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New Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has a huge job ahead of him after the club officially confirmed his Ibrox appointment on Monday.

The German boss arrives just days before a trip to Brann in the Europa League, and is taking over a team that won five of their 17 matches under the previous manager.

Russell Martin was unable to get a tune out of the squad that was built by the 49ers during the summer transfer window, as evidenced by his statistics in the graphic above.

The Martin signings most at risk under Rohl

The first thing that Rohl needs to do as the new head coach of Rangers is assess the squad to get a rough idea about what his preferred XI and usual set of substitutes will be.

As shown in the graphic above, Martin made plenty of additions to the team during the summer transfer window, but not all of them hit the ground running, as evidenced by the results.

Youssef Chermiti, who has not scored a competitive club goal since he left Sporting in 2023, may be at risk, as he has failed to deliver a goal or an assist for the Gers. Max Aarons, on loan from Bournemouth, may also be at risk as he has fallen down the pecking order in both full-back positions.

Joe Rothwell, per Sofascore, has lost 53% of his duels in midfield in the Scottish Premiership this season, and he could be at risk if the manager wants more robustness in the middle of the park.

One of the summer signings that Rohl must bin when the next window opens, though, is central defender Nasser Djiga, who should be sent back to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Why Danny Rohl should let go of Nasser Djiga

Martin swooped to sign the centre-back on loan from the Premier League side in the summer, but he has failed to prove his worth in the opening three months of the campaign.

Djiga’s worst moment so far, which was described as “disastrous” by Heart & Hand’s David Edgar, was when he inexplicably left the ball to allow Romeo Vermant to score for Club Brugge in the Champions League play-off.

There have been other contenders, though, as he was sent off against Dundee for a last-man foul in August, and Michael Stewart claimed that he “has not helped his team out” after the defender stayed on the floor calling for a foul in the build-up to Alloa Athletic’s first goal in the League Cup.

This shows that the centre-back has failed to perform on multiple occasions across multiple competitions for the Gers since his move to the club on loan.

A loan player for a club the size of Rangers should either be a player who fills a gap, which you could argue Max Aarons does as a back-up full-back, or has the quality to make an immediate impact on the pitch.

Djiga, unfortunately, does not hit either of those criteria at the moment. Whilst you could say that he fills a gap as a back-up centre-back, it is at the expense of Emmanuel Fernandez, who has not made a matchday squad since August.

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90

As you can see in the table above, Djiga has largely been an unused substitute across all competitions for Rangers since he was hauled off at half-time against Hearts.

The Gers reportedly paid a fee of £3.5m to sign Fernandez from Peterborough United in the summer, and sporting director Kevin Thelwell claimed that he “can have a big future” at Ibrox.

It does not seem prudent to spend £3.5m on a promising young centre-back only to exclude him from matchday squads in favour of a loanee defender, with no option to buy, who has made several costly mistakes this season.

Not just Gassama: Rohl can ignite Rangers star who looked lost under Martin

Danny Rohl could ignite this Rangers star’s career after his struggles under Russell Martin.

ByDan Emery Oct 21, 2025

Therefore, Rohl should axe Djiga from the squad, if there is an early release clause in the loan deal or if Wolves are willing to take him back, in January and should look to afford Fernandez more chances to prove that he was worth the £3.5m investment in the summer.

South African expected to be available across formats for the entire season

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jul-2025Keith Dudgeon, the South African seamer, has signed as one of Kent’s overseas players for 2026. The 29-year-old will be available across formats for the full season.Dudgeon joined Kent on a short-term deal at the start of the 2025 summer and played one match – against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road, in which he claimed career-best innings figures of 7 for 36 – before a knee injury ruled him out.He will return next April for the start of the County Championship and is also expected to be involved in the T20 Blast and One-Day Cup competitions.”It’s a huge case of unfinished business for me, and I’m sure it seems that way for the Kent fans – I’m so pleased to be a Kent player again for the whole of next season,” Dudgeon said.”Everyone at the club made me feel so welcome in my short time in Canterbury and I have been avidly watching the lads as much as I can from South Africa as I continue to work hard to get back to full fitness. I wish them all the very best for the rest of this year.”I’m looking forward to making more appearances for Kent next summer – including my home debut.”I’d like to thank Adam [Hollioake], Simon [Cook] and the board at Kent for putting their faith in me coming back for 2026.”Although Kent won their first two Championship games, they have since drawn three and lost four to sit bottom of Division Two. Their Blast campaign has been more successful, with four wins and five defeats, but they currently sit outside the qualification spots with four games to go.Simon Cook, Kent’s director of dricket, said: “Keith made a lasting impression on us during his short but sweet time earlier in this season.”He is progressing well in his rehab work after successful knee surgery, and is due to start playing again before Christmas for his domestic side in South Africa, Boland. We’re all looking forward to welcoming back to the group for the whole of 2026.”

The New York Yankees will have team legend Derek Jeter throw out the ceremonial first pitch ahead of Game 3 of the World Series vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night.

Jeter spent all of his 20 years in MLB with the Yankees. He retired after the 2014 season. He was part of five World Series-winning Yankees teams, including the 2009 championship team— the most recent World Series appearance for the franchise.

It was only fitting that Jeter would throw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium.

Yankees fans need any good vibes headed their way as they return to New York down 0–2 to the Dodgers. Los Angeles won Game 1 in extra innings after Freddie Freeman hit a walkoff grand slam to secure a 6–3 win. Then, the Dodgers won 4–2 in Game 2.

If the Yankees win this year's World Series, it would be their 28th in franchise history, the most in MLB history.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis lashed out at FIFA and UEFA over the number of players picking up injuries on international duty as he called for extra transfer windows and compensation for clubs. The debate of releasing players for international duties has intensified in recent years with many arguing that clubs are being unfairly impacted by the number of games players are being forced to endure.

Anguissa blow for Napoli

The Serie A champions were rocked by a fresh injury blow as in-form midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa picked up a hamstring injury during a training session with Cameroon ahead of their World Cup qualifiers. Zambo Anguissa has displayed great form for Antonio Conte's side, having already scored four goals for the Italian champions and has appeared for the club in 10 out of their 11 Serie A matches thus far. He has since been ruled out for months, which comes as a major blow for Napoli.

In September, Amir Rhahmani suffered a similar hamstring injury while playing for Kosovo, which kept him out of action until the start of November, when he returned to action against Como in the Serie A. 

AdvertisementGettyNapoli chief blasts FIFA and UEFA

Napoli president De Laurentiis slammed FIFA for the club's losses as he told Motore Italia: "I loaned Rrahmani, and he came back in a wreck, Anguissa came back in a wreck. We can't go on like this. When the championships are on, I have to get to the end without interruptions. We need fewer teams, fewer matches.

"Players earn a salary from their clubs, and clubs should be able to decide whether or not to send them to their national teams. If a player gets injured on international duty, a transfer window should be reopened and we should be compensated. But it seems FIFA and UEFA don't care about national leagues."

Yamal's injury blow created tension between Spain and Barca

Earlier this week, Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal pulled out of the Spain national team for the November games, citing injury problems, which irked the Spanish Football Association (RFEF). Following Yamal's decision, the RFEF released a statement expressing their surprise.

"This procedure was carried out without prior communication to the medical staff of the National Team, with knowledge of the details only through a report received at 22:40 last night, which indicated the medical recommendation of rest for 7-10 days," the statement released on Tuesday read. "Given this situation, and prioritising at all times the health, safety and well-being of the player, the Royal Spanish Football Federation has made the decision to release the athlete from the current call-up. We are confident that he will recover well and wish him a speedy and full recovery."

Before naming Yamal in his squad for the November games, Spain boss Luis De La Fuente had justified his decision to pick the teenager because of his recent appearances for Barcelona, claiming that he was in "perfect condition". With Yamal facing fitness issues this season, the RFEF's insistence on calling him up has sparked reports of tension between the organisation and Barcelona. 

A similar issue has occurred in France, where Paris Saint-Germain saw Ousmane Dembele ruled out for several weeks after playing for his national team, causing another public feud between club and national association. France coach Didier Deschamps left Dembele out of his latest squad after the Ballon d'Or winner was hit with another injury while playing in the Champions League for PSG.

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Getty Images SportHow is it going for Napoli?

Napoli started their title defence campaign on a bright note, but have now failed to win in their last two Serie A games. Conte's side are now fourth in the league after their latest loss to Bologna as Inter overtook them to climb to the top of the Serie A table with 24 points from 11 games, two more than the reigning champions. They will be back in action after the international break on November 22 as they host Atalanta in a crucial Serie A clash. 

Tottenham Hotspur’s defeat against Chelsea, their fifth in a row against the Blues, was undoubtedly the bleakest and most concerning result of Thomas Frank’s reign so far.

The one-goal affair felt wholly different to Spurs’ recent losses against their nemesis when led by Ange Postecoglou, but gone was any form of entertainment value this time, and the post-match reaction from fans and players underscored the issues that Frank contends with just a few months into his tenure.

Still, things aren’t all that bad. Tottenham are fifth in the Premier League, just two points away from second-place Manchester City. Furthermore, they are unbeaten across three Champions League fixtures.

We were always going to see a bedding-in period, and Tottenham have put last season’s lowly league form behind them, but there’s much more to be desired all the same.

And in the case of Xavi Simons, it’s probably fair to say that more would have been expected from the diminutive playmaker by this stage.

Xavi Simons' slow start at Spurs

When Tottenham signed Simons from RB Leipzig for £52m in August, they knew they had sealed a coup. After all, the Netherlands international had been courted by Chelsea all summer, with analyst Ben Mattinson claiming he is “destined for greatness”.

But it’s been a tough start to life in England, alright, and the 22-year-old has been one of the most saliently poor Spurs stars this season, with his performance against Enzo Maresca’s side drawing plenty of backlash.

It’s a collectively shared opinion within the Lilywhites fanbase that Simons has lacked composure and presence in his creative midfield berth this season. The Chelsea match was a defeat in isolation, but Sofascore record that Simons is averaging only 0.9 key passes per Premier League game this term, having featured seven times and started five of those games.

Having replaced the concussed Lucas Bergvall after only seven minutes at the weekend, Frank saw it fit to hook his summer recruit just over an hour later.

With Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison both sidelined with injuries and still not expected back for the foreseeable future, Simons has been tasked with serving as Spurs’ chief creator, but he’s fallen by the wayside in this regard.

He’s young enough and talented enough to kick on after this early blip, but there’s little question that more is needed – and quickly.

Tottenham have further players who have struggled to impress this season, though, and there’s another midfielder with a wealth more experience in the English game who may well be playing himself into a corner in Frank’s system.

Frank must axe Spurs' "lucky boy"

Frank is far more pragmatic in his tactical set-up than his predecessor at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but the general disgruntlement around the club at the moment emphasises the need for greater balance between the thirds.

The midfielders are the connective tissue, though, and while Joao Palhinha has been lauded as a shrewd summer signing, on loan from Bayern Munich, there’s not enough impetus and dynamism in midfield, and Rodrigo Bentancur is becoming a problem in that regard.

Bentancur, 28, has racked up 128 appearances since joining Tottenham from Juventus in January 2022 (initially on loan), but injuries have kept him at an ebb and flow in north London, never quite reaching the full fluency that his talent and athleticism could lead him toward.

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His consistent unavailability might have been stretched this season but for a fortuitous VAR call that kept him on the field after a studs-up challenge on Chelsea’s Reece James at the weekend. Tottenham presenter Hollie Agombar called him “a lucky boy” after the game.

The £120k-per-week ace signed a new long-term contract only last month, which does stand as a marker of his standing under Frank’s wing, but his connection with Palhinha in the middle of the park has not made him undroppable by any stretch, and there are bound to be concerns relating to the stodginess of Spurs’ general play in the centre.

Of course, he’s not without his uses. The South American ranks among the top 6% of Premier League midfielders this season for ball recoveries, the top 13% for clearances and the top 11% for blocks per 90, data via FBref, but this isn’t enough to secure his long-term place in Frank’s engine room, especially since he is not progressive enough on the ball and thus part of the wider creative problem.

Whereas Simons has time on his side, Bentancur is a seasoned Tottenham star who is supposedly in the prime of his career. This was clearly the view of the powers that be down N17, having rebuffed summer interest from Atletico Madrid and indeed rewarded the midfielder with improved terms.

But he is not proving his worth at this moment in time, and Frank will expect that to improve swiftly, especially with the likes of Pape Matar Sarr and Bergvall gunning for more prominent roles.

Against Chelsea, Bentancur did himself few favours, even if he did manage to avoid a red card for that stamp on James. Writing of his performance in the derby, the Evening Standard criticised the hosts’ midfield controller for being unable to provide protection from Chelsea counters, with his caution on the ball directly hindering Spurs’ fight for quality in attack. He was hit with a lowly 4/10 match rating.

Much for Frank to chew on. However, it might be that Bentancur is beginning to demonstrate that he does not get into Tottenham’s brightest 11, and that’s a topic that will only intensify when the injured playmakers return. With that in mind, maybe he should be axed down the line.

3/10 Spurs flop is now very quickly becoming the new Tanguy Ndombele

Spurs were far from their best as they slipped to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea.

ByMatt Dawson Nov 2, 2025

Rajat Patidar named vice-captain while Deepak Chahar is set to return from injury

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Aug-2025After warming the bench through the recent five-match Test series in England, Kuldeep Yadav will return to action in the Duleep Trophy, where he will lead Central Zone’s spin attack.Vidarbha left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey, who broke the record for most wickets in a Ranji Trophy season when he picked up 69 in his side’s run to the title in 2024-25, will combine with Kuldeep and Rajasthan’s Manav Suthar for Central Zone.Dhruv Jurel, who had replaced the injured Rishabh Pant in India’s series-levelling win at The Oval, will captain Central Zone with Rajat Patidar named his deputy.Related

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Kishan ruled out of Duleep Trophy opener, Akash Deep advised rest

Shubman Gill to lead North Zone

Mohammed Shami in East Zone squad

Iyer, Sarfaraz in West Zone squad

Left-arm seamer Khaleel Ahmed, who had cut his county stint short with Essex for personal reasons will return to action and will lead Central Zone’s seam attack along with Deepak Chahar. Chahar, 33, had suffered an injury during IPL 2025 and missed two games for Mumbai Indians, but recently he was bowling at the India nets at Lord’s and The Oval.Yash Rathod, who was the top scorer in the previous Ranji season with 960 runs in 18 innings at an average of over 50, and his Vidarbha team-mate Danish Malewar, who scored 153 and 73 in the final against Kerala, were rewarded for their strong form. UP captain Aryan Juyal also made the cut along with Madhya Pradesh offspinner Saransh Jain and Chhattisgarh batter Sanjeet Desai. Vidarbha’s Ranji Trophy-winning coach Usman Ghani was named the head coach of the team.Fast bowler Kuldeep Sen, who has played a solitary ODI for India, was among the stand-bys.The Duleep Trophy has reverted to its traditional format of a zonal contest after a season where four teams – A, B, C and D – comprising players in the Test fray were picked by the Ajit Agarkar-led senior men’s selection committee. Teams for this year’s tournament will be picked by zonal selection committees, comprising one member from each of the state sides from the zone.Central Zone will start their Duleep Trophy campaign against North East on August 28 at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.Central Zone squadDhruv Jurel (capt, wk), Rajat Patidar, Aryan Juyal, Danish Malewar, Sanchit Desai, Kuldeep Yadav, Aditya Thakare, Deepak Chahar, Saransh Jain, Ayush Pandey, Shubham Sharma, Yash Rathod, Harsh Dubey, Manav Suthar, Khaleel AhmedStand-bys: Madhav Kaushik, Yash Thakur, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Mahipal Lomror, Kuldeep Sen, Upendra Yadav

In the aftermath of his second World Series title, Los Angeles Dodgers veteran utilityman Kiké Hernandez is coming back.

Hernandez has agreed to a contract with the Dodgers, he announced in a 65-second social media video Sunday afternoon. Per ESPN's Alden Gonzalez, the deal is pending a physical.

The two sides' reunion follows Hernandez's first full season with Los Angeles since 2020. The San Juan native played with the Boston Red Sox in 2021 and '22 before he was traded back to the Dodgers in July 2023.

In '24, Hernandez—always a versatile player—played an astounding seven different positions. That includes 4 1/3 innings on the mound, during which he posted a 4.15 ERA.

At the plate, Hernandez slashed .229/.281/.373 with 12 home runs and 42 RBIs. He is a career .238 hitter for Los Angeles, Boston, the Houston Astros, and the Miami Marlins.

The Dodgers are scheduled to open 2025 against the Chicago Cubs on March 18 in Tokyo.

He might not have the big trophies just yet, but Mikel Arteta has already achieved a lot at Arsenal.

He has taken a club that was spiralling into competitive irrelevance and turned them into serious contenders for the Premier League and Champions League.

Furthermore, on several occasions, he has helped revitalise the careers of players most considered to be done at the very highest level.

He has done the same this year, with someone who only last year received some particularly scathing criticism.

The best career revivals at Arsenal

When it comes to redemption stories at Arsenal, the one everyone will think of first, and rightly so, is Granit Xhaka’s.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

The Swiss international famously fell foul of the Emirates faithful in late 2019 when, as he was being jeered, he threw the armband and his shirt to the floor while swearing at the supporters.

At the time, it looked like his time in N5 was up, and were it not for the Spaniard, it probably would have been.

The midfielder would later tell the press that “my suitcases were packed, but I had a meeting with Mikel when he came” and that “he [Arteta] is the reason why I’m still at this football club.”

Over the next few years, the passionate international would slowly win the fans back onside, and by the time his final game came at the end of the 22/23 season, the entire Emirates was singing his name, and seemed desperate for him to stay.

Another player whose career has been revived in N5 is Kai Havertz.

The German wasn’t taken particularly seriously when he made his surprise move to the club in 2023, and the fact that he struggled to have an impact in the first half of that season certainly didn’t help.

In fact, just a month into the campaign, former professional Gabby Agbonlahor described the former Bayer Leverkusen man as a “joke.”

However, a move up front completely changed the game for the struggling player, and in 18 starts as a centre-forward, the “magnificent” ace, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored eight goals and provided seven assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.20 games.

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Then last season, despite being ruled out halfway through, he still managed to score 15 goals and provide five assists in 36 games.

In all, Havertz might not be Arsenal’s best player, but his revival under Arteta is undeniably impressive, and now another player previously written off is starting to show his best form again this season.

The Arsenal star who is now undroppable

The good news for Arsenal is that there are more than a handful of players who are currently undroppable, although few would have expected Leandro Trossard to be among them at the start of the season.

Now, the £90k-per-week Belgian is an undeniably talented player, but it would be fair to say that he underwhelmed last season.

While it took him just 46 games to produce 20 goal involvements the previous year, it took 56 games to produce the same number last season.

Moreover, the former Brighton & Hove Albion star was simply having less of an impact on games, unless, of course, you include the red card he picked up against Manchester City, for which Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville blasted him. The latter notably labelled the situation as “ridiculous.”

The 30-year-old was such a disappointment that by the end of the season, fans seemed alright with moving him on to sign someone more dynamic, and based on reports, it looked like that might have been the club’s plan.

However, such a move never transpired, and fans should be delighted about that, as so far this season, he has been utterly superb.

For example, in just 14 appearances, totalling 832 minutes, the Waterschei-born “little magician,” as dubbed by Arteta, has scored four goals and provided four assists.

In other words, he is averaging a goal involvement every 1.75 games, or every 104 minutes, which is a rate of return not even Bukay Saka can match at the moment.

It’s not just his raw numbers that have improved, though; he is also having far more of an influence in games.

For example, while his thunderous effort against Sunderland caught everyone’s attention, he played brilliantly throughout.

Ultimately, it’s early in the season, but as things stand, Trossard is utterly undroppable and looks like another player Arteta has revived.

Arsenal dealt Martin Odegaard injury blow after three-word Norway update

The Gunners captain was reported to be eyeing a return against Tottenham.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 13, 2025

Naomi Girma has returned to the U.S. women’s national team as manager Emma Hayes named a 26-player squad for the year-ending friendlies against Italy. Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce misses out after suffering an eye socket fracture, while Trinity Rodman was not called in following a limited appearance in the Washington Spirit’s playoff win last weekend.

Getty ImagesA closer look at the squad

Chelsea defender Girma headlines the roster with her long-awaited return after missing the last FIFA window through injury. She’s featured just four times for the USWNT in 2025 – starting all of them – making her inclusion a welcome boost. Hayes has also turned again to a few fresh faces: Chicago Stars forward Jameese Joseph and Bay FC goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz earn their first senior call-ups, while Washington Spirit defender and long-time U.S. youth international Kate Wiesner also joins the squad.

The group features seven changes from the October friendlies, including the notable return of Gotham FC midfielder Jaelin Howell. Howell last appeared for the U.S. in 2022 and is among several Gotham players preparing for this weekend’s NWSL Championship. In all, 20 NWSL players are represented in this camp, with seven set to compete for the title in San Jose. Lindsey Heaps and Rose Lavelle enter as the most capped players in the squad, with Heaps at 160 caps and 38 goals and Lavelle at 115 caps and 27 goals.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSquad in full

GOALKEEPERS: Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC; 4), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals; 4), Jordan Silkowitz (Bay FC; 0) 

DEFENDERS: Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign FC; 4/0), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG; 69/1), Naomi Girma (Chelsea FC, ENG: 48/2), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash; 8/1), Lilly Reale (Gotham FC; 4/0), Izzy Rodriguez (Kansas City Current; 1/1), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride; 6/0), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC; 112/2), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave; 1/0), Kate Wiesner (Washington Spirit; 0/0) 

MIDFIELDERS: Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit; 4/0), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 41/5), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes, FRA; 167/38), Jaelin Howell (Gotham FC; 5/1), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current; 9/1), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC; 115/26), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes, FRA; 11/1) 

FORWARDS: Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars; 0/0), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC, ENG; 27/13), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; 10/4), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville; 11/4), Jaedyn Shaw (Gotham FC; 29/8), Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea FC, ENG; 24/3)

Getty ImagesWorld Cup build continues

Italy was the USWNT's first international opponent in 1985, and since then the two sides have only met a total of 15 times across 40 years. The last time the U.S. faced Italy was in 2011, when the Americans defeated the Italians 2-0 to advance in the tournament. Hayes pointed out the match against is an important end-of-year test for her side. 

“It’s been an exciting and important year for our group, and we’ve accomplished a lot of goals, expanded the player pool, and made strides in our game model, so this camp will be an extension of that, but it will also set the groundwork for 2026, which will be our World Cup qualifying year,” said Hayes. “Games against top European teams are so valuable as they give us an honest assessment of where we are in our growth as a team, so I know our players with embrace that challenge.”

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Getty ImagesWhat's next?

The USWNT will first play Italy on Friday, Nov. 28 at Inter&Co Stadium, home to the Orlando Pride. The second meeting will be in Fort Lauderdale at Chase Stadium on Monday, Dec. 1. These two matches are the USWNT's final contests of the 2025 year.

Allrounder also takes two wickets as concerted bowling display helps set up return to Finals Day

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay06-Sep-2025Lancashire Lightning are through to Finals Day and – 10 years on from their first – will get the chance to win a second Vitality Blast title next Saturday having beaten Kent Spitfires by three wickets chasing 154 in an engaging Emirates Old Trafford quarter-final.England fringe fast bowler Luke Wood struck with the first ball of a contest which saw the Spitfires scramble to 153 all out in 20 overs, the left-armer finishing with an excellent 3 for 29.No Kent batter reached 30 and they were unable to deny a Lightning side also including star man Liam Livingstone, James Anderson and Phil Salt a 10th Finals Day appearance.Like Wood, fellow England international Livingstone was key to Lancashire’s victory in front of a 12,000-plus crowd. Having returned 2 for 21 from four overs of spin, he helped recover their chase from 5 for 2 with a brilliantly destructive 85 not out off 45 balls with seven sixes. The hosts won with nine balls remaining.Livingstone is the only member of this Lancashire team to have won the Blast in 2015.Lightning made the perfect start, as Wood had Tawanda Muyeye caught at mid-off with the first ball of the match. It was the second time he had struck with the first ball of an innings in this campaign.Kent then scored runs at a decent rate but lost wickets at key moments. Daniel Bell-Drummond miscued Anderson to backward point, Zak Crawley was caught behind having gloved a pull at Jack Blatherwick and Livingstone’s first ball ousted a sweeping Sam Billings caught at deep square leg, leaving the score at 71 for 4 in the ninth over.Joe Denly had started nicely, including lofting Blatherwick’s first ball for six over long-off. But he also fell – on 28 – to strengthen Lancashire’s grip at 81 for 5 after 10 overs, miscuing a similar shot to long-off against Tom Hartley’s left-arm spin.The trend continued. Joey Evison muscled sixes off the spinners but fell for 27 to a smart boundary catch at long-off from Wood off Livingstone with the score on 115 in the 15th.Grant Stewart also hit two sixes in a brisk 25 before playing on to Tom Aspinwall, who struck twice with his seamers. And Kent had to try and bat the overs out, which they did. Still, their total had the feeling of being well short after Wood struck twice in the last over to remove Fred Klaassen and Nathan Gilchrist caught at deep midwicket.But visiting hopes were raised as they reduced the Lightning to 5 for 2 inside two overs of the chase as Stewart’s seam had Salt caught at deep backward square leg pulling and Klaassen’s left-armers forced Luke Wells to play on off his thigh pad.Klaassen was superb for 3 for 14 from four overs.Livingstone, on 15, top-edged a pull at Gilchrist into the back of his neck shortly afterwards and underwent a concussion check but carried on.He lost captain Keaton Jennings caught on the scoop against the outstanding pace of Klaassen – 31 for 3 in the fifth over – before taking the sting out of the situation in dynamic fashion.He took on the legspin of former county colleague Matthew Parkinson, three times smashing him over long-on for six in the ninth over as he reached his first fifty of this season’s Blast off 25 balls and took the score to 84 for 3.Experienced Australian Ashton Turner holed out off Evison almost immediately afterwards, but Kent desperately needed Livingstone’s wicket.It didn’t arrive, and even Parkinson getting Michael Jones for 28 off 16 balls and Hartley in the 14th over, leaving Lancashire 118 for 6, wasn’t enough to turn the game.Livingstone hammered Parkinson over long-on – and over The Point conference building – for six more, and his knock confirmed that Lancashire will play Somerset or Birmingham Bears in the semi-final at Edgbaston.