suspicions that the Lennoxtown graduate may finally land his big break.

تحدث خالد الغندور، نجم الزمالك السابق، عن فوز الأهلي ببطولة كأس السوبر المصري بعد الانتصار على الأبيض بهدفين نظيفين.

وقال خالد الغندور، عبر قناة “دبي” الرياضية: “مبروك للأهلاوية والنادي الأهلي، فاز من استحق، الأهلي كان الأفضل في المباراة بالكامل، وهو الذي أحرز الأهداف وتحكم في اللقاء”.

طالع.. موعد مباراة الزمالك القادمة بعد الخسارة أمام الأهلي في السوبر المصري

وأكمل: “الزمالك لديه مشاكل تكتيكية داخل الملعب وغياب بعض اللاعبين بسبب الإصابة، في النهاية الأهلي قدم مباراة كبيرة، ولاعبوه كانوا لديهم رغبة أكبر في الفوز والانتصار، ومعظم لاعبي الأهلي كانوا متألقين، والشناوي لم يقدم مباراة سيئة”.

واستطرد: “الحكم كان محقًا في إلغاء هدف سيف الدين الجزيري بسبب لمسة اليد، النادي الأهلي هو الذي كان يستحق المكسب”.

وأتم: “الزمالك يمر بظروف مالية صعبة جدًا، ويأتي نجم الفريق وينضم للأهلي، ورغم ذلك ما زال الزمالك ينافس فريقًا يمتلك مليار دولار، بينما يمتلك هو 100 مليون فقط، أن تنافس ناديًا بهذه الإمكانيات فهذا شيء جيد، مشكلة الزمالك مالية، وأن تنافس الأهلي أمر يُحسب للزمالك لا عليه”.

Manchester City “will be interested” in a title-winning manager to replace Pep Guardiola when the time comes for him to move on.

Guardiola assesses Man City's title chances

City make the trip to Aston Villa in the Premier League this weekend, looking to stay in touch with Arsenal and continue their good recent form, especially Erling Haaland.

When asked about the state of the title race on Friday, Guardiola gave a rather sarcastic response, but also feels positive about where his team are at currently.

“Our mentality and our body language are in the right spo,t and it will make us stable but (we need to) play better during 95 minutes. In the first two games, three games, for sure we are out and Liverpool is already done, and now it looks like Liverpool is done, and I tell you that they will be back.

“I said many times, I know all the pundits, all the specialists, former players, they know everything that is going to happen after five games. I’m not able to do that. I always wait 10, 15 games to know exactly what is going on but I think obviously Liverpool, Arsenal are there, someone else will be there, and hopefully we can be there.”

It remains to be seen how long Guardiola will stay in charge of City, but he will need to be replaced eventually, and an interesting name has been mentioned as an option to come in.

Title-winning manager backed to succeed Guardiola

Writing for Sky Germany, relayed by Sport Witness, Didi Hamann revealed Vincent Kompany could replace Guardiola at Manchester City one day, and Bayern’s recent contract extension may well have been designed to ward off the interest from the Etihad.

“FC Bayern extended Kompany’s contract until 2029, even though he still had 20 months left on his contract. I mean, the extension wasn’t a must, but I understand why they did it.

“Bayern probably have in mind that Manchester City will be interested in Kompany at some point when Pep Guardiola retires. It would be interesting to know if Kompany has a clause in his contract. Christoph Freund didn’t reveal anything about that on Wednesday evening, but he didn’t completely deny it either.”

Kompany’s status as a playing legend at City, and the fact that he is now a Bundesliga champions in charge of Bayern Munich, does make him a fairly obvious contender to be Guardiola’s successor at the Etihad.

At 39, he is an exciting manager who is growing all the time, with Bayern youngster’s Tom Bischof recent comments highlighting the effect he is having at Bayern, who are off to their best start to a season in their storied history.

Man City have Fernandinho 2.0 who's "one of the best players in the world"

Pep Guardiola may have found his new Fernandinho at Manchester City…

ByJoe Nuttall Oct 24, 2025

City fans will hope that Guardiola is still around for years to come, with the Spaniard showing few signs of wanting to move on, but Kompany should be kept an eye on as a leading option, assuming he continues to impress at Bayern.

Alessia Russo's late goal kept Arsenal's Women's Super League title hopes alive in a controversy-riddled 1-1 draw with Chelsea. Alyssa Thompson gave the visitors the lead before Stina Blackstenius' strike was ruled out for a questionable handball. Russo then delivered the crucial equaliser before even more late drama, as Frida Maanum had her stoppage-time winner chalked off for offside.

The hosts started sluggishly, and shortly after Johanna Rytting Kaneryd hit the post, Alyssa Thompson gave Chelsea a ninth-minute lead when her curling shot looped into the corner after a piercing run. It was nearly 2-0 when goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar failed to hold Catarina Macario's shot, with the loose ball bouncing off the bar and away to safety. Arsenal finally got going from the 25-minute mark, but when they reached the final third, they were found wanting. 

The game's big talking point came in the 53rd minute when Blackstenius smashed home after a corner wasn't cleared, but the referee, Melissa Burgin, chalked it off for a handball, which appeared inconclusive. Just when it looked like the Gunners' toothless attack would prove their undoing, Russo swept home in the 87th minute for a deserved equaliser. An offside flag denied Maanum a stoppage-time winner but the result means Arsenal stayed within five points of the table-topping Blues, who extended their unbeaten WSL run to 33 games.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players at Emirates Stadium…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Daphne van Domselaar (5/10):

  Was rooted to the spot for Chelsea's opener, which she could do nothing about, but was very fortunate not to concede another when Macario's shot nearly went through her, before bouncing off the bar. Had a better second half, though.

  Emily Fox (5/10):

  Was chasing shadows early on but wasn't really tested as the game progressed and Arsenal had the lion's share of the ball.

  Lotte Wubben-Moy (6/10):

  Her positioning was questionable for Chelsea's opener but came up with some important blocks on the flip side.

  Stephanie Catley (5/10):

  Had some uncomfortable moments but didn't do a huge amount wrong on the day.

  Katie McCabe (6/10):

  Had a bit of joy against Lucy Bronze when bombing forward but, equally, was struggling with the attack-minded Kaneryd. Booked for bringing down Bronze and was subbed on the hour mark.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Beth Mead (4/10):

  The England international was fairly ineffective in the first half and other than a dangerous corner for their disallowed goal, offered precious little.

  Victoria Pelova (6/10):

  Like her team-mates, didn't do a great deal early on but grew into the contest as it progressed. In the end, was part of a dominant midfield.

  Mariona Caldentey (5/10):

  Struggled to make an impact inside the opening 20 minutes or so, and her usual crisp passing and quality abandoned her for long stretches.

  Caitlin Foord (7/10): 

  Seemed the most likely to provide a bit of magic to unlock Chelsea's defence thanks to her quick feet and directness.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Alessia Russo (7/10):

  Held up the ball well and brought others into the game but sometimes she wasn't on the same wavelength as her team-mates. After a fairly quiet afternoon, she took her goal well to earn her team a point.

  Stina Blackstenius (6/10):

  Was repeatedly flagged for being offside as she got the timings of her runs all wrong. Seemed to score a perfectly good goal but the referee had other ideas.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Subs & Manager

  Taylor Hinds (7/10):

  Her side of the defence looked more solid when she came on as Arsenal dominated.

  Olivia Smith (8/10):

  Arsenal's returning record signing made an instant impact off the bench. It won't be long before she's back in the starting XI, such is her quality.

  Frida Maanum (7/10):

  Looked to have grabbed the winner but her goal was ruled out for offside, in another debatable moment. 

  Chloe Kelly (7/10):

  Her shooting was a bit wayward but posed a threat when introduced.

  Kyra Cooney-Cross (N/A):

  Was brought on late on.

  Renee Slegers (6/10):

  Will have been disappointed that her team didn't wake up until the second part of the first half. When they did emerge from their slumber, they didn't test Hampton nearly enough as their decision-making in Chelsea's box let them down. Her subs made a difference, though.

Openers rolled for ducks before England battle back on rain-affected day at Chelmsford

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay20-Jul-2025

England Under-19 229 for 7 (Ekansh 66*, Rew 59) vs India Under-19 Half-centuries by skipper Thomas Rew and Ekansh Singh spearheaded England’s fightback after slumping to 46 for four on a rain-affected opening day of their second Youth Test against India.Inserted in bowler-friendly conditions at Chelmsford, the home side lost openers Ben Dawkins and Adam Thomas for ducks and struggled until an elongated evening session, when they scurried along to reach 229 for seven.Ben Mayes began England’s recovery before Somerset’s Rew – leading a reshuffled side in place of Hamza Sheikh – struck 59, sharing a sixth-wicket partnership of 90 with Kent all-rounder Singh, who remained unbeaten on 66 at stumps.India seamers Aditya Rawat and RS Ambrish captured two wickets apiece, with another two falling to spinner Naman Pushpak in the final session as the tourists sped up their pedestrian over-rate.With the start delayed by morning rain and a gloomy grey blanket of cloud hovering above the ground, it was little surprise that India opted to give their seamers first crack under the floodlights.That decision was quickly justified, with the first delivery of the match from Rawat pinning Dawkins leg before and Thomas lasting just one additional ball before he fell to Henil Patel in identical fashion.Another ball from Rawat almost cut Aaryan Sawant in half, while Rocky Flintoff edged just wide of the slips on nought, but the pair withstood a testing spell and pierced the off-side field for a couple of boundaries apiece.They advanced England’s total to 18 for two before the rain returned – but, with the players warming up ahead of a post-lunch restart, a further downpour prompted the groundstaff to cover the square again.Play eventually resumed at 3.15pm, with the consistent Rawat getting the ball to swing both ways and he gained some reward by tempting Flintoff into the drive, with Vihaan Malhotra diving low to clasp a fine catch at second slip.Sawant’s gritty knock of 20 was ended by another slip catch for Malhotra, but Mayes took the battle to India’s bowlers, launching his innings with a thunderous square cut for four off Rawat.Pulling and driving with power, Mayes progressed to 31 after tea – only to perish wafting at a loose ball from Ambrish after he and Rew had laid the foundations of an England fightback with their partnership of 34.Despite an uncertain start, when he survived a couple of edges just out of reach of the slips, Rew began to flourish in the wake of Mayes’ departure, cutting Ambrish to the fence to lift his side’s score beyond three figures.The England captain targeted leg-spinner Pushpak, whose first two overs cost him 20, while Singh arrived at the party in style, sweeping Kanishk Chauhan for six and combining power with some wristy strokeplay.Pushpak took his revenge on Rew, returning for a second spell to have him caught at slip off the googly, but Singh progressed to 50 from just 53 balls and, with the help of Ralphie Albert (16) and James Minto (18 not out), kept England in contention for a competitive total.

MatériaMais Notícias

A noite na Série B foi de muita emoção. Isso porque Sport e Ponte Preta fizeram grande jogo e empataram por 3 a 3 pela 31ª rodada da segunda divisão do Brasileirão, na Ilha do Retiro, nesta segunda (9). A Macaca abriu 3 a 0 no primeiro tempo, mas cedeu o empate para o Leão da Ilha: 3 a 3. Com o resultado, o Sport segue na segunda colocação, três pontos atrás do líder Vitória e dois na frente do quinto, Atlético-GO. A Ponte Preta é o 16º, quatro pontos à frente da Chapecoense, primeiro time dentro da zona de rebaixamento.

RelacionadasFutebol NacionalABC x Mirassol: onde assistir ao vivo e horário do jogo pela Série BFutebol Nacional09/10/2023DicasSérie B: como foram os últimos jogos entre Criciúma e Chapecoense?Dicas09/10/2023DicasCriciúma x Chapecoense: odds, estatísticas e informações do jogo da 32ª rodada da Série BDicas09/10/2023

O Sport começou o jogo em cima da Ponte, mas deixou muitos espaços na defesa. Aproveitando-se dos contra-ataques, o time de Campinas foi letal em suas oportunidades e, em menos de quatro minutos, marcou dois gols. Oito minutos depois de fazer o segundo gol, a Ponte fez o terceiro, dessa vez, de pênalti.

+ Você quer trabalhar no seu clube do coração? Matricule-se no curso Gestor de Futebol e entenda como!

Atordoado em campo, o técnico do Sport, Enderson Moreira, mexeu no time e sacou Ronaldo Henrique e Peglow para as entradas de Diego Souza e Alan Ruiz. Não tardou para fazer efeito:nos acréscimos do primeiro tempo, Vágner Love marcou o primeiro do Leão e deu início à reação dos mandantes.

Logo no início da etapa final, Diego Souza tentou bicicleta, mas parou no goleiro Caique França. Mas aos 15 minutos, pênalti para o Sport e gol de Fabrício Daniel. A cobrança gerou polêmica e os jogadores da Ponte reclamaram de paradinha na corrida do atacante. Dez minutos depois, o empate do Sport veio. Jorginho aproveitou falha da defesa e colocou a igualdade no placar: 3 a 3.

+ Oficial! Tite é o novo técnico do Flamengo

O Sport volta aos gramados em um confronto direto contra o Juventude, na segunda-feira (16), no Alfredo Jaconi. A Ponte encara o Atlético-GO no domingo (15), no Moisés Lucarelli.

Unbeaten 105 the mainstay as quick finishes with four wickets for hosts

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay22-Jul-2025Lancashire 290 for 6 (Hurst 105*, Zaman 4-64) vs Gloucestershire Matty Hurst registered a career-best innings of 105 not out to keep Lancashire afloat on the opening day of the Rothesay County Championship Second Division match against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.On a day when a majority of the recognized batsmen played themselves in but failed to go on, the 21-year-old right-hander from Billinge proved the exception to that rule, facing 165 balls, striking 10 fours and two sixes and sharing in a revitalizing unbeaten stand of 81 with Chris Green for the seventh wicket as Lancashire reached stumps on 290 for 6. Hurst surpassed his previous highest score of 104 made against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in May 2024, while Green offered staunch support, reaching the close on 28 not out.Although Gloucestershire deployed spinners for 43 of the 91 overs possible on a rain-affected day, it was pace bowler Zaman Akhter who enjoyed most success, the England A international claiming 4 for 64 as the home side took wickets at regular intervals to maintain pressure on their opponents. Making his first appearance at the Cheltenham Festival, Australian Test spinner Todd Murphy also caught the eye in returning figures of 1 for 53 from 25 overs.Charged with the unenviable task of creating wicket-taking opportunities with the Kookaburra ball, Gloucestershire’s bowlers were further inconvenienced by the tight hamstring that forced pace fulcrum Merchant de Lange out of the attack after just two overs. His replacement at the Chapel End, Akhter extracted sufficient movement to locate the thinnest of edges and have Luke Wells caught behind for 18 as an opening spell characterised by much playing and missing culminated in Lancashire losing their first wicket with 28 on the board.With the ball already softening and becoming less responsive, Gloucestershire captain Cameron Bancroft called upon Todd Murphy’s off breaks in the fourteenth over, the advent of spin serving to slow the rate of scoring as Keaton Jennings and Josh Bohannon both treated the Australian Test bowler with the utmost caution. Murphy eventually lured Jennings, who had chiseled a patient 32 from 79 deliveries, into front-foot indiscretion, Miles Hammond taking a superb diving catch at slip to remove the former England opener with the score 75 for 2 shortly before lunch.The stage then appeared set for a period of uninterrupted accumulation as Bohannon produced the shot of the day so far, pulling de Lange through mid-wicket for a thunderous boundary to raise three figures. He and Marcus Harris advanced the score to 105 for 2 without incident and it seemed that only rain could impede northern progress.Sure enough, a prolonged shower forced the players off and, having finally lost de Lange to injury following a further three tentative overs from the Chapel End, Gloucestershire were glad of an opportunity to regroup. Certainly, the home side profited from a 45-minute break in play, which caused the loss of five overs, striking a crucial blow immediately following the resumption. Without having added to his score of 39, Bohannon succumbed to a loss of concentration, giving Graeme van Buuren’s slow left arm the charge and being comprehensively stumped by James Bracey as Lancashire slipped to 106 for 3.Lancashire continued to be their own worst enemies thereafter, Hurst surviving a run-out chance to Joe Phillips, whose throw from extra cover narrowly missed, following a moment of confusion with Harris. The incident may well have been playing on Harris’s mind when he attempted to pull the next ball, only to top-edge a return catch to Akhter and depart for 29 with the score 142 for 4.Making his first Championship appearance since September 2023, Phil Salt announced himself with a brace of off-driven fours at the expense of Akhter to suggest a change in tempo. But his stay proved short-lived, the England T20 international pursuing an Akhter delivery outside off stump and falling to a brilliant one-handed diving catch from Bracey as Lancashire further declined to 160 for 5. Overcoming the loss of his fast bowling spearhead, Bancroft marshalled his resources with no little skill as Gloucestershire took the session. Lancashire only had themselves to blame.Sorely in need of a partnership of substance, the red rose county were indebted to Hurst and Balderson, who applied themselves diligently to the task of redressing the balance after tea. Balderson lifted van Buuren over the long-on boundary rope to serve notice of forthright intention, while Hurst went to a workmanlike half century from 96 balls, with 6 fours and a six as the partnership began to blossom, aided and abetted by an old ball and tiring attack.When Akhter, returning at the Chapel End, located Balderson’s outside edge and the dependable Bracey held onto another catch behind, it felt as though Gloucestershire had accrued a bonus. Balderson contributed 26 in a stand of 49, the biggest of the innings so far. With the new ball due in another nine overs and Lancashire occupying uncertain territory at 209-6, the home side again had a spring in their step.Akhter and Ajeet Singh Dale strained every sinew to make further inroads with the new ball, only to be met by obdurate resistance from Hurst and Green, these two posting a 50 partnership from 91 balls for the seventh wicket and securing a batting bonus point into the bargain.There was just time remaining for Hurst to go to his hundred via 162 balls, hitting Ollie Price through long-on for four to bring an appreciative Festival audience of more than 2,000 to their feet.

Graham Thorpe, the former England and Surrey batter, will be remembered and celebrated with a “Day for Thorpey” during the fifth Test between England and India at the Kia Oval next month, almost a year to the day since he tragically took his own life at the age of 55.The event will help to raise funds and awareness for the mental health charity Mind, including through the sale of specially designed headbands – co-designed with Graham’s wife Amanda and daughters Kitty and Emma – in a nod to the trademark look that he sported during his 100-Test career.The day will take place on August 1 – day two of the fifth Test – which would also have been Thorpe’s 56th birthday.Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Amanda said: “That day will be very powerful. We want to celebrate him and his memory. His light was so bright. He’ll go on.”Kitty added: “Death and grief in general isn’t talked about enough, considering it happens to everyone. It surrounds us. When you add the layer of death by suicide, that makes it even more taboo.”I understand it’s difficult to talk about – people don’t want to say the wrong thing. That doesn’t help tackle the stigma around it. We need to change the way we’re addressing the topic. That’s why we’re working with Mind to do something to help that.”Thorpe finished his career as one of England’s modern batting greats, making 6,744 runs at 44.66 in his 100 Tests. In 1993, he had become the first England batter for 20 years to make a century on debut, against Australia at Trent Bridge.After retirement, he turned to coaching, including as part of England’s back-room staff on the 2021-22 Ashes. However, he was released in the wake of the team’s 4-0 loss, which had taken place under Covid restrictions, and though he was subsequently named as head coach of Afghanistan, he never took up the role after a first suicide attempt in May 2022.”Working in the Covid bubbles, he found that tough,” Amanda said. “He wasn’t great at following rules at the best of times.”It was all very stressful and he wasn’t great on that trip. Then he came back, and, as happens, his job ended, then he got offered another job. It was hard for him, probably harder than we knew. He got a lot worse then, very quickly, actually.”The family are also supporting “Thorpey’s Bat and Chat”, an initiative from Mind designed to support mental health through cricket. First launched in Burton-on-Trent, the intention is to roll out such sessions across the country using funds raised from the day at The Oval”My dad was quite a private person, so for us to share his and our experience is important to help other people who have gone through similar things,” Emma Thorpe said. “To start a conversation, to reduce the shame and stigma there are around these conversations.”