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The India keeper-batter talks about the work she has put into her batting and what she has learned from the WPL

Hemant Brar28-Apr-2025When Richa Ghosh walked in to bat for Bengal in the rain-affected Senior Women’s T20 Trophy semi-final in November 2022, Himachal needed to bowl only five more balls to force a result. Bengal had to get 14 runs without losing a wicket. A washout would take them into the final.Through a steady drizzle, Ghosh slog-swept the fourth ball of the over into the vacant deep-midwicket stands. Her six did two things: in the time it took the fielder to retrieve the ball, the drizzle got heavier, and with Bengal now needing six off two, Himachal panicked into making some fielding changes. More time wasted.Just when the bowler was ready to deliver the final ball, with Bengal needing five, the umpires decided to call off the game, sealing Bengal’s qualification for the final.Until a few years ago, a six was a rare event in women’s cricket. But the game has undergone a revolution in recent times, and 21-year-old Ghosh is one of the young faces representing that change in India.Since making her T20I debut in 2020, she has hit a six every 20th ball. Among those who have hit at least 20 sixes in T20Is in this period, only Deandra Dottin of West Indies has cleared the boundary more frequently. It is this skill that has got Ghosh contracts in the WBBL and the Hundred.Related

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“It comes naturally to me,” Ghosh, who is currently part of the India side playing an ODI tri-series against Sri Lanka and South Africa in Colombo, says about her power-hitting skills. “Maybe I got it from Papa, because he too liked hitting sixes. And my idol is MS Dhoni, who is known for his sixes and finishing skills.”Her father, Manabendra, was a club-level cricketer and later a part-time umpire in Siliguri. He would take his daughter along to matches but had no inkling that she was interested in playing the game.”He pushed me into table tennis but I did not like it,” Ghosh says. “When I told him I wanted to play cricket, he got me into to the Baghajatin Athletic Club [in Siliguri]. From there, my cricketing journey started.”Ghosh often travelled to play matches in Kolkata, and to make sure he could accompany her and be available for her all the time, her father closed his business.”When I was first selected for the district tournament, I didn’t have the English willow bat. I had a Kashmir willow and a normal tennis bat. The English willow bat was quite expensive, and Papa had to borrow money to buy one for me.”People would taunt him about what he was doing, but he kept me insulated from all that. Had those things reached me, I don’t think I would have played for India.”At 13, she was playing for Bengal’s Under-19 team, and at 16, she became the second-youngest debutant for India in T20Is.Ghosh, playing for London Spirit, takes a catch to dismiss Northern Superchargers’ Alice Davidson-Richards in the 2023 Hundred•Alex Davidson/ECB/Getty ImagesIn her early days Ghosh dabbled in all three departments: batting, bowling and wicketkeeping. “In fact, I have bowled alongside Jhulu [Jhulan Goswami] when I was young,” she says. “I was a medium-fast bowler and would get lots of wickets lbw or bowled. At the state level, I was told many times to give up keeping and focus more on bowling. But Papa said, ‘Do whatever you want to, but never give up keeping.'”When Ghosh didn’t get to keep or bowl in her first few T20Is, she realised that her ground fielding was well below par.”Only when you play international cricket, you realise how much improvement you need and what’s best for you. When I played for India, I had to decide whether I wanted to bowl or keep. I was confused. So I talked to my coaches, who told me to pursue keeping.”That particular skill remains a work in progress for her. There have been glaring mistakes at times, but also moments of brilliance. While playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2025 WPL, she reminded everyone of Dhoni’s quick glovework, dashing to the stumps to run-out Sophie Ecclestone when UP Warriorz needed one run to win off the final ball at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Dhoni had run-out Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman off the last ball in the same manner at the ground in the 2016 T20 World Cup.At the WPL, Ghosh also had a chance to share the dressing room with another idol of hers: Ellyse Perry. When she made her T20I debut in Australia in 2020, one of the first things she did was take a photograph with Perry.”In Australia, I never spoke to her,” Ghosh says. “But now I can have a proper chat with her. When you see a legend from such close quarters, you also learn a lot. You see how professional she is about her game and her fitness.”The WPL has given Ghosh the opportunity to play alongside her idol Ellyse Perry•Pankaj Nangia/Getty ImagesFitness is an area where Ghosh has been under scrutiny. In 2022, when she was dropped from the ODI squad and for the T20Is in the Commonwealth Games, she actively trained to get fitter.”One thing I worked on was staying at the crease for longer periods. My natural instinct is to see the ball, hit the ball. But if I go in early, say the 12th over of a T20I, I should be able to bat till the end.”That focus also helped her develop her ODI game. Her highest score in the format – 96 against Australia at the Wankhede in 2023 – came from No. 3. After the match, India’s head coach, Amol Muzumdar, said, “No. 3 is the best spot for her.”But after only one more game in that position, Ghosh was back in the middle order – maybe because she can do down the order what no one else in the country has been able to so far. Since the start of 2021, she has the most sixes and the highest strike rate for any batter between Nos. 5 and 7 for India in ODIs.What makes Ghosh unique is her ability to clear the boundary from the get-go. She jointly holds the world record for the fastest T20I fifty (off 18 balls), and has made India’s fastest ODI fifty. Even Harmanpreet Kaur, destructive as she can be, likes to take her time before playing the big shots.Ghosh has won the U-19 Women’s World Cup with India and the WPL with RCB•Matthew Lewis/ICC/Getty ImagesLast year, when asked which player’s style resembled hers the most, Harmanpreet said: “I think the one who can be even better than me is Richa, because her game sense is very good. Even when she was new in the side, she had something special in her.”Like Harmanpreet, Ghosh is equally destructive against pace and spin. Against fast bowlers, she primarily targets straight boundaries, while against spinners, she relies on the slog sweep to clear deep midwicket. Of late she has expanded her range by adding the scoop, the reverse scoop and the reverse sweep to her game, making herself a 360-degree player.Perry was as effusive as Harmanpreet in her praise of Ghosh’s talent during the WPL. “She works so hard on her game, but she is such a natural striker of the ball as well. [It feels] so nice to stand at the other end and see how clean her swing is. The way she accesses different parts of the ground – the paddle shots as well as the brute force down the ground – is so impressive.”In all this, it is easy to forget how young Ghosh is. Last October, she missed the New Zealand ODI series to take her class 12 exams. In five months, she will have an even bigger test: the ODI World Cup at home. Unlike most players in the Indian team, Ghosh has tasted success in an ICC event. In 2023, she was part of the side, led by Shafali Verma, that won the U-19 World Cup in South Africa.”At the U-19 World Cup we got to know what winning a trophy feels like,” she says. “Now the goal is to win a World Cup with the senior team. We always prepare with that in mind, but somewhere we have been lacking a bit. Hopefully we can do it this time.”

يستكمل الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، مبارياته في بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، ضد الجيش الملكي المغربي، في المباراة القادمة.

ولعب النادي الأهلي مع شبيبة القبائل الجزائري، اليوم السبت، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الأولى من عمر منافسات دور المجموعات لبطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وحقق النادي الأهلي، فوزًا في مستهل مشواره بدور المجموعات من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، بنتيجة 4-1.

طالع.. فيديو | في 3 دقائق.. تريزيجيه وشريف يسجلان هدفين لـ الأهلي أمام شبيبة القبائل

ومن المقرر أن يواجه الأهلي نظيره الجيش الملكي في المغرب، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من مواجهات المجموعة الثانية لبطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وكان الجيش الملكي المغربي خسر أمام يانج أفريكانز التنزاني، بهدف دون رد، في مباراة الجولة الأولى لنفس المجموعة، التي أقيمت اليوم السبت في تنزانيا.  موعد مباراة الأهلي والجيش الملكي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

تقام مباراة الأهلي والجيش الملكي، يوم الجمعة المقبل، 28 نوفمبر 2025، في تمام الساعة 9 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، 10 بتوقيت السعودية، 8 بتوقيت المغرب على أرضية ملعب مولاي الحسن بالعاصمة المغربية، الرباط.

Northern Superchargers soared to the top of the women’s Hundred table with a commanding victory over Birmingham Phoenix at a sun-drenched Headingley.A third win in four matches for Hollie Armitage’s team was built around a miserly performance from their slow bowlers, Lucy Higham and Linsey Smith, who each picked up two wickets to stem the Phoenix’s flow.Their intervention was perfectly timed, after the visitors had begun brightly. On 44 for 1 from 30 balls with Emma Lamb and Marie Kelly going well, Phoenix lost five wickets in 20 deliveries, with captain Ellyse Perry’s unfortunate run out – Annabel Sutherland diverting a straight drive from Kelly onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end – summing up the Phoenix’s misfortune.From 59-6, Em Arlott and Sterre Kalis rebuilt the innings impressively, putting on an unbeaten 57, the highest stand for the seventh wicket in the history of the Hundred’s women’s competition.On a beautiful batting track, it nonetheless felt under par. The Superchargers openers, Davina Perrin and Alice Davidson-Richards, were both dropped early on – Perrin before she had scored when Hannah Baker palmed a pull shot over the rope for six – and their stand of 27 ensured that the home side were always ahead of the game.Australian superstar Phoebe Litchfield, having started this year’s tournament quietly, roared back into form with a stunning assault against Baker in particular, drilling the spinner for a trio of consecutive boundaries to settle any concerns in the home dugout.With her compatriot Sutherland at the other end, the pair cruised to the finish line with only one alarm when Litchfield, on 48, was dropped at deep extra-cover by Baker. Litchfield brought up her second half-century in the competition from just 25 balls, as Superchargers’ overseas stars wrapped things up with a whopping 26 balls to spare.Litchfield was named the Meerkat Match Hero: “That was good fun out there. Every time we play here at Headingley we know it’ll be a good pitch and you saw that even when Davina and ADR came out, and then especially Bellesey [Sutherland] at the end there.”Litchfield was also full of praise for Superchargers’ spinners, Smith and Higham. “They hit their lengths and kept the stumps in play and forced the Birmingham batters to try something else, and we backed them up in the field. Our two little spinners have done wonders for us for a few years now and they showed it again today.”We’ve had this group together for three years now, it hasn’t changed much, and the vibes are good. We had a pretty average game last time out, but we tried to park that and came out with a positive mindset.”

After missing out on an extra forward in the summer, BlueCo have now reportedly made their first approach to sign a Bundesliga attacker for Chelsea in 2026.

Maresca reveals Marc Guiu warning

Following a strong start on the transfer front in the summer, Liam Delap’s injury threw Chelsea’s final week into chaos. Nicolas Jackson’s move to Bayern Munich was off then back on again, Marc Guiu was recalled from his Sunderland loan before he could truly get going and a number of rumours emerged. Ultimately, however, Enzo Maresca was forced to settle for his current attacking options.

Guiu’s recall caused particular debate. From a likely starter at Sunderland, the young striker has since found himself forced to watch on from the bench at Chelsea in frustrating fashion. What’s more, it’s only in recent weeks that he’s had the chance to impress for the Blues again.

Having his say, Maresca revealed earlier this week that the forward simply was not training well enough to earn the game time that he desires at Stamford Bridge.

There have been rumours that Sunderland could yet return for Guiu in January, but that may depend on Chelsea’s own movements. Ahead of the winter window, a number of names have already been linked with a move to West London.

That includes both Guela Doue and Porto’s Samu Omorodion, who would certainly add more firepower to Maresca’s side. Whether BlueCo will be willing to spend big or look to hijack Barcelona’s move to sign a Bundesliga alternative is the big question ahead of 2026.

Chelsea launch approach to sign Asllani

According to reports in Spain, BlueCo have now launched their first approach to sign Fisnik Asllani for Chelsea in 2026. The deal would see them beat Barcelona to one of the most in-form forwards that the Bundesliga has to offer.

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In a formal move, the Blues have turned their focus towards the Kosovo international in an attempt to add further depth to their frontline behind one of their most expensive signings, Joao Pedro. After scoring five goals in eight games in all competitions for Hoffenheim so far this season, there’s little doubt that the 23-year-old has the quality to seal a big move.

Dubbed “clinical” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Asllani is certainly one to watch. Whilst his name is not as well-known as Omorodion, his numbers speak for themselves and Chelsea have the chance to get one over on Barcelona by securing his signature. Whether they choose to do so as soon as January remains to be seen, however.

Last season, Tottenham Hotspur were made to bemoan defensive injuries. Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven missed extensive periods through injury. As did full-back Destiny Udogie.

Is it any great surprise, therefore, that Ange Postecoglou’s backline looked such a mess? Perhaps not, but the Aussie was still stubborn enough to refuse change.

Thomas Frank certainly seems more flexible with his style of football but one of the first things he has corrected is that leaky backline.

Only three teams, Arsenal (3), Manchester City (6) and Sunderland (6), have shipped fewer goals than Spurs (7) in the top-flight this term.

Yet, are things beginning to unravel in similar circumstances to Ange? Like the club’s former boss, Frank has now suffered his first big injury blow at the back.

Romero limped off during the warm-up of their game with Aston Villa and after initially being selected, was not fit enough to start. Without their captain, the Lilywhites suffered a 2-1 defeat.

Frank won’t fret quite yet, but he must find a way to get more of a tune out of his attack. Big-money summer signing Xavi Simons will play a big part in that.

Why Spurs need to see improvement from Xavi Simons

Even before James Maddison suffered a terrible ACL injury during pre-season, Frank and Co had made efforts to bring Nottingham Forest talisman Morgan Gibbs-White to north London.

We all know how that saga ended but Spurs’ pursuit of a new dynamic number 10 seemed cursed at one point.

It looked for all the world as though they were set to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace. A deal was agreed and he was allegedly on his way to Spurs. Instead, a last-minute U-turn saw him head to boyhood club Arsenal. The solution was Simons.

The Dutchman had been courted by Chelsea but it was the Blues’ London rivals who eventually concluded a deal, snapping him up for £52m, a move that made him Spurs’ fifth-most expensive signing of all time.

This was an exciting acquisition. After all, he did score 11 goals and register eight assists for RB Leipzig in Germany last season.

Sadly, we’re yet to see the best of him in white. He is yet to complete a full 90 minutes in the Premier League and his only goal involvement, an assist against West Ham, came on his English top-flight debut. The Netherlands maestro has not scored or assisted since then.

West Ham (A)

71

1

Brighton (A)

29

0

Wolves (H)

78

0

Leeds (A)

74

0

Aston Villa (H)

79

0

For such a big-money signing, Frank needs to see more from him but it’s not as though he isn’t trying. Perhaps there’s a simple solution to all of this; Spurs need better players in their forward line.

How Spurs can get more out of Xavi Simons

How supporters must long for the days of Harry Kane and a prime Heung-min Son.

The duo aren’t showing any signs of slowing down away from Spurs with Kane simply in the form of his life this campaign, netting 19 times in 11 games for Bayern Munich.

As far as Son is concerned, he’s been lighting up MLS with his displays for LA FC. The South Korean has nine goals and three assists in his first ten outings for the club.

So, to see where the Spurs forward line is now will no doubt make a few fans hide behind the sofa. Combine the loss of Son with injuries to Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski and you have a real patched-together front line.

Dominik Solanke has played just 31 minutes of league football due to injury in 2025/26 while Richarlison has only beaten the goalkeeper once in his last seven Premier League matches.

As for the French youngster, Wilson Odobert, he is yet to score at all across ten games in all competitions.

With such a glut of misfiring players, is it any surprise that Simons has endured a difficult beginning at Spurs?

Assists

0.3

0.3

Chances created

2.1

1.7

Passes attempted

46.2

33

Forward passes

12.2

9.3

Sideways passes

22

15.5

A look at the numbers tells us that the Dutch midfielder is struggling without a fluid forward line. Worryingly, he’s playing fewer passes per 90 minutes than he did last season at Leipzig. That ultimately means he’s creating fewer goalscoring opportunities for his teammates.

He needs the players in front of him to make better runs and there is no better example of that than the aforementioned Odobert.

The former Burnley man, signed for £25m, is still a particularly raw prospect. He’s exciting and fleet-footed but he needs to be doing more to help Simons out.

The big-money summer arrival traditionally operates in the pockets of space on the left-hand side and it’s on the left flank where Odobert tends to operate. The clip below demonstrates precisely what we’re talking about.

Mathys Tel has the ball on the edge of the box and all he needs is for a few defenders to be dragged away by an overlapping run from Odobert to potentially feed Simons in acres of space.

What does the Frenchman do? He surges right into the area where Tel is aiming for, reducing the space and cutting out a chance to get a shot or pass away.

Had Odobert made an overlapping run, he’d have created more room for Spurs’ number 7 and potentially even received the ball himself. As Jamie O’Hara said after the game, he and Tel can be “painful” to watch.

The 20-year-old is a marmite figure. He did a fair bit right against Aston Villa, completing four of his five dribbles but he needs better end product.

He missed an OPTA-defined big chance on Sunday and only completed one key pass. If Odobert can marry his trickery with the ability to make better runs and make himself an option for Simons then things will improve.

Until then, however, it would be better if the Netherlands star operated from the left flank instead or someone like Brennan Johnson operated there.

Serie B side Juve Stabia has been seized by Italy’s anti-mafia prosecutors after investigators linked the club’s management to the Camorra’s D’Alessandro and Imparato clans. The move places the promotion-chasing team under judicial control, marking the third such intervention in Italian football after Foggia and Crotone, and the most severe to date.

• From dream season to disaster

  Juve Stabia's recent 2-0 derby win over Avellino had lifted the Wasps to seventh in Serie B, tied on points with promotion contenders Venezia, and fans dared to believe in the dream of reaching Serie A within three years. But that ambition has now been shattered. According to Italy’s National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor, Giovanni Melillo, Juve Stabia are “subordinate” to the Camorra, specifically, the D’Alessandro and Imparato clans.

  Following the findings, the club have been placed under receivership under Italy’s Anti-Mafia Code, a law born in the wake of the 1992 assassinations of Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. The measure, carried out by the Naples Police Headquarters, is meant to “restore legality and transparency” amid allegations of deep mafia infiltration. This marks the third-ever judicial seizure of a professional football club in Italy, after Foggia and Crotone, but Stabia’s case is reportedly the most severe. Authorities are even considering asking the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) to postpone upcoming fixtures, including the high-profile home game against Bari on October 29.

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  Mafia control from tickets to travel

  According to prosecutors, the Camorra’s influence stretched across nearly every operational layer of the club from security, catering, travel logistics, to ticketing. The investigation began in February 2025 when a police audit revealed that a man linked to the Imparato clan was overseeing stadium security. From there, the findings multiplied with banned individuals attending matches under false identities, free tickets distributed to known clan members, and even evidence of falsified entry records at the Menti Stadium.

  Last season alone, 38 Juve Stabia fans were hit with stadium bans, among which 22 persons were suspected of clan affiliation. Investigators allege that these bans were regularly circumvented with internal cooperation. Prosecutors described the infiltration as “comprehensive,” saying, “Players just had to play; the Camorra handled everything else.”

  This systemic control has shaken public trust in Serie B governance and reignited concerns about football’s vulnerability to criminal interference, especially in regions where the Camorra, 'Ndrangheta, and Cosa Nostra remain economically entrenched.

• The wider pattern – Crotone, Foggia and beyond

  Stabia’s case follows a troubling trend. Just last month, Serie C side Crotone was placed under judicial administration for a year after prosecutors found evidence of 'Ndrangheta interference in operations ranging from stadium management to sponsorships. A similar case in Foggia saw local mafia elements control gate receipts and influence matchday security.

  In each case, the aim of judicial intervention has not been punishment, but protection, to “shield clubs and communities from criminal control.” However, Juve Stabia’s seizure stands out for its scope and timing as the club’s recent success and newfound international ownership made it appear modern and clean on the surface.

  The takeover by Brera Holdings, an Irish investment firm that acquired a 52 per cent stake in June 2025, was meant to modernise operations. Yet investigators now allege the new owners “inherited long-standing financial ties already under mafia influence” and failed to sever them. The revelations have turned what was meant to be a financial expansion into a reputational crisis.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Italian football’s fight for integrity

  For the FIGC and Serie B authorities, Juve Stabia’s seizure poses urgent questions about how deep-rooted criminal networks still exploit football infrastructure. Italy’s lower leagues, often cash-strapped and locally run, remain particularly exposed to infiltration by clans seeking influence, money laundering opportunities, or social control.

  The judiciary will now appoint administrators to oversee the club’s daily operations, while the FIGC evaluates whether Stabia can safely continue competing. Points deductions or relegation could follow if direct collusion is proven. But for now, the intervention serves as a stark reminder that football in southern Italy remains a battlefield – not just between clubs, but between legality and corruption.

  As Prosecutor Melillo warned: “The goal is not to destroy football in Campania, but to liberate it.” Whether Juve Stabia can ever reclaim its credibility, however, remains to be seen.

Arsenal are now willing to make a £39m offer for an “amazing” star who’s been likened to Lionel Messi, and they are looking to get the deal done in the January transfer window.

Gunners vying to sign another winger despite Madueke's impact

It would be fair to say there was probably an overreaction to Noni Madueke arriving from Chelsea in the summer, with a number of fans making it clear they were unhappy, even going as far as to make a petition and start a #NoToMadueke campaign on X.

However, the 23-year-old has already started to silence the doubters, with Gary Neville saying: “Madueke is a lot better than I imagined and thought he would be. And certainly a lot better than Arsenal fans thought he would be.

“A couple of runs that he made for England on Tuesday night were a different level, they’re runs I thought, ‘ooh’. They’re runs… Arjen Robben used to make those runs against me.”

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The winger was particularly impressive in the 3-0 victory against Nottingham Forest earlier this month, staking a claim to be a regular starter by winning 10 duels and completing five dribbles throughout the match.

Given that Mikel Arteta also has Bukayo Saka at his disposal on the right wing, it arguably makes little sense to bring in another option on that side, but that is exactly what the Gunners are planning to do.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Arsenal are now preparing a move for Real Sociedad star Takefusa Kubo, with the north Londoners looking to get a deal done in the January transfer window.

The Gunners are willing to make a €45m (£39m) bid for Kubo, with the report stating the winger could look to force an exit, given that he is unhappy with the Spanish club failing to reinforce the squad in the summer.

"Amazing" Kubo has been likened to Messi

Once lauded as “amazing” by scout Jacek Kulig, the Japanese winger has come on leaps and bounds since joining Real Sociedad in 2022, chipping in with 24 goals and 18 assists in 142 games for the La Liga side.

Not only that, but the 24-year-old has also been dubbed the ‘Japanese Messi’, which is perhaps the greatest compliment any player could receive, so there are signs he could be a success at the Emirates Stadium.

That said, there are some doubts over the Kawasaki-born star, given that he didn’t exactly set the world alight in La Liga last season, chipping in with five goals and zero assists across the campaign.

With that in mind, it would probably be best to avoid signing Kubo, particularly considering Arsenal really don’t need to sign another right-winger, having brought in Madueke as a back-up for Saka during the summer transfer window.

Australian opener extends strong run of form as Bohannon, Hurst provide support

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay02-May-2025

Marcus Harris made his second century of the season to help Lancashire dominate the opening day of their Rothesay County Championship match against Gloucestershire.The former Australia opener also became the first batter to pass fifty five times in his first seven innings in first-class cricket for the county and finished on 165 not out with Lancashire on 342 for five after opting to bat first on what now appears an easy-paced pitch.Such an outcome looked unlikely after the impressive Ajeet Singh Dale had taken two wickets in his first ten balls to leave the home side on 23 for two but Harris shared partnerships of 98 with Josh Bohannon and 212 with Matty Hurst, who was caught behind by James Bracey off Zaman Akhter for 78 three overs before the close.Nevertheless, Lancashire are well placed in this match between two teams who have yet to win a match this season. During his innings, Harris became the leading run-scorer in the country in either division and will go into the second day’s play with a total of 559 runs against his name this season.Yet Gloucestershire’s bowlers had dominated the first hour of the day and Singh Dale reinforced his growing reputation by bowling George Bell via body, pad and boot for 10 with his second delivery and having Keaton Jennings caught by Cameron Bancroft at second slip for four in his next overThat left Lancashire on 23 for two but after some early uncertainty Bohannon and Harris played with growing fluency and took their side to 79 for two at lunch after 28 overs, 50 of those runs having been scored in the second hour of the session.On the resumption Bohannon cruised smoothly to his half-century in 96 balls with seven fours but he was then leg before wicket to Ollie Price for 56 when he misjudged the length of an off-spinner he attempted to pull.Although that wicket ended a productive 98-run third-wicket stand, Hurst played himself in with little fuss as the wicket eased. He gave Harris excellent support and Lancashire reached tea on 189 for three with Harris unbeaten on 90 after a session in which the Gloucestershire captain, Cameron Bancroft, had rotated his bowlers frequently, albeit to limited effect.Having reached his half-century off 106 balls, Harris hit three fours off the next six deliveries and that set the tone for his second fifty. He reached his century shortly after tea with a single off Tom Price after facing 176 balls and hitting 11 fours and the six over long-on off Ollie Price that took him to 99.The evening session served merely to underline Lancashire’s dominance. Hurst reached his fifty off 98 balls and Harris took only 47 deliveries to get from 100 to 150, a picked-up six over square leg off Josh Shaw epitomising his dominance.At that point, Shaw might well have looked back with some feeling to the 14th over of the day when Harris had tried to let the ball go but only succeeded in involuntarily inside-edging it to the fine leg boundary.Singh Dale was the pick of the Gloucestershire attack but this was a day on which loose shots either didn’t find the edge or go to hand and Bancroft will hope that his batsmen can reply in kind on the second and third days of this game.First, though, he must try to prevent Lancashire collecting four batting points for the first time this season and Akhter’s late success in claiming Hurst’s wicket when the batsman appeared to pull out of a hook was a considerable fillip, especially as it was followed four balls later by a delicious yorker which castled nightwatchman Saqib Mahmood for four.Akhter’s late strikes left him with figures of two for 68 while Singh Dale finished with two for 36 from 15 tight overs.

Nottingham Forest are making late strides in the window and find themselves in talks to sign a defender who could add valuable competition within their backline, per Fabrizio Romano.

Nottingham Forest move away from Nuno Espirito Santo debacle

In strange fashion, Nuno Espirito Santo has been the talk of the town in the East Midlands amid a public disagreement with Evangelos Marinakis and Edu, leading many to suspect whether his long-term future lies at the City Ground.

After his side drew at Crystal Palace last weekend, the Portuguese boss hit out at the ‘absurd’ narrative that he could be set for the exit door, and Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett has confirmed that the situation has deescalated, for now at least.

He stated: “Nuno and Edu’s differences may have been put aside for now, but you sense the resentment will linger.”

Nevertheless, the reporter later hinted that nothing can be guaranteed in light of Marinakis being known for having an impulsive nature, as he added: “If there’s one thing we have learned about the current Forest – the only certain thing is that nothing is certain.”

Either way, Nottingham Forest continue to push their recruitment drive and Dominik Livakovic is on their radar to provide competition between the sticks in a deal that could see rotation between the Croatia international, Matz Sels and Angus Gunn.

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Norwich City full-back Kellen Fisher could also be on his way to the Tricky Trees, and they don’t seem set to stop there in the hunt for quality as Espirito Santo looks to address key areas before the deadline next Monday.

Romano: Nottingham Forest in club-to-club talks to sign Victor Kristiansen

Taking to social media platform X, Romano has confirmed that Nottingham Forest are progressing in talks to sign Leicester City full-back Victor Kristiansen as they look to add cover ahead of a busy fixture schedule.

Despite rumours linking the Tricky Trees with a swoop for Nahuel Molina, the renowned reporter added that the Argentina international looks set to stay at Atletico Madrid rather than making a move to England.

Likened to Kostas Tsimikas by Jacek Kulig, who has also been linked with the City Ground, Kristiansen made 31 appearances across all competitions last term for the Foxes, registering a solitary assist and featuring exclusively on the left-hand side of their backline.

Earning £25,000 per week at the King Power Stadium, per Capology, the Denmark international has plenty of room to develop at 22 years of age and would likely be a genuine competitior with Neco Williams for a starting slot if Espirito Santo can force a deal over the line.

Inter head coach Cristian Chivu has urged the fans to stop "throwing stones" at goalkeeper Yann Sommer after his disastrous performance did little to prevent his side from losing to Juventus over the weekend. Chivu remains confident in the Swiss international's experience and abilities, adding that Sommer will retain his place in the starting lineup against Ajax in the Champions League opener.

• Inter experience heartbreaking Derby d'Italia defeat

  Inter's below-par start to life under new head coach Chivu continued over the weekend, as last season's Serie A runners-up succumbed to a 4-3 defeat at the Allianz Stadium against Juventus. Igor Tudor's men were trailing 3-2 as the clock went past the 80th-minute mark. However, a Khephren Thuram strike in the 82nd minute and a stoppage time winner from youngster Vasilije Adzic helped Juve stage a sensational come-from-behind victory in the Derby d'Italia.

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  The Nerazzurri struggling in Serie A

  The loss against Juventus further compounded Inter's misery. The Nerazzurri are currently languishing in 11th position on the Serie A table, despite scoring nine goals in their opening three league games. After beginning the season with an emphatic 5-0 win over Torino, they slumped to a shock 2-1 loss to Udinese at the San Siro. The defence has been far too penetrative as they have shipped six goals, with Sommer especially becoming the target of the fans' fury following his disastrous display in the defeat to Juve. 

• Sommer receives backing from head coach

  Speaking to reporters ahead of the Ajax clash in the Champions League, Chivu said: "It’s not fair to put him out in the open and throw stones at him from all sides. He’s important to us, he showed that last year, and from a human perspective, I don’t feel comfortable doing something like that. I respect [Josep] Martinez, and sooner or later he will get his chance, but I won’t change Sommer just because the fans ask for it. I don’t want to go against the grain. A player with his experience needs support. It’s only right that he stays in goal."

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  Ajax clash the perfect springboard for a turnaround in fortunes

  Inter commence their Champions League campaign against Ajax on Wednesday. A win could go a long way in lifting the spirits of an Inter side seemingly struggling to avoid defeats. However, defender Denzel Dumfries remains confident of his team's chances. "We've often talked about it among ourselves," the Dutchman said. "We played a good game against Juve, but then things went the way they did. It's true, we've recognized this moment and we have a lot to learn. When you play in the Champions League, you play to win. We have a strong team."