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Peter Lever, a former fast bowler for Lancashire and England, passed away at the age of 84 after a brief illness.

Lever made his Test debut against England in 1970 when the team won the Ashes in Australia under captain Raymond Illingworth.

When the third Test in Melbourne washed out, Lever also participated in the first one-day international, a hastily planned 40-over match between England and Australia.

In 1970, he actually played for England in a match against a Rest of the World XI, which was ultimately ended in Test mode.

In 17 Tests and 11 more one-day internationals overall, Lever took 41 wickets.

In 301 first-class games, he took almost 800 wickets while playing for Lancashire between 1960 and 1976.

Peter Lever passed away peacefully today, according to his wife Ros. “It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness. a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandpa.

Jonathan Agnew, the BBC’s top cricket commentator,

A fast bowler from the Nursery End entered the Gillette Cup final at Lord’s between Lancashire and Kent when I was 11 years old. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen. That’s who I want to be, my father said to me. Peter Lever was it.

The way he bowled was mysterious. The upbeatness and energy. I was Peter Lever right away because it gave me a spark. After seeing Peter bowl, my dad decided that I should be an off-spinner like him. He was everywhere in my life as I got older and I copied his actions.

I paid to have some coaching in the Lancashire nets at Old Trafford when I was about 15 and moved to Cheshire to stay with my grandmother. I was promoted to bowl to the first team because I was reasonably quick. I was extremely anxious. Peter was right in front of the next-door internet cafe. It was like a true dream.

I devoted my life to him. He was a very gentle character for a fast bowler.

Due to apartheid, Peter refused to play against South Africa when they traveled to England in 1965 and played against Lancashire in a tour match.

Then, in 1975, he had the horrifying experience of hitting the home number 11 Ewen Chatfield with a bouncer in the first Test against New Zealand in Auckland. Chatfield was close to passing away. Peter was almost destroyed by it.

It snowed and left the field as if it were a lottery game between Derbyshire and Lancashire at Buxton a few years later. Because he thought bowling was too dangerous, Peter refused to play.

After their initial professional years, Raymond Illingworth and Peter continued to play together. Peter became the bowling coach when Raymond took over the England team as the team’s supremo head coach and selector.

Peter and Ros moved to Devon, where he immersed himself in the local community. He planted wildflowers all over the village while coaching cricket at Lewdown Cricket Club.

Everyone who has ever played for England at Lord’s, both men and women, was invited to a “Club England” dinner at Lord’s in 2017. I was only permitted to host the evening if I wanted to sit next to Peter. We each received a special cap in honor of our achievements as England players. He gave me both of his and mine, and I gave them both. It turned out lovely.

Aimee Kerr, a midfielder for Glentoran, has received her first call-up for their Nations League clash with Romania.

After impressing in her first Women’s Premiership season, the 18-year-old joins the squad in the place of injured club teammate Chloe McCarron who has previously led NI at under-19 level.

After losing their first two games to Poland and winning at home against Bosnia-Herzegovina, Tanya Oxtoby’s team moved into second place in Group B1.

After falling to second-place Romania in their first two games, they travel to Bucharest on Friday 4 April for a home game in Windsor Park four days later.

In addition to her February squad, Oxtoby has made a change to Nottingham Forest full-back Nat Johnson by adding Linfield defender Abi Sweetlove.

Sweetlove, who also led NI at under-19 level, was an unreserved substitute for Croatia’s second leg of the Euro play-off.

With the switch to Abi and Nat, “we probably needed more central [defensive] options,” Oxtoby said, adding that Aimee is a “like for like replacement” for Chloe.

We’ve been tracking those two players for a while, and we’ve forward planned when, in light of the opposition and our squad composition, we might need them.

I’m really looking forward to them joining us, and this window seemed like a really good opportunity.

Nadene Caldwell and Kascie Weir, both of whom were late additions to the Glentoran squad last month, are still in place.

Striker Weir made her Inver Park debut playing off the bench in the 2-0 loss to Bosnia-Herzegovina in Gdansk before impressing in the 3-2 victory.

Defenders: Abi Sweetlove (Linfield Women), Rebecca Holloway, Rebecca McKenna, and Ellie Mason (all Birmingham City Women), Laura Rafferty (Rangers Women), and Rachel Dugdale (Blackburn Rovers Women).

Louise McDaniel and Brenna McPartlan are both women at Burnley, but Nadene Caldwell, Aimee Kerr is also a woman at Glentoran. Megan Bell is a woman at Nottingham Forest, but Connie Scofield is a loanee from London City Lionesses.

With the two newest additions, what was a youthful Northern Ireland squad has just grown older.

After Keri Halliday and Kascie Weir in the last few months, Aimee Kerr and Abi Sweetlove are the latest to enter the under-19 production.

Halliday and Weir have impressed, demonstrating the potential for advancement and the development of promising young players in Northern Ireland.

Since they have been playing regularly in the domestic league like Halliday and Weir, Kerr and Sweetlove are confident of making a similar impression.

Before the second leg of the Euro play-off against Croatia, Linfield’s Sweetlove will be aware of what to expect, while Kerr’s rise is much more rapid than Linfield’s. Linfield trained with the squad and alongside seasoned defenders.

She made the transition to Women’s Premiership side Glentoran in 2024 after four years playing for Ballyclare Comrades in the second tier.

The football schedule frequently transitions between the March international break and a certain degree of madness.

And there are few more chaotically compelling situations than what tends to transpire in the Championship play-off race.

With a 12-point lead over West Bromwich Albion and Bristol City (Opta give the Black Cats less than a 0.1% chance of falling to seventh), one spot in the final four is guaranteed to be filled by Leeds, Sheffield United, or Burnley.

But the other two positions? There are, presumably, nine teams that could take those, so.

Bristol City have the toughest run-in of the nine teams in play-off contention with trips to Burnley and Leeds United to come.

Top goalscorer: Haji Wright (10)

Jack Rudoni (10%) had the most assists.

Clive Eakin, BBC Radio CWR

Why they will compete in the playoffs?

When Frank Lampard took over in November he didn’t rule out a play-off push but admitted the first aim was to steer clear of relegation.

Coventry has momentum, and their ten victories from their previous 12 matches have now propelled them firmly into the top six.

Without making radical changes, Lampard seems to have instilled belief among players and fans alike.

He has benefited from the return of key players following injury layoffs, particularly Haji Wright, who scored a hat-trick against Sunderland just before the break. The signing of midfield player Matt Grimes has also been key.

Why won’t they?

The 2-0 defeat at Derby was a sobering one and left some fans wondering if the team could maintain a play-off challenge and yet they followed that setback with arguably their best performance of the season so far against Sunderland.

They are generally unaffected by a number of injury issues, but if one or more key players become injured, Lampard’s modestly-sized squad may be put under strain.

Form: DDWDWD

Josh Maja (12) is the top goalscorer.

Most assists: Tom Fellows (11)

BBC Radio WM’s Steve Hermon

Why they will compete in the playoffs?

The Baggies perform much better against the top teams – they’re unbeaten against all five sides above them – and they still have Sunderland, Coventry, Bristol City and Norwich to play. These rivals’ claims will only grow as a result.

Tony Mowbray, who reached a play-off final in his first spell, also hopes to have top scorer Josh Maja back for the end of season run. The division’s best strike force would likely be Adam Armstrong and Maja, who won the Wembley match last season. It’s theirs to lose.

Why won’t they?

There are more instances when you can look back and see Albion’s draws as two points dropped than any other team in English football, and those 18 stalemates include holding the runaway top three to draws both home and away.

Form: WDDWWD

Top goalscorer: Anis Mehmeti (12)

Max Bird has the most assists (7%).

Ed Hadwin, BBC Radio Bristol

Why they will compete in the playoffs??

Other than Coventry, Bristol City go into the final eight matches with the best form of any of the teams chasing a play-off place.

After defeating Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, and Norwich during that stretch, they are unbeaten in their previous seven games.

Under Liam Manning, they have become a team very much more than the sum of their parts, with big contributions from throughout the squad.

Why won’t they?

With home games against West Brom and Sunderland in the future, no one in the chasing pack has a run-in as difficult as City does.

It does, however, give them the opportunity to take points off at least one of their rivals, with the West Brom match in particular looking key.

Form: DWLWWL

Top goalscorer: Tommy Conway (11)

Finn Azaz has 11 assists.

Paul Addison, BBC Radio Tees

Why they will compete in the playoffs?

Michael Carrick may have survived the abyss, which many believed would have cost him his job.

There should hopefully be some good news on the way in terms of fit and available central defenders (Boro have had none for their previous two matches) following the international break.

There is every chance of a play-off spot if Delano Burgzorg, Tommy Conway, and Finn Azaz can pull it off.

Why won’t they?

It’s all about one word – consistency.

Boro have struggled to come up with any kind of winning streak throughout the season, but their best performance came in November when they won four of their five games and scored 18 goals in the process.

The loss of Emmanuel Latte Lath in January has been a massive blow – not just the goals he brought to the side, but his all-round work ethic has also been badly missed.

Top goalscorer: Andreas Weimann (7)

Makhtar Gueye has six assists.

Andy Bayes, BBC Radio Lancashire

Why they will compete in the playoffs?

Rovers might feel confident in their final eight games if they come away from a lossless start.

Until the draw with Norwich four games ago, they had only spent a few days outside of the top six since November. It’s now up to the players to demonstrate that they can follow the instructions of new boss Valerien Ismael after their unexpected managerial change.

The relative freedom of being five points away with a vastly inferior goal difference could remove the tension to some degree. The final four home games pit oppose teams that are also in a similar position. The results of those will go a long way to determining their fate.

Experience and athleticism will be added with the return of renowned defenders Danny Batth, Owen Beck, and Harry Pickering.

Why won’t they?

Four wins in 18 following a six-game winning run before Christmas would suggest that Rovers go into the final eight games as outsiders.

The anticipation of an “bounce” under Ismael has not materialized.

Top goalscorer: Vakoun Bayo (10)

Giorgi Chakvetadze has six assists.

Geoff Doyle, BBC 3CR

Why they will compete in the playoffs?

After the international break, Watford should have some key players recovering from injury. Forward Kwadwo Baah is the most significant. He was actually hitting top form down the right before causing major issues for the opposition before causing his thigh damage.

Midfielder Pierre Dwomoh, defender Kevin Keben and goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann should also be returning soon to boost the squad depth.

The Hornets also have the opportunity to defeat some of those teams that have struggled this season, such as Plymouth, Hull, and Portsmouth, with points.

Why won’t they?

They have left just a bit too much to do. Consistent play has been a problem all season, and they can’t afford to lose so many games to reach the top six.

The Hornets needed to recruit in January to give themselves a fighting chance and although centre-back James Abankwah and goalkeeper Egil Selvik have been excellent additions they didn’t bring in a striker which was, and still is, needed.

Form: WLWLLW

Top goalscorer: 6 against Mihailo Ivanovic.

Most assists: Femi Azeez (5)

BBC Radio London’s Nick Godwin

Why they will compete in the playoffs?

Millwall’s chances really depend on whether or not Alex Neil can make his team adventurous enough to score goals consistently enough.

In the first few months of the season, Mihailo Ivanovic found the Championship’s physicality challenging, but he now appears to be improving consistently.

There were loads of changes in January but it’s possible the manager could find the right formula to put a run of results together, as he has done before, which could allow them to slip in. No one wants to enter The Den’s play-off semi-final.

Why won’t they?

It’s been a season of huge change. Romain Esse emerged as a gifted talent after Neil Harris left and Neil joined, who was soon sold to Crystal Palace. That, in turn, released extra funds in January and more signings were made.

Therefore, it would be incredibly difficult for this recently-changed team to maintain consistency and contend for the play-off spots.

Top goalscorer: Josh Windass (11)

Anthony Musaba, Josh Windass, and Shea Charles have the most assists.

Rob Staton, BBC Radio Sheffield

Why they will compete in the playoffs?

With an improbable late run to keep Wednesday in the Championship, Danny Rohl made the famous escape a year ago. They can use that experience to launch another run to close the season.

The impressive German and his players will feel confident in their ability to succeed if they can recover from the international break and start strong. Owls fans have enjoyed dramatic ends to the season in the last two years. It is possible.

Why won’t they?

The home form. Third-most victories in the Championship come on Wednesday after nine games away from home. At Hillsborough it’s a different story – they’re 23rd in the table.

Despite having numerous chances to win, they have somehow been unable to turn these performances into victories. Without an improvement here to finish the season, they won’t push for the top six.

Top goalscorer: Borja Sainz (17)

Callum Doyle (7) has the most assists.

Chris Goreham, BBC Radio Norfolk

Why they will compete in the playoffs?

Only Leeds has scored more goals than the Canaries have in the league this year. It’s at least three more than every other Championship team. With 18 goals, Borja Sainz, one of only three players in the division, has overtaken Josh Sargent.

They have also managed to take the lead against every single team in the division other than QPR, Preston, Bristol City and Portsmouth. At home, they must still play Pompey.

Why won’t they?

The last point is pertinent. This season, Norwich have dropped 30 points from winning positions. They have won only one of their past eight league games which is hardly top-six form.

Although Danielle Collins may have lost her Miami Open hopes, she will travel to Florida this week along with a lifetime friend.

Aryna Sabalenka defeated Collins, the world number 15, on Monday, putting an end to the American’s hopes of keeping her Miami Open crown.

After discovering an injured dog two days earlier on her way out of the Hard Rock Stadium, the 31-year-old may have had another thought.

After being hit by a car, Collins found the dog, which he had taken to a nearby veterinary hospital, curled up in the middle of the road.

The former world number seven has since revealed that she has adopted him and given him the name Crash. She previously prayed for the dog.

After five days on oxygen support, “Crash is recovering and finally leaving the hospital,” Collins wrote on Instagram.

He is clearly enjoying all the love he’s received, his breathing is back to normal, and his wounds are healing. He is curious, affectionate, and appreciative of a second chance at life.

After being hit by a car and left in the middle of the road with a dog’s curled up body, it was “so incredibly painful to watch him in such pain.”

“I’m just grateful that I was able to visit him and give him the care he needed,” he said.

Red Bull have made it clear that they will immediately remove Liam Lawson and replace him with Yuki Tsunoda.

After Lawson had won just two Grand Prix for Red Bull, and Tsunoda was traded for the New Zealander in place of Sergio Perez, the decision was made.

Max Verstappen and Tsunoda, 24, will compete for Red Bull from April 4 through April 4, while Lawson will start for the second team Racing Bulls as team-mate to French rookie Isack Hadjar.

Verstappen believes that their car may be only the fourth-fastest in the field, despite McLaren and Mercedes having won the constructors’ championship after two races.

Lando Norris’ McLaren won the race in the wet season-opening Australian Grand Prix, and the Dutchman finished fourth in the Chinese Grand Prix over the weekend.

Lawson finished 18th in Melbourne before being eliminated. He placed 14th and 12th in China, coming in last both for the sprint and the grand prix.

His position in the Shanghai grand prix would have improved since Pierre Gasly’s Alpine and Ferrari’s disqualifications, which would have placed him 15th overall.

“We recognize that there is a lot of work to be done with the RB21, and Yuki’s experience will prove very useful in helping to develop the current car,” Horner said in a statement.

At a meeting of Red Bull’s CEOs in Dubai on Monday, including Horner and Chalerm Yoovidhya’s chief shareholder, the decision was made.

When Red Bull made the decision to terminate Perez two years before the end of his contract, they chose Lawson because they believed Tsunoda lacked the mental toughness to be Verstappen’s teammate and that Lawson had more potential.

The 23-year-old New Zealander won just 11 grands prix for Red Bull’s second team in the previous two seasons.

Verstappen won his fourth consecutive world title, but Red Bull’s car was no longer competitive, and he had lost that title just twice.

Red Bull have a reputation for handling their young driver program with ruthlessness, but dropping Lawson after two races is extraordinary.

In a statement from Horner, it was stated: “We have a duty of care to protect and develop Liam, and together we see that it makes sense to act quickly so that Liam can gain experience as he continues his F1 career with Racing Bulls, an environment, and a team he knows very well.

Tsunoda’s senior team debut will be at his hometown race in Suzuka, which is owned by Japanese automaker Honda, which has long supported the driver’s career.

Since making his Formula One debut in 2021, he has been a member of Red Bull’s second team, which was previously known as Alpha Tauri and RB.

His promotion provides an opportunity for him to advance to the top of the sport’s standing.

Tsunoda won’t make a team-mate because Honda is transferring to Aston Martin in 2026.

Even though Red Bull has long questioned his potential as a future driver, he has the chance to show that to the team’s bosses if he can demonstrate himself.

Tsunoda has started the 2025 season well, placing fifth in Australia and ninth in China, where he placed sixth in the sprint race.

Similar to how Red Bull rejected Gasly and Alex Albon before, Lawson will be informed that his demotion offers him an opportunity to reclaim his career.

After just half a season in 2019, Gasly was replaced by Albon, who had a year and a half in reserve driving in place of Perez.

Both Gasly and Albon have flourished and have since moved to Alpine.

Callum Hudson-Odoi feels like he is about to resume his professional career.

The winger’s current mindset is to start every game with the expectation that he can score or assist, to be a part of the England senior team’s conversation, and once more to impress Thomas Tuchel.

The three-cap England international, who is now 24 years old, has played a key role in Nottingham Forest’s effort to maintain Premier League form and advance to Champions League qualification. On Saturday, Forest will travel to Brighton for the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Hudson-Odoi was one of English football’s most promising prospects six years ago. In the January 2019 transfer window from Bayern Munich, the club turned down offers to sign him as the club’s golden boy.

In a Euro 2020 qualifier win over the Czech Republic in March, he made his England debut under Gareth Southgate. At the age of 18, he broke Duncan Edwards’ 64-year-old record and became the youngest player to represent England in a competitive international match.

However, he broke his Achilles tendon in a game against Burnley in April 2019. His seven months of playing the game were followed by further setbacks after the tendon completely broke off from the bone.

He told BBC Sport, “I had been playing games week in and week out when I received my first call up for England, and boom, everything collapses.” It was difficult, very difficult.

I was simply thinking, “Are I going to be the same player as I was?” Can I run for a ball again or kick it?

Frank Lampard followed Chelsea’s manager at the time of the injury, followed by Maurizio Sarri. However, Tuchel was the Stamford Bridge player who gave Hudson-Odoi his most starts on the field.

However, the process was not always straightforward. Tuchel, who is now England manager, gave him a dose of “tough love.”

Hudson-Odoi started at half-time in a 1-1 draw with Southampton in February 2021, but the German coach later admitted to being “unsatisfied with his attitude, energy, and counter-pressing.”

Tuchel said, “Maybe it’s unfair, but it was my feeling.”

I removed him. We demand 100%. He may not be able to assist us, in my opinion.

He “knows what I ask of him,” he said, “and it’s a difficult decision when he doesn’t meet this level.”

Hudson-Odoi’s form for Forest, which he has five goals and two assists, led to speculation that he might make Tuchel’s first England squad and that he might make his third and thus far, final appearance since November 2019 when he defeated Kosovo 4-0.

Although he did not make the 26-man squad, he said: “We had our differences at times, and that is normal. Every player and coach has a different viewpoint.

Like when Tuchel asked me to play wing-back and I was like, “Why am I here?”

“But it was for the team’s benefit as well as for myself, who was working on my defensive game.”

We discussed it and acknowledged that we had that moment. He is a fantastic manager who understands how to use players effectively.

“I’ll have to go there and prove myself all over again if the chance [for England] comes.”

I only have the ability to control what. It’s about being positive, smiling, and enjoying my football once more.

Hudson-Odoi claims to have experienced “a lot” since making his professional debut at the age of 17 and is now “more mature.”

However, he insists that his drive to return to the heights that made him the most sought-after youngster in the nation comes from within.

He said, “I don’t want to prove anything to anyone.” It’s about demonstrating to myself that I can still be the player I once was, to go back to a level where I had faith in my ability to score or assist, and to have that confidence in me.

Under Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo, Hudson-Odoi has a success in mind.

He said, “Everything has just changed this season, from mentality to resolve.”

We are pushing each other every day because it’s just a big drive away from us. We are aware of our capability to accomplish this.