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Claret and blue is one of the most famous colour combinations in all of English football, and Aston Villa & West Ham United are perhaps the two clubs most synonymous with these colours.

Both sides have enjoyed huge successes over the years and a number of players have played for both Villa and the Irons.

Here is Football FanCast's list detailing some of the best players to play for both of these teams in the Premier League era.

John Carew (Aston Villa 2007-2011; West Ham United 2011-2012)

English football fans will remember John Carew best for his time with Aston Villa, but he did have a season at the Boleyn Ground as well.

Carew joined Aston Villa in January 2007 as part of a swap deal with French side Lyon, with Milan Baros being the man to go the other way.

The Norway international reached double figures for league goals on three occasions with Villa, his highest tally being 13 from 32 appearances in the 2007/08 season.

Carew may have failed to make a long-lasting impact on the West Ham faithful but he is certainly a hero of yesteryear at Villa Park.

Carlton Cole (Aston Villa 2004-2005; West Ham United 2006-2015)

If you want a striker that is loved by all West Ham fans, look no further than Carlton Cole.

Cole scored 40 times in the Premier League for the Hammers, on top of an additional 14 during their time in the Championship.

One of his most famous goals for West Ham came at Wembley Stadium, giving them the lead in the play-off final against Blackpool. A young Tom Ince struck back before Ricardo Vaz Te wrote himself into club folklore with the winner.

Prior to arriving in east London in 2006, Cole had a loan spell at Villa from Chelsea, where he made 27 league appearances, scoring three times.

Joe Cole (West Ham United 1998-2003, 2013-2014; Aston Villa 2014-2016)

Next up is Carlton’s namesake Joe Cole, another attacking player that the West Ham fans will have fond memories of.

Cole scored that superb goal against Sweden in an England shirt at the 2006 World Cup and also won three Premier League titles in Chelsea blue. Before that, though, he played for his beloved West Ham just like Frank Lampard did.

The 41-year-old was named Hammer of the Year in 2002/03, a campaign which saw him play all but two top-flight games, scoring four times. However, he was unable to help steer the Hammers clear of relegation. Cole also scored in a 3-2 FA Cup victory over Nottingham Forest that season.

Joe Cole returned to Upton Park a decade after he first left, and after one season there, joined Villa in 2014 in what was a relatively unsuccessful spell for all concerned.

James Collins (West Ham United 2005-2009, 2012-2018; Aston Villa 2009-2012)

Welsh defender James Collins was with West Ham for a long while, though he spent three years at Aston Villa while the Hammers were relegated and promoted back to the Premier League.

He first broke through into professional football as a Cardiff City player, with his first transfer taking him to the English capital.

Collins wasn’t used as regularly as he may have liked, and so, with the 2009/10 season already underway, he jumped ship to the other team in claret and blue.

The centre-back made nearly double the number of appearances for West Ham as he did for Villa, and so is better known for playing for the former. His second spell with Villa isn't one many will recall due to the fact that he only signed a short contract and then got injured almost immediately.

Rachel Daly (West Ham United 2020; Aston Villa 2022-present)

Moving over to the Women’s Super League, where Aston Villa fans must have been on cloud nine watching Rachel Daly last season.

The striker arrived from NWSL side Houston Dash and picked up the Golden Boot having taken up a centre-forward slot for Carla Ward's side. Daly’s 22 goals were rivalled closely by Khadija Shaw of Manchester City, but it was the England star that prevailed.

Daly had been playing her club football in the US for the best part of a decade when she arrived on loan at West Ham in 2020, so fans this side of the pond weren’t used to watching her in action regularly.

Four goal contributions in less than 800 minutes represented a very solid stint in east London, but West Ham didn’t make the move permanent and it was in Birmingham where the European Championship winner truly came to the fore.

Stewart Downing (Aston Villa 2009-2011; West Ham United 2013-2015)

Stewart Downing played over 400 times for Middlesbrough and is a club legend there, as well as representing both halves of this claret and blue duo.

Aston Villa came first for Downing, making the move in 2009 from Boro following their relegation. He was always a player with a bright creative spark that could also find the back of the net himself, and that shone through during his time Villa Park.

Downing’s 11 goals and 13 assists for them is slightly better than his record of seven and 11 respectively for West Ham, with both of these returns coming in 79 outings, remarkably enough.

Marlon Harewood (West Ham United 2003-2007; Aston Villa 2007-2010)

Marlon Harewood played for a number of different clubs but only made more appearances than in his West Ham tenure with Nottingham Forest. The City Ground was his home as a youngster and made the move south to London in his mid-20s.

Alan Pardew was the man to sign Harewood for the Hammers, and he had an instant impact, scoring 17 and assisting 11 on the way to play-off promotion out of the Championship.

Harewood’s form continued up front in the top flight, including a hat-trick against who else but Aston Villa.

After four years with West Ham, the forward joined the West Midlanders but was unable to replicate his form in front of goal. Harewood scored five league goals in the 2007/08 season before spending the majority of 2009 on loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United.

Thomas Hitzlsperger (Aston Villa 2001-2005; West Ham United 2010-2011)

After playing youth football in his home country of Germany, Thomas Hitzlsperger joined Aston Villa.

His professional debut came at Villa Park against Liverpool, and following a loan spell with Chesterfield, he was deemed ready to be a regular. Hitzlsperger made over 100 appearances in a Villa shirt, including 10 in the EFL Cup, scoring four goals in that tournament alone.

He left Villa for Stuttgart where he received a lot of praise from the powers that be in Germany in the form of 52 international caps.

The midfielder from Munich spent a single season at West Ham between 2010 and 2011 and was unable to make a notable impact, in truth.

Danny Ings (Aston Villa 2021-2023; West Ham United 2023-present)

Danny Ings is still a West Ham player currently and the jury is still out on him from the London Stadium faithful.

His injury issues have continued over from earlier in his career and the feisty striker has been unable to provide capable support to Michail Antonio, let alone challenge him for a starting spot under David Moyes.

Ings joined West Ham from Aston Villa, and it was definitely the latter club who got the better end of the deal.

He contributed to 22 goals in 52 Villa appearances and then the club from Birmingham secured an eight-figure fee for his services, recouping most of their outlay for him when signing from Southampton in 2021.

David James (Aston Villa 1999-2001; West Ham United 2001-2004)

At the other end of the field, David James also played for both of these clubs, with a mixture of fortunes.

Injuries and relegation struck during his time with West Ham, so Aston Villa perhaps chose the perfect time to sell once again.

James, who earned 53 caps for England, made a combined 186 appearances for these two teams, which is a decent tally no matter what.

Liverpool and Portsmouth were probably his more famous clubs, however, while it has to be said that he was prone to an error here and there.

Tottenham Hotspur have now been provided with an update on the injury Brennan Johnson suffered against Arsenal in Sunday's North London derby.

What's the latest Tottenham injury news?

Johnson was not the only player who sustained an issue in Sunday's game, with James Maddison being forced off after going in for a challenge with Jorginho, but he left the ground without the need for crutches or an ice pack, indicating the injury isn't too serious.

Ivan Perisic has now been ruled out for what is likely to be a considerable length of time, having picked up an ACL injury in his right knee, and the Croatia international joins the likes of Ryan Sessegnon and Rodrigo Bentancur on the list of long-term absentees.

There are indications that Giovani Lo Celso is making decent progress towards a return from a thigh injury, with Ange Postecoglou saying on September 15th: "Gio is still working his way back. He had a session with us yesterday, but we won't rush him back. It was just good that he got through the session, and the plan now is to reintegrate him."

However, the Tottenham manager may be a little more concerned by the hamstring injury Johnson picked up against Arsenal, with Football London reporting he could be ruled out for up to six weeks depending on the severity of the issue. It is thought the Wales international only suffered from a tight hamstring, rather than a more serious injury, but he is set to undergo scans this week to determine the extent of the problem.

Spurs will be hoping the 22-year-old is back in contention ahead of the October international break, and he could return to the side for the trip to Luton Town on October 7th if it is only a low grade strain.

However, if it is more serious than first feared, the forward may not be able to return until after the international break, and in the worst-case scenario he may not be ready to make his comeback until the away clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers in November.

Did Brennan Johnson play well against Arsenal?

Postecoglou put his faith in the Welshman by starting him for the trip to the Emirates Stadium at the weekend, but he did not have the best of games in front of goal, missing two big chances, the highest number of any player on the pitch.

It could be viewed as a positive that the former Nottingham Forest man was getting in the right positions on Sunday, in what was a high-pressure game, but Postecoglou will be hoping he can be a little bit more clinical going forward.

Having been lauded as "unbelievable" by former manager Sabri Lamouchi, the winger certainly has the potential to be a long-term success in north London, and he performed well in the Premier League last season, scoring eight goals in his debut campaign. As such, Postecoglou will be hoping the injury is nothing serious, allowing Johnson to continue his development with Spurs at the earliest opportunity.

The abundance of exciting and eye-catching content around Premier League clubs nowadays is unprecedented, and it makes being a fan much more accessible than ever before. That said, while you can find out anything you want about your club, it can also be somewhat overwhelming at times.

Arsenal are no exception to this, and if anything, the sheer size and success of the club only means that there are even more options to choose from – maybe too many.

So here at Football Fancast, we have put together a cheat sheet of who to follow for all your red and white needs.

Arsenal News Now

If you are looking for the best place to find top-notch journalism about any club, let alone the Gunners, News Now should probably be your first port of call. The website collects headlines from around the world on a vast array of topics and provides you links to all the latest news.

It will even give you a short selection of the most popular stories at any given moment. So you'll know what is worth reading and what isn't, along with always staying in the loop when it comes to Arsenal.

Arsenal Fan TV

While traditional sports media and recognised journalists are invaluable when it comes to keeping abreast of the latest goings-on at all of our favourite clubs, they can sometimes be a bit sterile and stiff, which is precisely where fan content comes into the equation.

Fan-led YouTube channels, Twitter accounts and podcasts have exploded in recent years, and many of them have Arsenal Fan TV to thank for paving the way. There is no fan channel with more reach or more well-known than AFTV, and no fan creator more respected than Robbie Lyle, AKA Don Robbie.

AFTV has been around for well over a decade, and while the cast of characters has changed over the years, Robbie has remained – as has their place as the number one destination for Arsenal fans on the internet.

With more shows that we can count and several appearances on major broadcasters, if you want to find out what fellow Gooners are talking about at the moment, head to AFTV.

Arsenal Vision Podcast

AFTV might be the best-known destination for fan-based arsenal content, but they aren't the only one. The Arsenal Vision Podcast is one of the most popular Arsenal-based podcasts going.

Described as 'sometimes funny, sometimes serious, occasionally ridiculous and hopefully always enjoyable' by the hosts themselves, it's a great listen for any Gooner looking for more Arsenal content to consume.

John Cross

Back to traditional media once more, and John Cross is one of the best journalists to follow for Arsenal fans – even if he has, at times, clashed with AFTV. Cross is the Chief Football Writer for the Mirror, and while he might not solely focus on the Gunners in his day-to-day work, he still frequently covers them – especially on his Twitter account.

He also wrote a book about the great Arsene Wenger called Arsene Wenger: The Inside Story of Arsenal Under Wenger – which is good enough for us.

Charles Watts

Sticking with recognised journalists, and Charles Watts is perhaps one of the journalists most associated with Arsenal, and for good reason.

Previously a writer for GOAL and football.london, Watts would focus on the club for these publications and even wrote a book on Mikel Arteta's time with the club called 'Revolution – The Rise of Arteta's Arsenal.'

He now has his own website that focuses specifically on Arsenal, a Twitter account with over 500k followers and a YouTube account with 90k subscribers.

If you're an Arsenal fan, you simply have to follow Watts.

James McNicholas

James McNicholas is one of the most respected journalists in the industry, with more than a decade of experience writing for ESPN, Four Four Two, and Bleacher Report. Oh, and he's also a huge Arsenal fan.

Now primarily writing for The Athletic, McNicholas is one of their Arsenal correspondents, and alongside his work for them, he co-hosts the Arsecast podcast.

He can also be found on Twitter and is well worth a follow.

David Ornstein

Rounding off our list of sports journalists is probably the most famous of all, David Ornstein.

Ornstein has grown in prominence in the footballing world over the last few years, and that's certainly true among Arsenal fans. He has been one of The Athletic's most prominent writers since he joined the company in 2019 after spending over a decade with the BBC and has since gained quite a reputation as a reliable reporter of transfer news, with fans often pitting his reports up against those of transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

Outside The Athletic, fans can find him on Twitter, and he's well worth a follow for everything from news, insider scoops and transfer updates.

He doesn't just Tweet about Arsenal, but when he does, it's usually worth taking note.

Afcstuff

As football content continues to be more and more fan-driven, it only makes sense for websites like Twitter – or X if you like – to become even more central to the popular discourse around the game, and Arsenal are no exception.

There are 1000s of Arsenal dedicated Twitter pages on the site, but only some are worth following, and afcstuff chief among them.

After AFTV, afcstuff is the site's most significant fan-run Arsenal page and is a must-follow for Arsenal supporters.

In their own words, you can find the 'latest updates, stats, quotes, team news & transfer news about Arsenal FC' on their page.

Arsenal Buzz

Sticking to Twitter for a moment, and another account well worth following if you are after more of the Gunners in your life is Arsenal Buzz.

The page posts constant updates about the team, with quotes from players, managers and pundits.

It's also a great page to follow if you want to stay up to date with the players on international duty, as they post pictures and updates about that as well.

Harry Symeou / Chronicles of a Gooner

As many are in the industry nowadays, Harry Symeou does a little bit of everything. A broadcaster, commentator, content creator, podcast host and radio contributor, he does it all – and it all links back to Arsenal.

You can find him in several different places on the internet. He's very active on his personal Twitter account, on his podcast's account – The Chronicles of a Gooner – and even on TalkSport, fighting Arsenal's corner.

Following Arsenal Buzz, afcstuff, and Harry Symeou on Twitter should have you covered on fan accounts on the website.

Arseblog

Another site created by fans, but Arseblog is the real deal. Their website has something for everyone, from news articles, tactical breakdowns, features, and opinions- and then there's the podcast.

The Arsecast – the one co-hosted by James McNicholas – is one of the most popular Arsenal-centric podcasts going, with over 550 episodes in the bank and likely many, many more to come.

The podcast crew also put on special live recordings of the podcast that fans can attend, with their last one including a surprise appearance from club legend Ian Wright – what's not to love?

Outside of their own website, you can also find them through their Twitter account.

The Athletic

Love it or hate it, there is simply no getting away from the all-conquering juggernaut that is The Athletic when it comes to sports journalism these days. That said, their coverage of Arsenal is excellent, as are their writers.

While it may lack the charm of a local or even some fan-created outlets, it's hard to knock the quality of the work they produce.

And as one of the country's biggest sides, Arsenal get even more coverage compared to some others in the Premier League.

Football London – Arsenal

One of Reach PLC's many titles football.london could've ended up feeling like a detached and somewhat sterile corporate attempt at covering the clubs local to the capital, but through hiring the right people and focusing on the right things, they have become one of the best websites going when it comes to the London clubs.

Their coverage of Arsenal is no different, with interesting interviews, match reactions, deep dives and features all focused on the North London club.

Football FanCast

Rounding everything off is, well, us!

It would be a bit odd if we didn't end the article with at least a small shoutout to the work we do on the Gunners here at Football Fancast.

Our team of writers cover everything about the club, whether that be transfers, news, match reaction, analysis, features and more.

Keep your eyes on the site to find out the latest The Arsenal.

And there you have it, a list of everyone and every site you should be following to keep up to date with The Arsenal. From traditional journalists to fan channels and even the blending of the two, there is certainly a lot of content out there to get stuck into.

Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale has gone through a total revamp of the first-team squad, shipping out players who no longer feature in his plans while adding some exciting new talent in the process.

This gives the 42-year-old a solid platform to work with and despite a mixed start to the season which saw the Ibrox side lose their opening Premiership fixture against Kilmarnock, they have remained undefeated since and stand just one win away from the Champions League group stages.

With the summer transfer window drawing to a close in a few days, could Beale add another player or two?

Are Rangers going to sign anyone else?

The Gers have shown interest in signing another centre-back, with Harry Souttar and Zak Vyner names that have cropped up, and it looks as though this will be the main area Beale will be targeting.

The final few days of the transfer window also seem to throw up the chance of securing a wildcard signing and Beale may just have a surprise up his sleeve.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

The Light Blues were linked with a move for Sunderland youngster Tom Watson towards the end of July and while he wouldn’t go straight into the senior setup straight away, there is no doubt he could have the potential to form a key future duo with another talented young gem – Zak Lovelace.

How good is Zak Lovelace?

Giovanni van Bronckhorst signed Lovelace from Millwall in the summer of 2022 and it could turn into a stroke of genius by the former boss.

The youngster made his debut for the Championship side when he was just 15 years of age and had clearly displayed plenty of promise down south.

Upon signing, he was thrust right into the B team and enjoyed a stunning campaign, registering 28 goal contributions across 37 games – 18 goals and ten assists – and he proved that not only is he extremely clinical, but his talents stretch to more than just scoring goals.

Having made two first-team appearances for the senior side, his time will come in the next year or so and Watson could certainly follow along a similar path before hopefully forging a partnership with his compatriot.

Who is Sunderland starlet Tom Watson?

The 17-year-old tends to operate either on the left wing or through the middle and has scored 15 goals while grabbing ten assists during his 43 games at U18 and U21 level.

He has also already made his senior debut for Sunderland, which bodes tremendously well for his future.

Indeed, Tony Mowbray gave him a two-minute cameo against Huddersfield Town back in April, and it is clearly a sign of things to come for the future.

Journalist Josh Bunting heaped plenty of praise on Watson back in 2022, saying:

“Tom Watson is a player to keep and eye on, he’s scored for Sunderland 18’s against Leeds this afternoon, that’s three goals in his last four games, makes it stick up top, only 16 so is very much new in 18’s football but has taken it to it like a duck to water, natural finisher.”

Lovelace has already shown his vast promise at the club and having someone like Watson to link up with in the future could only be a big boost for Beale as he aims to build a squad full of talented young gems who could take the senior side by storm in the coming years.

MatériaMais Notícias

Luís Henrique pode estar vivendo os últimos dias como jogador do Botafogo. O Olympique de Marselha, da França, manifestou um interesse concreto na contratação do jogador, que pertence ao Três Passos Atlético Clube, do Rio Grande do Sul, e está emprestado do Alvinegro. Além do OM, Everton-ING e PSV-HOL também fizeram contatos pelo atacante de 18 anos.

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Os empresários de Luís Henrique, que moram no Rio Grande do Sul, vão ao Rio de Janeiro ainda nesta semana para conversarem pessoalmente com a diretoria do Botafogo sobre o futuro do atacante. A venda, apesar do TAC ter a maior parte dos direitos federativos do atleta, precisa ter um consenso.

O portal francês “RMC Sport” noticiou que a negociação gira em torno de 10 milhões de euros (62,6 milhões de reais). O Botafogo tem 40% dos direitos do jogador – caso este valor seja confirmado, o Alvinegro embolsaria 25 milhões de reais.

A quantia representaria o maior valor recebido pelo Botafogo na venda de um jogador na história do clube. O LANCE!apurou, contudo, que o Olympique de Marselha ainda não submeteu uma proposta oficial a nenhum dirigente do Alvinegro ou do TAC. Os contatos com os franceses, até agora, não passaram de um interesse formal.

Luís Henrique disputou 19 partidas na atual temporada. Ele é o principal garçom do Botafogo em 2020, com cinco assistências. Além disso, marcou dois gols.

أعرب عمر جابر لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، عن سعادته بعد فوز فريقه على نهضة بركان، وحصد لقب بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

ونجح الزمالك في التتويج ببطولة الكونفدرالية بفوز على نهضة بركان المغربي، بهدف نظيف في مباراة الإياب التي أقيمت على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي، بعد الخسارة ذهابًا على الملعب البلدي ببركان بهدفين مقابل هدف.

وقال عمر جابر في تصريححات عبر قناة “بي إن سبورتس”: “بطولة هامة في توقيت هام، الزمالك اعتاد على البطولات، من أحسن البدايات للفريق في أول نصف ساعة، وسجلنا هدفًا وكان مكسبا مهما، وجمهور الزمالك كان يستحق الفرحة، لم يكن يصح أن يعود حزينًا”.

طالع أيضاً.. جوميز يكشف سر تتويج الزمالك بالكونفدرالية والفارق بين مباراتي الذهاب والإياب أمام نهضة بركان

وأتم: “كنا نتدرب على الكرة الثابتة في التسخين، وأنا وفتوح من الحماس (شوطنا بعض) لكن الأدرينالين كان عاليًا، ومازلنا نشعر بألم حتى الآن”.

MatériaMais Notícias

Antes da pausa da pandemia, o Guarani vivia em nuvem de brigadeiro. O Bugre estava na vice-liderança da chave D do Campeonato Paulista e a classificação era dada como certa, mas de repente tudo mudou.

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Desde a volta do futebol, o time de Campinas caiu de rendimento, colecionou insucessos e aumentou a pressão dentro do Brinco de Ouro. Até mesmo a vaga no mata-mata do Paulistão foi por água baixo.

Na Série B, o time de Thiago Carpini não embalou. Após cinco partidas, o time está na 16ª colocação, com apenas três pontos. No último duelo, diante da Chapecoense, o Bugre perdeu dois pênaltis e foi derrotado por 2 a 0.

Troféu do Interior

Um dos poucos momentos de alegria pós-retomada foi no Troféu do Interior, competição que é disputada entre os melhores times do interior no Campeonato Paulista. Após vencer o Ituano nos pênaltis e bater a Inter de Limeira na semi, o time de Campinas foi superado pelo Bragantino na final.

Confira os números:

7 derrotas
2 vitórias
1 empate – Vitória nos pênaltis
Gols Pró: 8
Gols Contra: 15
Saldo: -7

The legspinner, who was bashed for three consecutive sixes by Hardik Pandya in the first ODI, feels bowling bad balls willfully could sometimes buck the pressure off bowlers

Alagappan Muthu in Kolkata 19-Sep-20172:45

Bowling right lengths important in India – Zampa

Perhaps because three of his deliveries – at a length he was meant to bowl – disappeared for sixes, Australia legspinner Adam Zampa realises the value of willfully bowling bad balls in one-day cricket.He was bashed for three consecutive sixes by Hardik Pandya during the course of a lower-order recovery that became match-changing for India. In the aftermath of that 26-run defeat, captain Steven Smith admitted that his lead spinner may have bowled a bit too full. On Tuesday, Zampa said the same, contemplating the possibility of giving up a single to deep point as a good option against a batsman on a roll.”The length over here is very important, particularly with the size of the grounds,” he said. “In Australia, you can mix up your length a little bit and you’ll get away with it purely because of the size of the Ovals. And here, sometimes I think you’ve got to try and bowl a bad ball, almost, to buck the pressure off you, to get a player off strike. A cut shot out to deep point can play a good role, sometimes. I was thinking the other day but just didn’t execute it well enough. I pride myself on bowling well under pressure and the other day I just didn’t execute as well as I’d have liked to.”R Ashwin had echoed similar sentiments to ESPNcricinfo in 2016 that an over of six well-constructed dot balls might be the way forward – although he was talking specifically about T20 cricket. As Pandya showed, batsmen are happy to get under a bowler – especially a spinner – when he hits a good length and hit straight – which carries much less risk than cross-bat slogs.”You never like to be hit for three sixes in a row,” Zampa said. “But I guess it does happen, it’s probably happened to Shane Warne and guys like that too. As long as you don’t put yourself under too much pressure and learn from those situations, and hopefully if it happens again, I’ll get him out earlier, I’ll get out of that situation better.”Zampa eventually got Pandya out for 83 – although too late in this case – in his ninth over with a flatter, faster ball. “It is tough sometimes knowing that you just have to execute this ball because if you don’t, it’ll probably going to be the same result. So as I said, a bad ball can sometimes be your best way out and just getting the wicket, that’s your job as a spinner in the middle overs.”Against teams like India, there’s always going to be a partnership, and there are going to be situations like that that you have to get out of and I think the best thing to do in those situations is to just take a deep breath and think about what the team needs – whether getting that player off strike or getting him out and that could be the difference of 20, 30, 40 runs that you have to chase.”

Mignon du Preez took Vipers to a defendable total•ICC/Getty Images

Reigning champions Southern Vipers are through to the final of this year’s competition after an unexpected end to the group stages of the Kia Super League.Vipers did their bit by ending Yorkshire Diamonds’ hopes of joining them at Finals Day when they won by 30 runs at Arundel.Meanwhile, Surrey Stars’ unexpected defeat to Loughborough Lightning meant Vipers overtook Surrey to finish top of the group. They will play the winners of Surrey’s clash with Western Storm at Finals Day at Hove next Friday.Vipers made 138 for 6 after they were put in on a slow pitch. Diamonds began their reply promisingly but from 31 for 0 in the third over they collapsed horribly, losing five wickets for just four runs in 18 balls. Katherine Brunt top scored with 42 but they were bowled out for 108 in the 19th over.For once Vipers’ batting fired without the prolific Suzie Bates. The New Zealander was brilliantly caught at long on for 12 in the fourth over by Sune Luus but her fellow overseas players made up for her rare failure.Opening partner Hayley Matthews scored 40 off 38 balls with three fours and two sixes, both struck cleanly down the ground, before Mignon du Preez went to her first half-century in the tournament from 35 just deliveries. The South African hit six fours as Vipers accelerated towards the end, scoring 37 in the final four overs.Katie Levick picked up two wickets in the last over to finish with 3 for 21 but a target of 139 on a slow pitch was always going to test Yorkshire, even though Linsey Smith’s absence, after she suffered an asthma attack before the start, left them a specialist bowler short.They began well with Sri Lankan Chamari Atapattu hitting two fours and two sixes in the first four overs. But when Lauren Winfield was smartly stumped by Carla Rudd off Arran Brindle the innings went into steep decline. Luus was run out two balls later then Bates claimed the key wicket of Atapattu (21), who was leg before swinging across the line. Sophie Devine fell in similar fashion and Yorkshire were 35 for 5 when Jenny Gunn was bowled round her legs by Tara Norris.Brunt hit eight fours to keep Diamonds in with a chance but when she was run out backing up too far by Bates’ deflection onto the stumps in the 17th over Yorkshire’s race was run.

Paul Stirling, with his maiden Championship century, and Sam Robson put Middlesex in control against Yorkshire

Tim Wigmore at Lord's19-Jun-2017
ScorecardOn Thursday, Ireland’s Test status is expected to be confirmed at The Oval. At London’s other great cricket fiefdom, Paul Stirling provided more welcome news for Ireland: his maiden County Championship century. With Sam Robson serene at the other end in an alliance of 187 which could be match-shaping, the upshot was a perfect day for Middlesex’s bowlers, who had no need to take the field in the scorching sun.Stirling has long been a curious case in first-class cricket. The talent that earned him two ODI centuries against Pakistan before his 23rd birthday has not been in doubt. Yet the discrepancy between his first-class and limited overs returns for Middlesex – before this innings, he averaged 27.77 for the county against the red ball, but 41.46 in one-day cricket – has been infuriating.He has been shuffled around the order, struggled badly when used as an opener in 2015, and suffered from the sheer strength of Middlesex’s batting. Ireland commitments, which have limited his availability and made it tricky for a fringe player to return to the side, have been another complication.He chose an opportune moment to transfer his formidable limited-overs record to the red-ball game. Middlesex have had a curiously underwhelming start to their Championship defence since beginning the season with a round off; their opening five games have brought one defeat and four draws. And at Lord’s they had to confront Yorkshire’s bowling attack with a slightly cobbled-together batting line-up. They were missing three of their normal top five – Nick Gubbins, who’s with England Lions; Dawid Malan, who’s with England; and Adam Voges, who’s with the physio.A good time, then, for Stirling to play a breakthrough innings. In these conditions – the green tinge on the pitch was deceptive, just as in Middlesex’s last Championship game here – he does not need to adapt his limited-overs game much to excel in the first-class arena. His timing, punching the ball through the off side while scarcely bothering to move his feet, was impeccable. This was a distillation of how Stirling can use his natural strengths in red-ball cricket: he greeted Adam Lyth’s offspin by thumping him over mid-on for six and then, with the man moved back, calmly pushed his next delivery to long on for a single.”There’s a lot of people competing. It’s a tough gig to get in,” said Stirling. “I need to score a bit more consistently but I don’t want to take away from my instinct of playing attacking cricket which is the balance that I want to find. James Franklin just told me to take my tempo from one-day cricket into the red-ball game.”A straight drive off Ryan Sidebottom, punched past his follow-through, was the shot of a man too good to be playing his red-ball cricket in the second eleven. His own form, combined with Voges’ injury, means that Stirling will now get the opportunity to prove as much once and of all.Just before Stirling had the joy of a maiden first-class century at Lord’s, Robson completed his tenth at the ground, on which he averages almost 50. It was an innings of typically understated excellence; Robson’s purring cover drives, precise late cuts and sumptuous clips to midwicket have long since been staples of the Lord’s summer. There could be more to come in this innings, too: Robson, spilled sharply by Jack Brooks off his own bowling on 31, ended unbeaten on 152, his gluttony undimmed.Yorkshire were relatively blameless, such is the quality of the Lord’s pitch. Curiously, given that Middlesex took lunch on 82 for 2, it is on their bowling performance in the morning session that Yorkshire will reflect on with least satisfaction. It was a little too easy for Middlesex’s openers to leave the ball alone – something the recalled Nick Compton did plenty of while taking 24 balls over his first run – and set up a position from which Robson and Stirling could flourish.