The Steelbacks' NatWest T20 Blast title defence ended with a damp squib as their clash with Durham Jets was washed out at the County Ground.

But even if David Ripley's men had managed to win, they would not have made it to the quarter-finals as Birmingham Bears, Derbyshire Falcons and Leicestershire Foxes all won.

Those teams, along with Nottinghamshire Outlaws, will be in the last eight, while the Steelbacks are left to reflect on a disappointing end to their campaign.

They suffered heavy defeats to Leicestershire and Yorkshire prior to the game against Durham.

And that encounter wasn't going well either, as the Steelbacks had struggled to contain their lowly opponents with the ball.

Alex Wakely won the toss, but Durham recovered from the early loss of Keaton Jennings to make a massive 208 for three, with Graham Clark (71) top scoring.

It was more misery for the Steelbacks, who had been hammered by 124 runs at Yorkshire on the previous evening.

And the rain was to prevent any reply against the Jets as the home side were eliminated after finishing sixth in the North Group.

Despite the disappointments against Leicestershire and Yorkshire, the Steelbacks had been confident of beating Durham, who had only previously won three of their 13 group games.

The return of Graeme White from a shoulder injury was another reason to be positive and more good news came when Wakely won the toss.

The Steelbacks opted to field with rain predicted later in the evening, and Josh Cobb started things off well with an over that went for just two runs.

Rory Kleinveldt then backed it up superbly as Durham struggled to get going early on.

And England man Jennings was to go in the third over as he tried to take on a single that was never there and was run out by Wakely for just three.

Durham did come to life in the fifth over as Graham Clark took four successive fours from the bowling of RIchard Gleeson.

Clark kept going and, after a sluggish start, the Jets had bounced back superbly, taking 43 runs from the final three overs of the powerplay to finish it on 58 for one.

The first over of Graeme White's return from a shoulder injury was to cost eight runs as Durham ticked over.

Clark reached a 26-ball 50 with a six off White as the Steelbacks desperately searched for a wicket.

But Durham continued to motor on and they had racked up 111 for one by the halfway point, putting them in a commanding position.

The Steelbacks eventually saw some light at the end of the tunnel when Muhammad Azharullah trapped Tom Latham LBW for 37, ending a key stand of 107.

Rain eventually intervened with Durham well placed on 131 for two in the 13th over, but when play resumed the Steelbacks struck almost immediately.

White had Clark caught by Wakely for 71, but it didn't make much difference to Durham as they continued to pile on the runs.

Gleeson finished his spell with figures of nought for 51 to sum up the Steelbacks' lack of joy with the ball.

And Durham's innings concluded on 208 for three, with Michael Richardson (47no) and captain Paul Coughlin (36no) having provided useful late runs.

But the Steelbacks were robbed of the chance to reply as the rain came down once again and called a total halt to proceedings, leaving Ripley's men with a feeling of frustration.

Steelbacks: Levi, Rossington (wk), Cobb, Duckett, Wakely (c), Keogh, Crook, Kleinveldt, Sanderson, Gleeson, Azharullah.

Durham Jets: Jennings, Latham, Richardson, Clark, Burnham, Coughlin (c), Arshad, Poynter (wk), Pringle, Weighell, Rushworth.

David Ripley was left to reflect on the failure to convert a good group position as the Steelbacks bowed out of the NatWest T20 Blast.

Even if they had managed to win their home game against Durham, which was abandoned due to rain halfway through, Northants would have missed out on a quarter-final spot.

Birmingham Bears, Derbyshire Falcons and Leicestershire Foxes all won on Friday night to book their place in the last eight, alongside North Group winners Nottinghamshire Outlaws.

The Steelbacks had been in the top three when they faced Leicestershire last Friday, but a big defeat in that game and at Yorkshire Vikings on Thursday night cost them.

They also struggled in the final match as Durham racked up a massive 208 for three before the rain came.

And Ripley, who led his team to T20 glory last season, said: "It's very sad.

"We set up a good position with three games to go, even though we maybe hadn't played our absolute best cricket.

"We looked well set to qualify and we've played poorly.

"We haven't recreated the form we've shown in recent years and after 14 games, if you're not in the top four you haven't made it.

"It's a little bit disappointing.

"We needed to win one of the two games this week and maybe it would have been a slightly different ending.

"We didn't play well against Leicestershire, we didn't play well against Yorkshire and we hadn't played particularly well in the first half of this game."

You don't have to run, you can jog, or walk and you are even guaranteed to finish ahead of the big names.

The guest athletes - see full list of who and where below - will literally get behind the natio,n as so-called Tail Walkers', volunteers who ensure no one ever finishes last at parkrun events.

More than 630 free parkruns (5k) and junior parkruns (2k) take place every Saturday morning in parks across the UK.

The National Lottery and UK Sport, which funds elite UK athletes from Lottery ticket sales, have now teamed up with organisers parkrun UK for a series of high profile #teamparkrun events on Saturday, August 19.

The aim is to get the nation active, while celebrating the public’s support of elite and community sport through playing The National Lottery.

It is backed by Sport England, sportscotland, Sport Wales, Sport Northern Ireland, the British Olympic Association and British Paralympic Association, as well as a host of national governing bodies.

REGISTER TO TAKE PART: It's free to take part but you need to register in advance. For full details and to register visit www.teamparkrun.com.

VIDEO: World Championship gold and Olympic bronze curler Eve Muirhead brought up the rear at a parkrun in Falkirk. Watch her four tips on how to Parkrun in the UK Sport video at the top of this page.

It is hoped some people will take part in a parkrun for the very first time – either walking, jogging, running or volunteering themselves – with a view to starting their journey to a more healthy, active lifestyle.

The #teamparkrun event follows the success of last year's I am Team GB, which inspired nearly 1 million people to take part in the UK's biggest ever sports day - with athletes joining in community sports events as part of a Rio 2016 Olympians homecoming.

That day celebrated the role the nation played in supporting elite athletes by playing The National Lottery.

This year's event follows the IPC and IAAF World Athletics Championships, hosted in the iconic London Stadium, which was the epicentre of the London 2012 Games,

National Lottery players have been backing Britain’s record-breaking Olympic and Paralympic athletes for 21 years.

Dame Katherine Grainger, five time Olympic medallist and the newly appointed Chair of UK Sport, said: “The nation, and specially National Lottery players, have been backing us as athletes for 21 years now and none of us would be where we are today without their support.

“While sport and activity are integral to our lifestyles, we know that for some people taking up activity for the first time can be a scary prospect. parkrun offers a free, friendly and welcoming way to start, and our athletes will be there on August 19 to make any newcomers feel extra welcome.

“If you’ve been thinking about getting active, join #teamparkrun on August 19; you’ve been right behind us for so long and now your athletes will be right behind you!”

Nick Pearson, Chief Executive of parkrun, said: “One of the most common reasons that people register with parkrun but don’t go on to take part is because they don’t feel capable of running 5k. This initiative, which will see GB athletes supporting parkrunners, will reinforce the message that not only do we encourage walkers at parkrun, but that all of our events have volunteer Tail Walkers who provide support along the course.”

Arabella Gilchrist, Head of The National Lottery Brand, said: “#teamparkrun offers a brilliant way of celebrating the support the public gives British sport by playing The National Lottery.

“No one does more to contribute to elite athletes or community sports projects than our players. #teamparkrun will thank our players by connecting our Lottery-funded athletes with their local parkrun to inspire everyone, no matter what their level of fitness, to get active. We hope to see plenty of first-time parkrunners, joining their sporting heroes at their local event.”

To find your local parkrun visit www.parkrun.org.uk/events/events

Athletes scheduled to take part in #teamparkrun on Saturday 19 August:

Adam Gemili, Athletics, Cannon Hill.

Alyson Dixon, Athletics, Rising Sun

Andrew Lewis, Para-Triathlon, Lydney

Andrew Stamp, Gymnastics, Market Harborough

Ben Hazeldine, Sailing, Rushmoor

Ben Saxton, Sailing, Medina IOW

Beth Tweddle, Gymnastics, Princes

Blane Hyland, Boxing, Croxteth Hall

Bradly Sinden, Taekwondo, Doncaster

Bryony Page, Gymnastics, Rotherham

Caleb Hughes, Swimming, Bedford

Carl Fail, Boxing, Kettering

Charlie Grice, Athletics, Crane

Charlie Maddock, Taekwondo, Hanley

Chris Clarke, Para-Athletics, Linford Wood

Chris Thomas, Sailing, Trelissick

Conor Loftus, Boxing, Cross Flatts

Crystal Barker, Boxing, Worsley Woods

Cyrus Pattinson, Boxing, Druridge Bay

Dalton Smith, Boxing, Graves

Derek Rae, Para-Athletics, Kirkaldy

Eilidh McIntyre, Sailing, Portsmouth Lakeside

Ellie Robinson, Para-Swimming, Northampton

Ellie Russell, Cycling, Shrewsbury

Elliot Hanson, Sailing, Weymouth

Freddie Woodward, Diving, Cannon Hill

Grace France, Para-Triathlon, Colwick

Greg Rutherford, Athletics, Milton Keynes

Hannah Miley, Swimming, Carlisle

Hannah Mills, Sailing, Medina IOW

Harvey Martin, Sailing, Weymouth

Isobel Hamilton, Sailing, Weymouth

Isobel Pooley, Athletics, Long Eaton

Jack Cookson, Sailing, Weymouth

Jack Wetherell, Sailing, Weymouth

Jade Jones, Taekwondo, Wepre

Jade Lally, Athletics, Arrow Valley

James Ball, Para-Cycling, Heaton

James Bishop, Sailing, Weymouth

Jessica Eddie, Rowing, Sedgefield

Joanna Rowsell Shand, Cycling, Congleton

Joe Bennett, Sailing, Weymouth

Jordan Reynolds, Boxing, Luton Wardown

Josh Calland, Taekwondo, Knowsley

Joshua Bain, Para-Athletics, Colchester Castle

Kate Macgregor, Sailing, Poole

Kathryn Lane, Hockey, Rosliston

Kiaran Macdonald, Boxing, Sunderland

Kieran Martin, Sailing, Weymouth

Kimberley Murray, Skeleton, Bath Skyline

Kimberley Woods, Canoeing, Barclay,

Kirstie Urwin, Sailing, Lymington Woodside

Laura Sugar, Para-Athletics, Leicester Victoria

Lisa Whiteside, Boxing, Preston

Louis Rolfe, Para-Cycling, Penrose

Luke Jones, Taekwondo, South Manchester

Mallory Franklin, Canoeing, Gunpowder

Margaret Adeoye, Athletics, Hackney Marshes

Martin Wrigley, Sailing, Weymouth

Max Cater, Taekwondo, South Manchester

Max Litchfield, Swimming, heffield Hallam

Megan Parker, Gymnastics, Brueton, Meghan Beesley, Athletics

Kingsbury Water, Melissa Reid, Para-Triathlon

Penrose, Michael Beckett Sailing

Weymouth, Mickey McDonagh, Boxing

Colby, Mohammed Harris-Akbar, Boxing, Bradford

Montell Douglas, Bobsleigh, Grovelands

Natasha Gale, Boxing, Concord

Nick Grainger, Swimming, Rotherham

Nick Thompson, Sailing, Moors Valley

Nicola Boniface, Sailing, Eastbourne

Ollie Brown, Powerlifting Woking

Rachelle Jemma-Booth, Taekwondo, Haigh Woodland

Rebecca Mcgowan, Taekwondo, Ruchill

Colin Whitlock, from Helmdon, Brackley, was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court yesterday (August 18) after earlier pleading guilty to downloading and distributing the collection of extreme images.

They included nearly 200 files - both moving and still - that were classed as "category A", the most severe grading possible for their content.

His Honour Judge Timothy Smith said: "The images that you were viewing were images of real children, young children, being abused against their will. That is what you were viewing."

In July 2016, police searched Whitlock's house and found hundreds of indecent images of children on his phone, computer and two USB sticks.

Whitlock, who was "fully co-operative" with the police, had also shared 13 images from his collection with others by email and had amassed it over 18 months - right up until the night before the police intervened.

In sentencing, Judge Fowler said: "There is no excuse. It may give the impression that it was distant and they were just harmless photographs. How anyone can categorise them as harmless is beyond belief.

"You were dredging the darkest corners of the internet. Any why? To satisfy your own sexual gratification."

Whitlock was sentenced to 10 months suspended for two years. He has also been handed a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years and his devices have been destroyed."

A 66-year-old Northampton man is set to race the London Marathon in April to fundraise for MacMillan Cancer Support, who helped his late wife in her final stages of life.

Trevor Hardwell of West Hunsbury lost his wife, Ros to breast cancer in January this year and has since signed up to race 26-miles to help give back to the charity who helped support the duo.

The former housing officer from Bristol last raced a 10k back in 1998 and 19 years later he is gearing up to raise £2,500 in memory of Ros, who raced the marathon in 1982.

Not put off by age, Trevor, who has predicted his finishing line time at four hours 45 minutes, said: "It's a matter of belief if you believe you can do it, you will.

"I'm going to have to get a new pair of shoes, they were state of the art in 1982."

Ros, 71, formerly of Leamington Spa, was diagnosed with breast cancer back in March 2015 before the illness spread to her ribs and spine.

She was assigned a MacMillan nurse who supported the family bi-weekly and even assisted Trevor following Ros' death at her inquest.

"She was an individual, she was something else and really had a mind of her own and what she wanted to do, she did," he added.

"She didn't have a fear of dying, she was such good fun, the life, and soul, absolutely great."

Trevor was inspired to run again after listening to a radio interview featuring Eddie Izzard, who lost his mum, and felt he could relate to his struggle after Ros passed away.

He is now in the process of setting up a fundraising page so good-hearted Northamptonians can pledge some cash towards the good cause.

A mum-to-be from Northampton found the "paw-fect" way to make sure her husband heard the sound of their unborn baby daughter's heartbeat.

"Flo Berry recorded the heartbeat onto a chip inside a teddy bear during a routine NHS scan and sent a video of it to her husband Ian, who was away from home, training to be a stonemason.

And now the couple's daughter Lottie has been safely born, they use the heartbeat sound to help soothe her to sleep.

The heartbeat bear came from North Wales company, Be My Bear, which has supplied Harrods, Selfrdges, Butlins, X-Factor, The Apprentice and Hollyoaks.

Flo, who is a maternity blogger and primary school teacher, said: “I had heard about the Heartbeat bears and thought they would be perfect, as my husband Neil was away training at Moulton College - he’s just swapped careers from being a physiotherapist’s assistant.

“I bought the bear and the recording chip and took it into my NHS scan: my midwife was very supportive of the idea. When she used the fetal doppler machine to listen to my baby’s heartbeat, I recorded the sound - the recorder was very easy to use.

“I then put the chip into the bear and made a little video for my husband, which I sent to him on email to listen to - he was so happy to hear it.

“I’ve also put the video on my Instagram account a.berry.mummy.life and everybody just loved the idea, and it’s been shared across social media. The page is all about life as a new mum so there are a lot of other new parents who are following my posts.”

Baby Lottie Rose Berry arrived on June 21 - two weeks early - and fortunately dad Neil was at home to be there for the birth.

Flo added: “Lottie weighed 6lb and 4oz, and is now doing very well, despite being early. However, my husband is still away for part of the week, as he’s been working on Worcester Cathedral since Lottie was two weeks old, so I use the heartbeat to help settle her.

“She obviously recognises the sound of the heartbeat as she moves her head to listen and it does help soothe her - as a new mum who’s coping alone that is a real help. I am recommending it to all the mums-to-be that I meet.”

Be My Bear say there is growing interest from parents for its new product. The sound of a baby’s heartbeat in the womb, taken during routine ultrasound scans, is captured on a chip inside the bear.

The recording is played by pressing a heart button on the teddy bear, which the parents-to-be take home to treasure and also share with family and friends.

Once the baby is born, the cuddly toy’s heartbeat recording can also be used to help soothe the infant to sleep.

The heartbeat bears are also helping grieving parents whose babies tragically do not survive birth.

Be My Bear’s business endeavours are being supported by Colwyn Business Improvement District (BID), which is aiming to revitalise the area.

Anna Openshaw, project manager of Colwyn BID, said: “Be My Bear is a terrific company that has thrived and flourished during its 16-year history and it continues to innovate.

“Such a well-respected business provides a welcome boost to the region and we are confident that Be My Bear will continue to go from strength to strength.”

Be My Bear director Pippa said: “We are really excited about our heartbeat bears and are getting some terrific feedback from the scanning clinics across the UK that are purchasing our products.There is a huge market out there, as yet untapped.

“

Mini-lover and owner, Deborah James - affectionately known as 'Debs' - passed away on July 27 at Cynthia Spencer Hospice.

For the 37-year-olds last wish, Deborah of St Crispins, asked for a Mini convoy to follow the hearse to Towcester Road cemetery.

Her brother, Derek Rusling, led the 42 cars while driving Deborah's own Mini and described the send off for the mum-of-one as "amazing."

"She put it in her will that she wanted a convoy of Minis at her funeral," he said.

"We thought we would get half a dozen cars, we put it on social media and it just went mad - we were over whelmed, most of those people we didn't know, it's really humbling.

"It was an amazing day, we were equally as joyful as we were sorrowful."

As a result of her cancer diagnosis, Deborah started up her own HR business specialised in running workshops teaching employers how to treat staff with cancer in the workplace.

She often fundraised for Bowel Cancer UK, raising awareness for their 'Never Too Young' campaign and took part in the Race For Life in 2016 where she gave a speech to an audience in Abington Park about her two-year on-and-off battle with the illness.

The family would like to thank Wollaston BMW, Northamptonshire Police and Northampton Town Football Club for their support on the day.

But let's get one thing straight, you might not like what you find.

Tucked within a row of terraced houses in The Mounts, the recently opened escape rooms Trapp'd offers its guests an unusual night out.

The premise is simple. You and a group of people group of up to five others are deposited in a room you must escape from within an hour.

Drawing inspiration from the Saw series of films, Trapp'd requires teams to work together, uncovering keys by avoiding cunningly placed red herrings and deciphering visual riddles.

The Northampton venue offers visitors a choice of two rooms, Molten Creek Mine and Monosphere.

On our visit there this week, we were initially fitted with hard hats, blindfolded and led in into a faux mine complete with authentic grit and flickering lights.

We were, as the conceit would have it, trapped underground with an ever-decreasing oxygen supply.

Our only hope of survival was to cobble together our freedom from a series of journals, a roster of mine employees and a metal detector.

Needless to say the first 15 minutes were chaos.

One usually level-headed reporter took up a spade and began digging indiscriminately.

Another, convinced lights were flashing in Morse code, tried to remember a long-forgotten alphabet from his Sea Cadets days.

One of these reporters was me.

Eventually, we began to make headway, and without giving too many spoilers away, managed to escape in time.

In just over 54 minutes to be precise.

Slightly weary, but spurred on by a sense of journalistic completeness, we donned blindfolds again before heading into the second, more difficult room.

Monosphere - a nightmarish human science lab draped in black and white and lit by strobe - is even more challenging than the first.

Spirits had waned somewhat after the first room proved, maybe beyond doubt, that our daily grind of conjuring alliterated puns had, in no way, prepared us for an evening of cryptic puzzle solving.

More shouting followed. A sports reporter, who wished to remain anonymous, lay on the floor to think, or out of sheer fright. One of the two. He wished Saints had been playing that night.

True colours reveal themselves. Time pressures led to unusual decision making. Team leaders become a shadow of their daytime selves.

I walk into a curved mirror three times. Everyone saw it.

But despite our initial blind panic we escape again, exhausted. Don't ask me how.

Trapp'd might not be everyone's idea of fun on a Tuesday night. But since opening in May the interactive venue has proved to be every bit as popular as its predecessor in Corby.

As a team-building exercise with work colleagues, we reflected, this was a lot of fun.

Only 45 per cent of people make it through Monosphere without getting 'trapped', so the challenge will no doubt be an appeal to those who consider themselves puzzle experts.

The production value was great, the sound, the props, all part of a well thought-through experience.

The only downside, maybe, is that you can't really revisit the escape room once you've been once. And you might get covered in grit.

But the team there assured us the rooms would be replaced every 18 months.

Prices range from £13 to £20-per-head depending on the size of the group, with the maximum team size being six.

For more information, visit the website here.

An investigation has been launched after firefighters were called out to tackle flames at a Northampton flat this morning.

Four fire engines attended the apartment block at West Cotton Close, Far Cotton.

A 999 call was made shortly after 9am.

A spokeswoman for Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue said an investigation was underway to establish the cause of the fire.

In terms of chances alone, Northampton matched Charlton - prior to a crazy late finish - and created enough opportunities to come away with more than another defeat but their general play at times lacked structure and discipline, especially in the second-half when Charlton threatened to run riot following Holmes' goal.

The Cobblers made the worst possible start when Josh Magennis got free inside the box and nodded in Holmes' cross barely two minutes in, but the visitors were far from outplayed thereafter and would have gone in level at the break had they brought their scoring boots.

But, predictably, their failure to convert proved costly and it had to be Holmes who bagged the all-important second goal with an emphatic finish, prolonging Northampton's wait for a first point of the season despite Marc Richards finally ending their 600-minute goal drought when heading home with 11 minutes remaining.

Town, whose forgettable afternoon was compounded by an injury-time brace from Jake Forster-Caskey, now sit second-bottom in Sky Bet League One, above only Oldham on alphabetical order, and even though the season is just two weeks old, the pressure to get off the mark now increases several notches, all the more so given that their next opponents are red-hot Peterborough United have won all three games.

Saturday's defeat also means it's the first time that Northampton have lost their opening four games of any campaign - in all competitions - since joining the Football League 97 years ago.

As expected, Justin Edinburgh kept faith in 3-5-2 and made only one change to the team that lost at Fleetwood, recalling Leon Barnett to defence in place of Regan Poole.

Or at least that was the plan but, just prior to kick-off, Chris Long limped off in the warm-up, which forced Edinburgh to put Richards up front alongside Alex Revell, with Joe Iaciofano on the bench.

The two players who signed in the week, Luke Coddington and Matt Grimes, also both made the bench, as did fit-again Daniel Powell, but John-Joe O'Toole once again missed out.

And Northampton's problems deepened within two minutes of kick-off when Charlton hit the front. Holmes was the architect, brushing aside Barnett and working space for a teasing cross which was met by the head of Magennis, who out-muscled the away defence and nodded into the bottom corner.

Holmes was already causing headaches for Town and his long-range shot was then fumbled by David Cornell before Town eventually settled down and got a foothold, with two chances falling for Richards in as many minutes.

His first was a speculative volley that skewed wide but his second opportunity required a fine full-length stop from Ben Amos after the Northampton skipper latched onto Aaron Phillips' threaded through ball and fired towards the far corner.

Phillips' participation was then ended by injury, replaced by Brendan Moloney, but the visitors had done well to weather Charlton's early storm and were now in the ascendancy, highlighted by two quick chances for Ash Taylor

Amos held Taylor's first attempt after swivelling in the box and taking aim at goal before the defender found himself unmarked at the back post where he got his header all wrong from Yaser Kasim's deep free-kick, miscuing horribly off target.

The first-half remained open and entertaining, and it was then Charlton's turn to threaten when Matt Crooks lost possession in a dangerous area, allowing Holmes to break and release Tariqe Fosu, who dragged his shot wide when confronted by Cornell.

The visitors were vulnerable defensively but dangerous in attack and that was proven again shortly before half-time. Billy Waters brought down Richards' flick inside the area, only for his attempt to be smothered by the onrushing Amos who also snuffed out Richards on the rebound.

Holmes brought two relatively straightforward saves from Cornell in the closing moments of the half as the Cobblers remained in the contest at just one goal behind going into half-time.

And they created another very presentable opportunity that again went begging moments after the restart, this time Moloney heading Waters' cross wide at the back post.

Charlton too were guilty of being wasteful in front of goal and they squandered a glaring chance to make their position safe when Magennis inexcusably lashed over with the goal at his mercy after Cornell denied Fosu.

Northampton had suddenly become noticeably stretched as they pushed forward, prompting Edinburgh to make an alteration by introducing Matt Grimes for his debut, replacing Kasim, but then came the killer blow. Inevitably, Holmes delivered it when thrashing a venomous shot beyond Cornell and into the net.

The home side, and Holmes in particular, fancied more and Magennis nearly obliged when shooting wide, but, almost out of the blue, there was a lifeline for Northampton.

With 11 minutes left, and now playing 4-4-2, substitute Daniel Powell sent in a cross and Richards stooped low to head beyond Amos and into the corner, resurrecting hope of an unlikely comeback.

That did not materialise, however, and in fact it was the Addicks who had the final word when Forster-Caskey was afforded the freedom of the Northampton penalty area to sidefoot in before then brilliantly curling home a wonderful fourth, sealing Charlton's victory in style.

Charlton: Amos, Solly (c), Bauer, Pearce, DaSilva, Forster-Caskey, Kashi, Holmes (Konsa 82), Clarke (Jackson 90), Fosu (Ahearne-Grant 73), Magennis

Subs not used: Phillips, Aribo, Sarr, Hackett-Fairchild

Cobblers: Cornell, Barnett, A Taylor, Pierre (Powell 74), Phillips (Moloney 13), Crooks, Kasim (Grimes 57), Buchanan, Waters, Richards (c), Revell

Subs not used: Coddington, Poole, McWilliams, Iaciofano

Referee: Kevin Johnson

Attendance: 11,289

Cobblers fans: 881

Late tries from Alex Mitchell and Tom Collins helped Saints make it three wins from three in pre-season as they edged out Glasgow Warriors 19-14 in Stirling.

The youthful Warriors team had twice taken the lead, going 7-0 and 14-7 up.

But Saints kept going and managed to secure the victory thanks to scrum-half Mitchell and wing Collins.

Ahsee Tuala, who was making his first pre-season appearance, got the first try for Jim Mallinder's men.

Glasgow grabbed the lead after 10 minutes as Robbie Nairn set up George Horne, who dotted down.

Adam Hastings added the conversion and the home side continued to put Saints under pressure.

But the away side finally got going 20 minutes in as they started to turn up the heat on their hosts.

The momentum was briefly halted by a head injury for Saints fly-half Piers Francis, who was forced off.

But Saints continued to press and they used a set piece to launch an attack, which ended with replacement Harry Mallinder teeing up Tuala with a kick ahead, and the Samoan scored.

Mallinder converted to make it 7-7 at the break and Saints took the opportunity to switch their front row, with Alex Waller, Dylan Hartley and Kieran Brookes introduced.

It gave Hartley, who took over the Saints captaincy this summer, the chance to get his first minutes under his belt ahead of the new season.

And Saints kept their foot on the gas as they searched for a second try.

However, it was Glasgow who scored next as they turned defence into attack and captain Adam Ashe raced in for a picturebook try.

Both sides continued to make plenty of changes and Saints were soon camped on the Glasgow line.

Eventually the pressure told as Mitchell breached the home defence, but the conversion was missed to leave Saints two points down.

Glasgow looked set to secure the win, but Collins was to have the final say as he sprinted in from 40 metres to score.

Mallinder added the gloss with the successful conversion.

Saints will now play one more match before the Aviva Premiership season starts against Saracens at Twickenham on September 2.

Ulster will be the visitors to Franklin's Gardens on Friday night as Mallinder's men bid to complete a blemish-free pre-season campaign.

Glasgow Warriors: Hughes (McDowell 21); Santo (Jones 40), Kelly (Beattie 51), Johnson, Nairn; Hastings, Horne (Shiel 51); Bhatti (Allan 44), Malcolm (Stewart 71), Rae; Peterson, Cummings; Fagerson (Burr 64), Smith (Fusaro 44 (Stokes 74)), Ashe (c) (Wynne 64).

Saints: Foden (c) (Furbank 66); Estelles (Elliott 54), Tuala, Burrell, Collins; Francis (Mallinder 29), Groom (Mitchell 56); Ma'afu (A Waller 40), Clare (Hartley 40), Ford-Robinson (Brookes 40); Ribbans, Craig; Gibson, Ludlam, Eadie (Harrison 54).

Attendance: 2,532

Ahsee Tuala was a happy man after marking his return to Saints action with a try on Saturday afternoon.

The Samoan, who started at centre against Glasgow Warriors in Stirling, latched onto a Harry Mallinder kick ahead to score in the first half of the 19-14 pre-season victory.

It was Tuala's first game at Saints since representing Samoa during the summer.

And the 27-year-old was delighted to be back in Northampton colours.

"I'm enjoying being back with the boys after being on tour with Samoa," said Tuala, who was named Saints' breakthrough player of the season at the 2016/17 awards dinner.

"I was lucky enough to get over for a try and it's good.

"It was quite tough out there because of the rain.

"I haven't played there (at centre) in a while, but I just needed to adapt and work with the people alongside me.

"Everyone who plays at 12 gives me good chat and I trust them with the communication."

Late tries from Alex Mitchell and Tom Collins saw Saints recover from going 14-7 down to see off a youthful Glasgow side.

Jim Mallinder's men have now won all three of their pre-season matches, with the Glasgow win preceded by victories against the Dragons and Nottingham.

And Tuala said: "It's important for us to start well in pre-season and we'll take the win here.

"We can work on the things we need to improve on.

"We regrouped after the first try they scored and we spoke about bringing real intensity in our defence.

"We just needed to stick together and we did that."

Saints start their Aviva Premiership campaign against Saracens at Twickenham on September 2.

But before that, they will face one more pre-season friendly as they take on Ulster at Franklin's Gardens on Friday night.

And Tuala said: "We're definitely looking forward to that next game against Ulster back at home and it will be good to get the crowd behind us.

"We've got time on our way back home to discuss things we need to work on, but we'll enjoy our win and enjoy our trip back home."

Cobblers boss Justin Edinburgh accepts he and his players 'must take responsibility' after their stuttering start to the season reached new depths with a 4-1 defeat at Charlton Athletic on Saturday.

Josh Magennis' second minute header set the tone for another miserable afternoon as Town succumbed to a fourth straight defeat, marking their worst ever start to a Football League season.

Former Sixfields favourite Ricky Holmes blasted in a second and after Marc Richards netted Cobblers' first goal of the campaign 11 minutes from time, Jake Forster-Caskey scored twice in stoppage-time to put the seal on a resounding victory.

"I don't think we can look for excuses today," admitted a downbeat Edinburgh afterwards. "We've got to take responsibility regardless of the scoreline.

"I think myself and the players will digest it and we'll have to make sure we get back to go again and get to the training ground on Monday because that's the only way we'll put it right.

"But we've got to accept some responsibility because that's not the way we're going to get ourselves results and I'm bitterly disappointed and frustrated.

"I'll reflect on it myself along with my players - we've got to be far better than what we were today to start getting results in this league."

Edinburgh was also quick to apologise to Cobblers fans for not recognising their support at the full-time whistle.

He added: "At the end I'm disappointed in myself because I walked down the tunnel and the crowd were excellent today but I've not applauded their support which disappointed me because that's not what I'm about and I apologise to them.

"It's not like me so I couldn't be any more disappointed. They've come here, supported us in numbers and I apologise for not applauding their support."

On the injuries suffered by Aaron Phillips and Chris Long, Edinburgh added: "Aaron felt his abductor when he went to pass the ball and we took him off straightaway so we're hoping it's not too bad.

"Chris complained of a tight hamstring in the warm-up and we're in a position where we don't want to be taking chances, so we made the decision to take him out."

It’s Mega Man, just not so... mega

Mega Man Legacy 2 continues a year of revitalised retro but does it do the cult series justice?

Going into Mega Man Legacy 2 - which contains 7, 8, 9 and 10 - I have to admit to feeling like I had already revisited the Mega Man games I enjoyed most thanks to Legacy 1.

Whether that influenced my enjoyment of the second batch it’s hard to tell but what is clear is that Legacy 2 feels somewhat disjointed and at times frustrating.

There is plenty to do and learn in this slightly madcap second half of Mega Man’s life, but it is not always great fun.

I made the mistake of playing 10 first to see how that held up in 2017 when in actual fact Mega Man 7 holds up best and I would recommend playing them in order.

The sound and artwork is on point and there are plenty of remix and challenge stages to tackle to be fair to Capcom.

Mega Man 8 has not stood the test of time and I couldn’t help feeling that there should be more features given the power at Capcom’s fingertips on the latest generation of console.

I probably enjoyed 7 the most because of the maddening difficulty spikes in 8-10 - something we have seen in another recent remaster collection, Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy.

Quite why developers feel this is necessary is beyond me to be honest and it only serves to put me off as it doesn’t have the addictive appeal of a Super Meat Boy or Mario/Sonic.

Legacy 2 is not helped by the fact 1 was so good and boasted a better save system. While the graphics and gameplay are faithfully maintained in their original glory, the collection itself feels like a bit of an anti-climax.

Don’t get me wrong none of them are terrible and they all probably sit in the ‘good’ category. But Mega Man 3 just stands tall above all the rest and very much leaves an imposing shadow. Hardcore Mega Man/retro platformer fans will have plenty to keep them busy here.

But those with only a passing interest wil be more inclined towards the Legacy 1 collection.

It doesn’t do quite enough to really draw great praise but just about hits a reasonable 7.

Parents hand down the same 29 nuggets of wisdom to their children that their own parents did - including ‘get an education’ and ‘always try your best’.

A study of 2,000 adults, commissioned by Skipton Building Society, revealed two thirds find themselves churning out the same old clichés that have been passed down through generations.

The favourites are ‘you don’t get something for nothing’ and ‘put money aside for a rainy day’ and ‘if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all’.

Financial advice features often with phrases like; ‘never spend money you don’t have’, ‘look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves’, ‘ put money aside for a rainy day’ and ‘always have two months’ rent/mortgage saved’.

‘Always wear clean underwear’ and ‘never let your petrol tank go lower than a quarter full’ are among other tips from parents.

Seven in 10 adults admitted they often catch themselves mid-sentence and think they sound like their mother or father, while a further 36 per cent frequently think they’re turning into their own parents.

But perhaps that’s no bad thing, with a whopping 72 per cent of people admitting they do still live by the advice their parents gave them when growing up - and as such still try not to eat cheese before bedtime, always use a hand cream, and try to eat with their mouth closed.

Stacey Stothard, Skipton Building Socieyt, said:: “It’s great to see so many people admit to living by the advice given to them by their parents.

“Passing on life lessons and philosophy should never be underestimated, for many people they directly attribute this to getting into the discipline of planning and saving for their future.”

Here are the top 50 nuggets of wisdom parents around the country are passing on to their kids:

TOP 50 WORDS OF WISDOM

1. Always try your best

2. If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all

3. Get an education - no-one can take that away from you

4. Never spend money you don’t have

5. If you don’t ask, you don’t get

6. Eat with your mouth closed

7. Put money aside for a rainy day

8. Never take sweets from strangers

9. Do your best - nothing else matters

10. Keep your elbows off the table

11. Never swim on a full stomach

12. Treat people with respect

13. There’s no such word as can’t

14. You never get something for nothing

15. Don’t put shoes in the table

16. SMILE

17. Practice makes perfect

18. Look after your pennies and the pounds will look after themselves

19. Courtesy and compassion cost nothing

20. Treat others how you wish to be treated yourself

21. You only get out of life what you put into it

22. ‘I want’ never gets

23. Mind your p’s and q’s

24. Manners maketh the man

25. Always wear clean underwear

26. Don’t stare at people, it’s rude

27. Watching too much TV will make your eyes go square

28. Be true to yourself

29. Always hold the door open

30. Never leave the house with wet hair

31. Never drink on an empty stomach

32. Never go to bed on an argument

33. Look up things you don’t know the answer to

34. Never go under a ladder

35. Never give up

36. Receive compliments gracefully

37. Don’t wear your coat indoors

38. Mum knows best

39. The grass is never greener

40. Always eat your breakfast

41. Life’s too short to be unhappy

42. Always have 2 month’s rent/mortgage saved

43. Don’t eat cheese before bedtime

44. Give compliments easily

45. Use a hand cream

46. Don’t eat in the street

47. Never offer a stranger a lift

48. Don’t smoke in the street

49. Never let your petrol tank go lower than a quarter full

50. Men are very different creatures to women

A glass of wine or pint of beer a day can help people to live longer, according to new research.

The study suggests that light-to-moderate alcohol consumption - classed as less than 14 drinks a week for men, and seven for women - may have “protective” health effects and can reduce the risk of dying young.

Experts said the findings show that for most older people, the overall benefits of light drinking “clearly outweigh” the possible cancer risk.

Heavy drinking has been linked to a host of health issues - including heart disease, but alcohol in moderation is widely recommended.

But, despite these recommendations, previous studies of the risk of dying among light-to-moderate drinkers were inconsistent in their findings.

For the new study, researchers examined the association between alcohol consumption and risk of mortality from all causes, cancer and cardiovascular disease in the United States.

They studied data from 333,247 participants obtained through the National Health Interview Surveys from 1997 to 2009.

The study participants were surveyed regarding their drinking and patterns of use.

They were divided into six groups, based on their drinking patterns: lifetime abstainers, lifetime infrequent drinkers, former drinkers and current light (less than three drinks per week), moderate (more than three drinks per week to less than 14 drinks per week for men or less than seven drinks per week for women) or heavy drinkers - more than 14 drinks per week for men or seven per week for women.

Protective effects

Study lead author Doctor Bo Xi, associate professor at Shandong University School of Public Health in China, said: “Our research shows that light-to-moderate drinking might have some protective effects against cardiovascular disease, while heavy drinking can lead to death.

“A delicate balance exists between the beneficial and detrimental effects of alcohol consumption, which should be stressed to consumers and patients,”

Throughout the length of the study, 34,754 participants died from all-causes. Of those, 8,947 deathss were cardiovascular disease-specific, and 8,427 mortalities were cancer-specific.

Researchers found that male heavy drinkers had a 25 per cent increased risk of mortality due to all-causes and a 67 per cent increase in mortality from cancer.

The increases were not significantly noticed in women. There was no association found between heavy drinking and cardiovascular disease mortality.

Mortality decrease

Moderate drinking was associated with a 13 per cent and 25 per cent decreased risk of all-cause mortality, and 21 per cent and 34 per cent decreased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, respectively, in both men and women. Similar findings were observed for light drinking in both genders.

Study co-author Doctor Sreenivas Veeranki, assistant professor in preventive medicine and community health at University of Texas Medical Branch, said: “We have taken rigorous statistical approaches to address issues reported in earlier studies such as abstainer bias, sick quitter phenomenon and limited confounding adjustment in our study.

“A J-shaped relationship exists between alcohol consumption and mortality, and drinkers should drink with consciousness.”

Doctor Giovanni de Gaetano, director of the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention at IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo Neuromed said the findings show younger adults should not expect considerable benefit from moderate drinking.

But he added: “For most older persons, the overall benefits of light drinking, especially the reduced cardiovascular disease risk, clearly outweigh possible cancer risk.”

Preferring Pepsi to Coke or McDonald’s to Burger King could doom your relationship, according to new research.

‘Brand compatibility’ is more important than shared interests or personality traits when it comes to finding the perfect match, suggests the study.

A person who is dominated by their other half’s consumer choices is likely to become miserable - leading to feelings of resentment and ‘death by a thousand cuts’, say scientists.

The phenomenon has been triggered by the growing obsession with brands, they say.

And it is so strong the drinks and burgers of choice should be included on dating websites like match and eharmony.

Marketing expert Professor Gavan Fitzsimons said liking Coke when your partner chooses Pepsi may not appear a big deal. But it can be the most important factor affecting our happiness.

He said: “People think compatibility in relationships comes from having similar backgrounds, religion or education.

“But we find those things don’t explain how happy you are in life nearly as much as this notion of brand compatibility.”

Fight the low power

The study “Coke vs. Pepsi: Brand Compatibility, Relationship Power, and Life Satisfaction” found participants with ‘low power’ - those who don’t feel they can shape their partner’s behaviour - end up with a brand they don’t like as much.

Co author Danielle Brick, a PhD student now at the University of New Hampshire, said: “If you are lower in relationship power and have different brand preferences than your partner, you’re probably going to find yourself stuck with your partner’s favourite brands, over and over again.

“This could lead to a death-by-a-thousand-cuts feeling. Most couples won’t break up over brand incompatibility, but it leads to the low power partner becoming less and less happy.”

Experiments tracking individuals and couples for up to two years used brand preferences in fizzy drinks, coffee, chocolate, beer and cars.

The results were combined with findings on relationship power and happiness and the finding was always the same - whatever the type of product.

‘Robust effect’

Psychologist Prof Grainne Fitzsimons, also of Duke University, said: “It’s an extremely robust effect, we found it over and over and over again.”

Ms Brick said it is likely these effects have steadily gained strength as brands have evolved to play a bigger role in the daily lives of consumers.

But they aren’t given the same weight as other relationship influencing factors because they are not seen as significant.

She said: “If you are a different religion than your romantic partner, you know that if this is an issue you can’t work through, then the relationship isn’t going to last.

“Conversely, if you like Coke and your partner likes Pepsi, you are probably not going to break up over it.

“But 11 years into a relationship, when he or she keeps coming home with Pepsi, day in and day out, it might start to cause a little conflict.

“And if you are the low-power person in the relationship, who continually loses out on brands and is stuck with your partner’s preferences, you are going to be less happy.”

Dating dilemmas

The team said their study published in the Journal of Consumer Research has implications for individuals and firms.

Prof Fitzsimons said: “People who are looking for love should maybe consider including brand preferences on their dating profiles.

“There’s also an opportunity for marketers to seek to be the family brand. Even if two partners have slightly different brand preferences, if they can adopt a joint brand that both are happy about, that might increase happiness for a partner who would otherwise feel unsatisfied.”

He said family branding isn’t currently commonplace.

Prof Fitzsimons added: “Some brands are marketed as family oriented, but that’s not the same as reaching out to everyone in the family.

“It is tricky, but firms that get it right can have their brand associated with happiness and harmony - and there’s nothing better than that.”

It was a tone that Northampton fans have become all too accustomed to in 2017 as they witnessed their team slump to a 15th defeat since the turn of the year - out of 26 games - in disappointingly resounding fashion.

If their slow start to the season was a reason for concern prior to Saturday, it is now much more than that. And if Justin Edinburgh was hoping his players would give him a result and a performance to take the pressure off, he got the exact opposite.

At Shrewsbury they were poor but could be forgiven for because it was the first day; against Fleetwood they were marginally better and only lost out in unfortunate fashion; against Charlton they were just simply outplayed in almost all departments and deserved nothing but a beating.

For sure, 4-1 arguably flattered the Addicks if you were being generous and yes, it's true that Northampton created enough presentable chances to be at least level or even ahead at half-time in Saturday's contest at The Valley.

But, regardless, those chances were not taken, which in itself is a recurring theme, and the second-half then unfolded in a way we've seen many times before over the past 12 months.

It doesn't seem to matter who the manager is or who the players are, the same problems keep cropping up ever since the Cobblers took their place in League One 12 months ago; the same lack of discipline and inability to remain structured and organised; the same lack of creativity up front and composure and control in midfield.

It was noticeable on Saturday how Charlton allowed their visitors to have possession among the back three, in particular Aaron Pierre, but as soon as Northampton attempted to go forward, they found themselves outnumbered and therefore crowded out in midfield.

That resulted in plenty of long balls being played, thus bypassing Matt Crooks and Yaser Kasim, and while Brendan Moloney brought drive at wing-back, there was still no real creative force throughout the side.

It's also become apparent that Marc Richards and Alex Revell are not suited to each other in attack. Edinburgh was not helped by Chris Long's injury, followed shortly by Aaron Phillips, but perhaps, in hindsight, pushing Billy Waters further forward and bringing someone like Matt Grimes into midfield would have shored things up.

Even a defence that has previously looked so assured began to creak as they were left exposed whenever Charlton won possession in the middle third.

In the second-half Northampton were chasing the game but it seemed their desperation for a goal came too soon. From around the 50-minute mark they were pushing too many bodies forward, which gave the Addicks numerous three-on-three or even three-on-two counter-attacking opportunities, and eventually they capitalised through Ricky Holmes, who terrorised his former club throughout the 84 minutes he was on the field.

Charlton had a simple but effective game plan: wait for Northampton to cross the halfway line, win the ball back and then spring forward, thus catching their visitors short at the back.

That strategy culminated in several chances in the first-half and far more in the second.

It would not be fair to say that the Cobblers didn't have their own opportunities either. Marc Richards twice went close, second time thwarted by a fine Ben Amos stop, as did Ash Taylor while Billy Waters was also snuffed out by the Charton goalkeeper and Brendan Moloney's missed header just after half-time was perhaps the turning point.

Because from then on Town lost their shape and barely threatened again until Richards stooped low and headed Daniel Powell's knock-down into the bottom corner, although even their first goal of the season could not lift the gloom on this dark day.

Because there was to be no late onslaught and the only action came at the other end where Jake Forster-Caskey's well-taken brace in stoppage-time put the gloss on Charlton's emphatic and deserved victory.

The sombre mood of Edinburgh's post-match interview encapsulated the afternoon. There was no doubt for anyone who saw his downcast, deeply disappointed demeanour that this result hit him as hard as any since taking over in January.

It's now up to him to fix the situation and put things right because ultimately the buck always stops with the manager and there is far too much talent and ability in this team for them to be floundering near the bottom of the table.

The question is: what happens next? Does Edinburgh abandon 3-5-2 in favour of a more conventional formation? Does he make sweeping personnel changes?

The worry for the Cobblers is not so much that they've lost their first three games - there's ample time to pull that back - it's the way those defeats have come about and the fact they don't look like turning it around any time soon.

Indeed, one quick glance at the fixture list hardly offers any reassurance.

Up next are Peterborough United and then comes a trip to Wigan Athletic - both of those teams have won every game so far - followed by Doncaster, Portsmouth, Southend and Bradford. It is not entirely inconceivable that the Cobblers could still be winless in a month's time, especially going by their current form.

It might still be early in the season but with each passing defeat the pressure goes up several notches.

How they rated...

David Cornell - His least assured performance of the campaign, not that any blame can be levelled at him for any of the four goals. Fumbled a couple of long-range shots and was shaky under one cross. Now faces stiff competition from Coddington... 5

Leon Barnett - Was brushed aside too easily by Holmes in the lead up to Charlton's first and that rather set the tone for a poor afternoon for Town's back three... 5

Ash Taylor - Half-hearted challenge allowed Holmes space to fire in the crucial second goal. Squandered two very decent openings at the other end too... 5

Aaron Pierre - One surging run aside, he was helpless to prevent Charlton's sprint to victory. Out-muscled by Magennis for the opener and then showed anger when substituted, which is not necessarily a bad thing providing it's for the right reasons... 5

Aaron Phillips - Threaded a fine through ball for an early chance before his game was cut short by injury moments later... 6

Matt Crooks - A bad day at the office for the midfielder. Twice careless in possession in dangerous areas, saved only by his team-mates, and was wasteful on the rare occasions he got into the final third... 5

Yaser Kasim - Bar the one which found an unmarked Taylor, his set-pieces were a let down on an afternoon when nothing happened for him. Having said that, though his display was below-par, the ironic cheers that met his substitution were harsh... 5

David Buchanan - Timely headed clearance prevented a certain goal late in the first-half. If nitpicking, he could have got out quicker to close down Forster-Caskey's second but by that stage the game had well and truly gone... 5

Billy Waters - Can't fault his endeavour or willingness to try and make something happen. If Town were to create something you felt Waters would be at the heart of it, perhaps needs moving back up front... 6

Alex Revell - Kept on the fringes of the game for the majority, unable to put his stamp on it, although some of that can be put down to the often poor service up to him. His partnership with Richards very much remains a work-in-progress... 5

Marc Richards - A late addition to the team and ultimately a positive one given he scored Town's first and only goal of the season. Was also influential first-half, twice going close and also teeing up Waters for a chance... 6 CHRON STAR MAN

Substitutes

Brendan Moloney - Headed wide after half-time when the score was 1-0, which could have changed things. Provided impetus and drive from the right... 6

Matt Grimes - Showed some nice touches in his debut cameo... 6

Daniel Powell - 6

Francis often strutted his stuff at inside centre for former club the Blues in Super Rugby.

And he also won his first two England caps at 12 during the summer, performing well on the two-Test tour in Argentina.

But Francis doesn’t see himself as a regular 12, instead insisting that he wants to line up at fly-half for Saints this season.

“I’m a 10,” Francis said. “I’ve always played 10.

“In my first season at the Blues I had a lot of exposure at 12, which was great and I thoroughly enjoyed myself there.

“As it happens, the couple of England caps I have had have been at 12 and that’s great for me personally and for a coach who is looking for a player who has got abilities in a couple of positions.

“I believe I’m a 10 and that’s where I’d like to play, but 12 is a position I’m now comfortable with and I’ve played internationally and at Super Rugby in that position.

“I feel I’m well adapted and I’m looking forward to competing for the 10 jersey.”

But if he is to earn the Saints No.10 shirt, Francis will have to usurp current incumbent Stephen Myler.

Myler, who is currently recovering from a knee injury, is second in Saints’ all-time points scorers’ list and propelled the club to Aviva Premiership and Amlin Challenge Cup glory in 2014.

Francis, who made his first appearance in the 71-21 pre-season victory against the Dragons at Franklin’s Gardens, has got on well with Myler so far.

And he said: “Stephen’s a really nice guy and it’s not a case of anything other than that.

“Competition in the squad is realy healthy for me and for the squad as a collective.

“It’s not an individual sport and there’s going to be competition in every position at big clubs like Northampton, but half the reason you get up every day is to challenge yourself.

“Stephen’s a great player so I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

According to new research by price comparison site uSwitch.com, two thirds (63%) of drivers make simple errors which can leave them out of pocket should they need to make a claim.

And a quarter (25%) of those surveyed admitted they didn’t realise these small errors could result in car insurance providers not paying out, with an additional third (37%) of drivers admitting they simply forgot that such behaviour might impact on an insurance claim.

Top 10 mistakes drivers make that may invalidate your car insurance:

1. Wearing high heels or flip flops when driving (25%)

2. Leaving car unlocked (24%)

3. Putting off car maintenance when required (21%)

4. Forgetting to renew car MOT on time (16%)

5. Letting pets roam free in the car (15%)

6. Lending car to a friend or family member (14%)

7. Not updating details after changing jobs (9%)

8. Attaching fluffy dice, or another object, to rear view mirror (9%)

9. Forgetting to renew vehicle tax on time (9%)

10. Underestimating mileage travelled everyday (8%)

Rod Jones Insurance, expert at uSwitch.com, said: “We know the British public are increasingly time poor, so it’s unsurprising that motorists can be forgetful when it comes to locking up their cars or renewing their car MOT and taxes on time.

“With claims now running into the thousands of pounds, people can’t afford to make a careless mistake that could invalidate their cover and leave them out of pocket.

“It is therefore really important that drivers note down their key renewal dates, and avoid making the easy to forget mistakes to ensure they are covered should they ever need to make a claim.”