David Pye

Keely Hodgkinson won silver in the women's 800m at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham after Switzerland's Audrey Werro set a championship record of 1:54.81 to claim gold. Hodgkinson, seeking a third successive European title, finished in 1:55.01, while the Netherlands' Femke Broeders-Bol took bronze. Hodgkinson said she had mixed emotions but made no excuses, describing the final as a high-quality race. Werro's victory followed her fall in the semi-final and successful appeal to compete in the final, intensifying a growing rivalry between the two athletes.

Lancashire County Cricket Club has signed Pakistan left-arm spinner Noman Ali for the final six matches of the 2026 County Championship season. Ali, who has taken more than 100 Test wickets and previously played professionally for Farnworth Cricket Club, is expected to debut against Northamptonshire. He said he was excited to experience county cricket and follow in the footsteps of former Lancashire player Wasim Akram, while director of cricket performance Mark Chilton praised Ali's experience and red-ball record.

Lostock Cricket Club has received a commemorative canvas from Lancashire County Cricket Club as part of Lancashire Cricket Foundation’s planned Lancashire Cricket Heritage Experience. The artwork, created by muralist Jamie Rennie from an oral history recorded with Lostock president David Kaye, depicts the club’s evolution from its origins as De Havilland in 1938 through its corporate-era identities to its current role as an inclusive community club at Chew Moor. The wider project includes a proposed £5.5 million museum and heritage centre scheduled for 2028, alongside a heritage trail, oral-history archive, library and outreach work involving five Lancashire clubs.