Lancashire 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.

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.'s sensational 2024 campaign continued Tuesday as he made MLB history during the first inning against the Detroit Tigers.

After drawing a walk in his first at-bat of the game, Witt showcased his speed by swiping second base for his 30th stolen bag of the year. In doing so, Witt reached the 30–30 club for the second consecutive season, becoming the first shortstop in league history to record multiple seasons with 30 homers and 30 steals in their career.

Witt achieved the feat in just the third season of his career, making the accomplishment even more impressive. For all the great shortstops that have suited up in the past, none have managed to match Witt's combination of strength in the batter's box and speed on the base paths.

To put his achievement into perspective, in league history only five other shortstops have ever recorded a 30–30 season, including Barry Larkin (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Jimmy Rollins (2007), Hanley Ramirez (2008) and Francisco Lindor (2023). Witt has now done it twice in his first three seasons.

This year, Witt has launched 32 home runs and has now swiped 30 steals. He's slashing .332/.384/.600 with 108 RBI and a league-best 200 hits, having earned his first trip to the All-Star Game. During last year's breakout campaign, he hit 30 home runs and stole 49 bases.

The future is bright in Kansas City so long as Witt is manning the shortstop position, something he's proven early and often into his young career.

England captain Harry Kane has revealed that an 'NFL-like playbook' will help the Three Lions set-piece their way to the World Cup in North America next year. England have maximised dead ball situations to great effect in qualifying having scored five goals from set pieces and a further two from the penalty spot as they booked their flight across the pond with ease.

• AFP
  

  25% of England's qualifying goals have been from set pieces

  England complete their World Cup 2026 qualifying on Sunday evening when they take on Albania. The Three Lions will look to round off their qualification campaign with a 100% record having won all seven games so far and having beaten Albania at Wembley earlier this year, they'll fancy their chances of claiming another three points.

  Thomas Tuchel's men are also yet to concede a goal in their seven matches so far and have netted 20 times on their way to booking their trip stateside next summer. England have fully utilised the set-piece weapons at the their disposal with 25% of their goals coming from corners or free kicks.

  And Kane has now revealed that England have been developing an 'NFL-like playbook' as the Three Lions look to secure World Cup glory for the first time since 1966 in North America next year.

Advertisement

• Kane explains England's World Cup plan

  Ahead of Sunday's game against Albania, Kane was asked about the importance of set pieces in USA, Mexico and Canada next summer. "It is massive to be honest," he said.

  "I know it is not the prettiest part of the game, but we have always been big on set plays, both defending and attacking. I feel like we are getting in some really good routines attacking-wise. Obviously Dec and players like that can put in perfect crosses and are doing it week-in, week-out for their clubs as well."

  Kane also revealed that he has been working with assistant coach Anthony Barry and set-play analyst Paul Quilter, who worked together at Chelsea, as England look to nail their set-piece routines.

  "We want to build a book of set plays," Kane added. "So we can go into the tournament, where there is not a lot of time to practice. You want to have an NFL-like playbook in a way. Where you look at the opposition and see if they are zonal or man-marking and we can pick what we want to do.

  "We don’t get loads of time to do it on the grass, as meetings are really important. With Paul and Anthony here, they try to go through the detail. It is about the lads taking it in – more mentally than physically – and hopefully by the summer we will have a good mixture of set plays that we can go from."

• AFP
  

  England no strangers to set-piece dominance

  Kane was part of the England squad that made it to the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup. The Three Lions relied heavily on set pieces to progress to the last four in Russia under Gareth Southgate, scoring six times from corners of free kicks, more than any other nation.

  As such, the England captain knows just how important set pieces can be, adding: "Ultimately, the best team at set plays normally goes on to be the best team in the tournament. They go on to have clean sheets, they go on to the latter stages. We did that in 2018, we did that in Euro 2020. Our defensive record is really good as well. So, that is a big part."

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• Three Lions could lean on Arsenal expertise

  England boss Tuchel is able to call upon Arsenal duo Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, the pair crucial in the Gunners' superb start to the season. The north London side sit top of the table after 11 matches, four points clear of second placed Manchester City and eight above defending champions Liverpool.

  Arsenal have maximised set piece situations in their title bid and have scored more goals from corners or free kicks (10) than any other team in the Premier League this season, coining the term 'Set Piece FC' as a result. Rice himself ranks joint fourth for chances created from set pieces in England's top tier this term, with nine, 

Ahead of the Oval Test, Gill reflected on his tactical choices, the team’s resilience, and the learning curve of leading in tough conditions

Nagraj Gollapudi30-Jul-20252:40

Gill: Levelling series with a young squad will be a big achievement

A captain who had led in just five first-class matches before taking charge of the Test team. His overseas form a subject of scrutiny. His best bowler available for only three out of five matches. A batting line-up thin on experience after the retirements of two stalwarts. India arrived in England in early June with several questions to answer.Two months on, Shubman Gill’s India enter the final Test of this highly compelling Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series with the chance to finish 2-2.”Very significant,” Gill said about what it would mean to his team to draw the series after losing the first Test in Leeds, then bouncing back to win in Birmingham without Jasprit Bumrah, nearly pulling off a pulling off a miracle at Lord’s, followed by a hard-fought draw in Manchester.Related

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Injured Stokes out of fifth Test against India, Archer and Carse rested

Bumrah to miss Oval Test against England

Every Test going deep into the final day is rare in a five-match series. The hot weather and slow pitches have pushed the players’ limits and caused injuries – most significantly ruling Ben Stokes out of the fifth Test at The Oval.”If you look at the kind of cricket we have played, sometimes the scorecard of the series, as in where we are in the series, doesn’t determine that. Every match that we have played, it was very difficult to decide which team is going to win after four days of cricket,” Gill said. “If we are able to do that for every match for four matches coming outside of India with a relatively young team, it is going to be a big achievement for us if we are able to level the series.”This century, India had won the three-Test series in England 1-0 in 2007 and had drawn the series 2-2 in 2021-22. Both those teams went to England with plenty of senior players and leadership experience. That is not true for this side and, and yet, between June and July, Gill has shown he can compartmentalise captaincy and batting, and not let one impact the other.As batter, he is over 200 runs ahead of the next-most prolific scorer this series, and as captain, he has made debatable decisions on the field but has admitted his mistakes and come out wiser. “The series has been a great learning curve for me,” Gill said. “There are some things that you can only learn from experience, and I’ve learned so much from these four matches that we have played and hopefully we’re going to finish on a high.”One of those decisions was on the third morning at Old Trafford, when Gill delayed giving the ball to offspinner Washington Sundar, who had found sumptuous drift at Lord’s and taken a four-wicket haul in England’s first innings. The dry pitch was favourable for Washington but Gill brought him on only after lunch and the offspinner dismissed Ollie Pope and Harry Brook in quick succession.”It’s very difficult when you are playing six bowlers [because] then one or two bowlers are definitely going to be under-bowled,” he said, explaining that passage of play. “In the last match also, people felt that Washington could have come in earlier, which is a valid point, but sometimes when you are out in the middle you see with this ball [Dukes] when there are two spinners bowling early in the innings, it’s very hard to maintain the ball and the fast bowler goes out of the game for about eight-ten overs because then you need to maintain the ball.3:37

What attack should India pick at The Oval?

“So, in hindsight, there would always be opinions and there would always be thoughts, and you could have done this, would have done that. But what matters is when you are out there in the middle, you want to be able to make a decision that you think would suit the best for that moment. And when you are playing with six bowling options, there would definitely be some opinions where one bowler is going to go under-bowled, but it’s good to have more bowling options rather than not having bowling options for sure.”India will stick to the six-bowler strategy at The Oval too, with Akash Deep set to replace Bumrah and Shardul Thakur retained as bowling allrounder. Washington, Ravindra Jadeja and Dhruv Jurel, who replaces the injured Rishabh Pant, comprise the lower-middle order.While he had not seen the pitch before the media briefing, Gill, perhaps based on the inputs he got from the team management, said it was “good”. By that, he meant it was green and the forecast – overcast conditions – for all five days might bring the fast bowlers into play.Gill, however, did not reveal whether Arshdeep Singh, the solitary left-arm quick in the squad, would make his Test debut, or whether Prasidh Krishna, dropped after the victory at Edgbaston, would make a comeback at The Oval as the third fast bowler in the XI.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo não poderá contar com o Morumbi contra o RB Bragantino, em duelo válido pela 32ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, e deve mandar jogo na casa do rival Santos. O Tricolor entrou na procura por outro local para mandar sua partida, pois o seu estádio será palco de alguns shows.

+ Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro-2023 clicando aqui

A Vila Belmiro deve hospedar o confronto. A diretoria alvinegra, que possui boas relações com a gestão de Julio Casares, aceitou disponibilizar o estádio após os tricolores solicitarem o uso.

+Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! São Paulo

O Morumbi, que não conseguirá comportar o duelo contra o Bragantino no dia 8 (quarta), sediará o shows do Red Hot Chilli Peppers no dia 10 de novembro (sexta), e do grupo mexicano RBD, que fez sucesso no Brasil com a novela Rebeldes, nos dias 12 (domingo) e 13 (segunda)

Então, vale ressaltar que a Vila Belmiro enfrentará uma bateria de jogos. O Santos terá confronto contra o Cuiabá no dia 6 (segunda), e contra o próprio São Paulo no dia 12 (domingo).

TRICOLOR NÃO CONSEGUE VENCER FORA DO MORUMBI NO BRASILEIRO

No Campeonato Brasileiro, o São Paulo não conseguiu uma vitória sequer atuando fora do Morumbi. Longe dos seus domínios na competição nacional, a equipe paulistana tem zero vitórias, sete empates e oito derrotas.

Aston Villa have now opened talks with the agents of a goalkeeper, who’s in red-hot form, amid doubts surrounding Emiliano Martinez’s future.

Martinez's Villa future up in the air after failed Man Utd move

Martinez was widely expected to leave Villa in the summer, with it being revealed that he wanted to join Manchester United, but the Argentina international ultimately ended up staying put, and has since been reintroduced to the squad.

Indeed, the 33-year-old, who is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, has started the last four Premier League matches, during which time the Villans are undefeated, having won their last four games on the spin in all competitions.

However, the goalkeeper’s future remains up in the air, with Ruben Amorim personally requesting that Man United sign him in the January transfer window, which means Unai Emery may be tasked with bringing in a replacement.

According to a report from WinWin (via Sports View), Aston Villa have now made their first approach to sign a new goalkeeper, having opened talks with the agents of AS Monaco goalkeeper Yanis Benchaouch-Marty.

Villa are making contingency plans, in case Martinez departs next summer, and Benchaouch-Marty has caught their eye, having recently impressed for national side Morocco, guiding them to the semi-finals of the Under-20 World Cup following a fantastic display against South Korea.

Emery’s side are expected to make moves to sign the 19-year-old once the tournament ends, with Morocco U20s set to take on France U20s in the semi-final this evening.

Aston Villa set to make January approach for £52m Champions League "monster"

Villa are expected to make a move for a “freak athlete”.

ByDominic Lund Oct 14, 2025 Benchaouch-Marty could be long-term Martinez heir

The AS Monaco youngster has certainly put himself in the shop window with some of his performances at the U20 World Cup, perhaps most notably putting in a fantastic display in Morocco’s statement 2-1 victory against Brazil.

The Moroccan came very close to keeping a clean sheet, with Brazil scoring a 92nd-minute penalty, which ultimately ended up being nothing more than a consolation, but he still achieved a 8.6 SofaScore match rating, the highest of any player on the pitch.

Statistic

Number completed

Saves from inside the box

4

High claims

1

Long balls (accurate)

12 (7)

Accurate passes

32/37 (86%)

The teenager is showing signs he could be a long-term heir for Martinez, but the young goalkeeper is clearly still in the infancy of his career, given that he is still yet to make a senior appearance for AS Monaco.

As such, Emery will be hoping his current first-choice goalkeeper sticks round a little while longer, potentially as a mentor for Benchaouch-Marty, and Villa are currently under no pressure to cash-in, with Martinez under contract until the summer of 2029.

While things might not have ended as well as they could have, there are few figures more legendary in the history of The Arsenal than Arsène Wenger.

The Frenchman ushered in a period of immense success in the late 1990s and early 2000s that the club have not even come close to matching since.

However, with how things are going this season, that could soon be about to change.

Moreover, it would be fair to say that Mikel Arteta now has a star in his squad who’s undoubtedly the best player Arsenal have had since Wenger retired.

Arsenal's best players since Wenger retired

When looking at the best players signed by, or developed by, Arsenal since Wenger stepped away from management, there are more than a handful of names you could pick out.

Chalkboard

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

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For example, for everything he did wrong, Unai Emery signed off on William Saliba’s move in the summer of 2019, and then just a year later, Arteta made his best defensive acquisition by bringing in Gabriel Magalhães from LOSC Lille.

Together, the centre-back pairing have been nothing short of exceptional over the last few years, and as things stand this season, have conceded just three goals in all competitions and should they win it, could go down as the best defensive partnership in Premier League history.

PL’s Best CB Pairings

Players

Games

Goals Against

Ferdinand & Vidic

120

0.71

Keown & Adams

97

0.73

Campbell & Toure

59

0.73

Terry & Carvalho

85

0.76

Lescott & Kompany

58

0.76

Gabriel & Saliba

93

0.78

Van Dijk & Matip

72

0.81

All Stats via Transfermarkt (Pre Palace)

Moving into the middle of the park, and, in this conversation, it’s impossible to ignore club-record signing Declan Rice.

The former West Ham United captain made his way to the Emirates under a tremendous amount of pressure, but from his first game to today, he’s proven to be worth every penny.

From his ability to break up play, carry the ball from deep, score important goals and deliver the ball with pinpoint accuracy from set-pieces, he, without a shadow of a doubt, is a “world-class” midfielder.

Staying in midfield, and while he had a down season last year, and has had some terrible luck with injuries this term, Martin Odegaard deserves to be in this conversation.

The Norwegian international was made club captain in the summer of 2023, won back-to-back Player of the Season awards, and, at his best, can be utterly mesmerising to watch on the ball.

However, with all that said, when it comes to the club’s best player since Wenger left, there is one star who stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Arsenal's greatest player since Wenger retired

While fans will have their own favourite players, it would be hard to deny that, as things stand, Bukayo Saka is the best player Arsenal have had since Wenger retired.

The Hale End icon made his first team debut under Emery in a Europa League game away to Vorskla Poltava in November 2018, and then earned his first start at home against Qarabağ FK a month later.

However, it’s been under Arteta that the Englishman has transformed from a versatile utility player who often popped up at left-back, into one of the best right-wingers in world football.

Not only that, though, but the 24-year-old game-changer has become the club’s talisman and the face of its rejuvenation over the last few years.

It shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise then that, following his hamstring injury and surgery last season, the Gunners became far less potent in attack.

Saka’s Arsenal record

Appearances

274

Minutes

20713′

Goals

74

Assists

72

Goal involvements per match

0.53

Minutes per goal involvement

141.86′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In his career to date, the North Londoners’ “legend in the making” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored 74 goals and provided 72 assists in 274 first-team appearances, totalling 20713 minutes.

That comes out to a sensational average of a goal involvement every 1.87 games, or every 141.86 minutes, which is made all the more impressive by the fact he’s made 21 appearances at left-back.

As if his record at club level wasn’t enough, he has also won 46 senior caps for England, in which he’s scored 13 goals, provided nine assists and been named Player of the Year twice.

Ultimately, there is still much to come from Saka, but based on his already astounding record and the fact that he has become the club’s poster boy, it’s clear that he has been Arsenal’s best player since Wenger left the dugout.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 31, 2025

Patriots stuttered a little bit in their small chase against Falcons, but Alick Athanaze and Jason Holder finished the job with five overs to spare

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Aug-2025

Waqar Salamkheil ran through the Falcons middle order•Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / Getty

CPL 2025 got off to a low-scoring start in Basseterre, where St Kitts and Nevis Patriots rode on a stellar bowling performance led by Waqar Salamkheil to run out six-wicket victors over Antigua and Barbuda Falcons.After Jason Holder opted to bowl, Kyle Mayers, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naseem Shah left Falcons at 39 for 3 inside the fifth over. Salamkheil, the Afghanistan left-arm wristspinner, came on in the eighth over and was on target off his fourth ball, pitching just outside off stump and turning it back in to hit Fabian Allen’s stumps. He went on to spin out Shakib Al Hasan, Imad Wasim and Odean Smith to end with 4 for 22 from his four overs.Fortunately for Falcons, USA batter Karima Gore was in good nick, but with no other batter making a significant contribution, he had to pretty much go it alone. Gore’s 34-ball 61 included eight fours and two sixes, and Falcons would have wanted him to bat longer than he did after having walked out in the first over itself. As it happened, Farooqi returned to get rid of Gore in the 12th over, a slower delivery sliced high for Andre Fletcher, the wicketkeeper, to take a sharp running catch.All Patriots, the CPL 2021 winners, needed to score was 122, and though they got there quite comfortably, and never really looked in danger of not being able to, there was a little stutter in between thanks to Rahkeem Cornwall.Evin Lewis took off in a flash, scoring 25 in 13, before falling to Obed McCoy in the fourth over. Patriots made it out of the powerplay with just the loss of Lewis and 55 runs on the board, but in the seventh over, Cornwall sent back both Kyle Mayers and Rilee Rossouw. And suddenly, at 56 for 3, Patriots were looking just that little bit out of sorts.But Fletcher was playing a sedate knock, and in Alick Athanaze, Patriots found just the man for the job. Fletcher fell after scoring a 26-ball 19, to Salamkheil’s compatriot AM Ghazanfar at the end of the tenth over, but Patriots had reached 76 already by then. Athanaze, with an unbeaten 28-ball 37, and Holder, with 18 in 14 balls, finished the job from there with five overs in the bank.

Sunderland are sitting inside the Champions League slots and could now be set to put forward a record bid for a European star that would represent a major shift in mentality at the Stadium of Light.

Regis Le Bris has continued to thrive in the North East after leading the Black Cats to the Premier League last season, and his side emerged with major credit over the weekend after securing a last-gasp 2-2 draw at home to Arsenal.

Despite the visitors defence being near-impenetrable in the top-flight before kick-off, Sunderland managed to carve their way through Mikel Arteta’s backline on several occasions.

More importantly, the Black Cats withstood immense pressure from the Gunners, throwing bodies on the line to secure a valuable point that keeps them on course for an excellent campaign as a newly-promoted outfit.

Dan Ballard played a significant role in helping Sunderland claim the result. However, the Northern Ireland international has stressed that his teammates have a long way to go before achieving their initial target of retaining their place in the division.

He told Match of the Day: “It’s a good morale boost to show we can go against a really top team – probably one of the best in Europe at the minute – and delighted with that. But it is just one point and we’ve got a lot of work to do to achieve our goal of staying up this year.”

Of course, Ballard’s comments are fairly routine for a side who are exceeding expectations. Still, Sunderland have definitely shown a healthy sense of ambition this term, and appear on course to achieve an excellent points total if they can maintain their current form.

With that in mind, they could now be set to target a record signing who would change the landscape of what could be to come at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland could submit record offer for Fermin Lopez

According to reports in Spain, Sunderland could be set to submit an offer of over £70 million to sign Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez, contingent on whether they secure a dream Champions League slot this season.

Given their financial structure allows Le Bris to compete with elite sides across the continent, there is now internal debate at the Catalan giants over whether to accept a money-spinning sum for one of their rising stars, who would instantly be Sunderland’s most expensive signing ever.

Five similar players to Fermin Lopez (FBRef)

Leroy Sane

Galatasaray

Serge Gnabry

Bayern Munich

Christian Pulisic

AC Milan

Luis Diaz

Bayern Munich

Dani Olmo

Barcelona

Labelled “sensational” by Hansi Flick, the attacking midfielder has already notched six goals and four assists in 11 matches this season, and he is also capable of playing on the left flank or in central midfield.

Sunderland have bid for the new Chemsdine Talbi

Talks are at an initial stage and Barcelona are yet to give a definitive signal whether they are going to let him depart, though it is clear that Sunderland have given them something to think about ,and a high-profile transfer saga could be set to follow.

Runs from the in-form Emma Lamb and impressive bowling from wristspinners Hannah Baker and Millie Taylor saw Birmingham Phoenix to an 11-run win over Trent Rockets despite a defiant 64 from Nat Sciver-Brunt.Birmingham Phoenix posted 148 for 5 from their 100 balls, a fine half-century from Lamb (55 from 32) leading the way at the top of the order.Electing to bat first, Phoenix started slowly, reaching 16 for 0 from their first 15 balls. They were 36 for 0 after the 25-ball power play and by the halfway mark, in front of a growing Edgbaston crowd, the home side were 78 for 1, having lost Georgia Voll (19) bowled by Australia legspinner Alana King.Lamb brought up her half-century from 28 balls with eight boundaries, eventually falling with the score on 89, flat-batting Ash Gardner’s offspin into the hands of King at deep midwicket.Emma Lamb swings leg-side•Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images

In reply, economical bowling from the home side then stifled the Rockets’ run chase throughout, Ellyse Perry’s 20 balls conceding just 17 runs as the Phoenix captain led from the front.A lofted drive off Baker saw Sciver-Brunt reach 1,000 career runs in the Hundred, becoming the first woman or man to reach the milestone, reaching the landmark at an average of exactly 50.She brought up her half-century with a violent six off Em Arlott over midwicket and followed it up with a straight four to see the equation to 37 required from 15 balls. Another boundary off Megan Schutt’s final ball then made the equation 27 from 10 balls.Left-arm wrist-spinner Taylor (1 for 22) bowled the penultimate five, conceding just seven to leave 20 runs for Arlott to defend from the final set, and then pulled off a stunning one-handed catch at short fine-leg to see the back of Sciver-Brunt.Arlott finished with figures of 2 for 38 and Baker 2 for 18 from 15 balls as the Rockets closed on 137 for 6.