"There's no getting away from the fact it's been a tough few games and a tough few weeks but I have to bounce back from it and I know I'll do that," continued Lyth.

Image source, Getty Images

"I've been hitting the ball well all summer but I just haven't done it out in the middle in this Ashes series.

"I know I'm good enough at this level. I can do it, it's just about doing it consistently."

Adam Lythhas been reflecting, at some length, on his performances during the Ashes.

While England recorded a memorable 3-2 series victory, Lyth's performance as opener weren't particularly impressive.

"This experience has made me hungrier, you don't become a bad player overnight and you don't in five games either," he wrote on Facebook.

Image source, Getty Images

"It's been an incredible few weeks and now I'm an Ashes winner, nobody can take that away from me.

"It could have gone better on a personal note but that's cricket and that can happen when you're facing one of the best attacks in the world on testing pitches."

Earlier we brought the news that US 110m hurdler Aries Merritt is due to have a kidney transplant, possibly just three days after the final at the World Championships in Beijing (09:16).

Image source, Getty Images

He's been speaking about why he decided to compete rather than rest ahead of surgery, saying: "I'm here for mental sanity. I don't want to be sitting in my house cooped up in bed waiting for surgery.

"After 2013 when they told me I would never run again my whole world ended. But here I am fighting. It shows I can overcome anything with a positive mind."

George Caulkin from The Times tweets this lovely tale...

Nigel Man: My debut rugby match, I ran through their entire team & failed to score. I was told I ran into the post - I don't remember…  

Ouch. Sounds painful, Nigel. Not as painful as Phil Babb's encounter with the post that time though. We'll let you find that clip online.

Keep your sporting fails coming. Tweet #mysportingfail or post on the BBC Sport Facebook, external page.

Image source, Getty Images

A Question of Sport Teaser
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006t1s9

Earlier on we asked which three British athletes, apart from Greg Rutherford, have won World Championship gold in a field event.

The answers? Fatima Whitbread, Jonathan Edwards and Phillips Idowu.

Rutherford became just the fifth British athlete to hold Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth titles at the same time when he won the long jump in Beijing on Tuesday.

West Ham forward Enner Valenciahas said sorry, external for a radio interview in which he claimed he was "not being supported" by the club over his current injuries.

The Ecuadorian striker hurt his right knee and ankle against Astra Giurgiu in the Europa League earlier this month, and reportedly said he was considering leaving London, external to see a doctor outside the club.

Image source, Getty Images

But in a later statement, he said: "I would like to make clear that I have the utmost respect and confidence in the Club’s medical team and the specialists I was referred to and I would like to apologise to them and the Club for any issues arising from the recent press coverage."  

Celtic will, however, have £2.13m to help ease their disappointment before they enter the Europa League. 

Image source, BBC Sport

So, even if Celtic do not gain a point in the Europa League they will be guaranteed £3.87m (£2.13m + £1.74m).

Nowhere near Champions League riches, but of some consolation nonetheless.

Celtic fans probably don't want reminding of this but failure to get past Malmo and make the Champions League group stages has cost them dear. 

Image source, BBC Sport

By way of comparison, Celtic earned £2.7m for winning the Scottish Premiership title last season.

In other words, prize money for the winning the Scottish title over 38 matches is about the same as two wins and two draws in the Champions League group stage.

Had Celtic progressed and not collected any points in the Champions League group stage, they would still have received £9.94m in prize money (£1.42m + £8.52m).

Image source, Getty Images

Asier Illarramendi has completed his return to Real Sociedad, signing from Real Madrid in a £19m deal.

Illarramendi left Sociedad to join Madrid in 2013.

Image source, Getty Images

Norwich City have had a third bid for Wolves striker Benik Afobe rejected, reports BBC WM 95.6.

The Championship club issued a statement last week saying neither the 22-year-old "nor any of Wolves' first-team forward players, will be sold this season", and said nothing had changed. 

Afobe has scored 16 goals in 26 appearances for Kenny Jackett's side since joining from Arsenal in January. 

Norwich also recently had a bid turned down for Stoke forward Jon Walters.

Norwich striker Kyle Lafferty has been named in the Northern Ireland squad for their upcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers after returning to training for the Canaries this week.

West Brom midfielder Chris Brunt has also earned a call-up despite limping off against Port Vale in the League Cup on Tuesday.

Image source, Reuters

Nottingham Forest striker Jamie Ward, also suffering with a hamstring problem recently, gets the nod, as does Jonny Evans, who has failed to feature for Manchester United so far this season.

Northern Ireland play Faroe Islands on September 4, then Hungary three days later.

Tim Spiers of the Express & Star says that Norwich have lodged a third bid - this time of £10m - for Wolves' England Under-21 striker Benik Afobe... 

Former England striker Andrew Cole has had something to say on the matter, too...

Natalie Jackson
BBC East Midlands sports editor

West Hamand Nottingham Forest have had talks over the Championship club's wingerMichail Antonio... 

More reaction from Celtic's Champions League play-off defeat to Malmo on Tuesday night. Midfielder Kris Commons has disagreed with manager Ronny Deila's claim that his team looked "scared" during the match. 

Watch the interview here.

Cardiff City manager Russell Slade has called for extra time to be banished from early-round League Cup games that are tied at the end of normal time.

Image source, Empics

The Bluebirds lost 2-1 to an extra-time goal by Josh Murphy at MK Dons in the second round on Tuesday.

Slade said such fixtures should be settled by penalty shoot-outs after the end of 90 minutes, adding: "It's wrong to be doing 120 minutes. I'm sure that there's a lot of managers that would agree with me on that."