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Elliot Lee revealed a key message that have been "ingrained" into the Wrexham player by their Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

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Wrexham earned promotion after 15 yearsLee proud to play a part in the journeyHailed the Wrexham fans who love the club with their "lives"Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Dragonsfinally got over the line and lifted the National League title in exceptional style following a record-breaking campaign in 2022-23 to seal promotion into the Football League for the first time since 2008. The fans invaded the pitch and the celebrations soon spilled over to the streets of Wrexham. McElhenney and Reynolds cried tears of joy as the Hollywood superstars were moved by the emotional scenes following the 3-1 win over Boreham Wood and Lee revealed how the co-owners and manager Phil Parkinson had always demanded to put the community first while on the pitch.

AdvertisementWHAT LEE SAID

Speaking on the Men in Blazers podcast, Lee said: "I get goosebumps because we knew how much it meant to people. Yes, Ryan [Reynolds] and Rob [McElhenney] have been incredible and everyone knows how good they have been but it's also for the community and that is ingrained in us by the gaffer [Phil Parkinson] and Rob and Ryan as well. These people have been here before and they have been through so many bad times with the club and they still all come in their numbers.

"I remember on the bus parade seeing genuine tears of happiness and joy; we got to do that for people. That is a feeling I will take to the grave with me because that's something I am so proud of. It goes deeper than football, it's people's lives. This club is people's lives and I don't ever take that for granted when I go out on the pitch."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Lee revealed that Parkinson enticed him to sign for the club by assuring him that he would be "loved forever" by the passionate Wrexham fans if he helped them realise their dream of getting promoted.

"I remember when the manager called me the summer before I joined he said, 'Whoever takes this club out of the National League, you will be loved forever'," he said.

"I remember I felt that love straight after the final whistle [against Borehamwood], I was like, 'Wow, this is incredible'. We've brought joy to so many people. They pay their hard-earned money to come and watch us. After the ownership and everything that has gone on, just to bring better days back… the feeling at that Borehamwood game was incredible."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Wrexham are vying for their second successive promotion and are just one point outside the automatic promotion spots in League Two. They will be back in action against Accrington Stanley on Saturday to avenge their earlier defeat when the two sides met in the reverse fixture.

It has been reported that Arsenal "lead" a quartet of Premier League clubs as they eye one "class" 21-year-old gem from the continent.

Arsenal transfer targets – January

The north London club are well and truly off and running after a brilliant start to the season, most recently making a statement with their 1-0 win over champions Man City at the Emirates Stadium. Gabriel Martinelli's late effort added City to the growing list of teams who've tasted defeat courtesy of Arsenal. Mikel Arteta's side have also sealed vital wins over Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, Man United, Everton and Bournemouth – drawing another two games against English capital rivals Fulham and Tottenham.

Arsenal remain unbeaten and next take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge after the international break. However, that isn't to say the Gunners have been perfect so far. You could make a case that Arteta's men have been forced to display real grit in a lot of their matches; securing many of the aforementioned wins by narrow one-goal margins. As a result, it is believed that a new striker and wide forward could be in the offing for 2024. This has led to links with Brentford star Ivan Toney and Wolves winger Pedro Neto, with club legend Ray Parlour believing Arsenal simply must sign a centre-forward in particular.

"I always think that you need a bit of back-up," Parlour told JBI Training when asked about Arsenal’s options up front.

"Eddie Nketiah did really well when he came into the team last season, but the Arsenal sides I was part of always had four really good strikers. I know that a lot of teams play with one forward now, but in my teams we had Nwankwo Kanu, Sylvain Wiltord and obviously Thierry (Henry) and Dennis (Bergkamp). I do think we need that extra striker. If Gabriel Jesus gets injured again, is Eddie going to be able to come in and do well enough in the Champions League?

"I know that we could play with a false nine, but I would like that security of having an out-and-out striker."

Arsenal transfer news – Georgiy Sudakov

Adding to the list of 2024 transfer targets, it is now believed that Arsenal have their eye on exciting Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Georgiy Sudakov. The Ukraine international is attracting plenty of admirers right now, but Arteta and co apparently "lead" a quartet of English sides.

Man City, Brighton and Chelsea are the other clubs taking note of Sudakov's exploits on the continent, but Serie A giants Juventus are said to be considering the Champions League player as a possible heir to Paul Pogba.

This is according to TEAMtalk and journalist Dean Jones, who shared a transfer update on Sudakov just before the weekend. The Athletic reporter Adam Crafton, speaking back in September (via 777 score), has called the player "class" with bags of potential.

“Sudakov is a class act, he has just turned 21," said Crafton.

"Last season, he showed great promise in the group stage of the Champions League and is likely to be the next big sale for Shakhtar.”

West Ham are now targeting one of Europe's top ten goalscorers of 2023, as manager David Moyes and technical chief Tim Steidten hunt for signings.

West Ham transfer plan takes turn after injuries

As Moyes and the Hammers face a real squad shortage, it is now believed their transfer plans for January have taken a turn. Star midfielder Lucas Paqueta looks set to be out for around two months, dealing a hammer blow to West Ham, with star winger and makeshift centre-forward Jarrod Bowen also set for a spell on the sidelines.

The pair limped off during West Ham's 1-1 draw with Bristol City in the FA Cup last weekend, alongside defender Konstantinos Mavropanos. The trio join striker Michail Antonio on the sidelines, who recently suffered a setback in his recovery from a knee injury.

Coupled with Mohammed Kudus being at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana, the aforementioned absences have put Moyes in a desperately precarious situation.

As a result, West Ham are looking to make signings in January, and especially in the attacking areas. Led by technical director Steidten, the club have been working on a deal for Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy among others (ExWHUemployee).

West Ham also hold an interest in Sunderland winger Jack Clarke, according to Sky Sports, as both Moyes and Steidten scour the market for goalscoring wide players alongside a new number nine.

Other reports suggest Moyes has been working overtime to sign a new striker for West Ham, coming after they failed to replace Gianluca Scamacca in the summer window.

West Ham targeting Vangelis Pavlidis

As the Irons search for a proven attacking threat, a report by journalist Graeme Bailey and HITC has lifted the lid on a pretty promising new name on West Ham's radar. According to their information, West Ham are now targeting AZ Alkmaar striker Vangelis Pavlidis and a January move could be on the cards for him.

The club have sent scouts to run the rule over Pavlidis this season, alongside both Crystal Palace and Fulham, with all three sides now shortlisting the Greek as a target for the winter.

The international has been in fine form for Alkmaar this season, scoring 18 goals in 16 Eredivisie appearances, but what's more impressive is that he was one of Europe's top ten scorers in 2023.

Football Transfers also say Pavlidis is "similar" to ex-Liverpool star Roberto Firmino, but it is unclear how much he'll cost at this time.

The India captain said that the runs and records have been a byproduct of focusing on the team

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-20183:22

Can Kohli beat Tendulkar’s 18K runs?

After smashing Sachin Tendulkar’s record to become the fastest to 10,000 ODI runs, Virat Kohli has said that his method remains the same: work hard for every run and never take things for granted.”Even after playing for 10 years, I don’t feel like I’m entitled for anything here,” Kohli told . “You still have to work hard for every run you score at the international level while playing for your country because they’re many people who want this very badly and when you’re in that position yourself, you should have that same hunger and passion. You should never take things for granted, never take it easy at any stage.”Captaining India is a tough task, especially as the No.1 batsman in the world – as Tendulkar found out – but to have simultaneously scaled unprecedented heights as a batsman is a tribute to Kohli’s mental resolve as well as physical fitness. Additionally, despite the constant glare of the spotlight, Kohli’s focus has rarely deviated, highlighted by the 20 ODI hundreds in successful chases.1:58

Simmons: Kohli has taken over from where Sachin left off

“I’ve been able to push my physical abilities and my mental abilities on just focusing on what the team needs, and in that process more runs have been scored than maybe I would have otherwise if I was thinking about my own batting or anything like that,” he said. “So I’ve just focused on the situation, and I’m glad that I’ve been able to help the team by contributing with the bat. My duty is to score runs and having done that for a long period now, everything has collected together for this moment but the intention always should be every game, every situation to look for what the team needs and just score as many runs as possible.”But above all, his greatest source of joy remains more homespun in nature – to have been able to play the game this long, with a few years left in the tank.”To understand you’ve come so far in your career playing for 10 years is something quite special to me because I love the sport so much and you want to play it more and more, and that for me is the most important thing, so I’m just happy that I’m able to play for this long and hopefully many more years to come,” he said. “I never thought I could achieve this feat or I would get to this stage. I always thought I just want to play for India, I never thought that this day would arrive and it just tells me that if you’re focused on the process and the right things then these things become irrelevant after a while.”

Manchester United have an interesting plan in place regarding the future of a "world-class" current player at Old Trafford, according to a fresh transfer update.

Man Utd players set to leave in 2024

The Red Devils continue to have an unpredictable season, with performances and results fluctuating between impressive and woeful, and Wednesday's 3-3 draw away to Galatasaray in the Champions League perhaps summed them up as a team.

It was another poor night at the office for Andre Onana, who twice allowed free-kicks to beat him too easily, and his struggles sum up the lack of impact from United's summer signings. Mason Mount has found it hugely difficult to make an impression, with the Englishman not helped by injuries, while Rasmus Hojlund is yet to score in the Premier League despite his impressive tally in Europe.

The January transfer window will allow Erik ten Hag the opportunity to bring in new signings, but plenty of United players will be out of contract in the near future and we could see somewhat of an overhaul in 2024. The likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof and Antony Martial all see their deals expire in 2024, while Donny van de Beek is thought to be certain to leave in Janary.

Man Utd make Anthony Martial decision

According to a new report from Football Insider, Manchester United could now trigger Martial's one-year extension but with the intent to then sell him for a fee.

"Man United could now activate Anthony Martial’s one-year contract extension clause and then let him go, sources have told Football Insider. The Red Devils could move to prolong the 27-year-old’s deal in order to protect his value and prevent him leaving for free in 2024."

Ratcliffe may well decide to splash out on a new forward next year, claims the report, and that would involve selling Martial either in January or next summer. This is a decision that would make perfect sense for United, ensuring that they don't simply lose Martial for nothing after splashing out so much on his potential back in 2015.

The Frenchman has always been a big talent at Old Trafford, with former Red Devils striker Robin van Persie even describing him as "world-class" on a talent level, but it feels like the right time to move him on, considering his influence has waned as the years have passed.

Fabrizio Romano adresses Man Utd contact for rapid striker target

He could now be available in January.

ByCharlie Smith Dec 1, 2023

This season, Martial's statistics highlight his lack of playing time, with only three starts coming his way in the Premier League in 2023/24, and while he is still only 27 years of age, he has suffered lots of injuries and arguably isn't the player he once was.

United need to move on from the forward now, bringing in fresh faces who represent the future, so it is now a case of triggering his contract and then receiving as much money for him as possible.

Paul Harris’ outside-leg-stump line was perfect in the context of the game, as none of the Indian batsmen figured out how to score runs against him

S Rajesh09-Feb-2010As a template for the perfect Test, this was about as good as it could get for South Africa. Apart from the first one hour, they comprehensively dominated the rest of the four days, losing only six wickets to India’s 20 and yet scoring six more runs. They averaged 93 runs per wicket to India’s 27.60, which indicates the gulf between the two teams in this match. This is South Africa’s fifth win in India, which makes them the only team to win more than they’ve lost in India in the last 15 years. Pakistan have won three and lost as many, but the other sides all have a win-loss ratio of less than one.South Africa deserved the win which ends India’s streak of not losing a Test under MS Dhoni, and it was quite fitting that Dale Steyn provided the final blow of the match, breaching Amit Mishra’s defences to finish with match figures of 10 for 108. It’s his fourth ten-wicket haul, but the first by a South African bowler in India: the previous-best figures in India was also by Steyn – 8 for 114 in Ahmedabad in 2008, in a match which also resulted in an innings win. It was India’s third such defeat in the last 25 years, and they’ve all been inflicted by South Africa.Steyn was the bowling star for South Africa, but on the fourth day Paul Harris did plenty to lift his stocks, which had been dwindling since a poor home series against England, when his 11 wickets came at a cost of more than 40 apiece. In Nagpur, however, the situation was tailor-made for Harris – the batsmen gave him more than enough runs to bowl with, and Steyn’s first-innings burst meant South Africa had plenty of time and were in no rush to force a win. That allowed Harris to frustrate the Indian batsmen with his over-the-wicket, outside-leg-stump line. With the batsmen mostly loathe to play the sweep with any conviction, the runs were choked, and Harris ended with three important second-innings wickets.As the table below shows, Harris bowled 85% of his deliveries from over the stumps, with most of them pitching well outside leg. Of the 194 deliveries he bowled from that angle, the Indian batsmen scored from just 34, which allowed him to stem the runs and build up pressure.

Harris over and round the wicket in India’s second innings

BallsRunsWicketsAverageEcon rateDot ballsOver the wicket19467322.332.07160Round the wicket3490-1.5830Clearly, going into the second Test India need to formulate a strategy to play Harris. They were mostly defensive, which was understandable given the match situation, but their inability to work out options to get him away for runs is something the team will probably work on over the next four days. They tried the sweep shot 30 times, but scored only 38 runs and lost two wickets – those of Murali Vijay and Sachin Tendulkar – in the process. Wriddhiman Saha executed it better than anyone else, scoring 15 runs from seven deliveries, while Tendulkar scored eight from nine such strokes.

How the Indian batsmen played Harris’ over-the-wicket line

StrokeBallsRunsWicketsNo shot/ padded away7500Forward defence5201Sweep/ paddle30382Apart from Harbhajan Singh, who swung freely against him, none of the batsmen got runs at a brisk pace against Harris. Dhoni and S Badrinath were the most becalmed – Dhoni scored three in 36 balls, while Badrinath managed a solitary run in 19 deliveries.

Indian batsmen versus Harris

BatsmanBallsRunsDot ballsMurali Vijay16613Sachin Tendulkar782465S Badrinath19118MS Dhoni36333Wriddhiman Saha471738Harbhajan Singh8181Zaheer Khan24722The only saving grace for India in the second innings was Tendulkar’s 91st international century. It was only his fourth hundred in 38 Test innings against them, and his first in 16 innings against them at home. This was his third hundred in successive Tests, and it continues a superb run for him: since 2007 he averages 57.31 in 31 Tests. During this period he has scored 11 hundreds, with the only blip coming during a barren three-Test series in Sri Lanka.

There was some initial worry about Newcastle United this season, especially after they suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion. Since then, however, Eddie Howe's side have put an end to any doubts by defeating Brentford, putting eight past Sheffield United and knocking Manchester City out of the Carabao Cup.

That's not to say the Magpies couldn't do with further reinforcements, though, which could result in a busy January transfer window for those at St James' Park despite some FFP constraints, with reports they could sell several players to fund signings.

And that could see them complete a move for one particular player that they already had a go for, having failed in their pursuit during the summer.

What's the latest Newcastle United transfer news?

Spending a reported €153m (£133m) during the summer transfer window, Newcastle welcomed the likes of Harvey Barnes, Tino Livramento, and Sandro Tonali to hand Howe a squad capable of potentially making it back-to-back top four finishes in the Premier League. And after a slow start, the Magpies now look back on track to compete alongside the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Liverpool, who are all gunning for Champions League qualification.

The January transfer window could yet make all the difference, too, especially if Newcastle secure the arrival of Carlos Alcaraz. According to Football Transfers, those at St James' Park are eyeing a move for the Southampton star, who they reportedly approached in the summer, only to be put off by the Saints' £30m price-tag.

Whilst Howe remains an admirer, AC Milan and Benfica also reportedly made an approach for the midfielder in the summer, handing Newcastle plenty of competition if they are to pursue his signature come the winter transfer window.

Considering their spending power, if Newcastle are keen on Alcaraz, then it will be interesting to see how Southampton fare when it comes to the battle to keep hold of their star.

Should Newcastle United sign Carlos Alcaraz?

At 20-years-old, Alcaraz opted to stay put at Southampton despite their relegation to the Championship, and a solid start by Russell Martin's new side has quickly turned disastrous, with a run of four straight defeats in the Championship.

If that form continues, Alcaraz, who, it must be said, has played his part in what has been a dismal run, may start to consider his immediate future, especially if the right offer comes in during the January window from Newcastle.

Statistically speaking, the midfielder was certainly a standout in a poor Saints side last season. According to FBref, in 13 starts, Alcaraz made 20 progressive carries and 28 progressive passes, whilst also making 14 blocks and 11 clearances in a showing of great potential in a short period in the Premier League.

He has earned deserved praise during his time at St Mary's, too, including from former manager Ruben Selles, who said, via the official Southampton website: "That was the idea – to put him in that position as a 10 or as a striker, to be more aggressive in the pressure, to understand the triggers and to have some situations in front of the centre-backs but also in behind, as [with] the goal.

“That was the game plan, Carlos played good. He understands everything – I am helping him also, giving him some instructions so it’s easier for him to understand. He did really well, unfortunately for only 45, 46 minutes."

Southampton are pushing for promotion from the Championship this season, and they are believed to be eyeing a move for a young defender with plenty of potential, according to a new update.

Southampton results and fixtures

Saints suffered are misery of being relegated from the Premier League last season, eventually finishing bottom of the table after a desperately disappointing run of results. Russell Martin's side went into the new campaign as one of the favourites to go straight back up, however, and a win away to Sheffield Wednesday on the opening night further suggested that that would be the case.

Things haven't quite gone as well since then, with inconsistent results leaving Southampton sitting 10th in the table, but they are still clearly in the mix for at least the playoffs, although new signings may be required to take them up a further gear.

Next up is a trip to Hull City, who are level on points with Martin's side, before a difficult mid-week trip to high-flying Preston.

Having quality and depth in the squad can be priceless in the Championship, considering how relentless the fixtures are the more the season goes on, and Saints are seemingly keen on signing a Premier League player to boost their defensive depth in January.

Southampton transfer update – Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson to Southampton is reportedly a deal that could come to fruition in 2024, according to West Ham insiders Claret and Hugh, who report the player is likely to be sold to one of the interested parties:

"Everton are understood to be interested along with Southampton, whilst Luton Town could show interest in the player given his versatility as a right and left back."

This could be a really strong piece of business by Southampton, with Johnson someone who has racked up plenty of experience, and who could be looking to move away from West Ham at this point in his career.

The 23-year-old has found himself out of favour at the London Stadium in recent times, with Johnson's statistics showing that he hasn't yet played at all in the league this season, instead making just one solitary appearance in the EFL Cup.

He will see his current West Ham deal expire at the end of this season, meaning they could be tempted to cash in come January. The fact that he has the same agent as Kyle Walker-Peters could be aid discussions over a move too, and the positives outweigh the negatives.

Even if Johnson's move to St Mary's Stadium doesn't work out, the cheap element of the signing would make it less of a risk, and his ability to play in several positions kills mutliple birds with one stone.

West Ham appearances

88

Premier League appearances

55

England Under-21 caps

10

The Englishman is a versatile defender who can play on either flank and in a central role, and former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson has described him as "brilliant" in the past.

For any Championship club to snap up a Premier League players feels like a coup, and Johnson has the ability to make Southampton a more fearsome proposition at the back for years to come, with West Ham also seemingly happy to see him move on, given the lack of minutes they are affording him at the moment.

The dissolution of SLC’s interim administration under Arjuna Ranatunga was widely expected following a constant difference of opinion with the sports minister

Sa'adi Thawfeeq24-Dec-2008
Relations between Arjuna Ranatunga and the Sri Lankan national team weren’t always as cordial © Getty Images
The dissolution of Sri Lanka Cricket’s interim administration under Arjuna Ranatunga was widely expected following a constant difference of opinion between the former World Cup-winning captain and the sports minister, Gamini Lokuge. The decision comes in the backdrop of a tumultuous year that featured more controversies than cricket.The situation, which was constantly deteriorating, eventually came to a head after Ranatunga decided to sack 16 employees of Sri Lanka Cricket last week. The aggrieved employees approached the Minister, who ordered that no decision should be taken without first consulting him.Ranatunga was appointed to the post in January 2008 after former chairman Jayantha Dharmadasa decided to step down. Ranatunga said then that he was taking over to set things right in cricket but he leaves having done more wrong than right.Ranatunga tried to run Sri Lanka Cricket in the same autocratic and ad hoc way he captained the cricket team. But the circumstances are different, and what worked for him as captain has clearly backfired in his term as administrator. He has come across as obstinate and impulsive, and his refusal to involve his committee members in the decision-making process has earned him constant criticism. Worse, most of his decisions have turned out to be counter-productive.Incredibly for a player-administrator, he has managed to alienate the majority of Sri Lanka’s international players. The relationship, already rocky, virtually broke down when he unilaterally committed Sri Lanka to a tour of England in April-May 2009 despite being fully aware that a majority of the Sri Lankan players were contracted to play in the IPL in the same period. The England tour was not part of the ICC’s Future Tours Programme but hastily organised to fill a gap in the English summer that arose due to Zimbabwe’s withdrawal.Ranatunga justified his decision saying that the cash-strapped Sri Lankan board badly needed the US$2 million guarantee money the tour would bring. But the tour fell through when the sports minister sided with the players.Ranatunga, who began his tenure by appealing to the Indian cricket board to bail out Sri Lanka Cricket, is now seen as the biggest obstacle in the relationship between the two boards.Ironically, Ranatunga, who began his tenure by appealing to the Indian cricket board to bail out Sri Lanka Cricket, is now seen as the biggest obstacle in the relationship between the two boards. The Indian administrators haven’t taken kindly to the Ranatunga’s constant jibing – he has emerged as a strong opponent of Twenty20 cricket and in fact blamed India’s loss in the first Test against Sri Lanka earlier this year to the after-effects of the IPL – and made it clear there could be no relationship between the two boards as long as Ranatunga was in charge. Consequently, the Indian board withdrew an offer of a US$70 million bailout package for Sri Lanka over a ten-year period in return for a commitment to Twenty20 tournaments organized by the BCCI.It is speculated that Ranatunga – who met President Mahinda Rajapakse after his removal – will be offered a ministerial post; those in the running to replace him include a former cricket board president, a former interim committee chairman and a current interim committee member.Whoever takes over the job, though, is likely to inherit a mess.

Alex Milton scored a maiden Championship hundred last month but the runs he squeezed out in Southport could be worth a lot more

Paul Edwards30-Aug-2018
ScorecardAsk a county batsman which of his innings is his favourite and you will not always be told of jewelled centuries on ivory stages. Quite frequently you will hear instead of the knock that made a difference. Last month Alex Milton scored a century on his County Championship debut but he did so in a losing cause, albeit it included a 136-run last wicket partnership with Steve Magoffin. On the second day of this match, Milton’s third in Division One, he made a mere 37 but shared the 61-run stand for the fifth wicket with Ben Cox that has probably tipped this game decisively in Worcestershire’s favour.Milton was fortunate that Cox was his batting partner. The Worcestershire wicketkeeper is one of the most underestimated cricketers on the circuit and his 40 took a little of the pressure off his younger colleague. But the pair came together when their team were 56 for 4 and their lead over Lancashire was a mere 117. Their stand sucked much of the venom out of Lancashire and it was the best of six significant alliances which all but filled an absorbing last two sessions at Trafalgar Road.Talking T20

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Six overs before the end of the day Worcestershire were finally dismissed for 252 and the home side opened with a nightwatchman, Toby Lester, and Haseeb Hameed, who remains on a pair. Lancashire still need a further 306 runs to win and no one with a full complement of marbles fancies their chances.The pitch did not ease greatly throughout the day. It has never been a desperately difficult pitch but Brett D’Oliveira’s dismissal to a magnificent ball from Graham Onions which landed on middle and off before seaming away showed that there has always been a wicket in this surface. But both Milton and Cox adapted to the conditions in the manner of old pros; the balls they kept out or let go were just as important as those they cut or clipped to the white fences around this great ground. Cox, in particular, was prepared to wear a few on his body and to bat through a fine spell by Lester. As for Milton, when he considers how his life has been spent, he may well conclude that the two-and-a-quarter hours he took gritting it out at Trafalgar Road have been among the most valuable.It certainly set the tone for the rest of the innings. Tom Bailey, who had taken three early wickets, was not as effective as the ball got older, and later batsmen found batting a slightly more agreeable task than Worcestershire’s top order. Ed Barnard batted well once again, albeit for a mere 24 and Josh Tongue’s 20 helped him add yet another 26 for the last wicket with Dillon Pennington.Wayne Parnell contributed vital runs•Getty ImagesBut the applause of this good-natured and knowledgeable crowd greeted the batting of Wayne Parnell, who made 50 off 74 balls and hit Keshav Maharaj for a straight six into the media tent, where most of the inhabitants were watching the cricket. Parnell’s excellent choice of shot throughout his innings revealed his pedigree and showed how he has bought into Worcestershire’s appealing ethos of hard work and great enjoyment.And as the afternoon progressed, bowlers toiled for the first time in this match. Maharaj’s spell from the Grosvenor Road End claimed three wickets but it did not change the pattern established by Cox and Milton. Likewise, Graham Onions removed Barnard and Ben Twohig but not before they had strengthened Worcestershire position. Lancashire’s bowlers and fielders became quieter even as the noise from the marquees increased. Perhaps they were considering the size of the task facing them; perhaps some of those thoughts could not be voiced in the changing room. Even as Worcestershire’s players view the prospect that they might beat Yorkshire and Lancashire in the space of nine glorious days, Dane Vilas and his players are pondering a different fate.Of course the home side’s task would not be so formidable had not D’Oliveira’s bowlers secured a 61-run first innings lead. Thus the Worcestershire bowlers could be pleased with their effort in taking the last five Lancashire wickets for 65 in little more than an hour’s graft. Josh Tongue, who has the ability to extract bounce from the blandest surface, took the first and last wickets to fall on Thursday, and finished with 5 for 53.Once again, though, Lancashire dug their own graves before obligingly interring themselves and pulling the turf across the plots. Josh Bohannon, for example, had played with purpose and intent for his 13 before he turned blind and was run out by Barnard’s throw when thinking of a third run. But this is a game which has never been short of gallows humour and it is the season when the light is dying, and with it, the green hopes of springtime.