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BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Alan Hutton has tipped Tottenham Hotspur to prioritise signing a new creative midfielder this summer after a recruitment source revealed links to Christian Eriksen.

The Lowdown: Eriksen links

Antonio Conte looks set for an overhaul during the upcoming transfer window, with the Italian boss reportedly wanting two new midfielders as part of a mass signing spree.

One of the players that the Lilywhites are said to be keeping tabs on is former Spurs star Eriksen, who despite currently being on a short-term loan at Brentford, is understood to be keen on a return to north London, according to a transfer source at Football Insider.

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Now, former Spurs defender Hutton has been reacting to those links, insisting that he thinks a new playmaker like the Dane is a ‘huge’ requirement so that captain Harry Kane can focus on his role as a striker.

The Latest: New addition required

When asked what position he thinks the Premier League giants need to strengthen the most, Hutton, who now works for BBC, told Football Insider: “I think a creative midfielder. They’ve really struggled in that department for a while, if I’m totally honest.

“I would like to see them with someone within that midfield that’s exciting. Someone that can get on the ball, make things happen and leave Kane up the pitch.

“It gives the centre-halves something to think about. He’s not dropping deep. If I’m playing centre-half and Harry Kane drops to the halfway line, brilliant. Let him go down there, away from the goal.

“You know they want to get the width from the wing-backs too. Are they the answer? They’ve still got to prove themselves.

“Doherty’s come on, Sessegnon, we know is capable, Reguilon’s still got question marks above him. These are the areas when you play that system who are your biggest outlets.

“If they’re not firing on all cylinders, you’re looking for your front two, and Kulusevski, to go and make things happen.

“There are question marks above a few heads. Creative midfield and wing-back positions are huge.”

The Verdict: Reunion on the cards?

Following a magnificent recovery after suffering from a cardiac arrest in the Euro 2020 tournament last summer, Eriksen has made a sensational return to the pitch and has reignited his career with the Bees, delivering an impressive run of displays since joining in January.

The Danish international could be classed as nothing short of a Spurs legend, where he made an outstanding 159 goal contributions in just 305 appearances during his seven years at the club, as per Transfermarkt.

The 30-year-old will become a free agent when his contract at Brentford expires at the end of the season, and so a reunion with his former manager Conte could well be on the cards.

In other news… one big name at Tottenham is now facing an uncertain future! 

Reliable journalist Ashley Preece claims there is still a chance that Aston Villa could complete an audacious move for legendary striker Luis Suarez this summer.

The Lowdown: Suarez linked with Villa move

Steven Gerrard will be on the lookout for new signings at the end of the season, in order for his side Villa side to go up another gear in the Premier League in 2022/23.

One player they have been linked with a move for is Suarez, who Gerrard knows inside out after their time together at Liverpool, with the pair so nearly winning the Premier League title together and the Villa boss calling him a ‘phenomenal’ player.

The 35-year-old is likely to leave Atletico Madrid this summer when his current deal expires, meaning he would be a free agent.

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The Latest: Preece gives key update

Speaking in a Q&A for The Birmingham Mail, Preece provided an update on the Suarez situation, saying he could arrive as a big shock in the same way Philippe Coutinho did:

“Suarez remains an option. Can I see him at Villa? Not so sure but we all said that about Coutinho.”

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The Verdict: Why not?

While there is no doubt that Suarez’s best days are behind him, he could be a luxury signing who comes in at Villa this season, with the veteran still possessing plenty of quality after scoring 11 goals in 18 La Liga starts in 2021/22.

Aside from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the Uruguayan is arguably the best player of the last decade, racking up a ridiculous 308 goal involvements in 283 Barcelona games, and he could come in and raise the level of those around him, as the great players often do.

The fact that Gerrard knows him well makes it less of a gamble, as does the fact that he could come in for free, so signing him on a short-term deal could be a potential masterstroke, with Suarez scoring 69 Premier League goals in just 110 appearances for Liverpool.

In other news, Preece has also dropped another Villa transfer claim. Read more here.

Leon Dajaku has been ruled out for Sunderland as they play Sheffield Wednesday in the first leg of their League One play-off tie tonight.

The Lowdown: Delayed return

It was reported that Dajaku was expected to return to Wearside on Monday following a spell out with illness, as the Stadium of Light faithful clinched a play-off place with a 1-0 win away at Morecambe on the final day.

They now face an Owls side that finished above them in the league table, with the winner playing either MK Dons or Wycombe Wanderers in the play-off final.

The Latest: Dajaku out

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match (via The Chronicle), Alex Neil has unfortunately had to rule Dajaku out of the contest, as he continues his recovery from illness:

“Leon is making progress. He’s done a couple of days in the gym, and he’s getting there. He’ll be a little bit longer – he’s not done a lot recently.

“He’s lost quite a bit of weight recently as well, so we are just trying to get him back up to speed.”

The Verdict: Big blow

After hopes that he could return for the fixture, losing Dajaku once more is certainly a big blow for Neil and his team.

On top of his four goals and three assists in League One this season, he has picked up one man-of-the-match award, and also ranks highly among his teammates in terms of average shots, dribbles and crosses per game in the division (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, his added threat in and around the box would have been useful for the Black Cats to gain an advantage going into the second leg, but they will now have to try and find a way to win without him.

In other news, find out what big SAFC dilemma has now emerged here!

Celtic will bring an end to their title-winning Premiership season this weekend as they take on Motherwell in front of their home fans on Saturday.

The Hoops clinched the title after their 1-1 draw against Dundee United in midweek, having been a distant second to their Glasgow arch-rivals last season.

With the title in the bag and one match left to play, it seems as though an update has emerged out of Lennoxtown over some behind-the-scenes activity which will surely have a lot of Celtic fans buzzing.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from the Daily Record, Celtic are set to hold new contract talks with manager Ange Postecoglou as a reward for his debut season in charge of the Hoops.

The 56-year-old was appointed as the Parkhead club’s new manager last June on a 12-month rolling contract after initial talks with Eddie Howe broke down.

Since then, Postecoglou has taken charge of 59 games across all competitions with the Hoops, winning 41, drawing seven and losing 11.

Great news for Celtic fans

Taking into account how the Australian has taken the league title away from Rangers and brought it back to Parkhead in his first season in charge of Celtic, it’s safe to assume that many Hoops fans would be over the moon if he were to sign a new deal at the club and continue taking the team forward.

In addition to winning the league, the Bhoys did it in style under Postecoglou by scoring more goals than any other team in the top flight, along with conceding the fewest.

Back in the summer, not long after he was appointed, the former Australia manager oversaw a significant overhaul at Celtic in terms of the players who not only came in but also those who were moved out.

Now that the Hoops have won the league, it’s hard to deny that their summer business, including the decision to hire Postecoglou, was a massive success.

If the club can tie down their manager to a new deal, this can then pave the way for him to get cracking in terms of preparing for next season, when they will undoubtedly be hoping to not only retain the league title but also do well upon their return to the Champions League.

In other news: Celtic can finally replace Christie as Ange plots bid for “aggressive” 19 y/o starlet

Manchester United have reportedly reached a verbal agreement with Ajax defender Jurrien Timber.

The Lowdown: United talks with Timber

Erik ten Hag terminated his contract in Amsterdam six weeks early in order to make a head start at Old Trafford, and it looks as if Mitchell van der Gaag may not be the only man to follow him from the Johan Cruyff Arena.

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Timber has been linked with a move to the Red Devils, who have reportedly held talks with the centre-back’s representatives and are showing a serious interest.

The 20-year-old has been dubbed a player who ‘dominates’ on the ball by Ronald de Boer and was a regular in Ten Hag’s final season as Ajax manager, and it looks as if a reunion between the pair is firmly on the cards.

The Latest: Verbal agreement with Timber

Well-known account @mufcMBP, which is followed by respected journalist Fabrizio Romano, shared an update on the club’s pursuit of Timber.

They revealed on Twitter that United have ‘reached a verbal agreement’ with the defender and that a bid is now expected to follow.

The Verdict: Good news for United

Timber has been described as a ‘top talent’, as per the official UEFA Champions League Twitter channel, with that a competition in which United want to get back playing on a regular basis.

The Ajax youngster could well help Ten Hag to achieve a top-four finish in his first season in Manchester, with defensive reinforcements required at Old Trafford after conceding 56 times in 37 league games this term.

United have let in more goals than the likes of Burnley (who are currently 18th) and Brentford, whereas Ajax conceded just 19 goals in the Eredivisie this season, 15 fewer than the next-best defence in the Dutch top flight.

Timber played his part in a solid backline under Ten Hag in Amsterdam, and it looks as if he could be joining the new United manager in England over the coming months, which would surely be a shrewd move both in the short- and long-term.

In other news: Sky Sports reporter now drops major De Jong to Man Utd ‘update’ after info from ‘close sources’

A huge update has emerged regarding Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe and his future at St James’ Park…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, PIF are set to discuss a contract extension with the Magpies head coach in the coming weeks.

He tweeted: “Exclusive: Newcastle to open talks with Eddie Howe over a new contract this summer.”

In Hope’s corresponding article, it is explained that Howe sees his future on Tyneside, with the club expecting a deal to be wrapped up ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Supporters will be delighted

Newcastle supporters will surely be delighted by this news, as it means that the club are set to secure Howe on an extended contract. This will ensure that they are not worrying about any other clubs tempting him away from St James’ Park, with his current deal due to expire in the summer of 2024.

Howe has been shortlisted for the Premier League Manager of the Year award, which shows that he is being appreciated both inside and outside of Newcastle.

Since joining the Magpies, the ex-Bournemouth boss has averaged 1.6 points per league game, accruing the magic 40-point haul in just 25 matches.

This comes after Steve Bruce averaged 0.38 points per game in his eight matches in charge at the start of the top-flight campaign. The current West Brom boss managed just three points before he left Tyneside in the autumn, and he left the club in the relegation zone upon his departure.

Howe duly came in and galvanised the team, and he is now set to be rewarded for his efforts with a new contract – and potentially an award from the Premier League to go with it.

Heading into the final day of the season on Sunday, Newcastle are in with a chance of finishing in the top half of the table. They are two points behind 10th-placed Brighton, and a win against Burnley at Turf Moor could see them end the campaign in the top ten.

This would a remarkable achievement, on top of what Howe has already accomplished, given where the club was languishing when the decision was made to cut ties with Bruce last October.

The 44-year-old has been fantastic for Newcastle so far, and that is why supporters will surely be delighted to read that he is in line for a fresh contract with the Magpies.

AND in other news, “I would say..”: Keith Downie delivers exciting NUFC transfer claim, Howe will love it…

Fast bowler says her comeback after having a pre-cancerous mole removed is the kind of performance “you would dream of”

Valkerie Baynes22-Sep-2021Lea Tahuhu admits it was touch-and-go as to whether she would be able to play any part in New Zealand’s tour of England after undergoing foot surgery.On Tuesday in Leicester, fast bowler Tahuhu took a career-best 5 for 37 to bowl England out for a below-par 178 and she hit the winning runs as the White Ferns overhauled the target – on the back of Maddy Green’s unbeaten half-century – to keep the ODI series alive.England still lead 2-1, but Tahuhu believes the victory will give her side an important confidence boost with two matches left to play, in Derby on Thursday and Canterbury on Sunday.Having missed the T20I leg of the tour, which England won 2-1, after having a pre-cancerous mole removed from her foot over the New Zealand winter, Tahuhu said she wasn’t sure she would be able to come back as strongly as she had.Related

• 'Been a bit of a rollercoaster' – Tahuhu hopes to put low phase behind after unexpected CWG call-up

• Batting woes concern Heather Knight as England seek to seal series

• Lea Tahuhu, Maddy Green keep series alive for New Zealand

• Lea Tahuhu overcomes cancer scare to make England tour

“If you’d asked me that 10 weeks ago I would have said no,” Tahuhu said. “But I’ve worked pretty closely with the team over here and we’ve done a great job behind the scenes of getting ready to go.”If you’d asked me if I could put out a performance like that, well you dream of those things don’t you? So it’s just nice to be able to contribute to a win for the White Ferns.”Tahuhu had spoken before the tour about her difficulty coming to terms with the skin cancer scare and three surgeries, including a skin graft. On Tuesday she revealed she had left New Zealand uncertain that she would be able to play at all in England.”There was a point where it was looking pretty iffy for me to be on this tour to be completely honest with you,” she said. “But look, I’m a pretty stubborn person, as most fast bowlers are, so I worked pretty hard to prove that I would be able to be an option for these one-day games.”The T20s were a bit too early on in the rehab, but to be able to be there and be available for selection for the one-day games sort of only became realistic probably by the time we landed here in England.”Full credit to the to the medical team for helping me get back on the pitch sooner than expected.”Asked to pick a personal highlight from Tuesday’s match – her maiden international five-wicket haul or bringing up the win with a huge six off Tash Farrant in a cameo of 19 from 15 balls – there was one clear answer.”Definitely the five-for, first one for me so it was a great feeling,” she said. “The last few months there’s been a few lows and it makes that high even better and more and more enjoyable, that’s for sure.”New Zealand have pushed England numerous times during this tour and to have finally broken through in a must-win ODI – just as they did in the second T20I – could provide the boost they need to push the series to a fifth-match decider.”That was obviously really important that we did get a win today so to be able to sort of tick that off and then move to the next game knowing that the series is still alive, is a really great thing for this group,” she said.”I think it’ll be huge for the confidence of the team and we’ve got to turn around and try and do the same thing again on Thursday to make sure that we do keep the series alive heading into that final game.”Tahuhu was joined in the pace attack by debutant Molly Penfold, who claimed the wickets of potentially dangerous middle-order batters Amy Jones and Danni Wyatt in just her second and third overs in international cricket respectively.”It’s brilliant to see another pace bowler out there, hitting the wicket hard and taking a couple of poles.” Tahuhu said. “She’s been someone who has been developing really on a career path up, so it’s just exciting to get out there alongside her.”She was obviously buzzing and had to wait a while to get the ball in hand but once she got it she was away. It’s really excited to see what she’ll continue to do, I think she’ll really challenge that speed gun and it’s an exciting time.”

Capitals wait on Stoinis availability; Knight Riders may prefer Shakib over Russell again in knockout

Hemant Brar12-Oct-20214:41

Gambhir calls for Smith’s inclusion at No. 3

Big picture

Kolkata Knight Riders have been on a fairytale ride since the UAE leg of the tournament began. Their top-order batters have scored consistently at a brisk pace and their spinners have stifled oppositions on sluggish tracks. Even though Eoin Morgan hasn’t struck form with the bat, he has led Knight Riders to six wins in the last eight matches. Now they are in Qualifier 2, one step away from the final.Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals have been the most consistent IPL side in recent years – they are the only ones to qualify for the playoffs in each of the last three seasons. The key to their success has been identifying their best XI early and changing it only when forced to do so.This season, Capitals topped the league stage despite missing Marcus Stoinis for five games. But after their defeat to Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 1, cracks seem to have emerged in their line-up. Suddenly, in the absence of Stoinis, their balance looks comprised, while R Ashwin’s bowling form is giving them headaches. Can they regroup quickly and make it to their second successive final?The chasing teams have won five out of seven games in Sharjah so far this season. Moreover, four of Capitals’ five losses this season have come when batting first, while Knight Riders have won on all five occasions they have chased during the UAE leg of the tournament. So it will not be a surprise if both teams are keen to bowl first.Shakib Al Hasan has made the most of his limited opportunities in the UAE leg•BCCI

In the news

Andre Russell is still recovering from his hamstring injury. According to West Indies coach Phil Simmons, Russell has been batting in the Knight Riders nets and is “running at a certain level”. But given the slow nature of the Sharjah surface, Knight Riders could continue with Shakib Al Hasan even if Russell regains full fitness in the next 24 hours.Rishabh Pant had hoped for Stoinis to be fit for Qualifier 1. That didn’t happen but Capitals will be keeping a close eye on him. If available, Stoinis will replace Tom Curran in the side.

Likely XIs

Delhi Capitals: 1 Prithvi Shaw, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Marcus Stoinis/Tom Curran, 7 Axar Patel, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Avesh KhanKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Venkatesh Iyer, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Eoin Morgan (capt), 7 Shakib Al Hasan, 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Shivam Mavi

Strategy punt

• Capitals have tried Lalit Yadav, Steven Smith, Ripal Patel and Curran to fill the Hulk-sized hole Stoinis has left behind. But none of them offers the balance Stoinis provides, by being a finisher who can bowl seam-up. A left-field option could be going back to Smith as the Sharjah pitch is likely to suit his style of batting. But given Ashwin’s form, Capitals could continue with Curran.
• If Knight Riders go unchanged, they will have five left-hand batters in the top eight. On the face of it, that should work in Ashwin’s favour, but a closer look tells he doesn’t have particularly impressive numbers against them in T20 cricket: 74 runs off 35 balls (no dismissal) against Nitish Rana, 60 runs in 21 balls (no dismissal) against Sunil Narine, 32 runs off 23 balls (two dismissals) against Eoin Morgan. He has hardly bowled against Venkatesh Iyer and has a favourable match-up only against Shakib: 30 runs in 31 balls and two dismissals. Generally, Ashwin is an economical bowler in the powerplay but Shubman Gill has taken him for 38 runs in 25 balls without getting out.Rana, though, has struggled against Axar Patel. The left-arm spinner has dismissed him twice in 22 balls while conceding only 23 runs. So it will be interesting to see how Capitals use their spinners.
• Knight Riders can once again promote Narine up the batting order, especially when the spinners are operating. In T20 cricket, Narine has a strike rate of 287.5 against Ashwin and 187.5 against Axar. Neither bowler has been able to dismiss him in a combined 29 balls.
• Instead of Kagiso Rabada, Capitals could use Anrich Nortje at the death. Rabada has a death-overs economy of 10.84 in this season, whereas Nortje has gone for only 6.81 per over. Rabada could be used in the powerplay and middle overs where has conceded 6.93 and 7.86 per over respectively.

Stats that matter

• This season Ashwin has picked up only five wickets in 12 games at an average of 60.80 and a strike rate of 49.0. Of the 22 bowlers who have bowled at least 40 overs in the tournament, Ashwin’s average and strike rate are the poorest.
• Knight Riders have played three games in Sharjah this season. In two of them, against Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore, they didn’t concede even one six.
• In the IPL playoffs, including finals, Pant has scored 199 runs in six innings, at an average of 49.75 and a strike rate of 151.91.
• The teams that have scored more runs in the powerplay have won eight out of nine games in Sharjah this season.
• Capitals have hit the most number of fours (227) and the least number of sixes (60) for any team in IPL 2021.

Former England Ashes-winning captain denies he abused Rafiq during county match

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2021Michael Vaughan, the captain of England’s 2005 Ashes-winning team, has admitted that he is the former player implicated in the investigation into Azeem Rafiq’s allegations of institutional racism at Yorkshire.Vaughan, who represented the county from 1991 until his retirement in 2009, used his column in The Telegraph to deny Rafiq’s claims that, in his final season with the club, he had told Rafiq and two other Asian players that there are “too many of you lot, we need to do something about it”.The alleged incident occurred as Yorkshire were taking the field during a match against Nottinghamshire in 2009, Rafiq’s maiden season as a professional. In his column Vaughan told how he was approached 11 years later, in December 2020, to speak to the panel tasked with investigating the player’s claims of racism at the club.”This hit me very hard,” Vaughan wrote. “It was like being struck over the head with a brick. I have been involved in cricket for 30 years and never once been accused of any remotely similar incident or disciplinary offence as a player or commentator.”I completely and categorically deny that I ever said those words,” he added. “I responded to the panel by saying I was gobsmacked … It was 11 years after the alleged event. Nothing at all was raised or said at the time of the game in question, or at any stage over the next 11 years until the night before I was asked to speak to the inquiry.”Vaughan’s revelation comes 24 hours after his former team-mate Gary Ballance admitted, via a statement issued by Yorkshire, that he had been the player who had used the racial slur “P**i” in conversations with Rafiq.Related

• Adil Rashid backs up Azeem Rafiq's recollections on Michael Vaughan comment

• Former Yorkshire player Rana Naved-ul-Hasan says he heard Vaughan's alleged racist comments

• Azeem Rafiq set to give evidence before DCMS as pressure mounts on Yorkshire

• Gary Ballance admits to racial slur against 'closest friend' Azeem Rafiq

• Nike cancel kit sponsorship in latest blow to Yorkshire

That detail, reported by ESPNcricinfo, triggered a wave of condemnaton, including from the government minister Sajid Javid, which has since culminated in Yorkshire’s hierarchy being called before a DCMS select committee hearing on November 16, and a tranche of club partners, including kit suppliers Nike and stadium sponsor Emerald, severing their ties with the club.”As a lover of cricket and Yorkshire, and someone who has been a fan of Rafiq, it has been difficult to hear about the painful experiences he endured during his time at the club,” Vaughan added.”But as difficult as that process has been, I recognise that it is equally necessary. At an individual level, it is clear that Azeem has endured a lot. It is not only right but essential that his experiences and his perspective are heard. There are unquestionably lessons to be learned.”The statements made by Gary Ballance and others have laid bare awkward but necessary questions for cricket to answer regarding how dressing rooms, teams and individuals function in the modern era.”Vaughan added that he had been aware for some time that he had been named in the report, and had divulged as much to his BBC colleagues in the summer.”I felt uncomfortable that it could emerge and they would be asked some awkward questions,” he wrote. “Similarly, I am speaking now because it is right for people to hear my side and that I completely deny the allegations.”I accept Yorkshire have dealt with this terribly. They will be honest enough to admit that. It is a good cricket club and it is close to my heart. I hope I can be part of the movement to rebrand the club and people will eventually look back on this time and say it changed for the better.”I played professional cricket for 18 years between 1991 and 2009. All players in that period are now looking back on things that were said and admit they would not say them now. I never heard racist abuse but Yorkshire was a hard dressing room. As a second team player we had to knock on the dressing room door before entering. If you had a big nose, were bald or carried a bit of weight they would be commented on.”I was the first non-Yorkshire born player to play for the county and that was commented on a lot. I am not comparing those examples with racism but they are examples of previously commonplace behaviour which is unacceptable now. We cannot change what was said or happened in dressing rooms 10-15 years ago but we can learn from it.”

Zafar Gohar, Henry Brookes leave visitors eight down but Middlesex can’t snare final wickets

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay07-Apr-2025Middlesex 260 (Robson 70, Holden 69, Aspinwall 4-32) and 407 (Holden 184, Geddes 74, Bailey 5-79) drew with Lancashire 359 (Harris 138, Jennings 55, Jones 40) and 262 for 8 (Harris 52, Jennings 49, Wells 47, Jones 44)Lancashire clung on to secure a draw from their gripping Rothesay County Championship Division Two encounter with Middlesex at Lord’s after falling short in their victory chase of 309 from 67 overs.The Red Rose remained within touching distance of that target for most of the final two sessions, thanks to an opening stand of 93 between Keaton Jennings and Michael Jones and Marcus Harris following up his first-innings hundred with 52.Spinner Zafar Gohar took 3 for 64 and Henry Brookes struck twice in as many deliveries to leave the visitors eight down – but George Balderson, with an unbeaten 36, and Will Williams saw out the remaining eight overs as their side closed on 262 for 8.Earlier, Max Holden’s majestic knock of 184, his highest score at Lord’s and second best of his first-class career, enabled Middlesex – who had lost their first three wickets for seven – to post 407 and set up the tense finish.Lancashire’s hopes of forcing victory were boosted by the first ball of the morning, when Tom Bailey (5 for 79) captured one of Middlesex’s four remaining wickets by persuading nightwatcher Brookes to nudge to second slip.However, Holden and Jack Davies applied themselves diligently against the Lancashire seam attack, dispatching loose deliveries to the short boundary as they extended their side’s lead further with a partnership of 69.Holden slammed successive Williams half-volleys to the cover fence to pass 150, while Davies – having survived a series of edges that fell just short of the slips – became Bailey’s fifth victim, patting him tamely into the hands of gully.The home side began to accelerate and Holden made room outside off stump to carve Tom Aspinwall for six – but the left-hander then attempted a repeat of the stroke to Ollie Sutton and holed out to third man, ending his vigil of almost eight hours at the crease.Gohar’s knock of 22 hauled the Middlesex lead above 300 before he was last man out, leaving the visitors two full sessions in which to chase their target at an asking rate of 4.6 per over.Jennings and Jones – who had shared a partnership of 97 first time around – launched Lancashire’s pursuit at a steady pace, picking out gaps in the field and taking boundaries off all of the home seamers.Three successive maidens from Blake Cullen helped to stem the flow of runs and the bowler was unlucky not to remove Jennings when he drove hard and high to mid-on, with Brookes unable to hang onto the chance.Cullen claimed the prize in his next over, though, when the Lancashire skipper chopped on one short of his 50 – and Josh Bohannon soon followed for a duck, bowled by a straight one from Gohar for the second time in the match.Jones’ quest for a half-century on his Lancashire debut was ended as Toby Roland-Jones’ inswinging yorker clattered into his stumps shortly before tea and Ryan Higgins’ impressive reaction slip catch to dismiss Matty Hurst left the visitors four down.Harris continued to whittle away at the target in tandem with Wells but, having just passed 50 for the second time on his Lancashire debut, the Australian reverse-swept Gohar to short third man.Wells took up the baton in a partnership of 66 with Balderson, hammering Brookes over midwicket for six and the pendulum appeared to have swung back in favour of the Red Rose when Cullen returned to have him caught down the leg side for 47.Brookes’ double strike then heaped the pressure back on Lancashire but, despite packing fielders around the bat and mixing the pace of Cullen with some turning deliveries from Gohar, Middlesex could not find another way through.